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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
Rev. May 2023
1
NSA’s Benefits
Guide
Processing and What to Expect
Our success in helping preserve the Nation’s security depends
on the dedicated members of our workforce; we cannot fulfill our
mission without them. That is why we are equally committed to
our employees by offering them tremendous benefits and
developmental opportunities that we hope you take advantage
of. This guide will aid in your familiarization with the benefits
NSA has to offer.
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
Rev. May 2023
2
Table of Contents
Paid Relocation
Advance of Pay
Employment Verification
Paid Time-Off
03
Retirement (continued)
Military Deposit Information
Paid Time-Off (continued)
Retirement
05
06
08
Continuing Education
Field Assignments Opportunities
External Details and Intergovernmental
Personnel Mobility Act (IPA) Program
Insurance
Insurance (continued)
Well-Being Services
Public Transportation To/From Work
Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
Rev. May 2023
3
Paid Relocation
Newly hired individuals who are relocating from an area
at or greater than a 50-mile radius may qualify to receive
relocation compensation. If you have been advised that
you are eligible for this benefit, please be sure to review
the “Relocation Assistance” packet provided to you with
your Final Job Offer (FJO).
Advance of Pay
We understand that there may be financial hardships
associated with relocating to a new area and/or starting
new employment. As a result, we offer pay
advancements on a case-by-case basis to eligible
employees who request it within 60 days of entering on
duty (EOD). Advance of pay is a one-time payment of up
to two paychecks’ worth of basic net pay before it has
been earned that must be repaid within 28 weeks
(equivalent to 14 pay periods) of receipt. Additional
information on this program and how to formally request
and repay this benefit will be provided by a Human
Resources Customer Service Center (HRCSC)
representative during your New Employee Orientation.
Employment Verification
In the event that you need verification of your Agency
employment prior to New Employee Orientation, you
may use your signed Final Job Offer. After EOD, you will
have the access and ability to request an official
employment verification document online through
Human Resources.
Paid Time Off
A variety of paid leave options are available to Agency
employees to aid in their work/life balance:
Holidays 11 paid holidays per calendar year
Sick Leave 13 days per year earned biweekly
(every two weeks) in increments of four hours
Annual Leave (e.g. vacation) Earned biweekly
in one of three increments as determined by the
type of appointment being hired to and years of
creditable service (i.e. verified prior Federal
service and/or approved Enhanced Annual
Leave).
Annual Leave Accrual Increments
Leave Category
Creditable Service
4 hours bi-weekly
1-3 years
6 hours bi-weekly
3-15 years
8 hours bi-weekly
15+ years
Employees in the 4 and 6-hour Annual Leave
accrual categories advance to the next highest
accrual category each time they meet the
creditable service requirement. For example, a
newly hired employee deemed to have two
years’ worth of creditable service would EOD in
the 4-hour accrual category. Once he/she is with
NSA for one year, he/she will advance to the 6-
hour accrual category because he/she now has
three years’ worth of creditable service.
Civilian Fitness Program Up to 3 hours of
paid leave per week to engage in physical
fitness activities at approved locations.
Morale Building Activities Up to 12 hours of
paid leave per calendar year to participate in
activities with eligible colleagues for the purpose
of promoting employee morale (e.g. picnics,
sporting activities, etc.).
Inclement Weather (e.g. snow) Varying
amounts of paid leave for eligible employees
during Agency-deemed dangerous conditions
in/around impacted work locations.
Enhanced Annual Leave (EAL) EAL is a
benefit derived from the Federal Workforce
Flexibilities Act of 2004 that can increase new
hires’ Annual Leave accrual rates. EAL credit
may be granted to individuals who meet the
following criteria:
Are newly appointed Federal civilians
(no prior Federal civilian service); or
Are reappointed to Federal civilian
service after a 90+ day break in Federal
service from the date of the individual’s
last period of Federal civilian
employment; and
Are hired as a GG-15 or below; and
Possess 1+ cumulative years of eligible
service within the previous five years
that was no less than 16 hours per week
and is deemed essential to, and directly
related to, the NSA position being hired
to as well as necessary to achieve an
important Agency mission or
performance goal.
