Payday

Among the National Academy of Public Administration's recommendations for a new federal pay system are:

Each department should manage its employees' salaries within a governmentwide framework.

The system should have separate sets of pay bands, connected to prevailing market pay rates.

Office of Management and Budget officials should identify occupation groups and salary bands and monitor agency salary practices.

Raises should be based on individuals' performance.

Raises should be awarded based on "outstanding, "meets expectations" or "unacceptable" rankings.

Source: National Academy of Public Administration