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APPEL Knowledge Services is seeking nominations of high-performing engineers from NASA Centers to participate in the 2024-2025 Systems Engineering Leadership Program (SELP).

Nominations are due April 12, 2024. Reach out to your Center’s SELP Advocate for more information.

At assignment location:

Are any transportation expenses covered (cab, bus, train)?
Answer: No, Cab, Bus, and Train expenses are not covered.


Do we get an orientation and “house hunting” trip?
Answer: House hunting trips are not allowable for TDY/ETDY travel.


How much stuff will you pay to ship from our home?
Answer: Provided in previous slides (up to 4 checked bags by plane, 350lbs with Carrier (UPS/FedEx).


Will my Center ship anything for me from my work location?
Answer: You will have to check with your Center.


I understand we get a trip home every 3 months. Does my final trip back to my home Center count towards one of those trips?
Answer: Your Final Trip back to home Center does not count as one of the Home Trips. You get up to 3 Home Trips inside the bookends of your Extended Travel Duty (ETDY) Assignment.


Do you pay a fixed amount for housing reimbursement? Or do you pay for our rent up to a fixed amount?
Answer: Lodging expenses incurred up to 65% of the Lodging portion of Per Diem and 65% of the M&IE portion of the Per Diem rate for each day on travel. 


Do you pay for utilities such as power, water, and internet?
Answer: Included with Per Diem allowance. 


Do you have someone to help us do our travel voucher?
Answer: Yes, you will send an NF1850 with required receipts to your NSSC Travel Preparer.


Will the SELP Location site ship anything from my work location?
Answer: They may, but this is outside of SELP.


Do living quarters need to be 1 bedroom, 1 bath?
Answer: The reduced rate of reimbursement begins on the first day of travel regardless of the mode of transportation, except as noted in 3.1.3 below.  Allowances are covered by the reduced per diem rate; therefore, NASA will authorize the employee a per diem rate (up to 65%) to reasonably cover expenses for a one bedroom furnished apartment.  For ETDY greater than 90 days, first consideration should be given to long-term lodging facilities.  Long-term lodging facilities are available on the GSA schedule at http://www.gsa.gov.  If a long-term facility is not selected, proper justification should be provided. (NPR 9750.1 sec 3.1.2 b).


Are we being reimbursed actuals for lodging? It sounds like it’s hard to avoid the govt/long-term housing, even if you can keep the cost below the 65% per diem with one-time fees for say internet connection, etc. that may end up being under the per diem over the full 9-months.
Answer: You will be reimbursed up to 65% of the maximum per diem rate.  However, NASA’s NPR 9750.1 Section 3.1.2 states the rate could be further reduced from the standard reduced rate, if you are incurring a much lower rate.  Also, if the traveler cannot find a Schedule 48 or other lodging at the 65% rate, a waiver will be sent to NASA Policy for an exception.

 

Home visits:

Is there an expectation that we visit our Center during a home visit?
Answer: Yes. This is highly encouraged. Communicate with your home supervisor and start plotting your reentry 


Do you cover transportation expenses during home visit (cab from airport, etc.)?
Answer: Transportation to/from airport is allowed.  If you drove your Personal Owned Vehicle (POV) to the ETDY location, you may be authorized a rental car for home trips if returning home to work.

Rental cars are not allowed at the Permanent Duty Station (PDS), even if the traveler’s POV was used to go to the SELP ETDY location.


Policy on length of home visit?
Answer: Your time out of the office should be worked out with your assignment supervisor. Generally, most home trips last 3 days to 1 week.

 

Miscellaneous:

Is an assignment agreement required? What should it cover?
Answer: Yes, assignment agreements are required. Prior to and/or during orientation, our assignment agreement is provided, along with a completed example.. The agreement highlights the goals and objectives of the assignment, the competencies that will be introduced or enhanced, and outlines deliverables expected of you as you complete your assignment.


How is the continuing resolution affecting the SELP program and ETDY?
Answer: Continuing Resolution (CR) affects SELP in that we fund the program based on how much money/time period is funded by the Government. Using a checkbook as a metaphor, we fund the program up to the point of the next CR. What that means to the NSSC Travel Preparers is that when they send me your travel estimates, it’s up to the cutoff date we communicate with them.

As you are aware, sometimes the Government will shut down when there is an impasse on budget approval. Should that happen, we’ll follow the direction of the Government as to staying at the assignment Center or returning to your home Center. In the past, especially during the last shutdown, participants were allowed to stay at their assignment Center.


Do paychecks still officially come from a traveler’s home center? Do local city and state taxes apply in new ETDY location?
Answer: Paychecks (Labor) comes from your home Center. You will not be paying city/state taxes in your new ETDY location.


What is the per diem rate of travel during ETDY? For example, when traveling to a SELP workshop or traveling due to work duties with new assignment?
Answer: Per Diem is paid at 65% of Lodging and M&IE.


If SELP doesn’t cover a rental car at the ETDY location, do you cover a rental car for the trips home? I know the preferred method of getting to our ETDY is flying, but without a rental, I don’t see how I can avoid driving to my assignment.
Answer: SELP does not cover a rental car at the ETDY location. This also applies when taking your trips home. The Government will pay for Taxi/Uber trips to/from work and to stores. Although the Government’s preferred method of travel is flying, we generally promote taking your POV.


While the govt housing may be preferred, it’s really frustrating to wade through each company to find the options for a specific area. Is there any sort of searchable aggregator, or perhaps this is something the travel office can help narrow down?
Answer: Click here for information regarding Long-Term Lodging Facilities that list locations and their areas. This may be helpful.