Washington, D.C. - George Nesterczuk, Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, testified this week on the National Security Personnel System, designed by OPM and the Department of Defense for DoD civilian workforce.

Nesterczuk appeared before United States Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Committee on Homeland Security. In prepared remarks he stated, "The proposed regulations will establish a new human resources management system that we believe is as flexible, contemporary, and responsive as the President and the Congress envisioned."

Expressing appreciation to the subcommittee for its leadership and continued interest in the NSPS, Nesterczuk stated, "Mr. Chairman, with passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004, you and other Members of Congress gave the Secretary of Defense and the Director of OPM broad authority to establish a new human resources management system to fully support the Department's vital mission without compromising the core principles of merit and fairness that embody the Federal civil service." He continued, "We believe the regulations we have jointly proposed strike that balance in all of the key components of the NSPS: performance-based pay, staffing flexibility, employee accountability and due process, and labor-management relations. In each case we struck a careful and critical balance between operational imperatives and employee interests, without compromising either mission or merit."

Nesterczuk testified on a broad outreach effort by OPM and DoD to managers, employees and their representatives. He singled out a special effort launched to engage DoD's 43 unions in meaningful discussions over key components of the NSPS, and pointed to 10 meetings that were held with unions in an attempt to determine priorities. OPM and DoD will soon engage in a 30-day "meet and confer" process with unions to discuss the issues of concern raised by unions regarding the proposed regulations.