Personnel management demonstration project: Army Department— U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, et al; consolidation,

[Federal Register: October 16, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 200)]

[Notices]

[Page 55769-55771]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr16oc98-152]

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Part V

Office of Personnel Management

Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project, Department of the Army; Notice

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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Project, Department of the Army: the Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES); the Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (CERL); the Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC); and the Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL)

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice to expand coverage of all provisions of the WES Personnel Management Demonstration Project to include employees at CERL, TEC, and CRREL.

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.

Pub. L. 103-337, October 5, 1994, permits the Department of Defense (DoD), with the approval of OPM, to carry out personnel demonstration projects at DoD Science and Technology (S&T) Reinvention Laboratories. This notice identifies the expanded coverage of the WES Personnel Management Demonstration Project to include employees assigned to CERL, TEC, and CRREL .

DATES: This notice to expand the WES Demonstration Project may be implemented at CERL, TEC, and CRREL effective on October 19, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

WES: 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.

CERL: Mr. John M. Deponai, III, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, ATTN: CECER-ZC, PO Box 9005, Champaign, IL 61826-9005, phone 217-373-7201.

TEC: Mr. Bobbie F. Kerns, Jr., U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center, ATTN: CETEC-SD, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315-3864, phone 703-428-7703.

CRREL: Ms. Susan F. Koh, U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, ATTN: CECRL-HR, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290, phone 603-646-4500.

OPM: Ms. Fidelma A. Donahue, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW, Room 7460, Washington, DC 20415, phone 202-606-1138.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

   OPM has approved ``Science and Technology Laboratory Personnel Management Demonstration Projects'' and published the WES final plan in the Federal Register on Tuesday, March 3, 1998, Volume 63, Number 41, Part IV, with a corrected version published on Wednesday, March 25, 1998, Volume 63, Number 57, Part V. The WES Demonstration Project involved simplified job classification, pay banding, performance-based compensation systems, employee development provisions, and modified reduction-in-force procedures.

2. Overview

   The Headquarters Corps of Engineers recently made a decision to consolidate the management structure of its four laboratories into one Research and Development (R&D) organization. Under re-engineering activities, the Corps will integrate R&D program planning and oversight activities and consolidate support operations under a single commander located at WES. The Corps projects that these efforts will ultimately result in significant reductions in operating costs. The integrated program management will increase the Corps' efficiency in executing the R&D program and consequently improve the ability to serve the Army and the Nation.

   Dated: September 29, 1998.

   Office of Personnel Management. Janice R. Lachance, Director.

   1. Executive Summary

      The Department of the Army established the WES 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 was built upon the concepts of linking performance to pay for all covered positions, simplified paperwork in the processing of classification and other personnel actions, emphasizing partnerships among management, employees, and unions, and delegating other authorities to line managers.

   2. Introduction

      1. Purpose

         The Demonstration Project at the WES attempts to provide managers, at the lowest practical level, the authority, control, and flexibility needed to achieve quality laboratories and quality products. The purpose of this notice is to expand the coverage of the WES Personnel Management Demonstration Project to CERL, TEC, and CRREL as a result of laboratory consolidation. The project will allow the Corps' Laboratories to compete more effectively for high-quality personnel and strengthen the manager's role in personnel management. All provisions of the approved WES Personnel Management Demonstration Project will apply.

         Employee notification will be made by delivery of a copy of the corrected version of the WES plan and this notice. Training for supervisors and employees will be accomplished by information briefings and training sessions prior to implementation.

      2. Duty Locations

         Employees assigned to CERL, TEC, and CRREL work at the locations shown in Table 1.

         Table 1.--Duty Locations

         Total number Location

         of employees

         Hanover, NH.............................................

         304 Anchorage, AK...........................................

         5 Fairbanks, AK...........................................

         11 Arlington, VA...........................................

         1 Alexandria, VA..........................................

         346 Ft. Huachuca, AZ........................................

         1 Champaign, IL...........................................

         351

      3. Participating Employees

         The project will cover all General Schedule (GS) employees assigned to CERL, TEC, and CRREL. Federal Wage System (FWS) employees, Civilian Intelligence Personnel Management System (CIPMS) employees covered by Title 10, and 5 U.S.C. 3105 Scientific and Technical (ST) employees are not covered, but will follow the same employee development provisions of this plan, except, in the case of CIPMS employees, where the provisions are found to be in conflict with CIPMS. The additional occupational series of employees included in the project are identified by occupational family in Table 2. All GS employees at CERL, TEC, and CRREL with appointments exceeding one year will be covered by the provisions of this project. GS employees with appointments limited to one year or less will be covered for pay banding, the performance appraisal process, and salary adjustments. Senior Executive Service (SES) employees will not be included in the project. It is intended to expand coverage of the project to all FWS employees 1 to 2 years following the date of implementation. In the event of

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         expansion to FWS employees beyond the employee development provisions, full approval will be obtained from DA, DoD, and OPM.

         Table 2.--Additional Occupational Series Included in the Demonstration Project

         Engineers and scientists

         E&S technicians

         Administrative

         General support

         0020 Community Planning Series.. 0404 Biological Science 0340 Program Management 0350 Equipment Operator Technician Series.

         Series.

         Series. 0190 General Anthropology Series 1374 Geodetic Technician 0342 Support Services 1087 Editorial Series.

         Administration Series. Assistance Series. 0457 Soil Conservation Series...

         083 Technical Writing & Editing Series. 0460 Forestry Series............

         1103 Industrial Property Management Series. 0890 Agricultural Engineering

         1640 Facility Series.

         Management Series. 1321 Metallurgy Series..........

         1701 General Education and Training Series. 1340 Meteorology Series.........

         2003 Supply Program Management Series. 1370 Cartography Series.........

         2010 Inventory Management Series. 1372 Geodesy 1529 Mathematical Statistician Series

         The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 1017 represents approximately 96 non-professional, non-managerial/ supervisory, non-confidential GS and FWS employees at CERL. NFFE Local 1472 represents approximately 150 non-professional, non-managerial/ supervisory, non-confidential GS and FWS employees at CRREL. The project will be expanded to include the administrative and support employees at CERL, TEC, and CRREL no earlier than November 1, 1998. All other employees at CERL, TEC, and CRREL will be included for provisions of the project on or about October 1, 1999.

   3. Demonstration Project Costs

      Costs associated with the expansion of the Personnel Demonstration system include software automation, training, and project evaluation. The projected annual expenses for each area are summarized in Table 3.

      Table 3.--Projected Costs ($K)

      FY 98FY 99

      FY 00

      FY 01

      Training........................................

      39

      25 .............. .............. Project Evaluation..............................

      60

      110

      110

      110 Automation......................................

      20 .............. .............. ..............

      Grand Total.................................

      119

      135

      110

      110

      [FR Doc. 98-27819Filed10-15-98; 8:45 am]

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