[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 211 (Wednesday, October 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54707-54708]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23832]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket No.: 180928902-8902-01


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 (CAPS), 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 of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) 
located in the Earth Systems Research Laboratory, the Great Lakes 
Environmental Research Laboratory, and the Pacific Marine Environmental 
Research Laboratory. This notice also serves to modify the plan to add 
the Investigative Analysis Series, 1805 to the Administrative (ZA) 
career path.

DATES: The amended Commerce Alternative Personnel System is effective 
October 31, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce--Sandra 
Thompson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 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 twelve times to clarify certain DoC Demonstration Project 
authorities, and 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); 81 FR 20322 (April 7, 2016); 81 FR 40653 (June 
22, 2016); 81 FR 54787 (August 17, 2016); and 82 FR 1688 (January 6, 
2017). 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 
additional bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit employees in the 
OAR, located in the Earth Systems Research Laboratory (ESRL), the Great 
Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), and the Pacific Marine 
Environmental Research Laboratory (PMEL); and adds the Investigative 
Analysis Series, 1805 to the Administrative (ZA) career path.
    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

[[Page 54708]]

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 1 office of the 
Deputy Secretary in the Office of the Secretary, 6 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 Telecommunication Sciences and the First Responder 
Network Authority (an independent authority within NTIA); and 12 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, the 
Workforce Management Office, and the Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
    This amendment modifies the December 24, 1997, Federal Register 
notice. Specifically, it expands DoC CAPS to include additional OAR 
bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit employees located in the ESRL, 
GLERL, and the PMEL; and adds the Investigative Analysis Series, 1805 
to the Administrative (ZA) career path

II. Basis for CAPS Expansion

A. Purpose
    CAPS is designed to provide supervisors/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.
    OAR is the primary research and development organization within 
NOAA. OAR research results allow decision makers to make effective 
judgements in order to prevent the loss of human life and conserve and 
manage natural resources while maintaining a strong economy. OAR 
conducts research programs in coastal, marine, atmospheric, and space 
sciences through its own laboratories and offices, as well as through 
networks of university-based programs. The work consists of research, 
modeling, and environmental observations relating to weather and air 
quality, climate, and ocean and coastal resources. Since the inception 
of the demonstration project in 1997, and subsequent modification/
expansion notices, units of OAR have participated in CAPS, with the 
exception of the GLERL, and the PMEL. In October 2005, the ESRL was 
formed, which absorbed the following former demonstration project 
covered units: Aeronomy Laboratory, Air Resources Laboratory--Surface 
Radiation Research Branch, Climate Diagnostics Center, Climate 
Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, Environmental Technology 
Laboratory, and the Forecast Systems Laboratory. Subsequent 
reorganizations have occurred within OAR, resulting in the alignment of 
additional bargaining and non-bargaining unit General Schedule (GS) 
employees under ESRL. With the majority of ESRL employees being covered 
by an alternative personnel management system, a determination was made 
to have one uniform pay system and to convert the remaining GS ESRL 
workforce under CAPS.
    The expansion of CAPS coverage to include the remaining OAR 
laboratories and the bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit GS 
employees of ESRL will allow OAR to continue to benefit from the 
flexibilities provided by CAPS and should improve the organization's 
ability to recruit and retain a high-quality workforce by offering one 
uniform pay system throughout OAR.
    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 twelve previous Federal Register Notices. A copy of this 
Federal Register notice will also be accessible electronically upon 
approval. Subsequent supervisor training and informational briefings 
for all employees will be accomplished prior to the implementation date 
of the expansion.
C. Labor Participation
    Labor organizations were notified about the CAPS expansion 
pertaining to their bargaining unit membership. Bargaining-unit 
employees are covered by AFGE Local 2186, Boulder, Colorado, and AFGE 
Local 3908, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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
    Within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
    Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, (OAR),
    Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)
    Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory (PMEL)
    Additional employees in the following:
    Earth Science Research Laboratory (ESRL)
    2. The following bargaining units are added to the project plan, 
Section II F--Labor Participation Table 4--Bargaining Unit Coverage.

ESRL . . . Boulder, CO AFGE Local 2186
GLERL . . . Ann Arbor, MI AFGE Local 3908

    3. The following series is added to the project plan, Section II E. 
Participating Employees--Table 2.--Occupational Series by Career Path

Administrative (ZA) career path, 1805, Investigative Analysis

[FR Doc. 2018-23832 Filed 10-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-EA-P