The Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
July 2, 2021
An Overview
Taylor N. Riccard
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is authorized by statute to perform various duties
Analyst in Government
and functions that are related to human resources management and personnel policies for the
Organization and
federal government. The antecedent of OPM may be traced to the enactment of the Civil Service
Management
Act of 1883, known as the Pendleton Act, which statutorily established some underlying aspects

of today’s federal personnel system. The act also established the Civil Service Commission
(CSC), which was originally intended to insulate the hiring and management of federal

employees from partisan political influence. The CSC continued with much the same role until
1978, when Congress passed the Civil Service Reform Act and replaced the CSC with OPM.
OPM identifies a number of areas central to its work that are referred to as “key functions,” including human capital
management, administration of federal employee benefit programs, and the vetting of job candidates.
OPM’s funding is included in the annual Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. For FY2020,
OPM’s gross budget—including appropriated funds, mandatory administrative authorities, and revolving fund activities—
was nearly $952 million, and the agency had 2,519 full-time-equivalent employees.
This report discusses OPM’s establishment, statutory authority, mission, key functions, organization, budget, and
performance. It also identifies potential politicization of the civil service and the reorganization and modernization of OPM
as issues for congressional oversight. It raises several questions under each issue for Congress to consider. It also discusses
the recommendations published in the National Academy of Public Administration’s (NAPA) report “Elevating Human
Capital: Reframing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Leadership Imperative,” which was published in 2021
pursuant to a statutory mandate.

Congressional Research Service

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Establishment of OPM
The creation of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may be traced to the enactment of
the Civil Service Act of 1883, known as the Pendleton Act,1 which established in statute some
underlying aspects of today’s federal personnel system. Prior to the Pendleton Act, according to
OPM’s description of the system before 1883, “[f]ederal employment was largely based on
political affiliation or personal connections, a system known as the ‘spoils system,’ rather than
applicants’ knowledge, skil s, and abilities.”2 The Pendleton Act and the resulting merit system,
OPM says, “ushered in a new era and created a competitive civil service, which emphasized an
applicant’s relative level of qualifications for the position being sought, after fair and open
competition.”3 The act established the Civil Service Commission, which was intended to insulate
the hiring and management of federal employees from partisan political influence.4 The
commission continued with much the same role until the enactment of the Civil Service Reform
Act of 1978 (CSRA), which created OPM.5 The CSRA authorized significant leadership roles in
federal human resources management and personnel policy for OPM.6 By consolidating human
resources leadership within OPM, Congress intended for the agency “to concentrate on planning
and administering an effective government-wide program of personnel management.”7
Statutory Authority
Generally, the statutory provisions governing OPM are located in Title 5 of the United States
Code, and in particular in Chapter 11. Section 1103(a) of Title 5 vests the OPM Director with
fulfil ing various functions, including “executing, administering, and enforcing (A) the civil
service rules and regulations … and the laws governing the civil service; and (B) the other
activities of the Office including retirement and classification activities; except with respect to
functions for which the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Special Counsel is primarily
responsible.”8
In addition, the OPM Director is responsible for “aiding the President … in preparing such civil
service rules as the President prescribes, and otherwise advising the President on actions which
may be taken to promote an efficient civil service and a systematic application of the merit
system principles, including recommending policies relating to the selection, promotion, transfer,
performance, pay, conditions of service, tenure, and separation of employees.”9

1 P.L. 16; Civil Service Act of 1883; January 16, 1883 (22 Stat. 403). T his law is discussed for historical context in
CRS Report RL30795, General Managem ent Laws: A Com pendium , by Clinton T . Brass et al. (available upon request
to congressional clients), in the section titled “ T itle 5, Part III—Employees,” by Barbara Schwemle.
2 U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Annual Performance Report: Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, at
https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf#page=7.
3 Ibid.
4 See CRS Report RL30795, General Management Laws: A Compendium , by Clinton T . Brass et al. (available upon
request to congressional clients), in the section titled “ T itle 5, Part II—Civil Service Functions and Responsibilities,”
by Barbara Schwemle, p. 248.
5 Ibid., p. 245. See also “ Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978,” May 23, 1978, (92 Stat. 3783).
6 Ibid., p. 248.
7 Ibid.
8 5 U.S.C. §1103(a).
9 Ibid.
Congressional Research Service

