Commanders, civilians learn facts about NSPS Published Oct. 13, 2006 By Maj. Elizabeth Ortiz Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Commanders and civilians on base recently learned the latest information about the National Security Personnel System, the Department of Defense's new civilian personnel management system. "This is about change and change requires leadership," said Brig. Gen. James Kowalski, Air Combat Command leader who briefed commanders here Oct 3. According to the briefing, flexibility, accountability and results are the three core NSPS concepts. Together, they focus on performance and supervision and link contributions to results. Structurally, NSPS places more emphasis on performance than longevity or seniority. Currently, two structural changes under NSPS are: pay will be determined by pay bands rather than government-service level/step as with the current system, and it will be tied to performance. Prior to implementation, base officials will determine a pay pool process whereby base pay pool managers will approve ratings and payout distributions in the form of a pay adjustment or bonus under the oversight of a pay review authority - typically the wing commander. Overall, communication and feed-Commanders, civilians learn latest facts about the NSPS back between civilian members and their supervisors will be key to ensuring employees are kept apprised of their performance throughout the rating period, which under NSPS, will run from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. Among other standards, NSPS evaluation factors-established by the DOD-will include technical proficiency, cooperation and teamwork, customer focus, communication and leadership. To facilitate the transition to NSPS, the ACC briefing team advised front-line supervisors and commanders to prepare by tying performance measures to the unit's strategic plan, listening to their members' concerns and training on skills in change management and communication. Last month, supervisors base-wide received NSPS-related training in mediation at the base education center. Minot Air Force Base is scheduled to convert to NSPS in January 2007. An implementation team is in place to execute the conversion, which will affect approximately 120 civilians initially. "We want to make this (NSPS) a big success at Minot," said Col. Eldon Woodie, 5th Bomb Wing commander, who briefed the base's civilian members on NSPS during a civilian allcall Oct. 4 at the base theater. "We will take care of our folks."