NSPS pay pools in process of reconciliation Published Dec. 20, 2007 By Chris Calkins 45th SW Public Affairs PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Patrick's National Security Personnel Service (NSPS) pay pool panels are in the process of reconciliation, and those employees under the new pay system can expect to receive their appraisals in the first few weeks of the new year, according to Darlene Berger, the 45th Space Wing's program manager. "We are working to ensure each pay pool applies a common measuring stick, and rates each employee with fairness, equity and consistency," she said. The pay pool panel is a board of management officials who are in positions of line authority or in senior staff positions with resource oversight for the organizations, groups or categories of employees comprising the pay pool membership. The primary function of the pay pool panel is the reconciliation of ratings, share distribution, and payout allocation decisions. "However, it is not just the pay pool panel that performs this reconciliation process. Appraisals go through multiple levels of reconciliation before the panel looks at them, further ensuring equity and consistency of the rating", Ms. Berger said. Rating officials will communicate only the final, approved rating, shares and payout distribution to their employees once the reconciliation process is complete. Should an employee be unhappy with their NSPS appraisal, they may request reconsideration within 10 calendar days after receiving it, stated Dale Breidenbach, chief, Labor and Employee Relations. "Employees can only challenge the final rating of record; they can't challenge shares, payout distribution or individual objective ratings if the proposed remedy would not change the final rating," he said. NSPS represents a significant change in the way we approach performance management. "I'm impressed by the effort put forth by everyone in the process to ensure fairness of the system, from senior leadership right down to the employee," he said.