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Depending on the entity the grade and step scale is used differently. I am in a competitive environment we have job panels and compete from promotions with similar grade people in our group. Meaning Program managers compete against PMs and engineers compete against engineers.
We must have jobs that require the grade we are at or above to show the necessary abilities to be promoted.
Grade 7-11 are mostly longevity based with short Time in Grade (TIG) requirements of a year or so per grade. Even so promotion is not automatic. Most step increases are 2-4 years.
Grades 12-15 require the person to be evaluated by the promotion board. Items looked at are schooling (both professional in job, technical, and graduate), job assignments held and current, abilities and record.
Think of them as doors, the 13 door is real wide many make it, the 14 door gets smaller, and the 15 door is even harder. Only the top 8% of our organization go above 15 to become Senior Executive Service. Tig for grade 14 is 24 months but many do not make it on the first go round, tig for 15 is 29 or 30 months (I think) and almost all unless you are superman will do at least 3 years at 14 before being considered. Promotion boards only meet once a year.
This is in a competitive arena.
Many DOD jobs are not competitive, meaning if you get accepted into a 14 slot whammo you are a 14. The acceptance is part of the hiring process. This is where most of the fat reside, since once locked in a spot it is hard to remove or motivate personnel.
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