NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00530R000501260002-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 30, 1988
• Content Type: MISC

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National dazds Briefing - 8/30/88
2:00 pm - 4:50 pm
Participants:
NBS:
NAPA:
Elizabeth W. Stroud
Frank Yeager
Joe Howe
Steve Yabroff
Cal Baldwin
Lorraine Fitzsimmons
NBS Salary Demonstration Project
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The authorization for this project is the NBS Authorization
Act for FY 1987 with a 5 year duration. (See Attachment 1)
This act made the NBS and the OPM sole developers - Department
of Commerce was not included in the development, but NBS kept them
fully informed.
- This act allows NBS to direct hire (no title 5) the best
qualified candidates (could have exempted themselves from
VA hiring preferences, but chose not to). Attachment 2-2
illustrates this concept.
- Demo project is to be budget neutral 1st year only;
N.B.S.'s goal is to maintain budget neutrality for the 5
year duration.
- GAO will evaluate this Demo Project at the end of 5 years.
Objectives of Project: (See Attachment 3,
P? 3)
- Improve Hiring
- Motivate and Retain Staff
- Strengthen Manager's Role
- Increase Efficiency of Personnel System
Process:
- Set up a committee of their top management and the
Personnel Director, plus an attorney from the Office of
General Counsel.
- No prior approval from O.P.M. required, but O.P.M. was
kept informed
- Their S.E.S. not covered by the project.
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Background:
- NBS interviewed China Lake managers and employees; the
principal issue was promotion from grade 13 to 14, and
from 14 to 15.
- China Lake demo did pay banding, and focused on
classification and pay for performance.
NBS's system also incorporates pay banding (see Attachment
2-1) which combines a series of GS grades into a single rate
range without steps. There are separate pay bands for
Scientific and Engineering, Scientific and Engineering
Technician, Administrative, and Support.
Salary Package:
The act directed NBS to do a total compensation comparabililty
study but they have done only the base salary because of the high
cost ($100,000/year) to do an actuarial study of the value of
benefits to employees.
The annual salary package is the greater of:
1. The GS scale increase, or
2. Net increase in the deficiency (cost to reach their
market target), or
3. Any part or all of the total deficiency.
The deficiency is developed from base salary data derived from
BLS data by Hay Group, a contractor.
Administering the Package:
- Have their own classification description system that is
automated.
- No institutional requirement for internal equity -- Ms.
Stroud noted it would have destroyed flexibility; instead
managers work the equity issue by administering salary
increases at normal increase time to even out the equities.
- Ranking:
a) 1 - N Ranking by GL's
b) the interleaving by successively higher levels of
management (Div Chiefs to Center Directors to
Laboratory Heads (major operating unit heads).
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Then, from the interleavings (rankings) a forced
ranking is done -- 25 percent outstanding, 35
percent commendable, 40 percent fully successful.
- Pay for Performance:
- a) Use a pay out matrix for each pay band. Those
less than fully successful receive zero
increases. The percentage in the matrix are
determined by size of the salary package.
- Performance
n.b. Everyone receives the percentage amount
the pay bands move, without regard to their
rankings. N.B.S. did discuss going to total
merit and will review this again in
approximately three years.
Appraisals:
The performance appraisals are completed for each
employee but the best in the group could be ranked only
fully successfully.
- Promotions:
Promotions require a new job description. To be
promoted from the bottom of one pay band to the next
requires an outstanding ranking. Promotion from the
middle of the pay band requires a commendable or
outstanding ranking, and promotion from the top of the pay
band requires fully satisfactory or better ranking.
Promotion to above the midpoint requires approval of a
Laboratory Head. A promotion to less than midpoint can be
approved by lower levels.
- Communications:
- A contractor (WESTAT) was hired to interview each
employee for the baseline study.
- Another contractor (URC) is doing the employee/manager
evaluation.
- Other Features:
- Recruitment allowance of up to $10,000 given over a
six to twelve month time frame at discretion of
Laboratory Director.
- Paid advertising is an option as soon as position
opening meets normal approvals.
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- Probation period of up to 3 years is available with
the length of time being determined by the supervisor
at the end of the first year.
- Retention allowance of up to $10,000 must be approved
by their internal Personnel/Management board. The law
allows the same employee being repeatedly granted
$10,000 per year, but with the caveat that total base
plus allowances, bonuses and awards not exceed $99,500
per year. Top management approval required. Have
made minimal use of this authority because most staff
can get offer.
- RIF bumping is possible for employees within their
career path, but only within with the three pay bands
below their own.
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