[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20322-20323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07982]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No.: 151222999-5999-01]


Office of Administration; Commerce Alternative Personnel System

AGENCY: Office of Administration, Office of Human Resources Management, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the expansion of employee coverage under 
the Commerce Alternative Personnel System, formerly the Department of 
Commerce Personnel Management Demonstration Project, published in the 
Federal Register on December 24, 1997. This coverage is extended to 
include employees located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), employed under the Office of the Chief 
Information Officer (OCIO).

DATES: This notice expanding and modifying the Commerce Alternative 
Personnel System is effective April 7, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce--Sandra 
Thompson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue 
NW., Room 51020, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-0056 or Valerie Smith 
at (202) 482-0272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved the Department of 
Commerce (DoC) demonstration project for an alternative personnel 
management system, and published the final plan in the Federal Register 
on Wednesday, December 24, 1997 (62 FR 67434). The demonstration 
project was designed to simplify current classification systems for 
greater flexibility in classifying work and paying employees; establish 
a performance management and rewards system for improving individual 
and organizational performance; and improve recruiting and examining to 
attract highly-qualified candidates. The purpose of the project was to 
strengthen the contribution of human resources management and test 
whether the same innovations conducted under the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology alternative personnel management system would 
produce similarly successful results in other DoC environments. The 
project was implemented on March 29, 1998. The project plan has been 
modified eight times to clarify certain DoC Demonstration Project 
authorities, and

[[Page 20323]]

to extend and expand the project: 64 FR 52810 (September 30, 1999); 68 
FR 47948 (August 12, 2003); 68 FR 54505 (September 17, 2003); 70 FR 
38732 (July 5, 2005); 71 FR 25615 (May 1, 2006); 71 FR 50950 (August 
28, 2006); 74 FR 22728 (May 14, 2009); 80 FR 25 (January 2, 2015). With 
the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 
110-161, on December 26, 2007, the project was made permanent (extended 
indefinitely) and renamed the Commerce Alternative Personnel System 
(CAPS).
    CAPS provides for modifications to be made as experience is gained, 
results are analyzed, and conclusions are reached on how the system is 
working. This notice announces that the DoC expands CAPS to include 
non-bargaining unit employees in NOAA, OCIO, in all duty locations, as 
a participating organization. OCIO will convert employees to career 
paths and occupational series already established under CAPS, requiring 
no additional series to be added to accommodate the expansion.
    The DoC will follow the CAPS plan as published in the Federal 
Register on December 24, 1997, and subsequent modifications as listed 
in the Background Section of this notice.

Kevin E. Mahoney,
Director for Human Resources Management and Chief Human Capital 
Officer.

Table of Contents

I. Executive Summary
II. Basis for CAPS Expansion
III. Changes to the Project Plan

I. Executive Summary

    CAPS is designed to (1) improve hiring and allow DoC to compete 
more effectively for high-quality candidates through direct hiring, 
selective use of higher entry salaries, and selective use of 
recruitment incentives; (2) motivate and retain staff through higher 
pay potential, pay-for-performance, more responsive personnel systems, 
and selective use of retention incentives; (3) strengthen the manager's 
role in personnel management through delegation of personnel 
authorities; and (4) increase the efficiency of personnel systems 
through the installation of a simpler and more flexible classification 
system based on pay banding through reduction of guidelines, steps, and 
paperwork in classification, hiring, and other personnel systems, and 
through automation.
    The current participating organizations include 7 offices of the 
Chief Financial Officer/Assistant Secretary for Administration in the 
Office of the Secretary; the Bureau of Economic Analysis; 2 units of 
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): 
the Institute for Telecommunications Science and the First Responder 
Network Authority (an independent authority within NTIA); and 11 units 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Office of 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, 
National Weather Service -- Space Environment Center, National Ocean 
Service, Program Planning and Integration Office, Office of the Under 
Secretary, Marine and Aviation Operations, Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and the 
Workforce Management Office.
    This amendment modifies the December 24, 1997, Federal Register 
notice. Specifically, it expands DoC CAPS to include NOAA, OCIO.

II. Basis for CAPS Expansion

A. Purpose

    CAPS is designed to provide managers at the lowest organizational 
level the authority, control, and flexibility to recruit, retain, 
develop, recognize, and motivate its workforce, while ensuring adequate 
accountability and oversight.
    The expansion of coverage to include NOAA, OCIO, should improve 
OCIO's ability to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce.
    DoC's CAPS allows for modifications of procedures if no new waiver 
from law or regulation is added. Given that this expansion and 
modification is in accordance with existing law and regulation and CAPS 
is a permanent alternative personnel system, the DoC is authorized to 
make the changes described in this notice.

B. Participating Employees

    Employee notification of this expansion will be accomplished by 
providing a full set of briefings to employees and managers and 
providing them electronic access to all CAPS policies and procedures, 
including the nine previous Federal Register Notices. Employees will 
also be provided a copy of this Federal Register notice upon approval. 
Subsequent supervisor training and informational briefings for all 
employees will be accomplished prior to the implementation date of the 
expansion.

III. Changes to the Project Plan

    The CAPS at DoC, published in the Federal Register on December 24, 
1997 (62 FR 67434), is amended as follows:
1. The following organization will be added to the project plan, 
Section II D--Participating Organizations
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of 
the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
[FR Doc. 2016-07982 Filed 4-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-EA-P