NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 3330.1C Effective Date: September 27, 2022 Expiration Date: September 27, 2027

Subject: NASA Career Transition Assistance Plans (CTAPs)

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer

Appendix A. Definitions

Aerospace Technology (AST) qualification requirements. NASA's single agency qualification standard developed to meet NASA's need for its own unique and discrete specializations within the Agency's mission-oriented aerospace work.

Career appointment. Competitive service permanent appointment given to an employee who has completed three substantially continuous, creditable years of Federal service.

Career-conditional appointment. Competitive service permanent appointment given to an employee who has completed less than three substantially continuous, creditable years of Federal service.

Certificate of expected separation. Notification issued by an agency to an employee who the agency believes, with a reasonable degree of certainty, will be separated from Federal employment by RIF procedures.

Commuting area. Commuting area is defined in 5 CFR § 351.203. For purposes of operating the RPL, NASA Headquarters and Goddard Space Flight Center are in the same commuting area. The NASA Shared Services Center and Stennis Space Center are in the same commuting area.

Compensable injury. Defined at 5 CFR § 353.102.

Competitive service. All civilian positions in the Federal Government that are not specifically excepted from the civil service laws by or pursuant to statute, by the President, or by regulation, and that are not in the Senior Executive Service.

Downgrade (also called " Demotion " or "Change to Lower Grade"). An action that moves an employee, while serving continuously in the same agency, to (1) a position at a lower grade when both the old and new positions are under the General Schedule or under the same type graded wage schedule, or (2) to a position with a lower rate of basic pay when both the old and the new positions are under the same type ungraded wage schedule or in a different pay-method category.

Directed reassignment. A management-directed change of an employee, while serving continuously within the same agency, from one position to another without promotion or demotion.

Excepted appointment. An appointment to a position in the excepted service.

Excepted service. Excepted service consists of civil service positions that are not in the competitive service or the Senior Executive Service.

Full performance level (also called "Promotion Potential"). The highest-grade level established for a particular position, sometimes call the target level of a career ladder.

Grade retention. The right of an employee to retain for two years, for pay and benefits purposes, the grade of the position from which he or she was reduced.

Local commuting area. (for CTAP and ICTAP special selection priority). Local commuting area is defined in 5 CFR 330.604(e). For the purpose of CTAP and ICTAP special selection priority, NASA Headquarters and Goddard Space Flight Center are in the same local commuting area. The NASA Shared Services Center and Stennis Space Center are in the same local commuting area.

NASA's Merit Promotion and Placement Plan. The plan under which NASA considers employees for vacant positions on the basis of personal merit.

Pay retention. The retention of a rate of basic pay higher than the maximum rate of the grade for the position occupied.

Reasonable accommodation. Any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.

Reclassification. A change in the classification of a position.

Referral list (also called "certificate"). A list of the highest-ranked eligibles provided to a hiring manager or appointing officer for employment consideration.

Representative rate. The fourth step of the grade for a position covered by the General Schedule and the prevailing rate for a position covered by a wage-board or similar wage-determining procedure.

Repromotion. The promotion of an employee back to a grade previously held.

Restoration rights. The entitlement of employees who leave their civilian positions for military duty to return to those positions after termination of that duty and the entitlement of an employee to return to his or her position after recovery from compensable injury.

Retention standing order. The order of a retention register, which is a record of all employees occupying positions in a competitive level arranged by tenure groups and subgroups, and by service dates within the subgroup used in a RIF to determine which employees are retained and which are separated or moved to other positions.

Selective placement factor. A knowledge, skill, ability, or other requirement which is essential for successful job performance and which an applicant shall possess to be minimally qualified for the position.

Surplus employee. A surplus employee is:

a. A current employee serving under an appointment in the competitive service, in tenure group I or II, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has received a certificate of expected separation or other official certification issued by NASA indicating that the employee's position is surplus.

b. A current employee serving on an excepted service appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has been issued a certificate of expected separation or other official certification indicating that the employee's position is surplus, and who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service.

c. A current employee serving on a Schedule A or B excepted appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, and who is in receipt of a certificate of expected separation or other official certification indicating that the employee's job is surplus. Schedule A or B employees may exercise selection priority for permanent excepted service NASA positions within the local commuting area, provided the position to which appointed has the same appointing authority, i.e., Schedule A or B, as the position from which being separated.

Temporary position/appointment. An appointment made for a limited period of time and with a specific not-to-exceed date determined by the authority under which the appointment is made.

Tenure group. A category of employees ranked in priority order for retention during reduction in force.

Term position. A position that will last more than one year but not more than four years (or six years when using the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004, Pub. L. 108-201 term provisions) and that is of a project nature where the job will terminate upon completion of the project.

Transfer. A change of an employee, without a break in service of one full workday, from a position in one agency to a position in another agency that can be filled under the same appointing authority.

Transfer-of-function. The movement of the work of one or more employees from one competitive area to another.

Well-qualified. A determination that a candidate possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position, meets all other requirements identified in Requirements for agency CTAP selection priority, 5 CFR 330.604, and is assigned to the top category.

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