NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 3771.1A Effective Date: January 21, 2016 Expiration Date: January 21, 2025

Subject: NASA's Administrative Grievance System (AGS) Revalidated on October 14, 2020 with Change 1

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer

Chapter 2. Responsibilities

2.1 AA, HCM

2.1.1 The AA, HCM, or designee, is responsible for:

a. Setting policy direction and providing authoritative guidance on the AGS.

b. Ensuring that the implementation of the AGS complies with applicable laws and regulations and supports the Agency's human capital strategic goals.

2.2 Center Directors

a. Center Directors are responsible for ensuring that the AGS is accessible to all covered employees and that grievances are processed in accordance with this directive.

b. Center Directors may issue local implementing instructions.

2.3 HRDs

2.3.1 The HRDs, or designees, are responsible for:

a. Administering the AGS in accordance with this directive.

b. Coordinating a grievant's request to bypass the informal process with the grievant's next-level supervisor.

c. Deciding whether to disallow a grievant's selected representative.

d. Receiving formal grievances and reviewing for compliance with the requirements of this directive; accepting grievances that are in compliance and forwarding them to deciding officials; and returning grievances that are not in compliance (e.g., are untimely or address matters excluded from the AGS).

e. Identifying the appropriate deciding official for each grievance.

f. Providing advice and assistance to deciding officials, supervisors, and employees on policy issues and procedural processes.

g. Maintaining and safeguarding all records and documents in accordance with applicable regulatory and policy guidance. (Reference NPR 1441.1).

2.4 Supervisors

2.4.1 Supervisors are responsible for:

a. Communicating with employees on the day-to-day issues and decisions that may arise in the workplace to provide the employees with a greater understanding of the decision-making process, and thus diminish the number of matters that may give rise to the filing of grievances.

b. Acting constructively, promptly, and fairly on any matter that is of concern to employees. Making reasonable efforts to informally resolve matters of concern, including the use of ADR techniques to resolve disputes when appropriate.

c. Permitting a reasonable amount of official time for grievants and their designated representatives to conduct authorized activities under the AGS.

d. In accordance with the provisions of this directive, accepting and working to resolve informal grievances; providing a written response when an informal grievance is not resolved.

e. In accordance with the provisions of this directive, serving as the deciding official on formal grievances, when designated.

f. Maintaining and safeguarding records of decisions/actions related to the grievance.

2.5 Employees

2.5.1 Employees are responsible for:

a. Complying with the AGS procedures and time limits.

b. Furnishing sufficient detail in writing to clearly identify the matter being grieved.

c. Clearly specifying the personal relief requested.

2.6 Deciding Officials

2.6.1 Deciding officials are responsible for:

a. Providing each grievance full, impartial, and timely consideration.

b. Conducting any fact finding needed to permit an informed decision; designating a fact finder, in consultation with the Human Resources Office (HRO), at the Deciding Official's discretion.

c. Deciding whether or not to either grant full or partial relief or deny the requested relief and providing the grievant a timely written decision.

d. Ensuring the implementation of any remedy granted to the grievant.

2.7 Fact Finders

Fact finders are responsible for providing assistance to deciding officials with the review and analysis of the central issue(s) of a grievance by employing fact finding techniques (e.g., research of relevant regulatory/policy documents or interviews of individuals or groups that may provide additional facts relevant to the issue(s)).

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NODIS

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