FAQs on General Information About Accretion Promotions:

1. What is an accretion promotion?

An accretion promotion is a non-competitive personnel action in which an employee is promoted to the next level in recognition that he/she has increased the scope and impact of their current position and is able to justify that he/she is already, and will continue to be, working at the next higher grade level.    

Accretion promotions are based on the impact of the individual on the position.  It is important to understand that in many instances the ability to grow the scope or impact of a position to the next level will be very limited.

In theory, any employee who is at the full promotion level (FPL) of his or her position could accrete to the next level, BUT most employees will not be promoted through accretion. There are several reasons for this:  for some employees, the level (complexity, impact) of the work they do is not at a high enough level to support a higher grade.  For others, while the work may actually grow enough to support a higher grade, successful completion of that work is not contingent upon a specific employee – an accretion promotion is based on the unique skills and abilities of an employee – if this uniqueness is not present, the higher level position should be competitively advertised. 

In sum, all GSFC employees should understand that due to the fact that there are limits to the amount of higher level work required at the Center, not everyone will progress to the senior levels (e.g., GS-14 or GS-15).

3. Who is most likely to get an accretion promotion?

Employees classified as scientists or engineers (S&Es) are more likely to be accreted than employees in other job classifications.  At Goddard many scientists and engineers, who become discipline experts, are promoted through accretion. However, there are also many who are not accreted.  In addition, some types of scientific or engineering work provide less opportunity for the type of unique impact necessary for an accretion.

It is critical for employees and supervisors to understand that doing an outstanding job does not correlate to getting a promotion once you have reached the full performance level of your position.  One can do an outstanding job as a GS-13 doing GS-13 level work and be rewarded with performance and other types of awards for years and still not meet the criteria for an accretion promotion.  No employee should assume that he or she will -- sooner or later -- be promoted; there is no guarantee of promotion.

Employees in supervisory positions can be accreted.  However, just as with non-supervisory employees, the accretion promotion must be based on increased complexity/impact of the technical (scientific or engineering) aspects of the supervisor’s work, not any supervisory function.  It is fairly rare for a supervisor to be promoted through accretion.

FAQs on the Accretion Promotion Process for GS-13 and GS-14 Scientists and Engineers:
(Note:  Please also see the Accretion Promotion Process Guidelines and process flowcharts.  These are available at http://ohcm.gsfc.nasa.gov)

6. How do I, as a supervisor of S&Es, know if an accretion promotion is right for my employee?

Supervisors should be familiar with the Center’s promotion criteria for scientists and engineers.  The criteria are not only a set of standards an employee must meet in order to be promoted, but they also can be used by the supervisor to help assess whether a particular employee is working at a higher level and therefore should be considered for accretion.  

As part of regularly scheduled performance appraisal meetings (mid-term or end of cycle reviews), supervisors are very strongly encouraged to include discussions about the promotion criteria, career development activities, and the potential for promotion with all employees.  Supervisors should ensure that employees are aware of the opportunity (or lack thereof) for career progression in their current position. 

The Center’s Accretion Promotion Package must be completed for all scientists and engineers already at their FPL (e.g., GS-13 or GS-14) to determine and document whether the employee meets the criteria required for an accretion promotion.  The formats for the Accretion Promotion Package can be found on the OHCM webpage at http://ohcm.gsfc.nasa.gov

Yes, each criterion needs to be met

An accretion promotion is only appropriate for instances where the employee is already working – and is expected to continue to work – at the higher level.  The criteria are used to show that the employee is working at that higher level, if one cannot successfully meet a criterion currently (i.e., the last 3 years), it calls into question both whether the employee is actually working at the higher level and whether there will be ongoing work at the higher level.

Yes.  Employees may include commendation or other letters of reference. Though letters (whether they are solicited or unsolicited) are not a mandatory element of the Accretion Promotion Package, their inclusion can often lend significant credence to the assertion of promotion readiness as a result of the employee’s performance and impact of his/her contributions.  It is however, up to the discretion of the supervisor/manager reviewing the package to determine how much or little weight should be given to such information.

