Procedural
Requirements
Effective Date: December 06, 2017
Expiration Date: October 31, 2024
|
|
NASA Procedural Requirements |
NPR 3451.1C Effective Date: December 06, 2017 Expiration Date: October 31, 2024 |
| | TOC | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | AppendixA | AppendixB | ALL | |
Management officials may recognize and reward individual or group achievement with the following types of awards: performance based, cash, honorary, time-off without charge to leave, and informally in accordance with 5 CFR pt. 451. Awards will be presented as soon as possible after the completion of the act or service for which the nomination is made.
2.2.1 Monetary or cash awards, including time-off awards (TOAs), may be recommended by persons outside of the employee's organization; however, all awards, with the exception of group awards, are subject to approval by the employee's first- or second-level supervisor.
2.2.2 Honorary awards, with the exception of group awards, may be recommended by persons outside of the employee's organization; however, they are subject to prior coordination with the employee's first- or second-level supervisor.
2.2.3 An employee's performance appraisal serves as the written justification to support a performance award. Other cash or TOAs require written justification that supports the award amount.
2.2.4 Supervisors or designees shall submit and approve awards covered by this directive in NAAS and ensure documentation allows for reconstruction by a third-party review. If an award is approved by someone other than the approving official in NAAS (e.g., by a panel or memo), document the source of approval in the NAAS justification field.
2.2.5 Subject to Agency financial management guidance, when a monetary award is approved for an employee at another Center, the nominating Center will make arrangements to transfer funds to the employee's home Center to cover the award (including the employer's portion of the payroll taxes).
2.2.6 An individual or group, a former employee, an employee of another Government agency, or the estate of a deceased employee are eligible for awards covered by this chapter, provided the achievement took place while the person(s) was an Agency employee.
2.3.1 Chapter 1 in this directive provides specific delegations of authority for approving monetary awards as follows:
a. Awards that are subject to approval by the Administrator (or designee):
(1) Performance awards for employees covered by EPCS that exceed 10 percent and are not more than 20 percent of an employee's annual rate of basic pay up to and including $10,000.
(2) All non-performance cash awards (e.g., Special Acts) for SES/ST/SL employees.
(3) Nominations of any individual cash award of over $10,000.
(4) Nomination for any external award in accordance with this directive.
b. Awards that are subject to approval by Center Directors or OICs:
Monetary awards, including cash awards for On-the-Spot and Special Act, not to exceed $9,999 for non-SES/ST/SL employees. Center Directors/OICs are authorized to delegate the approval of monetary or cash awards up to and including $7500.
2.3.2 OPM regulation (5 CFR pt. 451) requires that all awards over $10,000 be approved by OPM. Awards in excess of $25,000 require OPM review and Presidential approval. Center HR offices shall submit these awards through the AA, OHCM to the Administrator for authorization to forward to OPM.
2.3.3 Presidential appointees with Senate confirmation, non-career appointees in SES positions, and Schedule C appointees may not receive a monetary or TOA during Presidential election periods under the restrictions set forth in 5 CFR pt. 451. This period is defined as any period beginning June 1 in a calendar year of a Presidential election and ending the following January 20.
2.3.4 A performance award based on the EPCS rating is only authorized for General Schedule (GS) employees. Accordingly, awards for performance based on EPCS rating of record are to be effected prior to an employee's appointment or conversion (either temporarily or permanently) to an SES/ST/SL position.
2.4.1 A performance award may be in the form of a monetary award, a TOA, or a combination of both a monetary and TOA award. A performance award is based on a rating of record of fully successful or higher and may be awarded after the rating is finalized in the Standard Performance Appraisal Communication Environment in accordance with NPR 3430.1.
2.4.2 The amount of the award is linked to an employee's performance and based upon the summary performance rating level. The performance evaluation and rating serves as the justification for the award.
2.4.3 Center Directors establish guidelines based on the annual awards budget (e.g., percentage/range of percentage of salary) for monetary performance awards for Distinguished, Accomplished, and Fully Successful performance summary ratings. Employees with a higher performance summary rating level (e.g., Distinguished) will receive a greater monetary performance award (including combined monetary and time-off), based on a percentage of salary, than an employee with a lower performance summary rating level (e.g., Accomplished).
2.4.4 These guidelines will be consistently applied to all employees covered by EPCS, unless the employee served less than the full performance appraisal period under the performance plan (e.g., a new employee or an employee who was on extended absence) or received a promotion during the appraisal period. In such cases, employees are eligible for awards; however, they will be reduced or prorated.
