FORT JACKSON, SC -- Starting next month, about 220,000 Department of Defense employees currently under the National Security Personnel System will begin returning to General Schedule status.
And Fort Jackson staffers are doing what they can to make sure the transition is a smooth one.
Sheila Webb, a labor specialist at Fort Jackson's Civilian Personnel Advisory Center, is serving as the action officer for the installation's NSPS transition.
"The big concern right now is making sure the position descriptions are accurate," she said.
Those employees transitioning from NSPS who have concerns that their position descriptions are incorrect should speak with their supervisors, managers or commanders to try to have the issue resolved.
"It's very important that (these employees) do their research," she said.
Webb said that the transition date for TRADOC employees is set for May 23.
Like Webb, Bill Smith, G8/director of resource management said that he is focusing on position descriptions for the 51 TRADOC employees who fall underneath his purview.
Smith is the TRADOC representative for the transition.
"Our focus right now is just the position description review and making sure that (employees) are working with their CPAC (liaisons)," he said.
Approximately 245 TRADOC employees are affected by the transition, Webb said.
As for those assigned to IMCOM organizations, "We are moving out smartly to implement the Army's guidance and will transition our employees out of NSPS on Aug 15," said John B. Nerger, executive director of IMCOM.
Nerger made the following key points about the changeover:
-- Employees will not suffer a loss or decrease in their current pay.
-- NSPS remains the pay system until the transition is complete. IMCOM members must continue to work according to that system, such as using established performance objectives and conducting interim assessments.
-- Employees converting GS system will return to the Total Army Performance Evaluation System, which has remained the performance management tool for most Army non-NSPS employees.
"We are working hard to ensure a smooth conversion process for everyone affected by this change," Nerger said.
Last October, President Barack Obama signed the 2010 National Authorization Act, which abolished NSPS, a pay-for-performance system, requiring all employees to be transitioned out of NSPS no later than January 2012. However, a small percentage of the workforce will be placed in acquisition or laboratory demonstration personnel systems.
Webb said the Fort Jackson CPAC staff is working to help those involved in the transition. She is also encouraging transitioners to take online training to better familiarize themselves with classification systems and other GS information, and specifically recommends two courses - "Classifying Positions under GS: A Primer for Supervisors" and "GS 101."
"We're just trying to stay a step ahead," she said. "As long as we stay a step ahead, I think we will have a smooth transition."
According to the Army NSPS Transition Plan, the Armywide transition is scheduled as follows:
Civilian Human Resources Agency, May 9; TRADOC, May 23; U.S. Army Reserve, June 20; IMCOM, Aug. 15; Office Chief, National Guard Bureau, Aug. 15.
The Fort Jackson CPAC office will also host a town hall meeting sometime this month to address the NSPS conversion to GS.
For questions or concerns, contact Webb at 751-5796 or Collette Bagwell at 751-6379.
For a list of frequently asked questions, or to complete the online training, visit www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps.
Editor's note: Deb Mercurio works with IMCOM Public Affairs.
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