The National Security Personnel System, which will go on line soon, will provide a more performance- and market-based system of hiring, pay and evaluation.

With NSPS, Department of Defense civilians can influence the amount of money they will receive by their performance, their value to the organization and their mission accomplishment contributions, said Sharon Seymour, the Air Force associate director of personnel plans and integration for NSPS.

She said NSPS is a positive change because employees will have more control over their advancement and pay, versus being tied to a time-based system.

Currently, a 30-day congressional notification period is underway, which ends in late November. After the 30-day notification period, the NSPS labor system becomes effective and DOD employees will fall under the new labor law.

DOD will request input from union representatives regarding the details of pay banding, staffing, performance management and other aspects of the new system. This period is called continuing collaboration and is expected to end in January 2006, Ms. Seymour said.

Implementation of the NSPS will then begin and continue throughout the year. On-site training for supervisors and employees is part of the NSPS implementation plan. By March 2006, the Air Force expects 50,000 employees to be covered under the news NSPS, Ms. Seymour said.

"Under the current system, employees receive incremental pay raises annually and within-grade pay raises after a certain number of years," Ms. Seymour said. "One of the best things NSPS will do for the Air Force is allow good employees to flourish under this system."

Under NSPS, classification will be simplified and streamlined and will include broad groupings of occupations based on the nature of work, career patterns and market factors. These groupings are called "pay bands." These pay schedules will replace the current GS and, eventually, the wage system pay schedule.

"As we move toward implementation, civilians will receive more information about where they fit in the pay schedules under NSPS," Ms. Seymour said.

Civilian employees moved under NSPS will not take a pay cut and most will receive an increase in pay when the implementation takes place, she said.

"Many employees will receive a pay increase equal to the amount they have earned towards their next within-grade-increase," Ms. Seymour said.