In this subpart:

Agency means an executive agency or a legislative branch agency included in 5 U.S.C. 5102(a)(1).

Authorized agency official means the head of an agency or an official who is authorized to act for the head of the agency in the matter concerned.

Competencies means the knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics an employee needs to perform the duties of a position.

Employee has the meaning given that term in 5 U.S.C. 2105, except that the term also includes an employee described in 5 U.S.C. 2105(c).

Executive agency has the meaning given that term in 5 U.S.C. 105.

OPM means the Office of Personnel Management.

Rate of basic pay means the rate of pay fixed by law or administrative action for the position to which an employee is appointed before deductions and including any special rate under 5 CFR part 530, subpart C, or similar payment under other legal authority, and any locality-based comparability payment under 5 CFR part 531, subpart F, or similar payment under other legal authority, but excluding additional pay of any other kind. For example, a rate of basic pay does not include additional pay such as night shift differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5343(f) or environmental differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5343(c)(4).

Service agreement means a written agreement between an agency and an employee under which the employee agrees to a specified period of employment with the agency in return for payment of a retention incentive.