On Oct. 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2010, Public Law 111-84. Of interest to the Pax River community, the NDAA increases Navy aircraft procurement funding for the UH-1Y/AH-1Z helicopters and authorizes appropriations for Research Development Test and Evaluation for the Navy and Air Force for the Joint Strike Fighter Program.

The NDAA also repeals The Department of Defense National Security Personnel System which is a pay for performance pay system that was gradually implemented in 2006.

The NDAA requires the Secretary of Defense to establish and implement regulations providing performance management and workforce incentives for NSPS employees and to establish the Department of Defense Civilian Workforce Incentive Fund, and to provide an outline for the establishment of a new personnel management system to replace NSPS.

On Jan. 21, the Department of Defense announced the establishment of the National Security Personnel System Transition Office and the selection of John H. James Jr. as the director of the Program Executive Office, NSPS.

According to the Department of Defense officials, James will report to Patricia S. Bradshaw, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy and he will oversee the design and implementation of an enterprise-wide performance management system, hiring flexibilities, and a DoD Workforce Incentive Fund and lead the NSPSTO in developing the plan to transition DoD employees from NSPS to pre-NSPS personnel systems.

A majority of the approximately 226,000 employees currently under NSPS will return to the General Schedule system. However, DoD officials note that they are assessing what is required for organizations previously covered under personnel systems other than GS – such as laboratory demonstration projects or acquisition demonstration projects, or organizations – which by law – must be converted to Science, Technology and Reinvention lab Demonstration Projects.

DoD also stresses its goal is to execute an orderly transition with the least disruption to organizations, the mission, the workforce, and that employees will experience no loss of or decrease in current pay as a result of the transition.

The NDAA requires the Secretary of Defense to terminate NSPS and transition employees and positions from NSPS not later than Jan. 1, 2012.