Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 1402.03, Volume 5
October 22, 2015
Incorporating Change 3, Effective May 23, 2025
DA&M
SUBJECT: Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level (SL), and Scientific and Professional
(ST) Personnel Categories in the DoD Fourth Estate: Performance Management
and Presidential Rank Awards
References: See Enclosure 1
1. PURPOSE
a. Instruction. This instruction reissues DoD Directive (DoDD) 1402.3 (Reference (a)) as an
instruction in accordance with the authority in DoDD 5105.53 and the January 11, 2021 Deputy
Secretary of Defense (DepSecDef) Memorandum (References (b), and (c)). It is composed of
multiple volumes, each containing its own purpose. The purpose of the overall instruction is to
establish policy, assign responsibilities, delegate authorities, and provide DoD Fourth Estate
entities with supplemental guidance to the policy, laws, and regulations relevant to the
administration of the SES, SL, and ST categories in accordance with DoDD 1403.1 (Reference
(d)) and pursuant to Title 5, United States Code (Reference (e)), and Title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations (Reference (f)).
b. Volume. This volume establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes
procedures for SES, SL, and ST performance management and Presidential Rank Awards in the
DoD Fourth Estate.
2. APPLICABILITY. This volume:
a. Applies to the OSD, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint
Staff, the Defense Agencies, the DoD Field Activities, and all other organizational entities in the
DoD that are not in the Military Departments or the Combatant Commands (referred to
collectively in this instruction as the “DoD Fourth Estate”).
b. Does not apply to:
(1) Those persons in Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES) and
Defense Intelligence Senior Level (DISL) positions, established in accordance with section 1601
