Graduate-Level Scholarships Aim at 'Mission-Critical' Jobs

Shays also is a co-sponsor of legislation that would create a U.S. Public Service Academy, modeled after the U.S. military academies. It would offer free education to undergraduates in exchange for their pledge to work for five years in local, state or federal government jobs.

Rules Rewrite at Defense

The Defense Department and Office of Personnel Management yesterday issued proposed regulations to revise the National Security Personnel System as directed by Congress last year.

About 181,000 Defense civil service employees have transferred into the NSPS, and an additional 25,000 will probably convert to the system in the fall. The program is one of the government's largest "pay for performance" programs, which officials say will make it easier for the department to better reward its best workers. It is also one of the most controversial.

Federal unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, had challenged the original rules in court, contending that they went too far in curbing union and employee rights. At the urging of the unions, Congress directed the Bush administration to follow government-wide rules for collective bargaining and for appeals by employees of major disciplinary action.

Congress also told the Pentagon to ensure that NSPS employees receive at least 60 percent of the annual government-wide pay raise as a base salary increase if their work is acceptable. Employees also are eligible for additional raises tied to their job performance ratings.

The proposed rules will be open for comment for 30 days. Enid Doggett, a spokeswoman for AFGE, said yesterday that union officials were reviewing the rules but were skeptical that they would meet the intent of Congress.

Talk Show

Charles R. Christopherson Jr., chief financial officer and chief information officer at the Agriculture Department, will be the guest on the IBM "Business of Government Hour" at 9 a.m. Saturday on WJFK radio (106.7 FM).

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.