Retention and Promotion of High-Quality Civil Service Workers in the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce

Abstract

This report examines data from Defense Manpower Data Center files and draws from previous related RAND analyses to address questions about factors that affect personnel retention and career advancement in the acquisition workforce (AW). First, it examines available measures of personnel quality and explores whether personnel retention and career advancement vary by quality. A higher average performance rating is generally associated with an increased hazard of separation (decreased retention). On the other hand, individuals with advanced education degrees (bachelor's, master's, or PhD) are more likely to be retained than those with less than a bachelor's degree. Second, the report describes the characteristics of workers who rise to the senior executive service within the AW. Third, it explores how being in the Acquisition Demonstration pay plan or another demonstration pay plan affects retention, after controlling for workforce quality metrics. People who were in the Acquisition Demonstration pay plan and, in fact, any demonstration pay plan were retained longer than those in the General Schedule.