In preparing your FJO, Recruiters review all non-
Federal work experience, volunteer service,
and/or service that cannot otherwise be credited
toward your initial Annual Leave accrual rate
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
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4
(i.e. honorably retired active duty uniformed
service and Title 32 National Guard service)
contained in your resume against the Agency’s
description of the position to which you are
being hired in order to determine EAL eligibility.
Your Annual Leave accrual rate will be adjusted
accordingly for any service deemed creditable.
Temporary Medical Leave Assistance
Program (TMLAP) TMLAP offers temporary
paid leave to civilian employees who have
exhausted their available paid leave and
are facing an acute personal temporary
medical crisis/condition or a family medical
crisis. Participation in the program is
voluntary and requires membership with
annual dues paid in the form of one Annual
Leave accrual (e.g. if in the 4-hour
category, membership dues is four hours
per year); however, dues are subject to
change each year. You have 60 days from
your EOD date to join the TMLAP. If you
do not join within the 60-day window, you must
wait until TMLAP Open Season to enroll
(typically in November of each year).
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Act/Paid
Parental Leave (PPL) Employees who are
eligible for and invoke FMLA coverage, and
welcome a new child into their lives through
childbirth, adoption, or foster care have access
to a paid leave benefit to bond with and care for
a child. The benefit provides up to 12 weeks of
PPL to eligible employees. Full-time and part-
time employees are eligible for PPL if:
They invoke FML;
The birth or placement of a child
occurred on or after 1 October 2020;
and
They certify, in writing, that they will
work for the employing agency for at
least 12 weeks after PPL concludes.
For more information on how to invoke
FMLA/PPL, please contact HR at 667-812-3864
to be directed to the appropriate HR Customer
Service Center.
Retirement
Your overall retirement benefits package is three-tiered
and consists of the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS your basic benefit), Social Security,
and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). There are currently
three forms of the FERS retirement plans: FERS, FERS-
RAE and FERS-FRAE. The FERS retirement plan you
will contribute to is not a matter of choice; it is derived
from Federal law, non-negotiable, and is automatically
withheld from your biweekly Leave and Earnings
Statement (in other words, you cannot opt-out). FERS
employees contribute 0.80% to their retirement system;
FERS-RAE employees contribute 3.10%; and FERS-
FRAE employees contribute 4.4%. All FERS employees,
regardless of form, must also contribute 1.45% to
Medicare and 6.20% to Social Security.
The TSP is similar to 401(k) plans offered to private
sector employees; contributions may be made via pre-
tax (Traditional) or post-tax (Roth) contributions, or a
combination of both, up to the IRS Elective Deferral Limit
which is subject to change each tax year. While
contributing to TSP is ultimately optional, participation
is strongly encouraged, which is why you will be
automatically enrolled to contribute 5% pre-tax into a
Lifecycle (L) fund upon EOD. After EOD, you will have
FERS
FERS-RAE
FERS-FRAE
First time hire on/after
01/01/1984
Hired between
01/01/2013-
12/31/2013
Hired on/after
01/01/2014
Benefit
Contribution
Benefit
Contribution
Benefit
Contribution
Basic
Benefit
0.80%
Basic
Benefit
3.10%
Basic
Benefit
4.40%
Medicare
1.45%
Medicare
1.45%
Medicare
1.45%
Social
Security
6.20
Social
Security
6.20%
Social
Security
6.20%
Total
8.45%
Total
10.75%
Total
12.05%
Note: Non-retired active duty, active
duty reservist (retired and non-retired),
and Title 10 National Guard services
may not be taken into EAL
consideration because those services
are generally already creditable toward
your Annual Leave accrual rate
(provided that acceptable proof(s) of
service is furnished). Individuals hired
into any designated NSA Student
Program (i.e. Cooperative Education
(Co-Op), Gifted & Talented, High
School Work Study, National Security
Scholarship Program, Stokes
Educational Scholarship Program,
Summer Internships) or Reemployed
Annuitant Program (i.e. Selective
Employment of Retirees (SER),
Standby Active Reserves (SAR)) are
ineligible for EAL consideration.
