[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 47 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12216-12217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6031]
[[Page 12215]]
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Part II
Office of Personnel Management
_______________________________________________________________________
Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration
Project: the Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC); the
Army Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (MRDEC); and
the Army Aviation Research, Development, and Engineering Center
(AVRDEC); Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 47 / Thursday, March 11, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 12216]]
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management
Demonstration Project: the Army Engineer Research and Development
Center (ERDC); the Army Missile Research, Development, and Engineering
Center (MRDEC); and the Army Aviation Research, Development, and
Engineering Center (AVRDEC)
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Notice of amendment of three demonstration project plans and
inclusion of competitive examining and Distinguished Scholastic
Achievement Appointment authorities (See 5 CFR 470.315). Clarification
of plans regarding OPM's approval of the plans' performance appraisal
systems.
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SUMMARY: 5 U.S.C. 4703 authorizes the Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) to conduct demonstration projects that experiment with new and
different personnel management concepts to determine whether such
changes in personnel policy or procedures would result in improved
Federal personnel management.
Public Law 103-337, October 5, 1994, permits the Department of
Defense (DoD), with the approval of the OPM, to carry out personnel
demonstration projects at DoD Science and Technology (S&T) Reinvention
Laboratories. This notice identifies the competitive examining and
Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Appointment authorities for three
Army laboratories: ERDC, MRDEC, and AVRDEC. Additionally, this notice
makes explicit the intent of the demonstration projects regarding OPM
approval of the performance appraisal systems already contained in the
project plans.
DATES: This amendment to the demonstration projects may be implemented
at the Army laboratories beginning on the date of publication of this
notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
ERDC: Dr. C. H. Pennington, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment
Station, ATTN: CEWES -ZT-E, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg,
Mississippi 39180-6199, phone 601-634-3549.
MRDEC: Ms. Lana Hargrove, Acting Special Assistant for Laboratory
Management, Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center, U.S.
Army Aviation and Missile Command, ATTN: AMSAM-RD, Redstone Arsenal,
Alabama 35898-5000, phone 256-955-6734.
AVRDEC: Mr. Dave Knepper, Aviation Research, Development, and
Engineering Center, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, ATTN:
AMSAM-AR-Z, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama 35898-5000, phone 256-313-4895.
OPM: Ms. Fidelma A. Donahue, U.S. Office of Personnel Management,
1900 E Street, N.W., Room 7460, Washington, D.C. 20415, phone 202-606-
1138.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
OPM approved and published final plans in the Federal Register for
the following Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory Personnel
Management Demonstration Projects:
A. Waterways Experiment Station (WES) final publication on Tuesday,
March 3, 1998, Volume 63, Number 41, Part IV.
WES correction and re-publication on Wednesday, March 25, 1998,
Volume 63, Number 57, Part V.
Publication of WES expansion amendment to include Construction
Engineering
Research Laboratory (CERL), Cold Regions Research and Engineering
Laboratory (CRREL), and Topographic Engineering Center (TEC)
published on Friday, October 16, 1998, Volume 63, Number 200, Part V.
Note: The WES demonstration project was renamed the ERDC
demonstration project following consolidation of the Army Corps of
Engineers' laboratories.
B. MRDEC final publication on Friday, June 27, 1997, Volume 62,
Number 124, Part IV.
C. AVRDEC final publication on Friday, June 27, 1997, Volume 62,
Number 124, Part V.
The demonstration projects involved simplified job classification,
pay banding, performance-based compensation systems, employee
development provisions, and modified reduction-in-force procedures.
2. Overview
At the beginning of the projects, when asked what the laboratories
would like to change in the existing personnel management system,
managers at all three laboratories overwhelmingly said, ``Speed up the
hiring process and allow us to hire the best people.'' The project
development teams at each laboratory included such initiatives in
earlier versions of the demonstration project plans. However, the
initiatives were not included in any of the Army's Federal Register
notices mentioned above. The Army laboratories require a process which
will allow for the rapid filling of vacancies, is less labor intensive,
and is responsive to their needs.
Dated: March 2, 1999.
Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
I. Executive Summary
The Department of the Army established the personnel management
demonstration projects to be generally similar to the system in use at
the Navy personnel demonstration project known as China Lake. The
projects and this amendment were built upon the concepts of linking
performance to pay for all covered positions; simplifying paperwork in
the processing of classification and other personnel actions;
emphasizing partnerships among management, employees, and unions; and
delegating other authorities to line managers.
II. Introduction
The demonstration projects at the three Army laboratories attempt
to provide managers, at the lowest practical level, the authority and
flexibility needed to achieve quality laboratories and quality
products. The purpose of this amendment is to allow the Army
laboratories to compete more effectively for high quality personnel and
strengthen the manager's role in personnel management. Restructuring
the examining process and providing an authority to appoint candidates
meeting distinguished scholastic achievements will help meet the
purpose of this amendment and the goals of the demonstration projects.
Other basic provisions of the approved plans are unchanged.
III. Personnel System Changes
A. Competitive Examining Authority
1. Coverage
The Army laboratories propose to demonstrate a streamlined
examining process for both permanent and non-permanent positions. This
authority will apply to all positions covered by the respective
demonstration projects with the exception of positions in the Senior
Executive Service, Senior Level (ST/SL) positions, the Executive
Assignment System or positions of Administrative Law Judge, and any
examining process covered by court order. This authority will include
the coordination of recruitment and public notices, the administration
of the examining process, the administration of veterans' preference,
the certification of candidates, and selection and
[[Page 12217]]
appointment consistent with merit principles.
