Accretion of Duties. Promotion of an employee whose position is reclassified at a higher grade because of the performance of additional duties and responsibilities. (See Section 8. Accretion of Duties).

Agency. For this Handbook, the term "agency" refers to the Department.

Area of Consideration. The organizational and/or geographic boundaries within which a search is made for eligible candidates to be considered for a specific merit promotion and placement action. All areas of consideration must be set to promote fair and open competition and to maintain a diverse work force. Appropriate areas of consideration may be as small as an individual office, for example, or as large as Government wide.

Best Qualified Candidates. Those applicants determined by the rating and ranking process to possess the job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities required or desired in applicants for a particular position to a greater degree than other qualified applicants being considered and who are subsequently referred to the selecting official.

Career Ladder. Grade range from the entry level through and including the previously established full performance level of a position. Career Promotion. Promotions without current competition when the employee competed earlier for an assignment intended to prepare the employee for the position being filled, and the intent was made a matter of record and made known to all potential candidates.

Certificate. A document referred to the selecting official containing the names of eligible candidates.

Change to Lower Grade. For this Handbook, the term "change to lower grade" refers to a voluntary reduction in an employee's current grade level or representative rate.

Competitive Service. All civilian positions that are: (a) in the executive branch of the Federal Government not specifically excepted from civil service laws by or pursuant to statute, by the President, or by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and not in the Senior Executive Service; and (b) all positions in the legislative and judicial branches of the Federal Government and in the Government of the District of Columbia specifically made subject to the civil service laws by statute.

Crediting Plan. A plan used to rate and rank qualified applicants for a position. It consists of the quality ranking factors (developed through the process of job analysis) with typically three quality level descriptions for each factor.

Detail. A temporary assignment of an employee to a different position for a specified period, with the employee returning to his or her regular duties at the end of the assignment. While on detail the employee continues to hold his official position from which detailed and keeps the same status and pay. Evaluation Panel. Evaluation panels are established to rate and rank candidates, and generally consist of individuals at the same or higher grade level than the full performance level of the position to be filled who are familiar with the requirements of the job and occupation. Qualified candidates are evaluated on the basis of the quality ranking factors identified for the position.

Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP). The Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program requires agencies to establish targeted recruitment programs for categories of positions where a determination of underrepresentation, manifest imbalance, or conspicuous absence of women and/or minorities has been made.

Full Performance Level. The highest grade level to which an employee may be promoted through successive noncompetitive career promotions.

Job Analysis. The analysis of a position to identify the basic duties and responsibilities; the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the duties and responsibilities; and the factors that are important in evaluating candidates for the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's). Also referred to as Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, and Other Characteristics (KASOCs). The attributes required to perform a job which are generally demonstrated through qualifying experience, education, or training. Knowledge is a body of information applied directly to the performance of a function. Skill is a present, observable competence to perform a task with ease and proficiency. Ability is a present competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product.

Priority Consideration. The referral and considering candidates who are entitled (based on having something happen to them such as being affected by a reduction-in-force), before considering other candidates.

Promotion. The change of an employee to a higher grade or to a position with a higher representative rate.

Qualified Candidates. Those applicants who meet both the qualifications standards outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook (the former X-118) and any selective placement factors identified for the position.

Quality Ranking Factors. Job related KSAs, documented through job analysis, used in rating and ranking all eligible candidates to distinguish the best qualified ones.

Rating and Ranking. The determination of best qualified candidates based on the degree to which each candidate meets the quality ranking factors (KSAs) of the position. This process is completed by a personnel specialist, subject matter expert, or an evaluation panel.

Reassignment. A change of an employee from one position to another in the same grade in the same agency.

Reinstatement. The reemployment of a former employee with competitive status.

Repromotion. Noncompetitive promotion or placement, permanent or temporary, of an employee to a grade or full performance level previously held on a permanent basis in the competitive service.

Selective Placement Factor. Mandatory knowledge, skills, and/or abilities that are essential for successful performance in the position to be filled, in addition to the basic qualifications outlined in OPM's Qualification Standards Handbook. Applicants not meeting this factor are ineligible for further consideration. Selective placement factors must be job related and their validity documented through job analysis.

Temporary Promotion. A promotion to a higher graded position for a specified period of time to accomplish project work, fill positions temporarily pending reorganization or downsizing, or meet other temporary needs. Temporary promotions for more than 120 days are subject to competitive procedures. Service during the previous 12 months in higher graded positions either by noncompetitive temporary promotion or detail counts toward the 120-day limit. Temporary promotions can be made in any increment up to a maximum period of 5 years. Temporary promotions may be made permanent when such a possibility was publicized in the original competition notice.

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. Well Qualified. Eligible candidates who possess the knowledges, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum qualifications requirements for the position, as determined by the crediting plan.