1

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Under Section 1103(a), the Director’s responsibilities also include, among others, securing
accuracy, uniformity, and justice in OPM’s functions; appointing individuals to be employed;
directing and supervising employees; distributing business among employees and organizational
units; directing internal management; and directing the preparation of requests for appropriations
and the use and expenditure of funds.10
The agency’s website explains that “the Office of the Director provides guidance, leadership and
direction necessary to fulfil the agency’s mission and make the Federal Government the model
employer in the United States.”11
Section 1303 of P.L. 107-296, enacted on November 25, 2002, established the Chief Human
Capital Officers Council. The council members include the OPM Director, the Deputy Director
for Management of the Office of Management and Budget, and the chief human capital officers
from 27 departments and agencies.12 The OPM Director acts as Chairperson of the council, which
is required to “meet periodical y to advise and coordinate the activities of the agencies of its
members on such matters as modernization of human resources systems, improved quality of
human resources information, and legislation affecting human resources operations and
organizations.”13
Mission, Key Functions, and Organization
As the federal government’s central personnel agency, OPM has responsibilities related to human
capital management, administration of federal employee benefit programs, and vetting of job
candidates. The agency describes itself as follows on its website:
OPM serves as the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the
Federal Government. OPM provides human resources leadership and support to Federal
agencies and helps the Federal workforce achieve their aspirations as they serve the
American people. OPM directs human resources and employee management services,
administers retirement benefits, manages healthcare and insurance programs, oversees
merit-based and inclusive hiring into the civil service, and provides a secure employment
process.14
In recent years, OPM has included a mission statement and a list of core values in its strategic
plans. For example, the agency’s A New Day for Federal Service: Strategic Plan 2010-2015
mission statement was “Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class Workforce to Serve the
American People.”15 OPM listed several values in the plan, including service, respect, integrity,
diversity, enthusiasm, excel ence, and innovation.16 The mission statement and values remained
unchanged in the Strategic Plan 2014-2018.17

10 Ibid.
11 OPM, “About Us: Our People & Organization,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-people-organization/office-of-
the-director/.
12 Chief Human Capital Officers Council, “About the Council,” at https://www.chcoc.gov/content/about-council.
13 5 U.S.C. §1401 note.
14 OPM, “Our Agency,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/.
15 OPM, A New Day for Federal Service: Strategic Plan 2010-2015, p. 4, archived at https://web.archive.org/web/
20130227161503/http://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/strategic-plans/2010-2015-strategic-plan.pdf.
16 Ibid.
17 OPM, Strategic Plan 2014-2018, pp. 6-7, archived at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/strategic-
plans/2014-2018-strategic-plan.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

2

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Most recently, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022 revised the mission statement to read,
“We lead and serve the Federal Government in enterprise human resources management by
delivering policies and services to achieve a trusted effective civilian workforce.” In addition, the
core values included innovation, integrity, excel ence, service, and leadership.18 The plan stated
that OPM “works in several broad categories to lead and serve the Federal Government in
enterprise human resource management by delivering policies and services to achieve a trusted
effective civilian workforce.”19
The strategic plan also identified “key functions” that are central to the work of the agency,
including the following:
Human Capital Management. OPM provides policy direction and leadership in
designing, developing, and promulgating Government-wide human resources systems,
programs, and policies that support the current and emerging needs of Federal agencies. In
addition, OPM provides technical support and guidance to agencies regarding the full range
of human resources (HR) management policies and practices.20
Benefits. OPM offers the availability of quality benefits for Federal employees and their
families. The agency works to facilitate access to the high-caliber healthcare and insurance
programs offered by the Federal Government, including health insurance services, dental
and vision benefits, flexible spending accounts, life insurance; and long -term care
insurance programs. OPM manages insurance benefits for more than eight million Federal
employees, retirees, and their families. OPM also develops and administers programs that
provide health insurance to uninsured Americans through Affordable Insurance
Exchanges, and employees of tribes or tribal organizations. OPM is responsible for the
administration of the Federal Retirement Program covering more than 2.7 million active
employees, including the United States Postal Service, and nearly 2.6 million annuitants,
survivors, and family members.21
Vetting. As the Suitability and Credential Executive Agent, OPM’s Director is responsible
for prescribing suitability, fitness, and credentialing standards for employment; prescribing
position designation requirements with respect to risk to the integrity and efficiency of the
service; prescribing applicable investigative standards, policies, and procedures for
suitability, fitness, and credentialing; prescribing reciprocity standards; and making
suitability determinations and taking actions.… The OPM Director as the Suitability
Executive Agent, issued National Training Standards for Suitability Adjudicators to
support uniformity in the continued professional development of the suitability workforce
and to promote reciprocal recognition of suitability determinations.22
To support OPM’s key functions, the agency is organized into program divisions, including (1)
Employee Services; (2) Retirement Services; (3) Healthcare and Insurance; (4) Merit System
Accountability and Compliance; (5) Suitability Executive Agent; and (6) Human Resources

