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.S.C. 2105(c). For the purpose of determining whether an individual had status as an employee of the Federal Government immediately prior to the relocation (i.e., in § 575.205(a)(2)), employee also includes an employee described in 5 U.S.C. 2105(e).

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

Federal Government means all entities of the Government of the United States, including the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission.

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 the employee is relocated 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 of not more than 4 years with the agency at the new duty station to which relocated in return for payment of a relocation incentive.