[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 98 (Monday, May 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28006-28007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12622]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project; 
Department of Defense (DoD)

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of amendment to this demonstration to make technical 
corrections to the list of occupational series included in the project 
and to change pay setting procedures for

[[Page 28007]]

Federal employees entering the project after initial implementation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Section 4308 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1996 (Pub. L. 104-106; 10 U.S.C.A. 1701 note), as amended 
by section 845 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 1998 (Pub. L. 105-85), permits the Department of Defense (DoD), 
with the approval of OPM, to conduct a personnel demonstration project 
within the Department's civilian acquisition workforce and those 
supporting personnel assigned to work directly with the acquisition 
workforce. This notice amends the project plan for this demonstration 
to: (1) Correct discrepancies in the list of occupational series 
included in the project and (2) allow managers the authority to offer a 
buy-in to Federal employees entering the demonstration project after 
initial implementation.

DATES: This amendment is effective May 21, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DoD: Anthony D. Echols, Civilian 
Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration, 2001 North Beauregard 
Street, Suite 750, Alexandria, VA 22311, 703-578-2755. OPM: Mary 
Lamary, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Room 
7460, Washington, DC 20415, 202-606-2820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

1. Background

    OPM approved and published the project plan for the Civilian 
Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project in the Federal 
Register on January 8, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 5, part VII). This 
demonstration project involves hiring and appointment authorities; 
broadbanding; simplified classification; a contribution-based 
compensation and appraisal system; revised reduction-in-force 
procedures; academic degree and certificate training; and sabbaticals.

2. Overview

    The project plan listed two occupational series in the wrong career 
path, listed one series in two career paths, and omitted a series to 
which at least one demonstration participant is assigned. This notice 
corrects these errors.
    For examples who enter the project after initial implementation by 
lateral transfer, reassignment, or realignment, the project did not 
give managers the authority to offer a base payment adjustment for 
accrued within-grade increases and/or career ladder promotions.
    This notice gives managers that authority.

    Dated: May 11, 2001.

Office of Personnel Management.
Steven R. Cohen,
Acting Director.

I. Executive Summary

    The project was designed by a Process Action Team (PAT) under the 
authority of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Technology, with the participation of and review by DoD with the Office 
of Personnel Management (OPM). The purpose of the project is to enhance 
the quality, professionalism, and management of the DoD acquisition 
workforce through improvements in the human resources management system

II. Introduction

    This demonstration project provides managers, at the lowest 
practical level, the authority, control, and flexibility they need to 
achieve quality acquisition processes and quality products. This 
project not only provides a system that retains, recognizes, and 
rewards employees for their contribution, but also supports their 
personal and professional growth.

A. Purpose

    The purpose of this notice is to correct discrepancies in the list 
of occupational series included in the project and to give managers the 
authority to offer an adjustment in base pay for accrued within-grade 
increases and/or career ladder promotions. No other changes are made to 
the sections referred to herein. The changes are hereby made to the 
Federal Register, Part VII, Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel 
Demonstration Project; Department of Defense; Notice, Volume 64, Number 
5, Friday, January 8, 1999; Section II.F., Table 2 and Section V.A. as 
outlined in the following paragraphs.

B. Employee Notification and Collective Bargaining Requirements

    The demonstration project program office will notify employees of 
this amendment by posting it on the demonstration's web page 
(www.acqdemo.com). Participating organizations must fulfill any 
collective bargaining obligations to unions that represent employees 
covered by the demonstration.

III. Personnel System Changes

Occupational Series Included in the Project

    Correct Section II.F., Table 2, Series Included in the DoD 
Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project, as follows:
    Technical Management Support (NJ): Add series 0342, Support 
Services Administration, and series 0682, Dental Hygiene. Delete series 
2135, Transportation Loss and Damage Claims Examining, and series 2151, 
Dispatching.
    Administrative Support (NK): Delete Series 0342, Support Services 
Administrator. Add series 2151, Dispatching.

Employees Entering the Demonstration Project After Initial 
Implementation

    Change that last sentence in the first paragraph of V.A. to read: 
This conversion process (i.e., ``buy-in'') is applicable to employees 
at the initial entry of their organization into the demonstration 
project in accordance with the approved implementation plan and 
subsequently upon an individual's lateral transfer, reassignment, or 
realignment into the demonstration project. (For purposes of this 
demonstration, ``lateral transfer'' is defined as a reassignment across 
Agencies without a change in rate of basic pay, except as provided by 
any within-grade increase or career-ladder ``buy-in'' paid upon 
conversion.)
    Change the last sentence in the third paragraph of V.A. to read: 
Employees who enter the demonstration project after initial 
implementation by lateral transfer, reassignment, or realignment will 
be subject to the same pay conversion rules. Specifically, adjustments 
to the employee's base salary for a step increase and a non-competitive 
career ladder promotion will be computed as a prorated share of the 
current value of the step or promotion increase based upon the number 
of weeks an employee has completed toward the next higher step or grade 
at the time the employee moves into the project, consistent with 
paragraph VIII.A.

[FR Doc. 01-12622 Filed 5-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-43-M