2. Description of Examining Process
The primary change in the examining process to be demonstrated is
the grouping of eligible candidates into three quality groups using
numerical scores and the elimination of consideration according to the
``rule of three.''
For each candidate, minimum qualifications will be determined using
OPM's operating manual, ``Qualification Standards Handbook for General
Schedule Positions,'' including any selective placement factors
identified for the position. Candidates who meet basic (minimum)
qualifications will be further evaluated based on knowledge, skills,
and abilities which are directly linked to the position(s) to be
filled. Based on this assessment, candidates will receive a numerical
score of 70, 80, or 90. No intermediate scores will be granted except
for those eligibles who are entitled to veterans' preference.
Preference eligibles meeting basic (minimum) qualifications will
receive an additional 5 or 10 points (depending on their preference
eligibility) which is added to the minimum scores identified above.
Candidates will be placed in one of three quality groups based on their
numerical score, including any veterans' preference points: Basically
Qualified (score of 70 and above), Highly Qualified (score of 80 and
above), or Superior (score of 90 and above). The names of preference
eligibles shall be entered ahead of others having the same numerical
rating.
For engineering/scientific and professional positions at the
equivalent of GS-9 and above, candidates will be referred by quality
groups in the order of the numerical ratings, including any veterans'
preference points. For all other positions, i.e., other than
engineering/scientific and professional positions at the equivalent of
GS-9 and above, preference eligibles with a compensable service-
connected disability of 10 percent or more who meet basic (minimum)
eligibility will be listed at the top of the highest group certified.
In making their selections, selecting officials should be provided
with a reasonable number of qualified candidates from which to choose.
All candidates in the highest group will be certified. If there is an
insufficient number of candidates in the highest group, candidates in
the next lower group may then be certified. Should this process not
yield a sufficient number, groups will be certified sequentially until
a selection is made or the qualified pool is exhausted. When two or
more groups are certified, candidates will be identified by quality
group (i.e., Superior, Highly Qualified, Basically Qualified) in the
order of their numerical scores. In making selections, to pass over any
preference eligible(s) in order to select a nonpreference eligible
requires approval under current pass-over or objection procedures.
B. Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Appointment
The Army laboratories further propose to establish a Distinguished
Scholastic Achievement Appointment using an alternative examining
process which provides the authority to appoint undergraduates and
graduates through the doctoral level to professional positions at the
equivalent of GS-7 through GS-11, and GS-12 positions.
At the undergraduate level, candidates may be appointed to
positions at a pay level no greater than the equivalent of GS-7, step
10, provided that: they meet the minimum standards for the position as
published in OPM's operating manual, ``Qualification Standards for
General Schedule Positions,'' plus any selective factors stated in the
vacancy announcement; the occupation has a positive education
requirement; and the candidate has a cumulative grade point average of
3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in those courses in those fields of
study that are specified in the Qualifications Standards for the
occupational series.
Appointments may also be made at the equivalent of GS-9 through GS-
12 on the basis of graduate education and/or experience for those
candidates with a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale)
for graduate level courses in the field of study required for the
occupation.
Veterans' preference procedures will apply when selecting
candidates under this authority. Preference eligibles who meet the
above criteria will be considered ahead of nonpreference eligibles. In
making selections, to pass over any preference eligible(s) to select a
nonpreference eligible requires approval under current pass-over or
objection procedures. Priority must also be given to displaced
employees as may be specified in OPM and DoD regulations.
Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Appointments will enable the
Army laboratories to respond quickly to hiring needs with eminently
qualified candidates possessing distinguished scholastic achievements.
IV. Required Waivers to Law and Regulations
Public Law 103-337 gave the DoD the authority to experiment with
several personnel management innovations. In addition to the
authorities granted by the law, the following are the waivers of law
and regulation that will be necessary for amendment of the
demonstration projects. Additional waivers in the area of performance
management make explicit the intent of the demonstration projects
regarding OPM approval of the performance appraisal systems already
contained in the project plans.
A. Waivers to title 5, U.S. Code
Section 3317(a), Competitive Service; certification from registers
(insofar as ``rule of three'' is eliminated under the demonstration
projects).
Section 3318(a), Competitive Service; selection from certificates
(insofar as ``rule of three'' is eliminated under the demonstration
projects).
B. Waivers to Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations
Part 332.401 (b), Only to the extent that for non-professional or
non-scientific positions equivalent to GS-9 and above, preference
eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent
or more who meet basic (minimum) qualification requirements will be
entered at the top of the highest group certified without the need for
further assessment.
Part 332.402, ``Rule of three'' will not be used in the
demonstration projects.
Part 332.404, Order of selection is not limited to highest three
eligibles.
Part 430.210, (For ERDC only; inasmuch as OPM approval of the final
demonstration project plans enumerated in paragraph 1 of the
``Supplementary Information,'' above, also constitutes OPM approval of
the performance appraisal systems contained in those plans.) Note that
this waiver applies only to the ERDC plan; AVRDEC and MRDEC previously
waived all of 5 CFR 430, Subpart B, which contains this provision.
[FR Doc. 99-6031 Filed 3-10-99; 8:45 am]
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