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
Rev. May 2023
5
the ability to increase, decrease, or redistribute your
contributions across different fund(s) as well as elect
post-tax contributions at any time throughout your
Agency employment. NSA provides matching TSP
contributions up to 5% (dollar for dollar for the first 3%
and 50 cents on the dollar for 4% and 5%). As a FERS
employee, you also receive an automatic 1% from the
Agency whether or not you contribute to TSP (3% +
0.5% + 0.5% + 1% = 5%).
Military Deposit Information
If you are a veteran of the Unites States Armed Forces,
thank you for your service to your country! We hope you
find the following information about military deposits, a
unique benefit afforded to eligible prior service members,
helpful, and we look forward to providing more
information upon New Employee Orientation. A military
deposit, commonly referred to as “military buyback,” is a
payment to the Federal Employees Retirement System
(FERS) to allow creditable military service to be used
toward retirement eligibility and annuity computation.
Uniformed service performed after 12/31/1956 is
automatically creditable toward your Social Security
benefits, the service cannot be credited in the
computation of your Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS/FERS-RAE/ FERS-FRAE) basic
retirement benefit unless a deposit is paid for the service
prior to your Federal civilian retirement.
You may have the option to “buy back” your uniformed
service upon hire in order to receive the civilian
retirement credit, provided that you furnish approved
proof(s) of service and approved earnings for the
period(s) of service that you wish to buy back. Military
deposits for FERS employees are equal to 3% of your
basic pay (minus allowances) earned during the
period(s) of uniformed service that occurred after
12/31/1956. You have a 3-year interest-free period on
your military deposit balance(s) that begins the first day
you are covered under FERS (i.e. the day you were first
hired to Federal civilian employment). After the interest-
free period ends, any remaining balance(s) on the
deposit(s) will accrue interest annually at the variable
market interest rate. If you are interested in buying back
your uniformed service, we advise paying it as soon as
possible to avoid interest accrual. You will have the
opportunity to request deposit estimates through your
HR Customer Service Center after completing New
Employee Orientation.
Please be advised that Federal law distinguishes
between four general “categories” of uniformed services
for the purposes of military deposits and how they relate
to Federal civilian retirement: non-retired active duty
and/or active duty reservist, retired active duty, retired
reservist, and Title 32 National Guard service.
Non-retired active duty and/or active duty
reservist Paid military deposits will be credited
toward the computation of your FERS basic
retirement. This deposit is generally the most
common type of military deposit paid.
Retired active duty Paying this military deposit
will require you to waive your military retirement
annuity immediately prior to civilian retirement in
order to receive one Federal retirement annuity
encompassing both your uniformed and civilian
services. In many cases, the retiree receives
more money by keeping the two annuities
separate (by not paying the deposit); however,
when the military retirement annuity is either 1)
Based on disability incurred in combat with an
enemy of the United States or caused by an
instrumentality of war and incurred in the line of
duty during a period of war, or 2) Granted to
members of reserve components of the Armed
Forces on the basis of service instead of
disability, it does not have to be waived.
Retired reservist Paying a military deposit for
retired reservist service follows the same
guidance as “Non-retired active duty” (see
exception #2 in “Retired active duty” section).
Title 32 National Guard service Title 32 service
performed prior to a Federal civilian appointment
may not be bought back as it is state service
ordered by the Governor and cannot be credited
as Federal service. If the service is federalized
(i.e. Title 10 service), the service may be eligible
to be bought back.
If you wish to obtain deposit estimates, you must request
Estimated Earnings from the appropriate DFAS activity
according to the branch of service you performed the
service(s) in. To do this, you will need to provide a
readable DD214 or other approved form of proof and a
completed RI20-97 (Estimated Earning During Military
Service) form. For your convenience, we have provided
the contact information for each DFAS activity in order
for you to send your requests along with a copy of the
appropriate RI20-97 for you to complete. If you would
like additional information on military deposits prior to
New Employee Orientation or would like to run
preliminary estimates, please visit:
https://www.dfas.mil/CivilianEmployees/militaryservice/m
ilitaryservicedepsits/.
