[United States Government Manual] [June 01, 2001] [Pages 494-499] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-0001 Phone, 202-606-1800. Internet, www.opm.gov. Director Steven R. Cohen, Acting Deputy Director (vacancy) Associate Director, Employment Service Dick Whitford, Acting Associate Director, Investigations Service Richard A. Ferris Associate Director, Office of Merit Systems Anna Marie Schuh, Oversight and Effectiveness Acting Associate Director, Retirement and Insurance William E. Flynn III Service Associate Director, Workforce Compensation and Henry Romero Performance Service Director, Office of Contracting and Steve Van Rees Administrative Services Director, Office of Executive and Management Barbara Garvin-Kester Development Director, Office of Executive Resources K. Joyce Edwards Management Director, Office of Human Resources and Equal Mark Reinhold, Acting Employment Opportunity Director, Office of Workforce Relations Teresa M. Jenkins Chairman, Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory (vacancy) Committee Chief Financial Officer Kathleen M. McGettigan [[Page 495]] Chief Information Officer Janet L. Barnes Director, Office of Congressional Relations Robert J. Hoke, Acting Director, Office of Communications Sandra S. Payne, Acting General Counsel Kathie Ann Whipple, Acting Inspector General Patrick E. McFarland [For the Office of Personnel Management statement of organization, see the Federal Register of Jan. 5, 1979, 44 FR 1501] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) administers a merit system to ensure compliance with personnel laws and regulations and assists agencies in recruiting, examining, and promoting people on the basis of their knowledge and skills, regardless of their race, religion, sex, political influence, or other nonmerit factors. OPM's role is to provide guidance to agencies in operating human resources programs which effectively support their missions and to provide an array of personnel services to applicants and employees. OPM supports Government program managers in their human resources management responsibilities and provide benefits to employees, retired employees, and their survivors. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T188578.055 The Office of Personnel Management was created as an independent establishment by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.), pursuant to Executive Order 12107 of December 28, 1978. Many of the functions of the former United States Civil Service Commission were transferred to OPM. Activities Employee Benefits OPM also manages numerous activities that directly affect the well-being of the Federal employee and indirectly enhance employee effectiveness. These include health benefits,life insurance,and retirement benefits. Examining and Staffing The Office of Personnel Management is responsible for providing departments and agencies with technical assistance and guidance in examining competitive positions in the Federal civil service for General Schedule grades 1 through 15 and Federal Wage system positions. In addition, OPM is responsible for: --providing examination services, at the request of an agency, on a reimbursable basis; --establishing basic qualification standards for all occupations; --certifying agency delegated examining units to conduct examining; --providing employment information for competitive service positions; and --providing policy direction and guidance on promotions, reassignments, appointments in the excepted and competitive services, reinstatements, temporary and term employment, veteranspreference, work force planning and reshaping, organizational design, career transition, and other staffing provisions. Executive Resources OPM leads in the selection, management, and development of Federal executives. It administers the Senior Executive Service program and other merit-based executive personnel systems that promote the development of a corporate perspective. OPM provides policy guidance, consulting services, and technical support in such areas as recruitment, selection, succession planning, mobility performance, awards, and removals. It reviews agency nominations for SES career appointments and administers the Qualifications Review Boards that certify candidates' executive qualifications. It manages SES, senior- level, and scientific and professional space allocations to agencies, administers the Presidential Rank Awards program, and conducts orientation sessions for newly appointed executives. In addition, OPM manages three interagency residential development and training centers for executives and managers. Investigations The Office of the Inspector General conducts comprehensive and independent audits, investigations, and evaluations relating to OPM programs and operations. It is [[Page 497]] responsible for administrative actions against health care providers who commit sanctionable offenses with respect to the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program or other Federal programs. For further information, contact the Office of the Inspector General. Phone, 202-606-1200. Personnel Systems OPM provides leadership and guidance to agencies on systems to support the manager's personnel management responsibilities. These include: --white and blue collar pay systems, including Senior Executive Service and special occupational pay systems; geographical adjustments and locality payments; special rates to address recruitment and retention problems; allowances and differentials, including recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention allowances, and hazardous duty/ environmental pay; and premium pay; --annual and sick leave, court leave, military leave, leave transfer and leave bank programs, family and medical leave, excused absence, holidays, and scheduling of work--including flexible and compressed work schedules; --performance management, covering appraisal systems, performance pay and awards, and incentive awards for suggestions, inventions, and special acts; --classification policy and standards for agencies to determine the series and grades for Federal jobs; --labor-management relations,including collective bargaining, negotiability, unfair labor practices, labor-management cooperation, and