FAQs on the Average (also known as‘At 6 years’) Time-in-Grade Review:

11. What is the requirement for the ‘at 6 years’ time in grade (TIG) review?

In order to ensure that no employee goes for too long without a clear understanding of his/her career progress, all scientists and engineers at their FPL (e.g., GS-13 or GS-14) are entitled to a formal review, using the Accretion Promotion Package, against the criteria when they reach the average time similarly situated employees were in grade prior to promotion.  Currently the average time in grade is 6 years, hence the label ‘at 6 years’ TIG review. 

Because the revised Accretion Promotion Process for Scientists and Engineers was implemented on 11/4/05, this requirement affects those employees who reach 6 years TIG after 11/4/05.  Therefore a full Accretion Promotion Package will be developed for GS-13 or GS-14 scientists or engineers who meet the time in grade trigger after 11/4/05.  The completed Package will be reviewed by (at least) the next level supervisor to determine if the employee has met the required criteria.  Specifically for accretions to the GS-14 level, the Division Chief is the reviewing official and must concur with the supervisor’s assessment of the Accretion Promotion Package; for those going to the GS-15, the review chain includes concurrence at the Director of level.

Note: If the employee chooses not to have a package developed he/she shall document that decision on the “Review Declination” line of the Accretion Promotion Package cover sheet.  A copy of the signed cover sheet shall be sent to the servicing Human Resources Specialist, and the original kept in the employee’s EPF file.

When GS-13 and GS-14 Scientists and Engineers reach 6 years TIG, an Accretion Promotion Package is developed to document where they stand vis-à-vis the appropriate, required criteria.  The supervisor and the employee should work together to develop the Package.  However, the supervisor has responsibility for the final contents of the Package.

The Accretion Promotion Package needs to be completed, assessed by the first line supervisor and forwarded to the reviewing official within 30 days of employee reaching the 6 years time in grade.  Supervisors are encouraged to begin working with employees on the write-up in the months prior to reaching the 6 year anniversary.

Packages for employees who reach the Time-in-Grade trigger shall be reviewed  by the appropriate reviewing official(s)  (for those going to GS-14  the reviewing official equates to the Division Director level; for those going to GS-15 it’s the Director of level). 

Not necessarily.  If the employee does not want a review or feels that he or she cannot meet all of the criteria and the employee and supervisor have discussed the employee’s standing vis-à-vis the criteria, then the employee may document the decision not to be reviewed on the “Review Declination” line of the Accretion Promotion Package cover sheet.  A copy of the signed cover sheet shall be sent to the servicing Human Resources Specialist, and the original kept in the employee’s organization.

The employee can also ask for an extension to the requirement that the package be completed within 30 days of the TIG anniversary.  This would be appropriate, for example, in situations where the employee wants a full review against the criteria, but has a heavy workload and cannot contribute to the development of the Accretion Promotion Package.  Extensions must be documented on the Accretion Promotion Package cover sheet, and a copy sent to the servicing Human Resources Specialist.

14. Can an employee who has reached 6 years TIG request more than one extension to the due date for completing the Accretion Promotion Package?

Yes.  There is no limit on the number or length of extensions.

15. During the review process, can the employee provide supplemental information to the reviewing official(s)?

Yes.  If the employee feels that, in determining the final contents of the Accretion Promotion Package, the supervisor may have left out data the employee believes is important to demonstrating that he/she meets the criteria, the employee may submit that to the Reviewing Official for his/her consideration.

16. What’s next if the reviewing official concurs that the criteria have all been met?

If the supervisor has not already done so, then he/she needs to get in contact with the organization’s Human Resource Specialist and begin working on a new Position Description (PD) for the employee documenting the higher level work.  The new Position Description will then have to be classified against OPM standards.  Assuming the new PD is successfully classified at the higher level, the final paper work for the accretion promotion will be processed.

Note:  Supervisors who are reasonably sure the criteria will be met and concurred with are encouraged to begin working (in consultation with their servicing Human Resources Specialist) on the new PD concurrent with the development and/or review of the Accretion Promotion Package.

17. Who is responsible for providing feedback to the employee if it is determined that he/she does not meet the criteria?

Both the first line supervisor and the reviewing official (for those going to GS-14 the reviewing official equates to the Division Director level; for those going to GS-15 it’s the Director of level) meet with the employee to debrief and provide constructive feedback on the criteria that were not met, to the employee. The employee may ask for another review against the criteria not more than once a year.

