Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI):
A program, provided
for by Public Law, that allows the Administrator to establish agreements with post-secondary
educational institutions, to prepare students for the position of air traffic controller
with the FAA.
Appointing authority:
All Human Resource Management Officers (HRMOs) and
other individuals delegated the authority to make appointments to positions in the
FAA by signing official personnel actions.
Appropriate vacancy:
An unencumbered position, which has a current and properly
classified position description and is currently authorized and funded for the LOB.
Area of consideration:
Area within which the agency makes an intensive search
for eligible candidates when filling a position either through competitive promotion
under Permanent Internal Assignment or through External Hiring competitive procedures.
The area may be limited to categories of candidates based on eligibility for certain
types of appointments, e.g., current FAA employees, reinstatement eligibles, transfer
eligibles, VRA eligibles, etc. The area of consideration may be geographic based
on typical commuting patterns or, for internal recruitment, based on organizational
unit. The area may be a combination of categories and geographic areas, e.g. current
FAA employees in the XYZ Line of Business nationwide or permanent current and former
federal employees in the XYZ commuting area.
Certified Professional Controller:
A controller who is fully certified in
the Air Traffic Services.
Citizenship:
Citizens in the United States include those who were: born in
the United States (the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam
[since 1950], or the U.S. Virgin Islands); born outside the United States to parents
who are citizens of the United States, one of which was physically present in the
United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one
year at any time prior to the birth of the person (in some situations only one parent
has to be a citizen); naturalized as a United States citizen; or otherwise granted
citizenship under authorities described in law, beginning at 8 U.S.C. 1401.
Commuting area:
One or more population centers in which people live and can
reasonably be expected to travel back and forth daily to their usual place of employment.
Competitive selection process:
Procedures under the Internal or External
hiring process that require applicants to compete for placement on the selection
list.
Competitive service:
All civilian positions in the executive branch of the
Federal Government not specifically excepted from the civil service laws (USC and
CFR) and not in the Senior Executive Service, as well as positions in the legislative
and judicial branches of the Federal Government and in the DC government specifically
made subject to the civil service laws by statute. The FAA was in the competitive
service until March 31, 1996.
Cost of Living Adjustment:
In addition to base salary, a COLA percentage
is authorized depending on where the job is located. COLA is currently tax-free
for Federal income tax purposes.
Duty location:
The geographic location of an employee's official duty station.
The geographic location of an employee's duty station is not necessarily the same
as the rest of the organizational unit to which he/she is assigned.
En Route Option:
Air Traffic Control Specialists at FAA Air Route Traffic
Control Centers (ARTCCs) give aircraft instructions, air traffic clearances, and
advice regarding flight conditions while en route between airports. They provide
separation between aircraft flying along the Federal airways or operating into or
out of airports not served by a terminal facility. Center controllers use radar,
or in some cases, manual procedures to track the progress of all instrument flights
within the center's airspace. Where radar coverage is available and their workload
permits, en route controllers also provide radar service to pilots who are not on
instrument flight plans, alerting them to potential traffic conflicts. When aircraft
enter adjacent facility airspace, controllers transfer control of aircraft to controllers
in adjacent centers, approach controls, or terminals.
Excepted service:
all positions in the executive branch of the Federal Government
which are specifically excepted from the competitive service and which are not in
the Senior Excepted Service.
External Applicants:
Applicants who must apply for positions under External
hiring procedures because they do not meet the requirements for eligibility under
Internal assignment. Also in this category are applicants who are eligible to apply
for positions under Internal assignment procedures, but elect to apply for positions
under External hiring procedures. This category of applicant is treated, for selection
purposes, the same as all other external applicants.
External competitive procedures:
Procedures used in External hiring that
require competition among qualified applicants based on job related criteria. The
results of competition determine who will be referred for selection consideration.
External hiring procedures:
Procedures used for referring and selecting external
applicants.
Federal Aviation Personnel Manual (FAPM):
A manual containing the rules,
regulations, and operating guidance governing personnel management and administration
throughout the Federal Aviation Administration.
Federal Aviation Service (FAS):
Under Personnel Reform the FAS is the FAA's
replacement for the Office of Personnel Management's traditional competitive civil
service. As of April 1, 1996, FAA employees are members of the FAS and as such,
are not subject to most of the rules governing the competitive civil service.
Financial Disclosure Information:
FAA policy limits certain employment and
financial investments in aviation-related companies. Applicants selected may be
required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of entry on duty.