consulting with unions on governmentwide issues; --systems and techniques for resolving disputes with employees; --quality of worklife initiatives, such as employee health and fitness, work and family, AIDS in the workplace, and employee assistance programs; --human resources development,including leadership and administration of the Human Resources Development Council and the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) interest group; --the Training and Management Assistance program,to help agencies develop training and human resources management solutions, including workforce planning and succession management strategies, e-learning applications, traditional classroom training materials, compensation and performance management systems, and other customized products; --information systems to support and improve Federal personnel management decisionmaking; and --governmentwide instructions for personnel processing and recordkeeping, and for release of personnel data under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. OPM also provides administrative support to special advisory bodies, including the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the Federal Salary Council, and the Presidential Advisory Committee on Expanding Training Opportunities. Oversight OPM assesses agencies' effectiveness in personnel management at the governmentwide, agency, and installation levels to gather information for policy development and program refinement, ensure compliance with personnel laws and regulations, enhance agency capability for human resources management accountability, and assist agencies in operating personnel programs which effectively support accomplishment of their primary missions consistent with merit system principles. OPM also works with other Federal agencies to explore potential improvements in personnel systems and to find better and simpler ways to manage Federal personnel. Workforce Diversity OPM provides leadership, direction, and policy for governmentwide affirmative recruiting programs for women,minorities,individuals with disabilities,and veterans.It also provides leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to promote merit and equality in systemic workforce recruitment, employment, training, and retention. In addition, OPM gathers, analyzes, and maintains statistical data on the diversity of the Federal work force, and prepares [[Page 498]] evaluation reports for Congress and others on individual agency and governmentwide progress toward full work force representation for all Americans in the Federal sector. Other Personnel Programs OPM coordinates the temporary assignment of employees between Federal agencies and State, local, and Indian tribal governments; institutions of higher education; and other eligible not- for-profit organizations for up to 2 years, for work of mutual benefit to the participating organizations. It administers the Presidential Management Intern Program, which provides 2-year, excepted appointments with Federal agencies to recipients of graduate degrees in appropriate disciplines. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management administers the Federal Merit System Standards, which apply to certain grant-aided State and local programs. Federal Executive Boards Federal Executive Boards (FEB's) were established by Presidential memorandum on November 13, 1961, to improve internal Federal management practices and to provide a central focus for Federal participation in civic affairs in major metropolitan centers of Federal activity. They carry out their functions under OPM supervision and control. FEB's serve as a means for disseminating information within the Federal Government and for promoting discussion of Federal policies and activities of importance to all Federal executives in the field. Each Board is composed of heads of Federal field offices in the metropolitan area. A Chairman is elected annually from among the membership to provide overall leadership to the Board's operations. Committees and task forces carry out interagency projects consistent with the Board's missions. Federal Executive Boards are located in 28 metropolitan areas that are important centers of Federal activity. These areas are: Albuquerque- Santa Fe, NM; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Buffalo, NY; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Honolulu, HI-Pacific; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Oklahoma City, OK; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; St. Louis, MO; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN). Federal Executive Associations, Councils, or Committees have been locally organized in over 70 other metropolitan areas to perform functions similar to the Federal Executive Boards but on a lesser scale of organization and activity. For further information, contact the Director for Federal Executive Board Operations, Office of Personnel Management, Room 5524, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-0001. Phone, 202-606-1000. Sources of Information Contracts For information, contact the Chief, Contracting Division, Office of Personnel Management, Washington, DC 20415-0071. Phone, 202- 606-2240. Employment Information about Federal employment and current job openings is available from USAJobs (phone, 912-757-3000; TTY, 912-744- 2299; Internet, www.usajobs.opm.gov). USAJobs can also be accessed through touch-screen kiosks located at most OPM regional offices, in many Federal agency buildings, and at several colleges and universities. Contact information for your local OPM offices is available in the blue pages of the phone book, under U.S. Government, Office of Personnel Management. For information about employment opportunities within the Office of Personnel Management, contact the Director for Human Resources. Phone, 202-606-2400. Publications The Chief, Publications Services Division, can provide information about Federal personnel management publications. Phone, 202- 606-1822. [[Page 499]] For further information, contact the Office of Communications, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-0001. Phone, 202-606-1800. Internet, www.opm.gov. ------------------------------------------------------------------------