18 OPM, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022, February 2018, p. 9, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/strategic-plans/2018-2022-strategic-plan.pdf.
19 Ibid.
20 OPM, “About Us: Our Mission, Role & History,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-mission-role-history/what-
we-do/#url=Human-Capital-Management -Leadership.
21 OPM, “About Us: Our Mission, Role & History,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-mission-role-history/what-
we-do/#url=Benefits.
22 OPM, “About Us: Our Mission, Role & History,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-mission-role-history/what-
we-do/#url=Vetting.
Congressional Research Service

3

link to page 8 The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Solutions.23 Figure 1 shows the Organization Chart for OPM, as obtained from OPM’s Annual
Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020.

23 OPM, “About Us: Our People & Organization,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/our-people-organization/office-of-
the-director/.
Congressional Research Service

4

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Figure 1. Organization Chart for OPM (January 2021)

Source: OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, p. 12, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/
budget-performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

5

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

OPM’s Operating Budget
OPM’s activities are funded from multiple sources. Specifical y, OPM receives several sources of
discretionary funds to support its program and leadership activities.24 OPM also manages certain
mandatory appropriations and related trust funds for federal employee benefits.25 Several
statutory provisions authorize OPM to make certain trust fund transfers to cover OPM’s costs for
administering these programs. Some of the more prominent sources of funding for OPM’s
administrative activities—which OPM refers to as its “operating budget”—include the
following:26
 The Salaries and Expenses appropriations account funds many of the core
operations of OPM.27 The functions and objectives of the agency’s major
components are funded by this account, including employee services, merit
system accountability and compliance, retirement services program, and
healthcare and insurance.28
 The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) appropriations account funds OIG
efforts to “protect the integrity of OPM’s programs and operations. The OPM
OIG’s audits, investigations, evaluations, and administrative sanctions programs
serve to prevent and detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.”29
 Transfers from OPM-managed trust funds partial y pay for some of OPM’s
activities. The agency is responsible for administering the civil service retirement
and insurance programs. The trust fund transfers partial y fund Retirement
Services, Healthcare and Insurance, Planning and Policy Analysis, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, and Office of the Chief Financial Officer operations.30

24 OPM’s annual congressional budget justification provides detailed budget information about OPM’s administrative
activities. See OPM, Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Perform ance Plan Fiscal Year 2022, May 2021,
at https://www.opm.gov/about -us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-budget-justification-fy2022.pdf.
25 OPM manages several mandatory spending programs that amount to tens of billions of dollars per year, including
federal employee retirement systems, health insurance, and life insurance. T his CRS report focuses on OPM’s
administrative budget rather than the mandatory spending programs, which “ finance the retirement program for
approximately 2.8 million Federal civilian employees, and provide retirement benefits for more than 2.8 million retirees
and survivors, finance the health insurance for approximately 8.1 million employees, retirees, and their family
members, and provide life insurance coverage for an estimated 4.2 million employees and retirees.” Ibid., p. 79. For
more information about the cost of the mandatory spending programs, see OPM, Agency Financial Report Fiscal Year
2020, November 2020, at https://www.opm.gov/about -us/budget-performance/performance/2020-agency-financial-
report.pdf.
26 For reference to the “operating budget,” see OPM, Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Plan
Fiscal Year 2022, May 2021, p. 7, at https://www.opm.gov/about -us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-
budget-justification-fy2022.pdf.
27 OMB, Budget of the U.S. Government, FY2021, Appendix, p. 1211, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2021/05/opm_fy22.pdf. See also OPM, Congressional Budget Justification Fiscal Year 2021 , February 2020,
at https://www.opm.gov/about -us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-budget-justification-fy2021.pdf.
28 OMB, Budget of the U.S. Government, FY2021, Appendix, pp. 1211-1212, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2021/05/opm_fy22.pdf.
29 Ibid.
30 OPM, Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Plan Fiscal Year 2019, February 2018, p. 7, at
https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-budget-justification-fy2019.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

