Public service group endorses performance pay

A coalition of 30 groups, representing current and retired federal managers and executives, gave its enthusiastic endorsement to the concept of performance pay in the federal government.

"I think the fact that 30 organizations agree on this position, or support these changes, shows that pay for performance is the issue that we think is most important for federal employees," said Rosslyn Kleeman, chairwoman of the Coalition for Effective Change. "It is something that is important."

The coalition released a paper Wednesday supporting pay for performance and calling it "one of the most controversial federal workforce issues currently being debated." Implementing a performance pay system across the federal government would be "neither easy nor quick," members noted.

"This paper demonstrates that federal managers and other professionals are quite willing to be held accountable for their performance and are committed to improving government operations," Kleeman said.

The Coalition for Effective Change includes the American Foreign Service Association, Blacks in Government, Executive Women in Government, the Federal Bar Association, the Federal Librarians Round Table, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Senior Executives Association.

The paper laid out 14 conditions that must be satisfied for a successful performance pay system to take hold in the federal government. The coalition called for a strict adherence to established federal merit principles, a transparent and fair appraisal system, sufficient "training and retraining" for the managers and employees, as well as a procedure to include feedback and dialogue between managers and employees.

The coalition said also that federal personnel officials must ensure the system is adequately funded.

"The success of the system will be measured by its effects on employee and work group performance and its linkage to organizational performance," the paper said. "CEC believes that the payoff for success-to agencies, to employees, and ultimately to the American public-is worth the commitments required."