DoD Personnel Reform Plan Draws Fire

Members of the House of both parties have expressed-in greater or lesser degree-opposition to the Defense Department’s plan to overhaul its civilian employee personnel rules by among other things effectively abolishing the general schedule system there in favor of a pay banding system with pay for performance elements. At a hearing of the House civil service subcommittee, members said that while they might agree with some elements of the plan, they said they felt the proposal was being rushed through the legislative process and that further scrutiny was needed. Most of the criticism fell on the pay-for-performance feature, with committee members questioning whether DoD would have an unbiased ratings system. DoD officials said the department has extensive experience with that concept, both through demonstration projects it has been running and through the military promotional system.