Consistency of Pay-For-Performance Results Across a Geographically Dispersed Command

The Department of Defense DoD has attempted to improve human resource rewards and recognition with annual appraisals using several pay-for-performance models, including the National Security Personnel System NSPS. Whether elements of this or any other pay-for-performance system can provide a fair mechanism of evaluation and incentivize the workforce will remain in debate for some time. This paper will investigate the consistency of evaluations given to over 1,500 employees within a DoD command geographically dispersed in eight locations across the country. Each of the eight separate locations has its own specialized areas, but all work in a particular technical field for the defense industry. NSPS provides a standard way to evaluate the federal workforce, but also allows greater organizational flexibility on many human resource tasks like recruitment, pay setting, promotions, and details on annual performance appraisals. The headquarters element of the observed command evaluates the flexible NSPS business rules for each of its subordinate commands to ensure that the right level of standardization exists. Therefore, the expected goal would be that a level of consistency exists among the eight subordinate commands. Using evaluation outcomes for every employee from the previous three years since this command began its transition to NSPS, this paper will compare the resultant performance ratings and resultant salary increases and one-time bonus awards. Correlations between performance scores between seniority pay bands intern, full performance, and senior level as well has hierarchical levels student interns, support staff, professional, and managerial also will be investigated for variability. Although representing a very small sliver of the DoD workforce, these results may indicate some of the positive aspects of NSPS as a pay-for-performance system as well as some areas in need of improvement.