Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 1402.03, Volume 5
October 22, 2015
Incorporating Change 1, April 20, 2017
DCMO
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, DoDD 5105.82, and Deputy
Secretary of Defense (DepSecDef) Memorandum (References (b), and (c), and (d)). 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 (ed)) and pursuant to Title 5, United States Code (Reference (fe)), and Title 5, Code
of Federal Regulations (Reference (gf)).
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
