Frequently Asked Questions

A request for a retirement estimate must be submitted on-line.  Upon entering your information, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Submit" to submit your request.  Upon receipt of your request, your Benefits Specialist will prepare a retirement annuity estimate and send it to you. 

The five (5) year requirement applies to coverage under the FEHB program.  If you are covered under a Self Only or a Self and Family enrollment for the five (5) years immediately preceding retirement, you are eligible to continue your FEHB coverage into retirement.

It depends.  The following applies:

If the employee had a Self and Family enrollment at the date of death and a survivor annuity is payable, the surviving spouse can continue health insurance coverage.

• The enrollment must be immediate, and there can be no lapse in coverage.
• The premiums will be deducted from the survivor annuity.

If the employee had a Self and Family enrollment at the date of death, but no survivor annuity is payable--these survivors are not eligible for Temporary Continuation of Coverage.

• The enrollment in Temporary Continuation of Coverage will terminate within 30 days.
• The survivor has the right to convert to an individual policy within 30 days.

If the employee had a Self Only enrollment at the date of death, the enrollment terminates at death with no right to enroll or convert for the survivor.

Suggested competency models have been created for common occupations across NIH. These competency models are available as an example of what knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors are needed for each position. Employees and supervisors can use the competencies dictionary to identify the competencies that are needed for success in a specific position. Managers can use competencies to help identify skills needed in prospective job applicants.

The relationship between competencies and performance is indirect. As employees increase their proficiency levels, their performance outputs would generally be expected to improve. Organizations whose employees have high proficiency levels are organizations that would be expected to have superior organizational performance. However, this is not always the case. An individual may possess the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors but may be performing at a lower level than expected due to various factors, e.g., personal problems, lack of focus, job dissatisfaction, negative reaction to organizational change, lack of organizational resources, etc.

Employees are rated on performance in relation to how well they have accomplished the tasks set out in their performance plans. Performance plans establish specific tasks and expectations for various positions and employee grade levels and this is the basis for performance evaluation.

The NIH occupational models describe the global competencies required for all employees in a specific occupation. The occupational models do not describe every competency relevant to a job. If there are other competencies important to your specific job/role, you should discuss them with your supervisor and determine the best approach for incorporating them into your overall career development plan.

HHS competency models were reviewed during the development process of NIH competency models. The two models are compatible. Although there are differences in some of the names of the competencies and key behaviors, the NIH competencies incorporate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) described in the HHS competencies.

Competencies help employees to:

• understand the competencies expected in their job, the key behaviors they should demonstrate, and the steps needed to increase their proficiency levels
• discuss with their supervisors the employee’s strengths, areas for growth, and suggested training, and developmental activities
• focus on specific training and development opportunities that will help them grow and strive for excellence
• understand the competencies they would be expected to have to move into a new job, particularly for employees who are interested in becoming supervisors and managers or in changing careers

Competencies help supervisors to better:

• screen prospective employees during the hiring process, which results in better hiring decisions
• discuss with employees their strengths, areas for growth, training, and developmental activities
• distribute work more efficiently by using the knowledge of employees’ proficiency levels
• acquire training and development opportunities systematically and efficiently, e.g., develop training partnerships between organizations, bringing tailored training to employees, etc.
• determine what type of skill sets are needed in the future, which helps support succession planning

ICs can systematically identify their competency gaps in occupational areas. In turn, this can lead to more focused hiring decisions and succession planning, better strategic assignment (alignment) of tasks and functions; and cost-effective training that is tailored for employees who have common needs.

NIH is investing in competencies to improve: 1. recruitment and hiring; 2. career development of NIH employees; and 3. strategic organizational planning. One goal is to develop vacancy announcements that more clearly state the competencies that NIH expects employees to possess. Competency development is also essential to developing behavioral-based interview guides, which in turn will allow hiring officials to better select talent from a pool of job candidates. Overall, the use of competencies will result in better recruitment of talent that will improve the quality of the NIH workforce. Developing competency based tools will also support the career development of NIH employees. Assessment tools highlight the areas in which employees are most proficient and areas in which they can focus developmental activities. The competency training maps help employees choose training that will help them develop. Finally, managers and supervisors who understand the competency gaps within their organizations will be able to strategically address these gaps.

For many years, competencies have been used effectively in both the private and public sectors. They play a key role in organizational development and improvement by articulating the capabilities required for individual and organizational performance. Competencies serve as a solid foundation for human capital areas such as recruitment and hiring of talent, job assessment, employee development and training, performance management, career planning, and succession planning. Depending on the organization’s choice, it can choose to apply competencies to all of these human capital areas or some of them. Competencies may be incorporated into position descriptions, interview guides, hiring criteria and methods, assessment processes, individual development plans (IDPs), performance management processes, and employee development opportunities, e.g. training.

Training is only one option out of several development activities for an employee. Other activities that can help employees develop their level of proficiency in a competency include, but are not limited to:

• reading/studying
• being coached/mentored
• shadowing
• participating in a committee/group
• developing SOPs
• completing special project(s)
• leading special project(s)
• conducting/presenting at seminars
• leading training sessions
• leading or chairing a committee/group
• volunteering as a mediator
• coaching/mentoring

The maps for the occupation-specific competency models were developed by focus groups that consisted of top performers in their occupational areas. The maps were then reviewed and confirmed by an NIH HR Classification Specialist. The maps for the administrative leadership and management models were developed by a focus group of the NIH leaders and reviewed and confirmed by the HR Branch Chiefs and an HR Classification Specialist.