Glossary
A list of commonly used terminology in reference to NSPS is below:
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Accelerated Compensation for Developmental Positions (ACDP)
An increase to employee base salary, bonus or a combination of these that may be provided to employees participating in Component-training programs or in other developmental capacities as determined by Component policy. The ACDP is awarded to recognize growth and development in the acquisition of job-related competencies combined with successful performance of job objectives.
ACDP
See Accelerated Compensation for Developmental Positions.
Adjusted Salary
An employee’s base salary plus any local market supplement paid to that employee.
ADR
Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Appraisal
The review and evaluation of an employee’s performance.
Appraisal Period
The period of time established under a performance management system for reviewing employee performance.
Band or pay band
A work level and associated pay range within a pay schedule.
Band rate range
The range of rates of base salary (excluding any local market supplements) applicable to employees in a particular pay band. Each band rate range is defined by a minimum and maximum rate.
Base salary
An employee’s pay before any deductions and exclusive of additional pay of any kind.
Bonus
An element of the performance payout that consists of a one-time lump-sum payment made to employees. It is not part of base pay.
Career employee
An individual appointed without time limit to a competitive or excepted service position in the Federal service.
Career group
A broad grouping of occupations that perform similar types of work and have similar career progression patterns.
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations.
CID
Criminal Investigation Division.
Class appeal
An appeal brought by a representative(s) of a group of similarly situated employees consistent with the provisions of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. NOTE: This is not an employee's appeal under the provisions of SC200.8.
Classification
The process of analyzing and assigning a job or position to an occupational code, career group, pay schedule, pay band, and title for pay and other related purposes.
Closeout Assessment
A narrative description of an eligible employee's performance under an approved performance plan when the supervisor ceases to exercise duties relative to monitoring, developing, and rating performance of the employee.
Comparable Pay Bands
Pay bands with the same level of work within and across varying pay schedules and career groups, regardless of the specific earning potential of the bands.
Competencies
The measurable or observable knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform a particular job or job function successfully.
Competing employee
For reduction in force (RIF) and transfer of function (TOF) purposes, a career employee (including an employee serving an initial probationary period), an employee serving on a term appointment, and other employees as identified in implementing issuances.
Competitive area
The boundaries within which employees compete for retention.
Competitive group
Employees within a competitive area who are on a common retention list for the purpose of exercising displacement rights.
Component
An organizational unit so prescribed and designated by the Secretary in his or her sole and exclusive discretion, such as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Military Departments, a Defense Agency, or a DoD Field Activity.
Confidential employee
An employee who acts in a confidential capacity with respect to an individual who formulates or effectuates management policies in the field of labor-management relations.
Consult
To consider an organization’s interests, opinions, and recommendations in rendering decisions. This can be accomplished in face-to-face meetings or through other means, e.g., teleconferencing, e-mail, and written communications.
Continental United States (CONUS)
The States of the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, but including the District of Columbia.
Contributing Factor
Attributes of job performance that are significant to the accomplishment of your job objectives.
Contribution
A work product, service, output, or result provided or produced by an employee or group of employees that supports Department of Defense or organizational mission, goals, or objectives.
Contribution Assessment
The determination made by the pay pool manager as to the impact, extent, and scope of contribution that the employee’s performance made to the accomplishment of the organization’s mission and goals.
CONUS
See Continental United States.
Current Continuous Service
A period of employment immediately preceding an adverse action without a break in Federal civilian employment of a workday.
Day
A calendar day.
Department
The Department of Defense.
DHS
Department of Homeland Security.
Director
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
Direct Hire Authority
Authority authorized by DoD when it determines there is a severe shortage of critical candidates or a critical hiring need.
Displacement right
The right of a competing employee who is displaced from his or her present position because of position abolishment, or because of the abolishment of a position occupied by a higher-standing employee on the retention list, to displace a lower-standing employee on the list on the basis of the retention factors.
DoD
Department of Defense.
EEOC
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
EPI
See Extraordinary Pay Increase
Extraordinary pay increase (EPI)
A discretionary base salary increase or bonus to reward an employee at the highest performance level when the payout formula does not adequately compensate the employee for his or her extraordinary performance and results.