Human Resource Policy Manual (HRPM):
The FAA's manual for non-bargaining
unit employees and positions, as well as to areas outside the scope of negotiations
that contains national "corporate" human resources policies and guidance. The HRPM
replaces all previous forms of HR policy guidance in the subject areas it covers.
Individual Development Plan (IDP):
A jointly developed written plan by an
employee and his/her supervisor detailing training, work assignments and other developmental
activities designed to assist the employee progress in a current or future career
field.
Internal competitive procedures:
Process whereby candidates compete through
Merit Promotion procedures for selection to FAA positions. Although mostly used
for promotion actions, such procedures may be used for reinstatements, change to
lower grades, temporary internal assignments, etc.
Internal Applicants:
Current FAA employees or applicants with reinstatement
or transfer status.
Locality Pay:
In addition to base salary, Federal salaries may include a
Locality Pay adjustment which varies by from 10% to 25%, depending on where the
job is located.
Maximum Entry Age:
A maximum age of 30 years is established for entry into
civilian Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) positions in the Federal Aviation
Administration whose duties require the employee be actively engaged in the separation
and control of air traffic. This includes the positions of immediate supervisors
of any employees actively engaged in the separation and control of air traffic.
Persons who have reached their 31st birthdays may not be originally appointed to
ATCS positions in the FAA. If an individual were to have previously held a terminal,
or en route ATCS position, then he/she might be re-employed if over age 31. The
maximum entry age provision precludes any other appointment or action placing a
person age 31 or older into an ATCS position for the first time.
Maximum Retention Age:
5 USC 8335(a) and 5 USC 8425(a) require mandatory
separation at age 56 in a career controller position. Under this provision, separation
shall take place on the last day of the month in which a career controller becomes
56 years of age. The law does provide for some exemptions.
Merit principles:
Principles that require selections be based on merit, applicants
receive equitable treatment, employees be retained based on performance, training
be provided as appropriate, employees be protected from favoritism and reprisal,
etc.
Merit promotion announcements:
Vacancy announcements issued to solicit job
applications from applicants eligible under competitive internal assignment procedures
or, in some cases, applicants eligible under on-the-spot hiring authorities.
Minimum Area of Consideration:
The narrowest area for advertising vacancies
and soliciting applications. For Internal Assignments, the minimum area of consideration
is the organizational unit under the purview of the selecting official.
Nonpreference eligible veteran:
A veteran of the United States Armed Forces
who is not entitled to veterans' preference in External hiring because he/she
fails to met the eligibility criteria identified in 5 USC 2108.
On-the-spot Hiring Authority:
A special hiring authority, covering certain
categories of positions and/ or candidates, which allows selecting officials to
fill covered jobs or hire covered candidates without using competitive procedures,
such as announcing the job and rating and ranking candidates.
Organization:
An FAA line of business (LOB) or staff office whose top management
official reports directly to the Administrator.
Outstanding scholar:
An applicant who has graduated from an accredited 4
year college or university and who possesses an overall GPA of 3.45 or higher, or
who was in the top 10% of the graduating class.
Preference eligible:
A veteran, spouse, widow, or mother who meets the definition
of preference eligible outlined in 5 USC 2108.
Probationary period:
The one-year period in which new FAA employees who have
not previously successfully completed a probationary period are assessed to determine
whether their performance and conduct demonstrates fitness for continued employment
in the FAA.
Qualification standard:
The experience, education, training or physical requirements
that an employee or applicant must meet in order to be placed on a position.
Quality Ranking Factors:
Additional special requirements that could be expected
to significantly enhance the effectiveness of the person selected for the position
but, unlike selective factors, are not essential for satisfactory performance. Applicants
who possess the quality ranking factors may be ranked above those who do not, but
no one can be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor.
Rating:
The process of evaluating a candidate's experience, education, and/or
training to determine whether he/she meets the established qualification standards
for a position.
Reasonable accommodation:
A logical change or adjustment to a job or work
site that makes it possible for an otherwise qualified employee with disabilities
to perform the essential functions of a position. Reasonable accommodation is required
unless it can be demonstrated that it would cause an undue hardship on the agency.
Recruitment bulletin:
A vacancy announcement prepared under the external
hiring process and designed to solicit external applicants.
Referral list:
A list of candidates eligible for selection consideration
under internal or external hiring procedures. An external referral list may also
be called a "certificate of eligibles".