Army, Air Force
Coast
Guard
Navy, Marine
Corps
Phone: 1-888-332-
7411, option 4
Phone:
785-339-
2200
Fax: 866-401-5849
Fax: 866-401-5849
Fax: 785-
339-3780
https://corpweb1.df
as.mil/civpaywf/cov
ersheet
PPC-DG-
Customer
Care@us
cg.mil
https://corpweb1.df
as.mil/civpaywf/cov
ersheet
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
Rev. May 2023
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Insurance Benefits
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program
FEHB is a program offering comprehensive health
insurance coverage for you, your spouse, and your
children under the age of 26. Most employees are
eligible to enroll in FEHB within 60 days of EOD. There
are Nationwide Fee-for-Service, Health Maintenance
Organizations, Consumer Driven, and High Deductible
plans. Enrollment in a plan is voluntary and paid for by
contributions from you and the Federal government.
Your pre-tax biweekly share of the premium depends on
the plan you select, but the Federal government’s share
of the premium is approximately 72% of the total
premium. Coverage is effective the first day of the
following pay period after you enroll. If you do not enroll
within the 60-day window, you will have to wait until
either the annual “Open Season” (occurring in
November/December timeframe) or within 60 days of a
qualifying life event (QLE) (loss of coverage, marriage,
divorce, birth, etc.). Open Season elections become
effective in the first full pay period in January. For more
information, please visit the OPM website at
www.opm.gov/health.
Family members of employees must be verified before
they can be added to FEHB enrollment. Eligible family
members in the FEHB program are spouses and
children until age 26 including legally adopted children,
stepchildren, and foster children. Children age 26 and
over who are incapable of self-support due to a disability
that existed before the age of 26 may also be covered if
they meet certain criteria. Specific documents must be
provided in order to establish family member eligibility for
FEHB coverage. Please visit
https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/publications-
forms/benefits-administration-letters/2021/21-202a2.pdf
to review the list of required documents. Submission of
acceptable documents is required before family
members can be enrolled in the FEHB program and
should be done at the time of FEHB enrollment.
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Program
(FEDVIP) FEDVIP is a supplemental form of insurance
offering dental and/or vision insurance to you, your
spouse, and your unmarried dependent children under
the age of 22. Most employees are eligible to enroll in
one of several federal dental and/or vision plans within
60 days of EOD. The Federal government does not
contribute to dental or vision premiums; therefore, you
will pay 100% of the costs. There are various dental
and/or vision plans to pick from. Your biweekly share of
the dental premium (pre-tax) is determined by the plan
you select as well as your zip code. Vision premiums
(also pre-tax) are determined solely by the plan you
select (in other words, your zip code is not a factor). If
you do not enroll in either insurance within the 60-day
window, you will have to wait to enroll until either the
annual Open Season or within 60 days of a QLE (loss of
coverage, marriage, etc.). Open Season is held annually
in the November/ December timeframe with coverage
becoming effective on 1 January. Without a QLE, you
may only cancel your dental and/or vision coverage
during the annual Open Season. Enrollment is not
conducted at the Agency; therefore, for more information
or to enroll, please visit www.benefeds.com.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) FSA is a benefit
that allows enrollees to set aside pre-tax money for their
health care expenses with a Health Care or Limited
Expense Health Care FSA or for their dependent and/or
elder care expenses through a Dependent Care FSA (in
other words, an account that helps you pay for items that
typically are not covered by your FEHB, FEDVIP, or
other health insurance plans). Most employees are
eligible to enroll in the FSA program within 60 days of
EOD. If you do not enroll within the 60-day window, you
will have to wait to enroll until either the annual Open
Season or within 60 days of a QLE. Open Season is
held in the November/December timeframe with
coverage becoming effective on 1 January. Enrollment is
not conducted at the Agency; therefore, for more
information or to enroll, please visit www.fsafeds.com.
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program
(FLTCIP) FLTCIP provides long term care insurance to
help pay for costs of care if/when the enrollees can no
longer perform everyday tasks such as eating, dressing,
bathing, etc. due to chronic illness, injury, disability or
aging, or have a severe cognitive impairment (such as
Alzheimer’s disease) and need supervision at either
home, in a nursing home, or at another long term care
facility. Current spouses, parents, parents-in-law,
stepparents, adult children (adopted and stepchildren at
least 18 years old), and domestic partners all of living
eligible employees are eligible to enroll in FLTCIP. Most
employees are eligible to enroll in the FLTCIP program
within 60 days of EOD (with abbreviated underwriting).
