scope:

Purpose

a. This directive provides the procedural requirements for the Agency's Merit Promotion and Placement (MPP) plan that supports the competitive and non-competitive placement of individuals based on job-related criteria. This plan supplements the requirements set forth in Recruitment, Selection, and Placement, 5 CFR pt. 330, and Promotion and Internal Placement, 5 CFR pt. 335, and establishes minimum Agency procedures for filling positions with current or former Federal employees with competitive status at or below the General Schedule (GS) 15 level on the basis of merit.

b. This directive also covers term employees eligible for conversion to permanent appointments covered by Term Appointments, 5 U.S.C. § 9806, as well as veterans who are eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), and the hiring of individuals eligible for non-competitive appointments under Government-wide special hiring authorities.

Applicability

a. This directive is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers.

b. Negotiated collective bargaining agreements that contain procedures that differ from the provisions of this plan remain in effect until renegotiated.

c. In this directive, all mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) are denoted by statements containing the term "shall." The terms "may" or "can" denote discretionary privilege or permission, "should" denotes a good practice, and is recommended, but not required, "will" denotes expected outcome, and "are/is" denotes descriptive material.

d. The Office of the Inspector General has statutory independence and may create its own MPP plan that meets its mission requirements.

e. In this directive, all document citations are assumed to be the latest version unless otherwise noted.