[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25-27]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30754]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Office of Administration
[Docket No.: 141202999-4999-01]
Commerce Alternative Personnel System
AGENCY: Office of Administration, Office of Human Resources Management,
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the expansion of employee coverage under
the Commerce Alternative Personnel System, formerly the Department of
Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, published in the
Federal Register on December 24, 1997. This coverage is extended to
include employees located in the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA), employed under the First Responder
Network Authority (FirstNet). FirstNet was created as an independent
authority within the NTIA, Department of Commerce, to provide emergency
responders with the first high-speed, nation-wide network dedicated to
public safety.
This notice also serves to make changes to the plan to accommodate
the expansion of and modification to the Commerce Alternative Personnel
System. These changes include the addition of specific occupational
series, Commerce Alternative Personnel System Board composition, and
the implementation of direct-hire authority on a limited basis for
certain FirstNet positions in the ZP career path at the Pay Band IV and
above.
DATES: This notice expanding and modifying the Commerce Alternative
Personnel System is effective January 2, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce--Sandra
Thompson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue
NW., Room 51020, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-0056 or Valerie Smith
at (202) 482-0272.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved the Department of
Commerce (DoC) demonstration project for an alternative personnel
management system, and published the final plan in the Federal Register
on Wednesday, December 24, 1997 (62 FR 67434). The demonstration
project was designed to simplify current classification systems for
greater flexibility in classifying work and paying employees; establish
a performance management and rewards system for improving individual
and organizational performance; and improve recruiting and examining to
attract highly-qualified candidates. The purpose of the project was to
strengthen the contribution of human resources management and test
whether the same innovations conducted under the National Institute of
Standards and Technology alternative personnel management system would
produce similarly successful results in other DoC environments. The
project was implemented on March 29, 1998. The project plan has been
modified seven times to clarify certain DoC
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Demonstration Project authorities, and to extend and expand the
project: 64 FR 52810 (September 30, 1999); 68 FR 47948 (August 12,
2003); 68 FR 54505 (September 17, 2003); 70 FR 38732 (July 5, 2005); 71
FR 25615 (May 1, 2006); 71 FR 50950 (August 28, 2006); 74 FR 22728 (May
14, 2009). With the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2008, Public Law 110-161, on December 26, 2007, the project was made
permanent (extended indefinitely) and renamed the Commerce Alternative
Personnel System (CAPS).
CAPS provides for modifications to be made as experience is gained,
results are analyzed, and conclusions are reached on how the system is
working. This notice announces that the DoC expands CAPS to include
NTIA FirstNet, in all duty locations, as a participating organization;
and implements FirstNet's use of direct-hire authority under 5 U.S.C.
3304(a)(3) to fill specific scientific and engineering positions
announced through this register in the ZP career path. This notice also
serves to announce that the DoC modifies CAPS to add the following
occupational series: 0089--Emergency Management series; 0306--
Government Information series; 1109--Grants Management series; and
0905--General Attorney series. The addition of the 0905--General
Attorney series is for specific use by FirstNet only. Only Attorneys
employed under the FirstNet organization will be covered under CAPS.
The DoC will follow the CAPS plan as published in the Federal
Register on December 24, 1997, and subsequent modifications as listed
in the Background Section of this notice.
Kevin E. Mahoney,
Director for Human Resources Management and Chief Human Capital
Officer.
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary
II. Basis for CAPS Expansion
III. Changes to the Project Plan
I. Executive Summary
CAPS is designed to (1) improve hiring and allow DoC to compete
more effectively for high-quality candidates through direct hiring,
selective use of higher entry salaries, and selective use of
recruitment incentives; (2) motivate and retain staff through higher
pay potential, pay-for-performance, more responsive personnel systems,
and selective use of retention incentives; (3) strengthen the manager's
role in personnel management through delegation of personnel
authorities; and (4) increase the efficiency of personnel systems
through the installation of a simpler and more flexible classification
system based on pay banding through reduction of guidelines, steps, and
paperwork in classification, hiring, and other personnel systems, and
through automation.
The current participating organizations include 7 offices of the
Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Secretary for Administration in the
Office of the Secretary; the Bureau of Economic Analysis; the Institute
for Telecommunications Sciences--National Telecommunications and
Information Administration; and 11 units of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration: Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service, National Weather Service--
Space Environment Center, National Ocean Service, Program Planning and
Integration Office, Office of the Under Secretary, Marine and Aviation
Operations, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Office of the
Chief Financial Officer, and the Workforce Management Office.
This amendment modifies the December 24, 1997, Federal Register
notice. Specifically, it expands DoC CAPS to include NTIA, FirstNet as
a participating organization and enables FirstNet to hire, after public
notice is given, any qualified applicants in the ZP career path series
as defined in the Basis for CAPS Expansion section without regard to 5
U.S.C. 3309-3318, 5 CFR part 211, or 5 CFR part 337, subpart A on a
limited basis; it also adds additional occupational series as defined
in the Background section.
II. Basis for CAPS Expansion
A. Purpose
CAPS is designed to provide managers at the lowest organizational
level the authority, control, and flexibility to recruit, retain,
develop, recognize, and motivate its workforce, while ensuring adequate
accountability and oversight.