6

link to page 10 link to page 10 link to page 10 link to page 10 link to page 10 link to page 10 The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

 The Revolving Fund is “comprised of fees or reimbursements provided by
agencies for services OPM provides for activities covered by the Fund.”31
Services funded by the Revolving Fund include “background investigations,
human resources services as wel as related tools and technologies, such as
USAJOBS.”32
OPM’s annual congressional budget justification (CBJ) typical y includes detailed information
about al of the components of OPM’s operating budget. Table 1, below, provides more detailed
information from OPM’s FY2022 CBJ.
Table 1. OPM Operating Budget, by Fund, FY2020-FY2022
OPM Budget
Authority
FY2020 Enacted
FY2021 Enacted
FY2022 Requested
Discretionary
$299,762,000
$329,755,000
$372,000,000
Appropriationsa
Salaries and Expenses
$145,137,000
$160, 130,000
$197,000,000
Totalb
Trust Fund Annual
$154,625,000
$169,625,000
$175,000,000
Totalc
Mandatory Administrative
$66,956,125
$74,328,075
$77, 107,598
Authoritiesd
Revolving Funde
$857,237,726
$522,303,918
$549,618,781
Advance and
$169,255,203
$93,063,500
$14,204,123
Reimbursementsf
OIG Discretionary
$30,265,000
$32,265,000
$34,910,300
Appropriationsg
OPM Total
$1,423,476,054
$1,051,715,493
$1,047,840,802
Source: Adapted from OPM, Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Plan Fiscal Year 2022, May
2021, p. 7, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-budget-justification-
fy2022.pdf.
a. Figures in the Discretionary Appropriations row are the sum of the Salaries and Expenses total and the
Trust Fund Annual Total.
b. The Salaries and Expenses total includes funds for personnel and non-personnel resources, as wel as funds
for IT modernization efforts.
c. The Trust Fund Annual Total consists of transfers from trust funds that are subject to congressional
limitation in the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations act. The transfers come
from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, Federal Employees Health Benefits Fund, and Federal
Employee’s Group Life Insurance Fund.
d. Figures in the Mandatory Administrative Authorities row reflect additional trust fund transfers for OPM’s
administration of certain retirement and insurance activities.
e. The Revolving Fund finances activities that OPM is required or authorized to perform on a reimbursable
basis, and al ows OPM to provide personnel management services to other federal agencies via several
programs.
f.
Advance and Reimbursements refers to anticipated advances and reimbursements from other federal
agencies for activities outside of OPM’s revolving fund.
g. The OIG Discretionary Appropriations consist of funds for OIG’s core operations.

31 Ibid.
32 Ibid.
Congressional Research Service

7

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

For FY2021, OPM’s operating budget—including discretionary appropriations, mandatory
administrative authorities, revolving fund activities, advance and reimbursements, and OIG
discretionary appropriations—was $1,051,715,493, and the agency had 2,737.9 full-time-
equivalent employees.33 OPM also received $12,100,000 from P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020.34 The CARES Act
funding was to be used for “improvements in remote work capacity.”35
Performance
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requires most agencies to set goals,
measure performance, and report the information to Congress for potential use.36 OPM provides
this information in multiyear strategic plans, annual plans, and annual reports.37 OPM explained
that its strategic plan for FY2018-FY2022 was intended to “guide the Agency’s efforts to lead
and serve the Federal Government in enterprise human resources management by delivering
policies and services to achieve a trusted effective civilian workforce.”38 This strategic plan
highlighted four primary agency goals and established a series of objectives and su-objectives
associated with each goal. OPM’s Annual Performance Report (APR) “provides an overview of
OPM’s progress in implementing the strategies and achieving the objectives and goals in its FY
2018-FY 2022 Strategic Plan.”39 These primary goals were identified in 2018 and assessed in
2021 as follows:
 Goal 1: Transform hiring, pay, and benefits across the federal government to
attract and retain the best civilian work force.40 OPM’s FY2020 APR found that
the agency met three out of four objectives associated with Goal 1 by the time the
report was published.41
 Goal 2: Lead the establishment and modernization of human capital information
technology and data management systems and solutions.42 OPM’s FY2020 APR
found that the agency met one out of three objectives associated with Goal 2.43

