Improving the Recruitment, Retention, and Utilization of Federal Scientists and Engineers (1993) / Chapter Skim
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pages 1-16
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Many useful policies and mechanisms to improve recruitment, retention, and working conditions have been authorized by the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (FEPCA) , but Weir success will depend on vigorous and creative implementation through the layers of government to have an effect at the working level.
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· What special provisions, if any, should be made for recruiting and administering He federal science and engineering workforce? · At what level of the federal government should personnel policies affecting scientists and engineers be implemented and managed?
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FEPCA and the significant cutbacks in defense and nuclear weapons spending pose a challengc -- - and an opportunity-for the departments and agencies to use the flexibilities that have recently become available to create a more effective program of human resources management, including programs affecting federal scientists . and engineers.
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It is not too early, therefore, for the departments and agencies to begin to develop a personnel program taking advantage of useful pay flexibilities authorized by FEPCA. COPING WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM The federal civil service system, with its strong emphasis on internal equity, has long hampered the government's abilities to compete for scarce talent in the labor market and to reward exceptional individual performance.
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larger pay increases are given to highly rated employees, which has greatly increased the link between performance and pay; and (3) turnover among scientists, engineers, and other professionals with high performance ratings has fallen and has consistently been lower at demonstration labs than at control labs.
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In addition, the act authorizes the President's pay agent to create special pay systems for individual occupations or groups of occupations that should not be under the regular civil service system "for reasons of good administration." This authority could be used to begin to plan and establish a governmentwide Senior Research and Development Service for senior scientists and engineers engaged in research or similar activities (although legislation would be needed to make such a service fully comparable to the Senior Executive Service)
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Implementing FEPCA Recommendation I The pay reform provisions and related fIexibilities provided by the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (liEPCA)
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A specific organizational locus for science and engineering personnel policy within OPM would provide an ongoing, governmentwide S&T perspective on personnel policy and program development. It could provide a focal point for communication with career scientists and engineers throughout the government, particularly those in the Senior Research and Development Service (Recommendation 9~.
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The major purpose of FCCSET is to develop more effective science and technology policies that involve multiple federal agencies. One major activity of the FCCSET Committee on Federal Science and Engineering Personnel would be annual reports to the President and Congress describing the status and approaches of the agency action plans for implementing FEPCA and related laws recommended above (Recommendation 4)
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FEPCA does not make desirable changes in other aspects of personnel policies that also affect the recruitment, retention, and motivation of scientists and engineers, for example, simplifying the position classification system to permit more flexible pay banding, making performance appraisal more suitable for research scientists and engineers, and linking pay more closely with performance. OPM, with He advice of the FCCSET interagency committee on federal scientists and engineers, should formulate and propose legislative measures that would address these gaps.
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A Senior Research and Development Service should be established with a separate pay system, an appropriate performance review and promotion process, and other features conducive to maintaining a high-performance workforce for senior science and engineering positions directly involved in intellectually significant work in research and development or other activities requiring a high level of technical training and expertise. A Senior Research and Development Service would provide a dual
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. Thus the Senior Research and Development Service would be separate from but parallel and equal to the Senior Executive Service, mirroring similar organizational arrangements in the private sector and in academia.
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OPM should develop legislation to create a simplified position classification system in federal research and development agencies both for the Senior Research and Development Service and for those now at the regular GS levels (GS-9/~l through 15) , with grade levels comparable with those of counterparts in industry and academia.
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Based on this examination, recommendations for structural changes would be made, where appropriate, to Congress, the President's science advisor, OMB, and, via the director of OPM, the FCCSET Committee on Federal Science and Engineering Personnel for consideration. Issues Beyond FEPCA Adequate pay is a necessary but not a sufficient condition by itself for ensuring a well-qualif~ed science and engineering workforce.
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should take special care not to unnecessarily restrict appropriate involvement of federal scientists and engineers and other professionals in professional associations. OGE should continue to let federal employees be as involved in science and engineering societies as their agencies deem is helpful to their missions.
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Because participation in such societies is important to professional development and is often used in pay and promotion decisions, the committee urges OGE to let current practice continue, which is to (~) urge federal employees to participate actively in professional associations, (2)
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