FederalDaily.com > OMB, OPM Tout Pay-for-Performance

FederalDaily - November 16, 2005

OMB, OPM Tout Pay-for-Performance

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management on Nov. 14 said the performance-based pay systems that cover over 90,000 federal employees have led to improved results and lower turnover rates. Under the alternative systems, performance—not time—drives pay, resulting in better results, increased pay satisfaction, and a stronger link between pay and performance than under the GS system, according to OMB. Further, pay-for-performance programs led to significantly reduced turnover of outstanding employees. “Twenty-five years of experience with 90,000 federal employees on alternative pay systems tell us pay-for-performance is better than the current system,” OMB Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson said. The administration is currently contemplating a government-wide pay-for-performance system, as set forth in the Working for America Act.

New Agency Exempt from FOIA

According to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), a bill moving quickly in the Senate—S. 1873—would create a new Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA) that would become the first-ever federal agency categorically exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). “Information that relates to the activities, working groups, and advisory boards of the BARDA shall not be subject to disclosure under…[the FOIA], unless the secretary or director determines that such disclosure would pose no threat to national security,” the bill states. “The fact that the FOIA already includes an exemption for properly classified national security information is a fact lost on the bill’s authors,” said an SPJ statement.

GSA Ups Meals, Lodging Rates

The General Services Administration (GSA) reviewed the lodging rates of certain locations in the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin and announced that it found the rates to be inadequate. Also, GSA is changing the FY 2006 meals and incidental expenses rate in Illinois —in the city of Chicago , including Cook and Lake Counties —to provide for the reimbursement of federal employees' meals and incidental expenses covered by the per diem. The per diems prescribed above may be found at www.gsa.gov/perdiem. The notice was effective Nov. 10, 2005 and applies to travel performed on or after Nov. 21, 2005.

Army Announces New Sexual Assault Database

The Army announced in the Oct. 25 issue of the Federal Register that it is planning to implement a new database called the Sexual Assault Data Management System later this month (on Nov. 25). The system would have information on the following people: any individual, military or civilian, who has been identified as the victim of a sexual assault allegedly committed by a member of the Armed Forces; any member of the Armed Forces who has been identified as the victim of a sexual assault allegedly committed by a civilian; any individual, military or civilian, who has been identified as the perpetrator of an alleged sexual assault against a member of the Armed Forces; and any member of the Armed Forces who has been identified as the perpetrator of an alleged sexual assault against a civilian. The system will contain the following information: name, Social Security number, date of birth, demographic information and service data. It will also include investigation-related information, which may include data from police reports, medical records data and reports of actions taken by commanders against offenders.