18. Are employees able to have union representation at Accretion Promotion Package debriefing meetings?

No.  Employees are not entitled to have a union representative present at accretion promotion meetings.

19. Can the supervisor provide and/or the employee request a copy of the final Accretion Promotion Package?

Yes.  The supervisor may provide the final package to the employee and/or the employee can request a copy of that package

FAQs on ‘6 Plus years’ Time-in-Grade Review:

20. What about S&E employees who already had 6 or more years in grade as of 11/4/05?

GS-13 and GS-14 scientists and engineers who had more than 6 years in grade as of 11/4/05 may request a full review (i.e., an Accretion Promotion Package is developed) against the appropriate criteria no more than once a year.  Requests for review against the criteria, by employees with more than 6 years time in grade and who have not asked for such a review within the previous 12 months, cannot be denied.

21. What is the supervisor’s responsibility when an employee asks for a “6 plus years” review?

A complete Accretion Promotion Package needs to be put together.  The process follows essentially the same progression as the ‘at 6 years’ review,  including the Package being reviewed by an appropriate level reviewing official (i.e., for those going to GS-14  the review official equates to the Division Director level; for those going to GS-15 it’s the Director of level). 

Supervisors and employees should remember that developing the Accretion Promotion Package is expected to be a joint effort, and it is reasonable for the supervisor to ask the employee to work on the initial draft.  Employees should have an understanding of the criteria, and be able to show how the work they perform supports meeting the criteria.

As with the ‘at 6 years’ TIG review, employees who do not meet the criteria receive a debriefing from their first line supervisor and the review official (i.e., for those going to GS-14  the review official equates to the Division Director level; for those going to GS-15 it’s the Director of level). 

22. Is it okay to use previously developed write-ups when crafting responses to the questions in an Accretion Promotion Package?

Yes, updating previously developed material is completely acceptable; there is no need to start from scratch.  It is however important to remember that examples need to be within the past 3 years.

23. Are there any required time frames for the development and review of an Accretion Promotion Package when a ‘6 plus years’ TIG review is requested?

Unlike the ‘at 6 years’ review, there is no requirement for a ‘6 plus years’ TIG review to be completed within a specific time frame.  However, it is expected that the supervisor and the employee will agree upon a reasonable time period for developing and completing the Accretion Promotion Package and forwarding it up the review chain to the appropriate reviewing official.

 

FAQs on the EO and Diversity Criterion:

24. Why is there a criterion on EO and Diversity if my accretion is to non-supervisory position?

The Goddard Space Flight Center is committed to equal opportunity and appreciation of diversity through all of its policies, programs and activities.  The Center is striving to create an inclusive climate where all employees respect, appreciate and value individual differences so that it can capitalize on the strengths of our diverse workforce to better perform our mission through teamwork and innovation.  To accomplish this goal every employee must participate in strengthening the Center’s commitment.  As Goddard scientists and engineers progress through the ranks and become senior-level employees, they become leaders, even if they do not have supervisory responsibilities.  As leaders they are expected to play an active part in the Center’s efforts to develop and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace.

25. Is the EO and Diversity criterion is the same for GS-14 and GS-15 accretions?

Yes, the language of the criterion is the same.  However, just as it is reasonable to assume that the expectations around, for example “ability to communicate orally” for an employee applying for a GS-9 position would be different than for a GS-13 job applicant, it is reasonable for Management to expect a level of progression in an employee’s demonstration of his/her commitment to the intent of the criterion as the employee moves from GS-13 to 14 and GS-14 to 15.

At a minimum all employees who expect to be considered for promotion must have completed all required employee training and consistently treat their co-workers and colleagues with respect.  As individuals grow in their leadership responsibilities it is important that they ensure that the teams they lead are diverse; that they mentor and/or coach a diverse set of junior employees; and that they work with and provide support to summer students and internship programs. The examples offered in the criterion: “attendance at equal opportunity and diversity training or events; participation in EEO or diversity councils or committees; recruitment or outreach efforts,” are highly visible, easily quantifiable illustrations with which most Goddard employees can identify.  An individual’s expression of his of her commitment may vary with a number of factors including job assignments, specific opportunities either initiated by the individual or offered by organization, and personal interests and commitments.