2.5.1 A QSI is a faster-than-normal step increase to reward an employee for sustained performance of high quality as reflected by the annual rating of record, in accordance with
5 CFR pt. 531, subpart E. This award should be used judiciously as it results in higher, long-term cost to the Agency.
2.5.2 A QSI may only be granted to a GS employee who receives a performance summary rating of Distinguished (Level 5) under the EPCS and are to be effected within 120 calendar days following the end of the appraisal period.
2.5.3 No other performance award is authorized in conjunction with a QSI.
2.5.4 In addition to processing a personnel action, supervisors shall submit and approve QSI awards in NAAS, in accordance with paragraph 2.2.3.
2.6.1 A Special Act or Service Award is a cash or TOA (or both) granted in recognition of a specific accomplishment to reward an individual or a group performance that has exceeded expectations as a one-time occurrence.
2.6.2 All civil service employees, including SES/ST/SL employees, and experts and consultants as defined in 5 CFR, pt. 304, are eligible to receive a Special Act or Service Award.
2.6.3 These awards are not based on an employee's performance rating of record. Examples include:
a. Making a high-quality contribution involving a difficult or important project or assignment.
b. Displaying special initiative and skill in completing a quality assignment or project significantly ahead of the deadline while maintaining quality and other task requirements.
c. Providing outstanding customer service to clients or colleagues that is highly responsive, courteous, respectful, and exceeds expectations.
d. Independently taking action to promote a safe working environment.
2.6.4 Centers are responsible for establishing local procedures, including the need to document the justification for the award in writing, delegations of approval authority, and any delegations to supervisors to grant an award for a specified limited amount without higher level approval.
2.6.5 A Special Act or Service Award may be granted to members of the Armed Forces, but only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Department of Defense.
2.7.1 An OTS award is a cash or TOA (or both) granted in recognition of a specific accomplishment to provide immediate recognition to a GS and a NASA Excepted Employment (NEX) employee who performs an act or service in an exceptional manner that might otherwise go unrecognized. Examples include:
a. Performing high-quality work under a tight deadline.
b. Performing quality short-term assignments/projects in addition to regular duties.
c. Exercising extraordinary initiative or creativity in addressing a critical need or difficult problem.
2.7.2 Centers are responsible for establishing local procedures, which include the need to document the justification for the award in writing, delegations of approval authority, and any delegations to supervisors to grant an award for a specified limited amount without higher-level approval.
2.8.1 A TOA is an award that takes the form of paid time off from work, without charge to leave, for performance as reflected in the rating of record or for a specific accomplishment.
2.8.2 All civil service employees, including SES/ST/SL, are eligible to receive a TOA. See paragraph 2.8.9 for special provisions for civilian astronauts.
2.8.3 TOAs may be granted in amounts of four to 80 hours for a single contribution. The maximum amount of time off granted to any individual cannot exceed a total of 80 hours of time off during a leave year.
2.8.4 TOAs are intended to recognize employees for high-quality performance or continuous improvement of a process, product, program, or service. Examples include:
a. Making a high-quality contribution involving a difficult or important project or assignment.
b. Displaying special initiative and skill in completing a quality assignment or project significantly ahead of the deadline while maintaining quality and other task requirements.
c. Providing outstanding customer service.
d. Independently taking action to promote a safe working environment.
2.8.5 TOAs should not be used when:
a. The employee consistently has use-or-lose and/or restored leave.
b. The employee will not be able to use the TOA within a reasonable time period.
c. There are problems with the employee's attendance and leave.
2.8.6 A TOA does not expire but should be taken within a reasonable time period, usually 12 months of the date of the award. The employee should be encouraged and permitted to use the incentive in a timely manner. If illness occurs during time-off leave, sick leave may be granted for the period of incapacitation.
2.8.7 Centers are responsible for establishing the level of management approval for granting TOAs. Center Directors may delegate authority to supervisors to grant TOAs of up to eight hours without higher-level approval.
2.8.8 The monetary value of the TOA will be calculated and included in the percentage of salary designated for the performance summary rating level. However, for the purposes of obtaining required approval from the Administrator, OPM, or the President, the monetary value of the award will not include the TOA.
2.8.9 The following additional requirements and restrictions pertain to civilian astronauts:
a. The Director of Flight Crew Operations at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is delegated the authority to approve TOAs for civilian astronauts returning from space flight missions.
b. Up to eight hours of time off may be granted for each weekend day and Federal holiday that the crewmember was in space, up to a maximum of 160 hours for each space flight.
| TOC | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | Chapter4 | Chapter5 | Chapter6 | AppendixA | AppendixB | ALL | |
| | NODIS Library | Human Resources and Personnel(3000s) | Search | |
This document does not bind the public, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Check the NASA Online Directives Information System (NODIS) Library to verify that this is the correct version before use: https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov.