1. Performance Management Programs
& Senior Executive Service (SES)
Parts III & IV | Federal Civilian Workforce Statistics: Fact Book 2007
Andrew M. Billing | PADP 6920-Public Personnel Administration | June 21, 2010

2. Agenda Items
Performance Management Programs
✴ Overview of Federal recognition programs
✴ Monetary award statistics
✴ Quality Step Increase (QSI) overview and statistics
✴ Overview of Time Off Award program and statistics
Senior Executive Service (SES)
✴ Overview of the SES program
✴ SES member profile statistics
✴ Authorized SES allotments
✴ Overview of SES award programs and statistics

3. Performance
Recognition Programs

4. Performance Management Programs
Types of Performance Awards
Nonmonetary Extra Effort Awards
✴ Given for outstanding work, acts of heroism, scientific achievements, a major
discovery or work that resulted in significant Federal cost savings. Awards
include time off, keepsakes and/or letters of appreciation.
Monetary Extra Effort Awards
✴ Awarded for achievements similar to the nonmonetary qualifications. Dollar
amount of award is determined according to the value of the contribution
being recognized. Can be given in conjunction with a nonmonetary award.
Performance Bonuses
✴ Given for consistently high productivity or high quality work in relation to
established performance standards.
Note: All of the above awards can be given to individuals and/or work groups.

5. Performance Management Programs
Monetary Awards
Average Individual Average Group
Cash Award Cash Award
FY 2003 $858 $564
FY 2004 $877 $611
FY 2005 $886 $575
FY 2006 $969 $534

6. Performance Management Programs
Quality Step Increases
What is a Quality Step Increase (QSI)?
A quality step increase (QSI) recognizes employees for performance of duty in
an exceptional manner.
How do you qualify for a QSI?
✴ One must achieve all set goals in a performance plan
✴ Employee must demonstrate sustained performance of high quality
significantly above that expected at the ‘Fully Successful' level. This must be
documented in writing by the employee's supervisor.
✴ Only one QSI can be granted within any 52-week period

7. Performance Management Programs
Quality Step Increases
Fiscal Year QSI’s Granted Estimated Cost Average Value
1996 62,168 $42M $676
1997 57,323 $41.8M $730
1998 61,258 $47.4M $774
1999 55,132 $42.9M $778
2000 58,834 $47.2M $802
2001 58,978 $50.9M $863
2002 60,600 $48.3M $797
2003 60,913 $49.3M $809
2004 51,643 $50.6M $979
2005 51,348 $50.7M $988
2006 50,066 $51.9M $1,037

8. Performance Management Programs
Time-Off Awards
What are Time-Off Awards?
According to OPM, a time–off award is time off from work, without loss of pay,
granted to a Federal employee as a form of incentive or recognition
How Do You Qualify for Time-Off?
✴ a suggestion, invention, superior accomplishment, productivity gain, or other
personal effort that contributes to the efficiency, economy, or other
improvement of Government operations or achieving a significant reduction
in paperwork; or
✴ a special act or service in the public interest in connection with or related to
official employment.

9. Performance Management Programs
Time-Off Awards
Fiscal Year Average Award
1999 13.3 hrs
2000 13.4 hrs
2001 13.7 hrs
2002 14.0 hrs
2003 14.1 hrs
2004 14.7 hrs
2005 16.2 hrs
2006 13.9 hrs

10. The Senior
Executive Service (SES)

11. Senior Executive Service
About the Program
✴ The SES was officially established in 1978
✴ It is elite group made up of specially trained government
administrators who oversee public programs at the top levels of the
Federal Government.
✴ Positions are primarily managerial and supervisory.
✴ The SES is a gradeless system in which salary is linked to individual
performance.
✴ Basic annual salaries range from $119,554 to $165,300.
✴ Agencies with the largest concentration of SES members (as of 2007):
DoD: 1,123 | DoJ: 645 | NASA: 431 | DoE: 421

12. Senior Executive Service
Exclusions
✴ The Legislative and Judicial branches cannot participate in the SES
program.
✴ In addition, any position that meets the following characteristics cannot
be held by an SES member:
✴ Positions requiring Senate confirmation;
✴ Positions in any independent government corporation (i.e. USPS, TVA,
FHLB);
✴ Positions in the Foreign Service;
✴ Any position that is required to be filled by a sworn federal law enforcement
officer or agent (i.e. NCIS, USMS, NPS); and
✴ Intelligence gathering agencies (i.e. CIA, NSA, DIA)

13. Senior Executive Service
About the Program
✴ There are two types of SES positions:
1. Career Reserve Positions-can only be filled by career government employees.
2. General Positions-filled by any type of employee.
✴ There are four paths to an SES position:
1. Career Appointments--traditional career employees
2. Noncareer Appointments--a) only made on a case by case basis; b) must be approved by
OMB; c) only 10% of SES positions governmentwide can be filled by this employee type; d)
the position must be classified as a General Position
3. Limited Term--usually filled by individuals managing an end-certain project--appointment
and position are terminated after three years
4. Limited Emergency--non renewable position that must be filled to meet an unanticipated
need arising due to an extraordinary situation--appointment and position are terminated
after 18 months.

14. Senior Executive Service
Profile of the Membership
FY 2000 FY 2006
Average Age 52.7 54.2
Avg. Length of Prior Service 23.5 yrs 24.6 yrs
No College: 5.2% No College: 6.2%
Education College Educated: 27% College Educated: 30.4%
Advanced Degree: 67.8% Advanced Degree: 63.3%
Men: 74.7% Men: 72.8%
Gender
Women: 25.3% Women: 27.2%
Minority 14.4% 10%
Admin: 54.4% Admin: 60.2%
Occupation Science/Engineer: 22.3% Science/Engineer: 18.2%
Other: 23.3% Other: 21.6%

15. Senior Executive Service
Positions & Appointments
No. of SES Positions No. of Authorized
Fiscal Year
Authorized SES Positions Filled
1989 8,167 7,305
1995 8,302 7,294
2000 7,813 6,824
2006 8,073 6,880

16. Senior Executive Service
Presidential Rank Awards
✴ The Presidential Rank Award is presented to SES members and Senior
Career members of the Federal Government. It is given to employees
that exceed expectations in their managerial roles.
✴ 2 award levels: Distinguished and Meritorious
✴ The award is monetary: Distinguished award is equal to 35% of the
employee’s salary, Meritorious is equal to 20%.
✴ SES Members are nominated by agency heads and evaluated by
citizen-panels for selection.

17. Senior Executive Service
Awards
FY 1996 FY 1999 FY 2006
Number of Presidential Rank Awards Given 233 311 297
Total Monetary Amount of Presidential Rank Awards $2.96M $8.3M $10.4M
Number of Career Performance Awards Given 1,763 2,823 4,578
Total Monetary Amount of Performance Awards $12.4M $28.9M $60.8M
Average Amount of Performance Award $7,034 $10,237 $13,292