FR
Federal Register.
Furlough
The placement of an employee in a temporary status without duties and pay because of lack of work or funds or other non-disciplinary reasons.
FWS
Federal Wage System.
FY
Fiscal Year.
General Schedule (GS)
The General Schedule classification and pay system established under chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of Title 5, U.S. Code.
Grade
A level of work under a General Schedule position classification or job grading system.
Higher Pay Band
A pay band designated to be a higher level of work than an employee's currently assigned band, either within or across varying pay schedules and career groups, regardless of the specific earning potential of the band.
HR
Human Resources.
IG
Inspector General.
Implementing issuance or issuances
A document or documents issued by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Principal Staff Assistants (as authorized by the Secretary), or Secretaries of the Military Departments to carry out a policy or procedure implementing NSPS. These issuances may apply DoD-wide or to any part of DoD as determined by the Secretary at his or her sole and exclusive discretion. These issuances do not include internal operating guidance, handbooks, or manuals that do not change conditions of employment, as defined in NSPS regulation.
Initial probationary period
The period of time, as designated by the Secretary, immediately following an employee's appointment, during which an authorized management official determines whether the employee fulfills the requirements of the assigned position.
In-service probationary period
The period of time, as designated by the Secretary of Defense, during which an authorized management official determines whether the employee fulfills the requirements of the assigned position.
Interdisciplinary and Interoccupational Positions
Positions that can be filled by employees in more than one occupation. Interdisciplinary positions relate to professional occupations, and Interoccupational positions cover positions in one of several analytical occupations.
Issuance or issuances
A document issued by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Principal Staff Assistants (as authorized by the Secretary), or Secretaries of the Military Departments at the DoD or Military Department level to carry out a policy or procedure of the Department, other than those issuances implementing the NSPS regulations.
Job Objectives
An expression of performance expectations in the performance plan that are linked to the organization's goal(s) and mission(s). Job objectives are used to communicate major individual, team, organizational responsibilities, contributions, and the related outcomes expected of you during the appraisal period.
Local Commuting Area
The geographic area that usually constitutes one area for employment purposes. It includes any population center (or two or more neighboring ones) and the surrounding localities in which people live and can reasonably be expected to travel back and forth daily to their usual employment.
Local Market Supplement (LMS)
Additional pay to address labor market factors that are location and/or occupation specific. Under NSPS, these supplements are used in lieu of Title 5 locality pay and special salary rate supplements. These supplements will be expressed as a percentage of base salary (including a retained rate).
Lower Pay Band
A pay band designated to be a lower level of work than an employee's currently assigned band, either within or across varying pay schedules and career groups, regardless of the specific earning potential of the band.
LWOP
Leave Without Pay.
Management official
An individual employed by the Department in a position the duties and responsibilities of which require or authorize the individual to formulate, determine, or influence the policies of the Department.
Management-Directed Reassignment
Reassignment initiated or directed by management. While the employee may agree to be reassigned, this action normally does not include the employee applying through an advertised vacancy announcement.
Military Department
The Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of the Air Force.
Minimum period of performance
The period of time established by the Secretary during which an employee will perform under applicable performance expectations before receiving a rating of record. Under NSPS, this period is generally 90 days.
Mixed positions
Positions where work falls within more than one occupational series, pay schedule and/or pay band.
Modal Rating (Pay administration)
The most frequent rating of record assigned to employees in the same pay band within a particular pay pool for a particular rating cycle.
Modal Rating (RIF)
The most frequent rating of record assigned to employees in a particular competitive group.
National Security Personnel System (NSPS)
The management system established under 5 U.S.C. 9902(a) and described in CFR 9901. It does not include the labor relations system established under title 5 U.S.C. 9902(m).
NCIS
Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
NSPS
See National Security Personnel System.
OAR
See Organizational/Team Achievement Recognition.
Occupational code
A group or family of positions performing similar types of work. Occupational codes are assigned a number for workforce information purposes (for example: 0110, Economist Series; 1410, Librarian Series).
OIPT
Overarching Integrated Product Team.
OMB
Office of Management and Budget.
