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NASA Ball NASA
Procedural
Requirements
NPR 3335.1J
Effective Date: June 29, 2023
Expiration Date: June 29, 2028
COMPLIANCE IS MANDATORY FOR NASA EMPLOYEES
Printable Format (PDF)

Subject: Merit Promotion and Placement (Updated with Change 1)

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer


| TOC | ChangeLog | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | Chapter7 | Chapter8 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | ALL |

Appendix A: Definitions

Area of Consideration. Also referred to as who may apply, the area of consideration describes the individuals from whom the Agency will accept applications to compete for a vacancy.

Best-qualified. Candidates who rank in the top category or group when compared to other candidates and who are referred to the selecting official on a certificate for selection consideration.

Category rating. A process in which applicants who meet minimum qualifications are further assessed for job-related competencies and placed into one of two or more predefined quality categories.

Certificate. A list of the candidates referred to the supervisor for selection consideration.

Delegated examining authority. Authority delegated from OPM to make career or career-conditional appointments in the competitive service. Vacancies filled through the competitive examining process are open to all U.S. citizens.

Direct hire authority. Authority delegated from OPM to fill jobs open to all U.S. citizens for positions that OPM has determined that there is either a severe shortage of available candidates or a critical hiring need.

Evaluation. The process of assessing the degree to which each applicant possesses the skills or competencies essential for satisfactory performance in the position.

ICTAP. This program provides job placement assistance to eligible surplus or displaced Federal employees by providing selection priority over applicants from outside of NASA in accordance with Recruitment, Selection, and Placement, 5 CFR pt. 330.

Job analysis. The systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and documenting information about a position to determine minimum qualification requirements and identify the competencies to be used in further evaluating qualified candidates.

Merit Promotion. The system under which agencies consider internal eligible employees for vacant positions on the basis of merit. Individuals are evaluated on the basis of their experience, education, competencies, performance, and awards.

Minimally qualified. Applicants who meet OPM-approved qualification standards and any selective factors applicable to the position.

Noncompetitive eligible. Individuals who have acquired noncompetitive eligibility under a specific hiring or appointing authority, such as former Peace Corps/AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, individuals with disabilities (these are excepted service positions with provisions for conversion to the competitive service), 30 percent or more disabled veterans, current or former employees in the competitive service excepted from competitive procedures in this directive (see paragraph 3.2, When Competitive Procedures Are Not Required), individuals covered by an OPM-approved interchange agreement, and persons qualified for a position covered by a direct hire authority.

Priority consideration. For the purposes of this directive, the employee will be referred to the selecting official for consideration before other candidates are considered under these competitive procedures. If selected on the basis of the priority consideration, the employee may be promoted or reassigned as an exception to the competitive procedures of this plan.

Promotion. A change from one GS grade to a higher GS grade of a continuously employed civil-service employee through current or previous competitive procedures.

Promotion potential. The full performance level (or highest grade) of a classified position. A position has promotion potential when the incumbent is selected at a grade lower than the full performance level. For example, if a position with the full performance level of GS-13 is advertised and filled at the GS-11 level, the incumbent may be noncompetitively promoted up to the GS-13 level. Promotions are not automatic and are subject to supervisory approval, and the employee will have at least a "fully successful" performance appraisal. For additional information see, Eligibility for Career Ladder Promotion, 5 CFR § 335.104.

Quality grouping. A process in which applicants who meet minimum qualifications are further assessed for job-related competencies and placed into one of two or more predefined quality categories. Quality grouping is used to rank applicants when using internal MP procedures where veterans' preference does not apply. For example, when a vacancy announcement is open to current or former non-temporary Federal employees, and applicants eligible for VEOA.

Ranking. The process of arranging qualified candidates in order of relative standing.

Rating. The end product of evaluation. A rating reflects the degree to which the candidate's qualifications meet the competencies identified in the vacancy announcement.

Reassignment. The movement of an employee to another position at the same grade level. A reassignment action may be directed by management or initiated at the request of an employee.

Reconstruction. Refers to the ability of a third party to recreate a personnel action, for example, during a compliance review or when the action is being challenged.

Reduction in Force (RIF). When an agency is required to abolish positions, the RIF regulations determine whether an employee keeps his or her present position, or whether the employee has a right to a different position. The regulatory requirements governing RIF are contained in Reduction in Force, 5 CFR pt. 351.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL). RPL is a placement program that provides reemployment consideration for competitive service vacancies. RPL registrants are given priority consideration for competitive service vacancies over applicants external to the NASA competitive service workforce.

Reinstatement. Reinstatement eligibility allows someone to re-enter the Federal competitive service workforce without competing with the public. Reinstatement eligibles may apply for Federal jobs open to status candidates or be selected noncompetitively in accordance with this directive.

Relative. Relative means, with respect to a public official, an individual who is related to the public official as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, or half-sister. This definition per Employment of Relatives; Restrictions, 5 U.S.C. § 3110.

Schedule A appointing authority. An appointment authority covered by 5 CFR § 213.3102 (u) used to appoint persons with disabilities to excepted service appointments. These appointments provide appointees noncompetitive eligibility for conversion to the competitive service after two years of service.

Selective factors. In addition to minimum qualification requirements, selective factors identify additional qualification requirements that are required when the person starts the job. Characteristics of a selective factor include extensive training or experience essential for successful performance on the job that cannot be learned on the job in a reasonable amount of time. An example of a selective factor is a specific language requirement.

Staffing case file. This is a record generally maintained in the Agency-approved automated staffing and referral tool that contains sufficient documentation to allow full reconstruction of the placement action.

Status candidates. Applicants eligible to apply for MP vacancy announcements based on their current or former permanent Federal status, including individuals who are eligible for reinstatement and transfer. Status applicants may be eligible for noncompetitive consideration (i.e., considered and selected without the use of a vacancy announcement) based on their current or former permanent Federal status in accordance with this directive.

USAJOBS. USAJOBS is the U.S. Government's website for listing civil service job opportunities with Federal agencies. Federal agencies use USAJOBS to host job openings and match qualified applicants to those jobs. USAJOBS serves as the central place to find opportunities in hundreds of Federal agencies and organizations. The site is operated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. It was created in 1996.

VEOA. Provides eligible applicants an opportunity to compete when issuing a vacancy announcement using merit promotion procedures that includes the acceptance of applicants from outside of the NASA civil-service workforce. Such vacancy announcements will include VEOA in the minimum area of consideration. VEOA applicants are rated and ranked along with other applicants and will be among the best-qualified candidates to be referred for consideration. Veterans' preference does not apply.



| TOC | ChangeLog | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | Chapter7 | Chapter8 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | ALL |
 
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