[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52653-52654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20510]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


National Nuclear Security Administration Pay and Performance 
System

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) 
conversion to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) pay 
and performance system.

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[[Page 52654]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense 
Authorization Act, the DON announces that the NNPP, a joint activity of 
the DON and the Department of Energy (DOE), NNPP will convert from the 
General Schedule (GS) Classification and Pay System and the DON Interim 
Performance Management System (IPMS) to the NNSA pay and performance 
System, also known as the NNSA Demonstration Project. This conversion 
will align DON employees of the NNPP with their counterparts in the 
DOE, NNSA, and bring parity to the pay and performance systems within 
the Nuclear Propulsion workforce.

DATES: This conversion will become effective September 22, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Edward Rose, 412-476-7204, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) 
Headquarters converted to the DoD Civilian Acquisition Workforce 
Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo), Naval Reactors chose to opt 
out of AcqDemo in anticipation of aligning with the DOE, NNSA 
Demonstration Project. Section 3116(a)(3) of the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA 
authorized NNPP to convert its DON employees to the NNSA System with 
the concurrence of the Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary of the Navy 
approved the transition of NNPP's DON civilian personnel to the NNSA 
Demonstration Project Personnel Management System on February 5, 2019. 
NNPP has been working with the NAVSEA Office of Civilian Human 
Resources to promulgate the conversion and plan the implementation 
through relevant DON and DoD offices. After providing data and 
supporting documentation, the DoD Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory 
Service has given approval to commence with the planning and 
implementation upon publishing of this notice. The implementation will 
require, among other actions, coordination with the DFAS, final notice 
to employees, developing NNPP procedures, creating new position 
descriptions, and processing pay plan adjustment personnel actions.
    The NNSA Demonstration Project was designed by NNSA, with 
participation of and review by the DOE and the Office of Personnel 
Management. The NNSA Demonstration Project modifies the GS 
Classification and Pay System by creating broad career paths, 
establishing pay bands within each career path which may cover more 
than one GS grade, eliminates longevity-based step progression, and 
provides for annual pay adjustments based on performance. The NNPP has 
experienced higher-than-average attrition and has had difficulty 
filling positions, with pay/grade frequently cited as the reason for 
declination by candidates.
    As a joint DON/DOE organization, Naval Reactors has historically 
managed its civilian workforce under each respective agency's personnel 
management system. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 National Defense 
Authorization Act states that the Director of the Naval Nuclear 
Propulsion Program (NNPP) may, ``with concurrence of the Secretary of 
the Navy,'' apply NNSA DEMO to all non-executive competitive service 
employees of the NNPP, thereby strengthening Naval Reactors' 
recruitment and retention of the highest-quality technical and 
professional workforce. This move aligns with the goal of shifting away 
from tenure-based personnel systems to performance-based personnel 
management systems while streamlining administrative processes inherent 
in managing Naval Reactors' employees under two different systems.
    All DON NNPP current GS employees and vacant GS positions will be 
converted, excluding any Schedule C excepted service positions. There 
are approximately 210 affected positions, with all but about 40 of 
those positions located at the Washington Navy Yard. These positions 
will remain as DON positions. The NNPP will adopt the NNSA 
Demonstration Project Policies and Procedures Manual, dated March 2008, 
which will also be used by the servicing Human Resources Office and the 
Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) to implement and support the 
NNPP. The intent of this notice is to promulgate this conversion to 
stakeholders within the Departments of Energy, Defense, and Navy. 
Affected employees are not represented by a labor union.

    Dated: September 17, 2021.
J.M. Pike,
Commander, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-20510 Filed 9-21-21; 8:45 am]
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