OPM
Office of Personnel Management.
Organizational/Team Achievement Recognition (OAR)
An increase to an employee's base salary, a bonus, or a combination of these to recognize the members of a team, organization, or branch whose performance and contributions have successfully and directly advanced organizational goals.
OSC
Office of the Special Counsel.
OSI
Office of Special Investigations.
Pay band or band
A work level and associated pay range within a pay schedule.
Pay pool
The organizational elements/units or other categories of employees that are combined for the purpose of determining performance payouts. Each employee is in only one pay pool at a time. Pay pool also means the amount designated for performance payouts to employees covered by a pay pool.
Pay Pool Manager
The individual designated to manage the pay pool, resolve discrepancies, and ensure consistency.
Pay Pool Panel
Usually senior management officials, including the pay pool manager, of the organizations or functions represented in the pay pool that assist the pay pool manager in the exercise of his or her responsibilities.
Pay retention
Temporary preservation of an employee's former rate of base salary when the rate exceeds the maximum rate of the employee's new pay band.
Pay schedule
A set of related pay bands for a specified category of employees within a career group.
PEO
Program Executive Office.
Performance
Accomplishment of work assignments or responsibilities and contribution to organizational goals, including behavior and professional demeanor (actions, attitude, and manner of performance) as demonstrated by the employee’s approach to completing work assignments.
Performance expectations
The duties, responsibilities, and competencies required by, or objectives associated with, an employee’s position and the contributions and demonstrated competencies management expects of an employee.
Performance indicators
The general descriptions of levels or thresholds of your performance used to measure, evaluate, and score the achievement of your objective(s). The performance indicators are provided at Level 3 and Level 5 for each pay schedule and pay band.
Performance management
Applying the integrated processes of setting and communicating performance expectations, monitoring performance and providing feedback, developing performance and addressing poor performance, and rating and rewarding performance in support of the organization's goals and objectives.
Performance management system
The policies and requirements for setting and communicating employee performance expectations, monitoring performance and providing feedback, developing performance and addressing poor performance, and rating and rewarding performance.
Performance payout
The total monetary value of performance pay increase and bonus resulting from the performance appraisal process.
Performance Plan
A written or electronic document that contains at least one, and generally three to five job objectives and associated contributing factor(s) for each job objective.
Performance Review Authority
A senior management official or an organizational unit or group that manages and oversees the payout process, payout funds, and pay pool decisions.
Performance share
A unit of performance payout awarded to an employee based on performance. Performance shares may be awarded in multiples commensurate with the employee's rating level.
Performance share value
A calculated value for each performance share based on pay pool funds available and the distribution of performance shares across employees within a pay pool expressed as a percentage or fixed dollar amount.
Position or job
Duties, responsibilities, and related competency requirements that are assigned to an employee.
PPP
See Priority Placement Program
Principal Staff Assistants
For purposes of this regulation, these are senior officials of the Office of the Secretary of Defense who report directly to the Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of Defense, as determined by the Secretary of Defense.
Priority Placement Program (PPP)
The Department of Defense's placement program for surplus and displaced employees who through no fault of their own are adversely affected by workforce shaping actions. PPP is a tool used to assist DoD employees in finding a qualifying job within the Department.
Probationary period
See Initial and In-service probationary periods.
Professional and Analytical Occupations
The term professional refers to positions that have a positive educational requirement (e.g., Librarian, 1410; Accountant, 0510). Analytical occupations require work performance involving judgment, discretion, and personal responsibility.
Promotion
The movement of an employee from one pay band to a higher pay band on a permanent basis.
Rate Range
The minimum and maximum base salary within for each pay band (does not include Local Market Supplement).
Rating Official
A representative of management, usually the immediate supervisor, who is approved by the pay pool manager to evaluate and assess employee performance and recommend a rating of record for review by the pay pool panel.
Rating of record
A performance appraisal prepared at the end of an appraisal period covering an employee's performance of assigned duties against performance expectations over the applicable period; or as needed to reflect a substantial and sustained change in the employee's performance since the last rating of record as provided in DoD implementing issuances.
