**Responsible Office:** 113/Human Resources Operations Office

**Title:** Career Promotion Process at the Goddard Space Flight Center

**P1. PURPOSE**

Goddard Space Flight Center\'s new career promotion process was approved
by the Center Director and the Executive Council on December 17, 1998,
and adopted following completion of the Center\'s responsibility to
recognized labor unions on February 23, 1999. This document describes
the key features of the new process. Because of the magnitude of changes
incorporated in the process redesign, features of the process will be
implemented in a phased manner as the developmental work necessary to
implement each feature is completed. Future updates of this GPG will
incorporate additional information as it is developed and implemented.

#### P2. APPLICABILITY

This Instruction applies to all organizations of the Goddard Space
Flight Center. It will be followed by all supervisors at GSFC in
considering their employees for career promotions to all grades up to
and including GS-15 and will be the only criteria and process used in
that consideration.

#### P3. AUTHORITY

a.  Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (5CFR), Part 335 -- Promotion
    and Internal Placement

b.  NHB 3335.1C, Competitive Placement Plan, dated February 1, 1993

c.  NMI 3510.1I, Delegation of Authority -- Position Classification,
    dated November 28, 1991

#### P4. REFERENCES

a.  Title 5, United States Code (5 USC), section 2301(b), Merit System
    Principles

b.  Title 5, United States Code (5 USC), section 2302 (b), Prohibited
    Personnel Practices

c.  Goddard Space Flight Center Diversity Management Plan (1994)

##### P5. CANCELLATION

GMI 3511.2, Position Management and Classification, Change 1, dated
September 6, 1988, Sections 11.a(8)(b) & (c), 11.b.(6), 11.c(7), and
Attachment C only. Other provisions of GMI 3511.2 remain in effect
unless superseded by other Goddard Policy Directives or GPG
instructions.

###### P6. RECORDS

None.

**[Procedure]{.smallcaps}**

**1. Delegation of Approval Authority**

a.  Approval authority for promotions to all General Schedule (GS) grade
    levels through GS-15 and all Federal Wage System grade levels is
    delegated to Branch Heads (and equivalent or higher first-level
    supervisors). This provision is implemented immediately upon the
    adoption date specified above.

b.  [Concurrence on Promotions to GS-14 and GS-15.]{.underline} A Branch
    Head's decision to promote an employee to GS-14 will be concurred in
    by the Branch Head\'s Division Chief (or equivalent manager), and
    promotion to GS-15 will be concurred in by the Branch Head\'s
    Director of.

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2.  **Standing Panels for Senior Promotions**

Accretion promotions to the GS-14 and GS-15 will be independently
reviewed by a panel of subject-matter experts from the same skill group
\[engineering (development), science (research), program/project
management, and professional administrative\]. An accretion promotion is
one, which is above the previously documented promotion potential for
the position based on accretion of additional duties and
responsibilities. The Center will identify and train a pool of GS-15 (or
higher) subject matter experts in each of the broad skill groups listed
above to serve as panel members. When a Branch Head makes a preliminary
decision to promote on accretion an employee to GS-14 or GS-15, the
Office of Human Resources will convene a panel to assess the
individual\'s promotion readiness as measured against the Center
promotion criteria. This review, using the same promotion factors that
the supervisor uses to assess promotability (see 3 below), is advisory
in nature. The Human Resources Operations Office will concurrently
review the classification supportability of the position. If the
panel\'s assessment is that the employee\'s promotion readiness for the
higher grade has been demonstrated, and the classification
supportability of the position at the higher grade has been determined,
the Branch Head will forward the promotion to the Office of Human
Resources for processing, in accordance with paragraph 2b above. If the
panel assessment is that promotion readiness has not been demonstrated,
the Branch Head may still effect the promotion provided he/she obtains
one level higher concurrence than normally required by paragraph 2b.

The Independent Assessment Panel does not apply to senior promotions of
employees whose positions are documented with higher promotion
potential.

3.  **Criteria for Promotion**

Promotion factors describing the expected levels of achievement to
warrant promotion will be developed and publicized for each grade level
so that employees have a better understanding of what they should strive
to accomplish in order to successfully attain a promotion. Within the
overarching framework established by these Centerwide promotion factors,
language tailored to each major skill group will be developed. These
promotion factors will be used by all supervisors to assess the
promotion readiness of their employees, and in the case of accretion
promotions to the GS-14 and GS-15, by the panels performing their
independent assessment of promotion readiness.

