(a) The hiring rate is the minimum salary stated in the salary schedule for each of the salary grades applicable to employees covered by this Part.

(b) The job rate is the maximum salary stated in the salary schedule for each of the salary grades applicable to employees covered by this Part.

(c) The salary range is the dollar difference between the hiring rate and the job rate of a salary grade.

(d) A performance advancement payment is an increase in basic annual salary for an employee who is below the job rate of the salary grade, based on a performance evaluation.

(e) A performance award payment is a lump sum payment made to an employee who is at or above the job rate, based on a performance evaluation.

(f) The anniversary date in salary grade is an employee's appointment date to salary grade which is the date used to initiate the employee's evaluation cycle. For employees who have not changed salary grades since March 31, 1979, the anniversary date in salary grade is April first.

(g) The final rating determines eligibility for a performance advancement payment or performance award payment and generally occurs annually. However, in the case of employees who are award-eligible, the final rating is the performance rating which last occurs on or before October first of each calendar year.

(h) The interim rating is a performance rating which takes place six months from the employee's final rating date.

(i) A performance rating is one of three terms used to describe an employee's performance. These terms are Outstanding, Effective and Unsatisfactory.

(j) The appraiser is generally the employee's immediate supervisor, the person most familiar with the employee's work and therefore in the best position to evaluate day-to-day performance. This is the individual who usually assigns and reviews the employee's work. Responsibility for appraising employee performance and assisting the rater in assigning ratings resides with the immediate supervisor.

(k) The rater is generally the next level of supervision above the appraiser (immediate supervisor), the person to whom the employee's immediate supervisor usually reports for work assignments. The responsibility and authority for assigning a rating reside with this level of supervision. The performance rating assigned by the rater remains tentative and does not become the employee's assigned performance rating until review and approval by the management-level reviewer.

(l) The reviewer is generally the first level of management in direct line above the rater. This individual is responsible for assuring that the appraisal process has been conducted thoroughly and in a manner consistent with the objectives of the program. This includes reviewing the evaluations to assure that tasks and performance expectations have been applied appropriately and equitably by each rater and among various raters under his/her direction, resulting in ratings which appropriately describe the levels of employee performance throughout the work unit. The reviewer has the authority and responsibility to correct any deficiencies or inequities which might exist.