The expansion of coverage to include NTIA, FirstNet, along with the
implementation of direct-hire authority, should improve FirstNet's
ability to recruit and compete more effectively for high-quality
personnel. Section 3304(a)(3) of Title 5, United States Code, provides
agencies with the authority to appoint candidates directly to jobs for
which the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) determines that there is
a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need.
OPM's direct-hire authority enables agencies to hire, after public
notice is given, any qualified applicant without regard to 5 U.S.C.
3309-3318, 5 CFR part 211, or 5 CFR part 337, subpart A. This notice
implements FirstNet's use of direct-hire authority to fill up to 21
positions in the ZP career path in the following series: 0850--
Electrical Engineering; 0855--Electronics Engineering; 0854--Computer
Engineering; or 1550--Computer Science; and up to 56 positions in the
ZP--0089, Emergency Management series. The use of direct-hire authority
to fill these positions will not exceed 77 positions in the ZP career
path at any one time. NTIA, FirstNet will track the number of hires
made under direct-hire authority, ensuring numbers specified for the
occupational series are not exceeded.
In 1997, with the approval of the DoC's Demonstration Project (62
FR 67434), OPM concurred that some occupations in the ZP career path at
the Pay Band III and above constitute a shortage category, and some
occupations for which there is a special rate under the General
Schedule pay system constitute a shortage category. Past recruitment
efforts have demonstrated a critical shortage of candidates possessing
specialized technical expertise in 4G Long Term Evaluation (LTE)
technologies and mobile systems, as well as expertise in public safety
organizational operations and infrastructure capabilities. FirstNet
will use direct-hire authority to recruit Electronics Engineers,
Electrical Engineers, Computer Engineers, and Computer Scientists in
the ZP career path, Pay Band IV or higher, with efforts focused on
recruiting individuals with technical expertise in 4G LTE technologies
and development of mobile systems. This expertise is critical in order
to test, evaluate, deploy, and operate a nation-wide public safety
broadband network.
DoC FirstNet will use direct-hire authority to fill 0089--Emergency
Management Specialist (Public Safety) positions in the ZP career path,
Pay Band IV or higher, with efforts focused on formulation,
development, and engagement of public safety officials in planning and
implementing the nation-wide public safety broadband network. FirstNet
will implement direct-hire authority to hire individuals with public
safety experience in preventing, protecting, responding, or mitigating
emergency events. It is imperative for the success of public safety to
foster cooperation among various State, local, and tribal public safety
officials to ensure requirements are captured for the development of
the public safety network. To achieve FirstNet's statutory
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requirements and program goals, it is critical to recruit and retain
individuals with public safety sector knowledge and experience in order
to provide technical advice on preparedness and response activities
associated with natural and/or man-made disasters and the
organizational and infrastructure challenges faced responding to and
recovering from emergency incidents.
DoC's CAPS allows for modifications of procedures if no new waiver
from law or regulation is added. Given that this expansion and
modification is in accordance with existing law and regulation and CAPS
is a permanent alternative personnel system, the DoC is authorized to
make the changes described in this notice.
B. Participating Employees
Employee notification of this expansion will be accomplished by
providing a full set of briefings to employees and managers and
providing them electronic access to all CAPS policies and procedures,
including the seven previous Federal Register Notices. Employees will
also be provided a copy of this Federal Register notice upon approval.
Subsequent supervisor training and informational briefings for all
employees will be accomplished prior to the implementation date of the
expansion.
III. Changes to the Project Plan
The CAPS at DoC, published in the Federal Register on December 24,
1997 (62 FR 67434), is amended as follows:
1. The following organization will be added to the project plan,
Section II D--Participating Organizations:
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA),
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)
2. The following series are added to Table 2:
Administrative (ZA) Career Path
0306, Government Information Series
1109, Grants Management Series
0905, General Attorney Series (Authorized use by FirstNet only)
Scientific and Engineering (ZP) Career Path
0089, Emergency Management Series
3. Section III Personnel System Changes, (B) Staffing: Add a new
subsection titled: ``Direct-Hire Authority: Critical Shortage
Occupations'' and the information under this subsection is as follows:
DoC FirstNet uses direct-hire procedures for categories of occupations
that require skills that are in short supply. The following occupations
constitute a shortage category, at the Pay Band IV and above in the ZP
Career Path: Electronics Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Computer
Engineers, Computer Scientists, and Emergency Management Specialists
(Public Safety). Any positions in these categories may be filled by
FirstNet through direct-hire procedures in accordance with 5 U.S.C.
3304(a)(3). DoC FirstNet advertises the availability of job
opportunities in direct-hire occupations by posting on the OPM USAJOBS
Web site. DoC FirstNet will follow internal direct-hire procedures for
accepting applications.
4. A new subsection titled: ``Referral Procedures for Direct-Hire''
is added and the information under this subsection is as follows: After
public notice is given, a qualified candidate may be referred without
regard to 5 U.S.C. 3309-3318, 5 CFR part 211, or 5 CFR part 337,
subpart A.
5. Section VII Project Management: The Commerce Alternative
Personnel System Board will expand to include additional board members
representing the major operating units included in CAPS.
[FR Doc. 2014-30754 Filed 12-31-14; 8:45 am]
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