After the 60-day window ends, you may still apply but
you will be subject to the full underwriting. Enrollment is
not conducted at the Agency; therefore, for more
information or to enroll, please visit www.ltcfeds.com.
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
FEGLI is term life insurance with an option for coverage
of your spouse and/or your unmarried dependent
children under the age of 22. Your initial FEGLI
coverage will depend on whether or not you are a newly
appointed Federal civilian (no prior Federal civilian work
experience) or a reappointed Federal civilian (with prior
Federal civilian service). For additional information,
please visit www. opm.gov/insure.
Newly appointed You will be automatically
enrolled in the “Basic” FEGLI option upon
hire; equivalent to your annual base pay
(including locality) rounded up to the next
$1,000, plus $2,000. You will pay two-thirds
of the cost of Basic FEGLI coverage while
the government pays one-third. You may
increase your coverage or elect family
coverage within 60 days of EOD. After the
60-day window ends, you may only increase
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
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coverage with a QLE or through the Request
for Insurance process. This process involves
a physical examination completed at your
expense; the results of which are used by
the Office of FEGLI to determine your
enrollment eligibility. If you decide you wish
to decrease or waive your Basic coverage
altogether, you may do so at any time
throughout your employment (no QLE
needed).
Reappointed The type of FEGLI coverage
you will be hired with depends on how long it
has been since your last Federal civilian
appointment. If it has been fewer than 180
days since your last Federal civilian
appointment, you will EOD with the same
coverage you had previously but may only
increase the coverage with a QLE; however,
you may decrease or cancel your coverage
at any time. If your previous coverage had
been waived, that waiver of coverage
remains in effect until you experience a
QLE. If it has been more than 180 days, you
will still EOD with the same coverage you
had previously but may only increase this
coverage within 60 days of EOD or with a
QLE. If you had previously waived coverage,
you will automatically be enrolled in the
Basic option upon hire with the ability to
increase your coverage with a QLE or
decrease or cancel your coverage at any
time.
Behavioral Health and Life
Services
Behavioral Health and Life Services (BHLS) provides
whole-person consultation, treatment services,
education, and resources to the worldwide NSA/CSS
workforce, organizations, and their family members.
Employee Assistance Program (EAS)
Ready access to confidential mental health
treatment (individual, couples, group, addictions)
for service members, civilians, and their spouses
provided by fully cleared clinicians. 24/7
psychological crisis support.
Workplace Psychological Consultation
Consultation to managers at all levels including
Embedded Psychological Support in high-tempo
and challenging workplace environments,
Tailored Consultations on various issues (e.g.,
organizational crises, change, challenging
employees, low morale) and Psychological
Education and Training on topics such as stress,
suicide awareness, and coping with uncertainty.
Work/Life Services Offers a broad array of
strategies and resources for family/dependent
care and workplace support to strengthen
employees’ work/life balance in order to
enhance mission effectiveness and personal
well-being. Additionally, the Financial Coaching
Center (FCC) is housed in Work/Life and
provides free financial counseling to help both
military and civilian employees understand their
finances, control debt, and improve credit.
Well-Being Bulletin (blog) Relevant and
timely articles with a whole-person approach to
enhancing the total well-being of the workforce.
Public Transportation To/From
Work
NSA’s Commuter & Transportation Center (CTC) assists
NSA employees with commuter and ridesharing
assistance (to include carpool, vanpool, and cycle
commuting), traffic and parking, and official local travel
requirements. NSA provides shuttles to and from the
MARC and Light Rail stations, with pick-ups and drop-
offs occurring at Fort Meade and/or the FANX1 Visitors’
Center. For more information on transportation options
for NSA employees, please contact the CTC at 301-688-
7520.
