OPM Issues Memo on Implementing Federal Hiring Executive Order
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has released a memo to agency leaders regarding the implementation of the Trump Administration’s June executive order (EO) on reforming the federal hiring process to increase use of skills assessments and interviews with subject matter experts.
The memo to agency leaders released on July 31 outlines concepts in the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), released in 2018 in an attempt to “establish a long-term vision for modernizing the Federal government,” that align with the mission of the recent EO, including:
Reviewing and streamlining agency hiring practices;
Revamping the use of education to qualify applicants governmentwide;
Using competency-based hiring practices including assessments to identify highly skilled talent; and
Using a multiple hurdle process for assessing skilled talent.
The memo outlines plans for the Director of OPM, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council (DPC), and the heads of executive departments and agencies as appropriate, to review and revise qualification standards as directed in the EO within 180 days.
The memo also refers agency leaders to OPM’s assessments and selection webpage and OPM’s Assessment Decision Guide for additional information on reviewing and selecting competency-based assessment options.
As directed by the EO, OPM and OMB will be partnering with federal agencies over the next 120 days to complete several next steps. These steps include that:
Each agency will identify a lead point of contact and an alternate, at the headquarters level, who will coordinate with OPM to oversee their agency’s implementation of the requirements of EO 13932. Please email the name, title, email address, and telephone number to Fedclass@opm.gov within 1 week of the date of this memorandum.
Agency POCs will participate in upcoming virtual focus groups to engage with OPM and other agency leaders and share experiences, best practices, insights, and concerns regarding implementation.
OPM and OMB leadership will host a series of listening sessions with outside experts and authorities on assessments and competency-based hiring to inform implementation.
OPM and OMB will host a joint Industry and Federal Sector Day to highlight assessment products and best practices.
A timeline included in the memo schedules OPM to issue final changes to the General Schedule qualification policy on Monday, October 26, 2020. Final implementation of an “updated Operations Manual, Delegated Examining Handbook, revised General Schedule qualification policy and assessment guidance” is scheduled to occur on Thursday, December 24, 2020.