(a) Before paying recruitment incentives under this subpart, an agency must establish a recruitment incentive plan. The plan must include the following elements:

(1) The designation of officials with authority to review and approve payment of recruitment incentives (subject to paragraph (b) of this section), including the circumstances under which an official has the authority to approve payment without higher-level approval under paragraph (b)(2) of this section, and the designation of officials with authority to waive the repayment of a recruitment incentive under § 575.111(h);

(2) The categories of employees who are prohibited from receiving recruitment incentives;

(3) Required documentation for determining that a position is likely to be difficult to fill;

(4) Any requirements for determining the amount of a recruitment incentive;

(5) The payment methods that may be authorized;

(6) Requirements governing service agreements, which, at a minimum, must include—

(i) The criteria for determining the length of a service period;

(ii) The conditions for terminating a service agreement; and

(iii) The obligations of the agency and the employee, as applicable, if an agency terminates a service agreement; and

(7) Documentation and recordkeeping requirements sufficient to allow reconstruction of the action and to fulfill the requirements of §§ 575.112 and 575.113.

(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, an authorized agency official who is at least one level higher than the employee's supervisor must review and approve each determination to pay a recruitment incentive to a newly appointed employee, unless there is no official at a higher level in the agency. The authorized agency official must review and approve the recruitment incentive determination before the agency may pay the incentive to the employee.

(2) When necessary to make a timely offer of employment, an authorized agency official may establish criteria in advance for offering recruitment incentives to newly-appointed employees and may authorize an official who is not lower than a candidate's supervisor to use these criteria to offer a recruitment incentive (in any amount within a pre-established range) to a candidate without further review or approval.

(c) Unless the head of the agency determines otherwise, an agency recruitment incentive plan must apply uniformly across the agency.