Employee Resource Groups
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) provide employees
of underrepresented groups and their allies with the tools
and abilities to identify and address barriers that may
hinder that population’s achievement. ERG leaders and
members serve as change agents by engaging with
fellow members to monitor the climate and assist with
generating solutions which ultimately benefit all
members of the workforce by ensuring a diverse and
inclusive environment. Employees are able and
encouraged to join one or more of the 11 currently
offered ERG(s):
African American
American Indian Alaska Native
American Veterans
Asian American/Pacific Islander
English as a Second Language
Hispanic/Latino
Islamic Cultural
Pride (LGBTQ+)
NextGen (Next Generation)
People with Disabilities
Women
Continuing Education
NSA values continuing education and dedicates an
entire school, the National Cryptologic School (NCS),
accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, as
well as college tuition assistance programs and other
training opportunities. The flexible education, training,
and learning solutions offered by the NCS enables and
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NSA’s BENEFITS GUIDE
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8
optimizes NSA’s mission readiness to support our global
cryptologic mission.
NCS currently offers four college tuition assistance
programs:
Undergraduate Scholarship (competitive)
You study full-time while NSA pays your salary,
100% tuition, and associated lab fees for up to
two consecutive semesters. To be eligible for
the program, you must have completed at least
90 semester hours, have three years of NSA
service, and earn a grade of “B” or better.
Graduate Fellowship (competitive) You
study full-time while NSA pays your salary,
100% tuition, and associated lab fees for up to
two consecutive semesters. To be eligible for
the program, you must be accepted into a
graduate program, have three years of NSA
service, and earn a grade of “B” or better.
Advanced Study (competitive) This program
provides time-off to pursue studies in “mission
critical” skill fields. You study part-time while
NSA pays your salary, 100% tuition, and
associated lab fees for up to four semesters of
upper-undergraduate or graduate level courses.
You may be approved up to 20 hours/week to
attend classes and study. To be eligible for the
program, you must have completed 60 semester
hours, have one year of NSA service, and earn
a grade of “B” or better.
After Hours College (non-competitive) You
work full-time and attend classes after duty
hours. NSA pays your salary, 100% tuition, and
associated lab fees. With approval, you may
participate in this program upon hire and take
undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level
courses but must earn a grade of “C” or better.
Field Assignment Opportunities
The NSA has a global footprint and offers civilian
employees many exciting U.S. and Foreign Field Tour
opportunities once they have completed their first two
years at the Agency. Tours may vary in length and are
offered in U.S. locations such as Colorado, Georgia,
Hawaii, and Texas; overseas locations include Australia,
Canada, England, and New Zealand. Field Tours
provide the NSA civilian workforce career-broadening
opportunities that allow them to benefit from experiences
gained from such assignments.
Additionally, when an NSA employee’s spouse must
relocate due to employment, either at NSA, with the
military, another Federal agency, a contractor, or private
sector, field opportunities may be available for the
employee. To help keep married couples co-located,
NSA manages the Married Agency Employee (MAE)
Program. MAE assignments provide current NSA civilian
employees the opportunity to accompany their spouses
on field assignments without having to resign from the
Agency or be placed in a long-term unpaid status when
a permanent position is not available for them at site.
External Details and
Intergovernmental Personnel Act
(IPA) Mobility Program
In addition to taking advantage of the Agency’s global
footprint, NSA employees can pursue external
assignment opportunities currently offered within and
outside of the local area:
Joint Duty Assignments (JDAs) JDAs allow
Intelligence Community (IC) employees to detail
to other IC agencies and receive “JDA credit” for
the assignment. JDAs ensure that IC employees
have an IC-wide perspective, cultivate cross-
organizational networks, and facilitate
knowledge and information sharing and
obtaining JDA credit demonstrates a
commitment to those goals.
External Details External details facilitate
temporary assignments to and from Federal,
state, and local governments, institutions of
higher education, Indian tribal governments and
other eligible organizations. Such assignments
facilitate cooperation between the Federal
Government and the non-Federal entity and
further mutually-beneficial goals, in addition to
sharing knowledge and information.
Professional Opportunities in Private Sector
(POPS) POPS provides a unique career
enhancing opportunity for NSA employees to
gain first-hand knowledge of best practices in
private industry through temporary external
assignments.