29 | Merit Promotion & Staffing Policy Personnel Handbook
certain military spouses to competitive service positions (5 CFR 315.612). Recent provisions have
significantly impacted the non-competitive hiring authority of military spouses as found in EO
13832, “Enhancing Noncompetitive Civil Service Appointments of Military Spouses” signed by the
President on May 9, 2018.
Minimum Qualifications: Qualifications an applicant must possess to be minimally qualified for
hire or promotion under the competitive system as defined in OPM’s General Schedule and Federal
Wage System.
Noncompetitive Action: An appointment to or placement in a position in the competitive service
that is not made under competitive procedures for an open competitive examination and that is
usually based on current or prior Federal service. A noncompetitive action includes (1) all of the
types of actions described under in-service placement; (2) appointments of non-Federal employees
whose public or private enterprise positions are brought into the competitive service under 5 CFR
316.701; and (3) appointments and conversions to career and career-conditional employment made
under special authorities covered in 5 CFR 315.
Noncompetitive Eligibles: Individuals who can be placed in a vacant position without competition,
e.g., through promotion, reassignment, reinstatement, transfer, change to lower grade, or the use of
a special appointing authority, based on meeting all qualification and eligibility requirements, e.g.,
education and/or experience, career ladder, time in grade, etc.
Open Opportunities: Open Opportunities is a government wide program offering professional
development opportunities to current federal employees and internships to students. The program
facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing across the Federal Government.
Preference Eligible: A veteran, spouse, widow, or parents, who meets the definition provided in 5
U.S.C. § 2108. They are also afforded higher retention standing in the event of a reduction-in-force
(see 5 U.S.C. § 3502). Preference does not apply to in-service placement action such as promotions.
(Refer to OPM Vet Guide)
Priority Consideration: The referral and consideration of candidates who are entitled (based on
having something happen to them such as being affected by a reduction-in-force), before
considering other candidates.
Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP): Employment-related activities that are banned in the
federal workforce because they violate the merit system through some form of employment
discrimination, retaliation, improper hiring practices, or failure to adhere to laws, rules, or
regulations that directly concern the merit system principles.
Promotion: Advancement from one grade to another within a pay schedule, or from the equivalent
of one grade to another from one pay schedule to another.
Qualification Standards. Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualification requirements for
the position are deemed “not qualified” and receive no further consideration.
Quality Ranking Factor (QRF): 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 human resources specialist, subject matter expert, or an evaluation panel.
Reassignment: A change of an employee from one position to another, in the same grade, and in
the same agency.
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give
reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or
who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. The RPL must be
cleared before filling any competitive service position, regardless of the duration of the