NSPS Will Be a Focus in DoD Bill

Congress over the upcoming weeks will begin writing several key pieces of legislation that could include important changes in personnel policies. One such measure will be the annual DoD authorization bill, which the House Armed Services Committee likely will start drafting first. Democratic leaders there have sent a series of go-slow signals on the NSPS personnel system, particularly regarding its pay for performance element. DoD recently formally formed a committee to carry out the review of the program it promised earlier this year, tasked with reviewing "if the underlying design principles and methodology for implementation are reflected in the program objectives; whether the program objectives are being met; and whether NSPS is operating in a fair, transparent, and effective manner." Critics say the program falls short by all those measures. However, that panel likely will continue working for several months, and likely won’t make recommendations until progress on the DoD bill is well under way.