Reassignment
The movement of an employee to a different position or set of duties in the same or a comparable pay band on a permanent basis. There are three basic types of reassignment—
Management-Directed Reassignment—When management reassigns an employee within his or her current or comparable pay band.
Employee-Initiated Reassignment—When an employee is reassigned normally as a result of selection via an open vacancy announcement.
Involuntary Reassignment—When an employee is involuntarily reassigned within his or her current pay band and/or to a comparable pay band through adverse action procedures (as a result of poor performance or misconduct).
Reduction in band
The movement of an employee from one pay band to a lower pay band.
Reduction in pay
A decrease in an employee’s base salary. Base salary does not include local market supplements or similar payments. Non-receipt of a pay increase is not a reduction in pay.
Retention factors
Tenure, Veterans' preference, performance, length of service, and other factors as the Secretary considers necessary and appropriate to rank employees within a particular retention list.
Retention list
A list of all competing employees occupying positions in the competitive area, who are placed in the same competitive group in retention standing order.
RIF
Reduction in Force.
Salary
See base salary.
Secretary
The Secretary of Defense.
SES
The Senior Executive Service established under 5 USC chapter 31, subchapter II.
SL/ST
Senior and Scientific or Professional Positions. An employee serving in a senior-level position paid under 5 USC 5376. The term "SL" identifies a senior-level employee covered by 5 USC 3324 and 5108. The term "ST" identifies an employee who is appointed under the special authority in 5 USC 3325 to a scientific or professional position established under Title 5 USC 3140.
Share value
A calculated value for each performance share based on pay pool funds available and the distribution of performance shares within a pay pool expressed as a percentage.
Similar positions
Positions in which the duties performed are similar in nature and character and require substantially the same or similar qualifications, so that the incumbent could be interchanged among the positions without significant training or undue disruption in the work.
Student Educational Employment Program (SEEP)
A streamlined hiring program available to full or part time students enrolled in high school, technical, vocational, 2 or 4 year college or university, graduate or professional school degree programs. The program is comprised of two components: The Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) and the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Students in SCEP may be noncompetitively converted to NSPS term or career appointments following completion of their academic and work experience requirements.
Supervisor
For labor relations purposes, as defined in subpart I, an individual employed by the Department having authority in the interest of the Department to hire, direct, assign, promote, reward, transfer, furlough, layoff, recall, suspend, discipline, or remove employees; to adjust their grievances; or to effectively recommend such action, if the exercise of the authority is not merely routine or clerical in nature but requires the consistent exercise of independent judgment, except that, with respect to any unit which includes firefighters or nurses, the term “supervisor” includes only those individuals who devote a preponderance of their employment time to exercising such authority. It also means an individual employed by the Department who exercises supervisory authority over military members of the armed services, such as directing or assigning work or evaluating or recommending evaluations.
Temporary employee
An individual not on a career appointment who is employed for a limited period of time not to exceed one year. The appointment may be extended, up to a maximum of three years, to perform the work of a position that does not require an additional permanent employee.
Temporary promotion
Movement to a higher pay band on a temporary basis.
Temporary reassignment
Movement, either employee-initiated or management-directed, to a different position or set of duties in the same or a comparable pay band on a time-limited basis.
Tenure Group
A group of employees with a given appointment type. In a reduction in force, employees are first placed in a tenure group and then ranked within that group according to other retention factors.
Term Employee
An individual not on a career appointment who is employed for a period of more than one year up to a maximum of six years, when the need for an employee's service is not permanent.
Time-limited employee
An individual serving for a period of limited duration (e.g., a temporary or term appointment), in either the competitive or excepted service.
TOF
See Transfer of Function.
Transfer of Function (TOF)
A transfer of function occurs when work is moved from one competitive area to another or when an entire competitive area is moved to a new commuting area. The work must cease to be performed in the losing competitive area and be performed by competing employees in the new competitive area (e.g., the work is not contracted out).
Unacceptable performance
Performance by an employee that fails to meet one or more performance expectations, as amplified through work assignments or other instructions, for which the employee is held individually accountable.
USC
United States Code.
USERRA
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.
For more information, please speak with your component contact or email the DHRA Headquarters.
