Senior-Level and Scientific/Professional (SL/ST) Performance Appraisal Rule
Current understanding
A federal rule revises how Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific or Professional (ST) employees are rated, replacing separate senior-professional appraisal programs with an SES-style framework that permits forced rating distributions and expands OPM and OMB oversight. For affected employees — a comparatively small cadre of senior non-SES federal staff — this means tighter alignment with Senior Executive Service appraisal mechanics, including the possibility that ratings are distributed across a fixed curve rather than assessed solely on individual performance. For agencies, it standardizes how senior-professional performance is measured and reviewed, bringing SL/ST appraisals under governance comparable to the SES. Status: final rule.
Evidence log
- 2026-10-19 — Managing Senior Professional Performance: cross-connection with federal-performance-appraisal-rule: Parallel OPM appraisal rulemakings — one restructures GS/Prevailing Rate appraisals, the other migrates SL/ST senior professionals onto an SES-style framework. (novelty: 2)