33 OPM, Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Plan Fiscal Year 2022, May 2021, at
https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/budgets/congressional-budget-justification-fy2022.pdf.
34 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, p. 6, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
35 Ibid.
36 For discussion, see CRS Report R42379, Changes to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA):
Overview of the New Fram ework of Products and Processes, by Clinton T . Brass.
37 OPM, “Budget & Performance,” at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-performance/.
38 Ibid.
39 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, p. 7, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
40 OPM, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022, February 2018, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/strategic-plans/2018-2022-strategic-plan.pdf.
41 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, p. 23, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
42 OPM, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022, February 2018, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/strategic-plans/2018-2022-strategic-plan.pdf.
43 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, p. 24, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

8

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

 Goal 3: Improve integration and communication of OPM services to federal
agencies to meet emerging needs.44 OPM’s FY2020 APR found that the agency
met four out of five objectives and sub-objectives associated with Goal 3.45
 Goal 4: Optimize agency performance.46 OPM’s FY2020 APR found that the
agency met three out of ten objectives and sub-objectives associated with Goal 4
by the time the report was published.47
Issues for Congressional Oversight
Issues related to potential politicization of the civil service and reorganization and modernization
of OPM may be of interest to Congress for oversight purposes. Additional y, in 2021, the National
Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) released a statutorily required report recommending a
number of objectives for OPM to implement.48
Selected Oversight Issues
Some observers have expressed concerns about potential politicization of the civil service by
employees “burrowing in”—that is, the process of political appointees being converted to civil
service positions during a presidential transition.49 This practice is of interest because “[u]nlike
political appointments, civil service positions do not terminate at the end of an administration.
Conversion therefore al ows political appointees to stay in government after the president who
appointed them has left office.”50 Observers suggest that this practice may not align with merit
system principles that were intended to prevent nepotism and political favoritism in the civil
service.51
OPM is statutorily tasked with overseeing the conversion of political appointees into civil service
positions.52 In 2018, OPM issued a memorandum outlining changes to their oversight practices in
response to P.L. 114-136, the Edward “Ted” Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential

44 OPM, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022, February 2018, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/strategic-plans/2018-2022-strategic-plan.pdf.
45 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, pp. 25-26, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/
budget-performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
46 OPM, OPM Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022, February 2018, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/budget-
performance/strategic-plans/2018-2022-strategic-plan.pdf.
47 OPM, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Year 2020, January 2021, pp. 26-27, at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/
budget-performance/performance/2020-annual-performance-report.pdf.
48 Sec. 1112(b) of P.L. 116-92, National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020, enacted on December 20, 2019,
required the OPM Director to contract with NAPA to conduct this study. National Academy of Public Administration
(NAPA), Elevating Hum an Capital: Refram ing the U.S. Office of Personnel Managem ent’s Leadership Im perative ,
March 17, 2021, at https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/napa-2021/studies/united-states-office-of-personnel-
management -independent -assessment/OPM-Final-Report-National-Academy-of-Public-Administration.pdf.
49 See CRS Insight IN11538, Presidential Transitions: An Overview, by L. Elaine Halchin.
50 Alex T ippett and T roy Cribb, “ Political Appointee T o Civil Servant: What the Public Should Know About
“Burrowing In,” Partnership for Public Service Center for Presidential T ransition, October 14, 2020, at
https://presidentialtransition.org/blog/political-appointee-burrowing-in/.
51 Ibid. See also, U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (hereinafter MSPB), “T he Merit System Principles: Keys to
Managing the Federal Workforce,” October 2020, at https://www.mspb.gov/mspbsearch/viewdocs.aspx?docnumber=
1371890&version=1377261&application=ACROBAT .
52 Ibid.
Congressional Research Service

