Meeting of the minds

Benefits of the DARPA Experimental Personnel Management Program for Technology

Workers, according to DARPA's first annual report to Congress:

Salary flexibility

For the 12 positions filled, DARPA offered total compensation packages

worth $109,000 to $150,000. The same personnel were receiving $110,340

to $240,000 in total compensation while employed in private industry.

Reduced hiring times

In the two years preceding implementation of the program, it took 3.5

months to 10 months to hire a new employee without prior government service.

Under the experimental program, time from earliest acceptance to earliest

possible report-for-duty date has averaged less than two weeks, and the

time from offer to actual reporting date has averaged 34 days.

Attracting technology's top guns

Individuals hired under the program have earned advanced technology

degrees and held senior manager or director positions in the private sector.

Three held positions as vice presidents or chief scientists. One was president

and chief executive officer of a company.