4.  **Mandatory Principles for Promotion Consideration**

A set of mandatory principles are established to which all supervisors
will adhere in matters dealing with preparation and consideration of all
employees for promotions at all grade levels. These Principles give both
supervisors and employees a set of expectations by which supervisors
will manage their

responsibilities to develop the employees they supervise and to provide
uniform treatment across

organizations where authority has been delegated to a large number of
supervisors with differing levels and amounts of supervisory experience
and organizational circumstances. Included among these principles are
the following:

a.  full accountability of all supervisors by their own supervisors for
    supporting the new process documented in this Instruction;

b.  use of multiple communication methods (e.g., all hands meetings,
    seminars, emails, paper copy) with regular reminders to ensure open
    communication of promotion policies and processes;

c.  well-publicized Promotion Factors aligned with the GSFC Strategic
    Implementation Plan goals and values;

d.  focused and extensive education of supervisors regarding the new
    promotion process;

e.  one-on-one meetings by supervisors with each employee to discuss
    promotion requirements and career developmental activities (as part
    of the performance evaluation);

f.  for employees in a career ladder or other position with higher
    documented promotion potential, this discussion will occur at the
    next scheduled performance appraisal review (mid-term progress
    review or end-of-period appraisal review, as indicated) following 18
    months after the employee\'s last promotion, and semi-annually
    thereafter;

g.  for employees at the documented full performance level of their
    position, this discussion will occur at the next scheduled
    performance appraisal review (progress or appraisal, as indicated)
    following 30 months after last promotion, and at least annually
    thereafter;

h.  for both situations, the review schedule will continue in effect
    until the employee is promoted or until the employee changes
    positions which results in a new documented promotion potential or a
    different occupational classification series, at which time a new
    review cycle will begin at the next 18 month or 30 month mark, as
    appropriate. The discussion of promotion requirements and/or career
    developmental activities does not constitute a guarantee of future
    promotion;

i.  periodic meetings by the supervisor of a matrixed employee with the
    matrix management team (administrative supervisor, collocated
    supervisor, project manager, team leader) of the employee regarding
    the employee's Individual Development Plan and accomplishments that
    bear on promotability;

j.  supervisors to advocate the employee providing a list of his/her
    accomplishments and to provide for peer and customer input on the
    employee's accomplishments for use in the employee\'s promotion
    consideration;

k.  subordinate employee input used in considering promotion of a
    supervisor. A 360-degree feedback process will be developed and
    implemented to achieve this;

l.  public recognition of approved promotions with reasons for the
    approval that demonstrate alignment with Center values and goals;
    and

m.  timely feedback provided to employees by their supervisor if
    nominated but not promoted.

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5.  **Automatic Review of Employees with Overly-Long Time-In-Grade**

To help assure that no employees are unfairly excluded from promotion
consideration at the Center, an automatic review of an employee\'s
duties and responsibilities against the appropriate position
classification standards and his/her performance achievements against
Center promotion factors for the employee\'s skill and grade will be
conducted if that employee has remained in grade for a period of time
that significantly exceeds the norm at the Center for that skill and
grade. Significantly exceeding the norm is defined as two standard
deviations from the average time in grade of similarly-situated
employees who have been promoted from that grade to the next. The Office
of Human Resources is responsible for identifying those employees who
meet or exceed the threshold time in grade for this review. The review
will be conducted by an independent panel. The review will identify to
the employee and his/her supervisor whether the employee is deemed
promotable; if not, why; and what steps may be considered by the
supervisor and employee to develop the employee\'s capabilities and
begin to position the employee for future promotion consideration.

6.  **Published Metrics**

Regularly reported metrics on promotion activity and overall human
resources management activity within organizations will be used to
inform the workforce and management, consistent with value-centered
management practices at the Center. The Office of Human Resources and
the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs will be responsible for
defining and preparing the data. The Executive Council is responsible
for reviewing these metrics and initiating appropriate follow-up action.

7.  **Promotion Resources Management**

In order to provide supervisors with the authority to make appropriate
decisions in a timely manner, decentralized management systems will be
developed to provide maximum flexibility in using available workforce
compensation resources. The Office of Human Resources and the Office of
the Chief Financial Officer are responsible for redesigning systems to
provide decentralized allocation of those resources to Branch level
organizations for their respective employees. Significant systems
redesign and enhancement are required before becoming fully operational.

In the meantime Branch Heads may approve promotions up to the GS-13
without regard to a specific resource allocation to their organization.
Approval of promotions to GS-14 and GS-15 will depend on verification of
an available resource allocated to the Branch Head for such use.

# 

# CHANGE HISTORY LOG

  -------------- ------------- --------------------------------------------
  **Revision**   **Effective   **Description of Changes**
                 Date**        

  Baseline       08/09/99      Initial Release

                               

                               

                               

                               

                               

                               

                               
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