9

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

Transitions Improvements Act of 2015, enacted on March 18, 2016.53 Agencies are required to
“submit a request to OPM whenever they seek to hire a current political appointee or one who has
served in a political position within the last five years.” In addition, “OPM conducts multi-level
reviews of each application to make sure the conversion follows federal hiring guidelines.”54 A
report published in 2017 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that
OPM approved 78 of 99 requests to convert political appointees to career positions
agencies proposed to complete from January 1, 2010, through March 17, 2016. OPM
denied 21 requests for varying reasons, such as bypassing qualified veterans, and referred
9 denied cases to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Of the 78 approved requests,
agencies followed through and converted 69 political appointees to career positions.
During the period, agencies completed 7 conversions without obtaining OPM approval;
OPM completed post-appointment reviews for 4 of these 7 conversions, denying all 4. For
each of the 4 denied cases, the agencies undertook various remedies, such as re-advertising
positions, in response to OPM’s concerns. OPM did not complete a review for the 3 other
conversions because the appointees were no longer in the career positions to which they
were converted.55
Congress may consider several questions with regard to “burrowing in,” including the adequacy
and transparency of OPM’s current oversight practices, and the role of federal agencies in
evaluating political appointee conversions.
Another possible issue for congressional oversight relates to the potential reorganization of OPM.
The Trump Administration proposed to merge OPM with a renamed Government Services
Agency (GSA; currently, the General Services Administration).56 This plan would have
transferred most of OPM’s functions and authorities to GSA.57 It also suggested establishing an
Office of Federal Workforce Policy in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to assume
OPM’s policy responsibilities.58 Former OMB Director Russel Vought wrote a letter to House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the merger plan that stated:
The primary purpose of the legislative proposal is to authorize the transfer of the vast
majority of the current functions and resources of OPM to GSA, including Human
Resources Solutions, Information Technology, Retirement, Health and Insurance Services.
GSA will create a new Personnel Service to house the human resources and emp loyee
lifecycle management shared service offerings. Agencies will benefit from GSA helping
them to obtain more strategic and comprehensive support for their needs.59
Ultimately, the Trump Administration decided to abandon the plan, reportedly citing a lack of
congressional action on the legislative proposal as the reason.60 Such a proposal may, however,

53 Kathleen McGettigan, “Political Appointees and Career Civil Service Positions,” OPM, February 23, 2018, at
https://www.chcoc.gov/content/political-appointees-and-career-civil-service-positions-3.
54 Ibid.
55 U.S. Government Accountability Office, Actions Needed to Improve Documentation of OPM Decisions on
Conversion Requests, GAO-17-674, August 2017, at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-17-674.pdf.
56 For discussion, see CRS Insight IN11110, Administration Proposal to Reorganize the U.S. Office of Personnel
Managem ent (OPM), coordinated by Barbara L. Schwemle.
57 Erich Wagner, “White House’s OPM-GSA Merger Bill Gives an Unconfirmed Appointee Authority Over Personnel
Rules,” Government Executive, May 16, 2019, at https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/05/white-houses-opm-
gsa-merger-bill-gives-unconfirmed-appointee-authority-over-personnel-rules/157085/.
58 Ibid.
59 Ibid.
60 Erich Wagner, “OPM Quietly Abandons Proposed Merger with GSA,” Government Executive, October 30, 2020, at
https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/10/opm-quietly-abandons-proposed-merger-gsa/169692/.
Congressional Research Service

