3500 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices

Employees whose CCS score would result

in awarding of ‘‘I’’ money such that the salary

exceeds the maximum salary for broadband

level II would be eligible for one of the

following: movement into level III if a high

grade allocation exists (section III D 6), or

salary adjustment to the maximum salary in

level II and a ‘‘bonus’’ payout of the

additional ‘‘I’’ funds warranted by the

assessment. Employees whose CCS score

would result in awarding of ‘‘I’’ money such

that the salary exceeds the maximum salary

for broadband level IV will receive salary

adjustment to the maximum salary in level IV

and a ‘‘bonus’’ payout of the additional ‘‘I’’

funds warranted by the assessment. This

bonus payment will not permanently

increase base salary.

[FR Doc. 00–1342 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLIING CODE 6325–01–U

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Science and Technology Laboratory

Personnel Management Demonstration

Project, Department of the Army, Army

Research Laboratory (ARL)

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management (OPM).

ACTION: Notice of amendment of a

demonstration project plan and

inclusion of competitive examining and

Distinguished Scholastic Achievement

Appointment authorities (See 5 CFR

470.315). Clarification of plan regarding

OPM’s approval of the plan’s

performance appraisal system.

SUMMARY: 5 U.S.C. 4703 authorizes the

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 the ARL. Additionally, this notice

makes explicit the intent of the

demonstration project regarding OPM

approval of the performance appraisal

system already contained in the project

plan.

DATES: This amendment to the

demonstration project may be

implemented at the ARL beginning on

the date of publication of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

ARL: Mr. Jack R. Wilson, II, U.S.

Army Research Laboratory, ATTN:

AMSRL–CS–HR, 2800 Powder Mill

Road, Adelphi, MD 20783–1197, phone

301–394–1105.

OPM: Mr. Gary Hacker, U.S. Office of

Personnel Management, ATTN: OP–

OMSOE, 1900 E Street, NW, Room 7460,

Washington, DC 20415, phone 202–606–

2820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

OPM approved and published the

final plan in the Federal Register for the

S&T Reinvention Laboratory Personnel

Management Demonstration Project at

the ARL on Wednesday, March 4, 1998,

Volume 63, Number 42, Part II, with a

correction published Thursday, March

19, 1998, Volume 63, Number 53, page

13458.

The demonstration project involves

simplified job classification, pay

banding, a performance-based

compensation system, employee

development provisions, and modified

reduction-in-force procedures.

2. Overview

At the beginning of the project, when

asked what they would like to change in

the existing personnel management

system, managers at the laboratory

overwhelmingly said, ‘‘Speed up the

hiring process and allow us to hire the

best people.’’ The project development

team at the laboratory included such

initiatives in earlier versions of the

demonstration project plan. However,

the initiatives were not included in

ARL’s Federal Register notice

referenced above. The ARL requires a

process which will allow for the rapid

filling of vacancies, is less labor

intensive, and is responsive to its needs.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

I. Executive Summary

The Department of the Army

established the personnel management

demonstration project to be generally

similar to the system in use at the Navy

personnel demonstration project known

as China Lake. The project 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 project at the ARL

attempts to provide managers, at the

lowest practical level, the authority and

flexibility needed to achieve a quality

laboratory and quality products. The

purpose of this amendment is to allow

the ARL 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 project. Other basic

provisions of the approved plan are

unchanged.

III. Personnel System Changes

A. Competitive Examining Authority

1. Coverage

ARL proposes to demonstrate a

streamlined examining process for both

permanent and non-permanent

positions. This authority will apply to

all positions covered by the

demonstration project 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

appointment consistent with merit

principles. ARL’s implementing

instructions will detail when this

alternative examining process will be

used versus the traditional examining

process.

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

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices 3501

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 passover or objection procedures.

B. Distinguished Scholastic

Achievement Appointment

ARL further proposes 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 ARL 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 project. Additional

waivers in the area of performance

management make explicit the intent of

the demonstration project regarding

OPM approval of the performance

appraisal system already contained in

the project plan.

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 project).

Section 3318(a), Competitive Service;

selection from certificates (insofar as

‘‘rule of three’’ is eliminated under the

demonstration project).

Section 4304(b)(1) and (3), Inasmuch

as OPM approval of the final

demonstration project plan enumerated

in paragraph 1 of the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION, above, also constitutes

OPM approval of the performance

appraisal system contained in that plan.

B. Waivers to Title 5, Code of Federal

Regulations

Part 332.401 (b), Only to the extent

that for non-professional or nonscientific 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 project.

Part 332.404, Order of selection is not

limited to highest three eligibles.

Part 430.210, Inasmuch as OPM

approval of the final demonstration

project plan enumerated in paragraph 1

of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION,

above, also constitutes OPM approval of

the performance appraisal system

contained in that plan.

[FR Doc. 00–1341 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–U

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

Request Under Review by Office of

Management and Budget

Upon written request, copies available

from: Securities and Exchange Commission,

Office of Filings and Information Services,

Washington, D.C. 20549.

Extension:

Rule 12a–5, Form 26, SEC File No. 270–85,

OMB Control No. 3235–0079

Rule 12f–1, SEC File No. 270–139, OMB

Control No. 3235–0128

Rule 12f–3, SEC File No. 270–141, OMB

Control No. 3235–0249

Rule 15Ajensp;1, Forms X–15AJ–1 and X–

15AJ–2 SEC File No. 270–25, OMB

Control No. 3235–0044

Rule 15c2–1 SEC File No. 270–418, OMB

Control No. 3235–0485

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities

and Exchange Commission

(‘‘Commission’’) has submitted to the

Office of Management and Budget

requests for extension of the previously

approved collections of information

discussed below.

Rule 12a–5 of the Securities Exchange

Act of 1934 (the ‘‘Act’’) generally makes

it unlawful for any security to be traded

on a national securities exchange unless

such security is registered on the

exchange in accordance with the