Federal Daily - September 12, 2008
OPM Issues New Federal Hiring ‘Roadmap’
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Sept. 10 unveiled a new applicant-friendly hiring program
that calls for shorter job announcements—written in easy-to-understand language—and the
elimination of the cumbersome Knowledge, Skills and Abilities narratives. The plan called the End-to-End
Hiring Roadmap, is designed to ease the process for job applicants and cut the hiring process time
about in half. When fully implemented, the hiring process is expected to take no more than 25 business
days from the date a job announcement closes to the date a tentative job offer is made—a 20-day
improvement over previous OPM goals, said OPM Deputy Director Howard Weizmann. For agencies, the Roadmap
will assist in planning for mission requirements; posting jobs more quickly; ensuring recruitment initiatives
are targeting the right people; increasing the timeliness of security background investigations; and
orientating new employees once hired. “Essentially, this Roadmap recognizes that prospective
applicants will not wait forever for a federal job,” Weizmann said. “The goal of this standard
is [that] within two-and-a-half months, agencies will have the right person on the job to meet their
mission needs. We are confident that over time, agencies will embrace this standard for most hiring
decisions.” To see more, go to: www.opm.gov.
:: Back to Top ::
GAO Says DoD Needs to Improve NSPS Implementation
DoD needs to improve the implementation of its pay-for-performance National Security Personnel System
(NSPS) to make sure employees view it as a fair, effective and credible pay system, said a Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report released Sept. 10. With the transition to NSPS, civilian employees
are subject to significantly redesigned rules, regulations and processes that govern the way they are
hired, compensated and promoted. GAO looked at how well DoD was managing things during this period
of transition—and reported that employees were not very happy. Employees who had the most experience
under NSPS showed a negative movement in their perceptions. For example, the percentage of NSPS employees
who believe that NSPS will have a positive effect on DoD’s personnel practices declined from
40 percent in 2006 to 23 percent in 2007. Some internal safeguards could be improved, the report said—such
as making sure NSPS provides meaningful distinctions in employee performance. According to NSPS implementing
issuance, rating results should be based on how well employees complete their job objectives using
performance indicators. But NSPS performance management guidance may discourage rating officials from
making meaningful distinctions in employee performance because the guidance emphasizes that most employees
should be evaluated as a “3” (or “valued performer”) on a scale of 1 to 5,
the report said. Until DoD effectively implements new safeguards, the report said, “employees
will not have assurance that NSPS is fair, equitable and credible, which ultimately could undermine
employees’ confidence and result in failure of the system.” To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d08773.pdf.
:: Back to Top ::
IG Report Details Corruption at MMS
A group of employees within the Interior Department’s (DOI) Minerals Management Service (MMS)—which
collects oil and natural gas royalties—improperly accepted gifts from oil company employees,
had sex with subordinates and industry contacts, and used illegal drugs, said a report by the DOI Inspector
General (IG). The report by DOI IG Earl E. Devaney, dated Sept. 9, is the culmination of several years-long
investigations. It is the latest to question the cozy relationship between the energy industry and
MMS, which issues lucrative drilling leases to energy companies and then collects the lease royalties.
The alleged activities occurred between 2002 and 2006, and involved 19 former and current MMS workers
in Denver and Washington. Devaney recommended that those still on the job be fired. The workers were
involved in the “royalty-in-kind” program that involves royalties paid by oil companies
for drilling on federal lands. About $4 billion a year in royalty-in-kind oil and gas is collected
and sold by the department. The investigation revealed a culture of corruption within a small cadre
of those involved, Devaney said. For example, the IG found that some MMS employees frequently consumed
alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relations with oil and
gas company representatives. “The single-most serious problem our investigations revealed is
a pervasive culture of exclusivity, exempt from the rules that govern all other employees of the federal
government,” the report said. “I believe that 99.9 percent of DOI employees are hard-working,
ethical and well-intentioned,” Devaney wrote. “Unfortunately, from the cases highlighted
here, the conduct of a few has cast a shadow on an entire bureau.” To see more, go to: www.doioig.gov/upload/RIK%20REDACTED%20
FINAL4_082008%20with%20transmittal%209_10%20date.pdf.
:: Back to Top ::
FAA Awards Controller Training Contract to Raytheon
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sept. 9 announced it had awarded a $437 million contract
to Raytheon to support the agency in training air traffic controllers. The 10-year award to Raytheon
will replace separate contracts and will give Raytheon the ability to support the entire lifecycle
of controller training. FAA will continue to be responsible for managing the overall training program,
recruiting and hiring candidates, and conducting performance verification, on-the-job training and
credentialing. To see more, go to: www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=10281.
:: Back to Top ::
Pentagon Memorial Dedicated
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates hosted a ceremony on Sept. 11 to dedicate the Pentagon Memorial
to the victims of those killed in the terrorist attack in 2001. DoD said the memorial, built along
the southwestern corner of the Pentagon, is the first national memorial to those killed on Sept 11
to be dedicated. There are 184 memorial units at the site to honor the 59 victims aboard American Airlines
Flight 77, and the 125 at the Pentagon. Each unit is dedicated to an individual victim. The memorial
is open around the clock, seven days a week. For more information, go to: www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2008/0708_memorial/.
:: Back to Top ::
|