10

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

cause some to raise questions regarding OPM’s role in federal human resources management,
including whether OPM’s organizational structure should be altered, whether OPM should
continue to be the primary agency tasked with significant responsibilities related to human capital
management, and OMB’s role, if any, in federal personnel policy.
Stil another issue for congressional oversight relates to modernization of OPM and federal hiring
practices. Some observers suggest that OPM should modernize its hiring practices to stay
competitive with private sector employers. Executive Order (E.O.) 13932, “Modernizing and
Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates,”61 issued by President Donald
Trump on June 26, 2020, sought to alter the federal hiring process by removing potential y
unnecessary education qualifications to ensure that the federal hiring process is merit-based.62
The changes mandated by the E.O. were reportedly intended to “most especial y help with
positions in the emerging technologies field, where some agencies have struggled to fil
positions.”63 A recent U.S. Merit Systems Protections Board study found that agencies are relying
more often on direct hire authorities to compete for talent.64 According to the report “agencies
used direct hire authorities to make 28,000 appointments in fiscal 2018.”65 In reviewing this issue,
Congress may consider whether OPM should encourage agencies to continue using direct hire
authorities, how OPM has implemented E.O.13932, the executive order’s effect on the federal
workforce, and whether a reduced reliance on education requirements in federal hiring would
al ow the federal government to better compete with the private sector for talent.
NAPA Recommendations for OPM
On March 17, 2021, NAPA released a congressional y mandated report on OPM, which included
23 recommendations for the agency.66 The first recommendation in the report stated that OPM’s
statutory authority, codified at 5 U.S.C. §1101, should be amended “to clarify and redefine the
role and mission of OPM as the federal government’s enterprise wide, independent human capital
agency and steward of the merit system for al civilian personnel systems and employees,
responsible for providing government-wide leadership in strategic human capital management.”67
Another recommendation stated that OPM should “(1) redefine the OPM mission statement and
restructure the organization to effectively and efficiently execute the reframed mission priorities

61 Executive Order 13932, “Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates,” 85
Federal Register 39457, July 1, 2020.
62 See CRS Insight IN11490, Executive Order 13932 on Assessing and Hiring Job Candidates in Federal Agencies, by
T aylor N. Riccard.
63 Jessie Bur, “Degree requirements are on the way out for federal jobs,” Federal Times, August 3, 2020, at
https://www.federaltimes.com/management/hr/2020/08/03/degree-requirements-are-on-the-way-out-for-federal-jobs/.
64 MSPB Office of Policy and Evaluation, Direct-Hire Authority Under 5 U.S.C. §3304: Usage and Outcomes,
February 2021, at https://www.mspb.gov/MSPBSEARCH/vie wdocs.aspx?docnumber =1803830%20&version=
1810102&application=ACROBAT . “ Direct -hire authorities (DHAs) allow agencies to use streamlined procedures to
appoint new employees without regard to some key merit system and public policy provisions, such as applicant rating
and ranking and veterans’ preference.”
65 Ibid.
66 National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), Elevating Human Capital: Reframing the U.S. Office of
Personnel Management’s Leadership Imperative, March 17, 2021, at https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/napa-2021/
studies/united-states-office-of-personnel-management-independent -assessment/OPM-Final-Report-National-Academy-
of-Public-Administration.pdf. Sec. 1112(b) of P.L. 116-92, National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020, enacted
on December 20, 2019, required the study.
67 Ibid., p. 3.
Congressional Research Service

11

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM): An Overview

and (2) restore the agency’s reputation for human capital leadership, expertise, and service by
redirecting the internal culture and rebuilding internal staff capacity.”68
NAPA included a number of objectives associated with each recommendation. Each
recommendation, if implemented, is designed to yield specific intended outcomes. The report
explains:
Successful implementation should yield the following results: Human capital is recognized
and supported as a strategic priority across government by the Administration, the
Congress, and federal agencies. OPM’s role is reaffirmed and strengthened as the leader
for strategic human capital management government-wide. OPM’s approach to human
capital management evolves from predominantly compliance-oriented to customer-
focused, value-added, data-driven and forward-looking encouraging innovation and
sharing of best practices.69
In a press conference about the report, the president of NAPA, Terry Gerton, said, “We strongly
recommend that a central personnel agency continue to exist, and that organization is an
independent, enterprise-wide human capital agency and a steward of the merit system
principles.”70 In the statute requiring the NAPA report, Congress gave OPM six months to provide
a formal response.71 As of the time of writing, OPM had not yet submitted its response to
Congress. The NAPA report and the upcoming OPM response may present an array of issues for
continued congressional consideration regarding OPM.

Author Information

Taylor N. Riccard

Analyst in Government Organization and
Management

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

68 Ibid., pp. 3-4.
69 Ibid., p. 2.
70 Jessie Bur, “ Congressionally mandated report envisions a more powerful OPM,” March 17, 2021, Federal Times, at
https://www.federaltimes.com/management/2021/03/17/congressionally-mandated-report-envisions-a-more-powerful-
opm/.
71 P.L. 116-92, Section 1112(c).
Congressional Research Service
R46833 · VERSION 1 · NEW
12