EPAP incumbents, unless they are separately accredited, do not have the same status as U.S. Foreign Service employees. Rather, such family members have derivative privileges and immunities, i.e., deriving from the sponsoring employee's status. Such status imposes a de facto limitation on what family members may do on the job and how they represent post.

As is required for all Family Member Appointments (FMA), EPAP incumbents and supervisors will agree upon specific Work Requirement Statements (WRS, Form JF-57 EPR, Section III), within the first 45 days of employment at post. The WRS will confirm the duties and responsibilities as defined in the EPAP PD.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

1. EPAP applicants must meet the definition of AEFM as described in 3 FAM 7120. Foreign Service Generalists and Specialists on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service employees with re-employment rights to their agency or bureau remain ineligible for the program.
2. EPAP positions are full-time positions unless otherwise specified. As with all EFM appointments, availability may be a factor.
3. AEFMs must be able to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance within nine months of acceptance of the position. Candidates must be able to maintain the required clearance level during their employment.
4. EPAP employees hired into DT and OBO positions may be required to complete certain functional training within the first year of their appointment. DT training requires travel which must be paid for by post.
5. Additional items that may be considered when determining successful candidacy include nepotism, conflicts of interest, advancing the work of the mission, etc.

Qualifications

Please refer to the EPAP Qualification Standards. Each EPAP area and its corresponding grade lists the minimum requirements, which are a combination of education and professional or specialized experience.

Prior EPAP experience in lieu of EPAP Qualification Standards: Applicants who have been successfully employed in an EPAP position for 12 months or longer and who can document fully satisfactory performance will be considered qualified for the same EPAP position at the same grade or at a higher grade depending on the length of service. Applicants must submit:

(a) Two Notifications of Personnel Action (SF-50s) documenting 12 or more months of experience in the same EPAP position; and,

(b) Employee Performance Report(s) (EPR/JF-57) documenting fully satisfactory or better performance for 12 or more months of service in the same EPAP position.

Please note, prior experience in lieu of EPAP qualification standards only applies to the same EPAP area. (Exceptions: prior EPAP Facility Management and Medical positions' work experience will not serve in lieu of meeting the EPAP qualification standards.)

Past or current EPAP employees should be mindful that regardless of their current or past EPAP status, they need to document their eligibility and qualification (education transcript and resume showing experience) in addition to the two SF-50s and the EPR/JF-57. Doing so will ensure eligibility and qualification.

Education

See Qualification Standards, which are a combination of education and general professional or specialized experience per the selected EPAP area.

Additional information

Although the series and grade level above indicate a default FP-07 grade level and a Top Secret clearance level, the actual pay grades range from FP-07 to FP-01 and the clearance requirement may vary from one position to another.

To confirm the specific grade level and clearance requirement for each position, applicants need to check the advertised positions lists found either on the EPAP webpage or in this vacancy announcement. This information will be available after the applicants have answered the Eligibility and Vacancy questions.

Although the duty location indicates "MANY Vacancies in Department of State Posts - Overseas and Domestic, U.S.," EPAP positions are only available at U.S. Missions abroad.

Applicants do not need to hold a security clearance at the time of their EPAP application, nor do they need to be a member of the Foreign Service Family Reserve Corps (FSFRC) to apply. However, selected candidates must obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for their specific position before they are appointed. If the candidate cannot obtain the required clearance within nine months of acceptance of the position, the bureau may rescind the offer of employment.

EPAPs can request GTM funds to cover the costs of travel, per diem/lodging, M&IE, and salary during the functional training for centrally funded positions. AEFMs hired into EPAP positions in DT will be required to complete the FAST-DTO training (YW885) course offered at FSI within the first 12-months of Entrance on Duty (EOD). This is a 3-week in-person training course, and posts will be responsible for all travel related expenses including per-diem.

Administrative Promotions: Administrative promotion is available to EPAP employees whose positions were advertised with a grade range; therefore, these employees may receive an administrative promotion from FP-07 to FP-06 after 12 months of fully successful or better performance, from FP-06 to FP-05 after 12 months of fully successful or better performance, and from FP-05 to FP-04 after an additional 18 months of fully successful or better performance, as applicable, based on the advertised grade range for their current EPAP position. The performance appraisal must cover at least 12 months via a regular or interim performance appraisal (JF-57 EPR Employee Performance Report).

Grade conversion is not an entitlement or automatic. Upon determining that the employee demonstrates the ability to perform at a higher grade, the supervisor must submit a request for the new grade through a memo to Post HR. The memo will certify that the incumbent's performance has been fully successful or better since the last formal review and that the employee has demonstrated the ability to perform at the next grade level. Post HR will follow up with the regional bureau's EPAP coordinator via an SF-52 to request the promotion. EPAP applicants are reminded that they are responsible for seeking their supervisor's review for administrative promotion. They should initiate this conversation at least one month prior to their anniversary date as promotions are not automatically granted or retroactively applied. More details on promotions can be found on GCLO's EPAP web page.

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  For additional information on position grades, steps, and benefits, please visit the EPAP webpage
  
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How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

EPAP applicants must submit an application package (see section "How to Apply" and "Checklist page for mandatory and optional Documents" for additional guidance).

The USAJOBS resume serves as a basis for determining whether a candidate meets or exceeds the minimum qualification standards for EPAP positions. Therefore, candidates who are applying for multiple EPAP positions should ensure that their USAJOBS resume completely addresses each position's required EPAP qualification standards. Only one USAJOBS resume (which must be created with the USAJOBS resume builder) will be accepted, even if the candidate is applying for several EPAP positions. In this case, address each EPAP's qualification requirement by creating different sections related to the chosen EPAP area(s) in the resume.

When creating a USAJOBS resume, the candidate needs to focus on the following sections:

Section "Add Work Experience" MUST include the following:

(a) paid and non-paid work experience, position titles, dates worked (include month and year), number of hours worked per week, and salary (optional);

(b) specific duties performed (i.e., fully describe the level and complexity of the work); and,

(c) name and contact information for current and/or previous supervisors.

Section "Add Education" MUST include the following:

(a) school or program name, country, major, minor, degree/level attained; and,

(b) relevant coursework, licensures, and certifications. If the EPAP applicant's degree is not listed in the Qualification Standards and the applicant believes their degree is related to the EPAP field, this section is where the applicant may demonstrate that relevance. Your degree transcript will be carefully reviewed, at the post and Bureau levels, to determine if it relates to the EPAP area you are applying for. At least 60 percent of the course work should be related to the EPAP area.

The regional bureaus will review application packages after the vacancy announcement closes to confirm that applicants are eligible. Upon this confirmation, bureaus will forward applications to posts, DT, or MED, or OBO (as the case may apply) to confirm that applicants meet or exceed the EPAP qualification standards for each EPAP position for which they are applying. Only education and experience (general professional or specialized per the chosen EPAP area), as documented and included in the application package will be considered. Incomplete application packages will be ineligible and no additional documents will be accepted once the vacancy announcement is closed.

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