Register:
Pool of eligible candidates from which some or all may be placed
on a referral list for selection consideration. Although a register typically consists
of candidates under external hiring, FAA employees or other candidates eligible
for internal placement may also apply for inclusion on a register and be considered
as external.
Reinstatement:
The reemployment of an individual, under Internal assignment
procedures, to a FAA position based on their previous status as an employee with
a federal or quasi-federal agency. Three categories of individuals have reinstatement
eligibility without time limitation. They are: (1) former permanent FAA employees;
(2) former competitive career or career-conditional employees who completed a one
year probationary period; and (3) former excepted service employees who completed
a one year probationary/trial period.
Retired Military Air Traffic Controllers Program:
Special Appointing Authority
established for individuals that meet two criteria: 1) are on terminal leave pending
retirement from active duty military service, or have retired from active duty military
service, on or after September 17, 1999; and 2) have received either Air Traffic
Control Specialist certification or a facility rating according to FAA standards.
Appointments are made under time limited appointments into covered positions. Under
no circumstances will persons remain in these positions past the last day of the
month that they become 56 years of age.
Rule of three:
Rule applied when selecting from a numerically ranked External
referral list (also called "certificate"). Rule is applied when a preference eligible
is reached on an external referral list and requires the selecting official to select
from among the three highest numerically ranked and available eligibles.
Selection Priority Program (SPP):
Prior to filling an appropriate and available
vacancy, any applicable Priority Considerations list maintained by the Human Resource
Management Division (HRMD) must be reviewed for available qualified and eligible
individuals in accordance with Human Resource Policy Manual (HRPM), Selection Priority,
EMP-1.9.
Selective placement factors:
Knowledge's, skills and abilities essential
for satisfactory performance in the position to be filled. Selective placement factors
represent an addition to the basic qualification standard for the position (e.g.,
requirement to speak or write in a language other than English) an applicant must
possess them in order to be considered qualified.
Service connected disability:
A disability connected to a person's service
in the Armed Forces. Determinations on service-connected disabilities are made by
the Department of Veteran's Affairs or a military department. Service-connected
disabilities can be "compensable" (i.e. 10% or more) or "noncompensable" (less than
10%).
Special appointing authority:
A method of hiring an external candidate noncompetitively,
using the on-the-spot hiring authority for the following special appointments. Example:
- Outstanding scholars, Air Traffic - Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) students,
FAA student Intern Program, any other appointments authorized by the FAA and/or
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (i.e. Veterans' Readjustment Appointment
(VRA), 30 Percent or more disabled veterans, appointments of individual with severe
disabilities, etc). If you are unsure of your appointment type please contact your
Servicing HR Office.
Student:
For purposes of FAA policy, "students" are students in high school,
vocational and technical schools, associate or baccalaureate degree programs, and
graduate programs who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment as degree-seeking
students, are at least the minimum employment age under federal, state, or local
laws, taking at least a half-time course load as defined by their institution, and
maintaining a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 or equivalent scale.
Supervisory/managerial probationary period:
A one-year probationary period
which first time supervisors and first time managers must serve.
Target/journeyman grade level:
Full performance grade level/grade level to
which an employee can be promoted without further competition.
Terminal Option:
Terminal controllers control air traffic at airports. They
give pilots taxiing and takeoff instructions, air traffic clearances, and advice
based on their own observations and information from the National Weather Service,
Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), flight service stations, pilots, and
other sources. They provide separation between landing and departing aircraft. They
transfer control of aircraft to the ARTCC controller when aircraft leave their airspace,
and they receive control of aircraft coming into their airspace from controllers
at adjacent facilities. Air traffic controllers must be familiar with the aircraft
identification and positions of the aircraft under their control, aircraft types
and speeds, and the location of navigational aids and landmarks in the area.
Transfer:
The movement, without a break in service of one full workday, of
a permanent employee from another federal or quasi-federal agency to the FAA.
Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures:
A set of requirements
adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, Civil
Service Commission, and Department of Justice to ensure that practices or policies
that have an adverse impact on employment opportunities of any race, sex, or ethnic
group are illegal unless justified by business necessity. The Guidelines establish
a measurement for "adverse impact" and set forth technical standards for validation
of selection instruments.
Well-qualified eligible:
A person who meets all the basic qualification requirements
for a position AND also is clearly capable of performing the job in a superior manner.
The determination that a candidate is "well-qualified" is made based on an evaluation
of the individual's background against job related criteria. "Well-qualified" is
one designation used for grouping candidates for selection purposes.
