DOD INSTRUCTION 1400.25, VOLUME 920
D
EFENSE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:
SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM AND COMPENSATION POLICY
Originating Component: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Effective: March 29, 2017
Change 3 Effective: August 12, 2025
Releasability: Cleared for public release. Available on the Directives Division Website
at https://www.esd.whs.mil/DD/.
Incorporates and Cancels: Portions pertaining to Senior Executive Service (SES) members from the
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum,
“Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) – Senior Executive Service Tier
Policy for Career and Non-Career Senior Executive Service Members,”
April 28, 2008, including those portions of the attachment titled,
“Subchapter 920” pertaining to SES members.
Approved by: A. M. Kurta, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness
Change 3 Approved by : Merlynn Carson, Performing the Duties of the Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Purpose: This instruction is composed of several volumes, each containing its own purpose. In
accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 5124.02:
• The purpose of the overall instruction is to establish and implement policy, establish procedures,
provide guidelines and model programs, delegate authority, and assign responsibilities regarding civilian
personnel management within the DoD.
• This volume establishes and implements policy, assigns responsibilities, delegates authorities, and
prescribes procedures to create the Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Management System
(PMS) in accordance with the authority in DoD Directive 1400.25 for SES performance and
compensation management within DoD. For the purposes of this volume, members of the SES are
referred to as “executives.”
