About OPM
We are the human resources (HR) agency for the executive branch of the federal government. We provide policy direction to other agencies; a central portal for federal job announcements (USAJOBS); investigations services to agencies seeking to hire individuals; retirement and insurance benefits to federal employees and retirees, as well as to their families; and HR services to other agencies.
Background Investigations
Through the conduct of professional background investigations by its corps of Special Agents on federal civilian employees and military personnel, OPM’s Federal Investigative Services (FIS) ensures the American public is served by men and women whose character and trustworthiness make them suitable for federal employment and eligible for access to classified information. FIS provides investigative products and services to more than 100 federal agencies where security officials use the investigative findings to make suitability and clearance determinations. Each year, OPM performs approximately 90 percent of all federal background investigations. In 2010, OPM expects to conduct more than 2 million investigations.
Classification and Appeals
Merit System Audit and Compliance (MSAC) conducts the government-wide classification and job grading appeals program and adjudicates Federal civilian employee compensation and leave claims and Federal civilian employee claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
The CFC is the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. With more than 225 CFC campaigns throughout the country and internationally, the CFC campaign received $282.6 million in pledged donations for charities in 2009. Federal civilian, postal and military donors support eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.
Oversight
Merit System Audit and Compliance (MSAC) ensures through rigorous oversight that Federal agency human resources (HR) programs are effective, efficient, and meet merit system principles and other Civil Service requirements. These are the key components of MSAC’s oversight and compliance program:
- Human Resource Management Evaluations: MSAC conducts independent evaluations of agencies’ HR programs and to ensure they support the mission and meet merit system principles and related civil service laws. MSAC evaluates the effectiveness of agencies’ results oriented performance culture, leadership and knowledge management, and talent management, including delegated competitive examining and excepted service hiring. MSAC also trains and certifies agency staff in the requirements of delegated examining.
- Strengthening Agency Accountability: MSAC works with large agencies to help them establish strong internal HR accountability systems. With MSAC’s guidance and active participation, agencies conduct self-assessments to determine how well their human capital programs are working to support mission needs. MSAC also trains agency HR staffs how to conduct independent evaluations of their human resource programs.
Policymaking Role
We provide policy direction and leadership to federal agencies in a variety of human resources arenas, including systems and programs for:
- Recruitment of individuals for a diverse and highly qualified federal workforce
- Maintaining a diverse and highly qualified federal workforce through training, other forms of employee development, classification of jobs, veterans preference, and related initiatives
- Pay and leave (e.g., vacation time and sick leave) for federal employees
- Performance management and recognition of federal workers
- Work/life/wellness programs for the federal workforce
- Labor and employee relations
Although we provide policy direction to other federal agencies, each agency is responsible for implementing those policies – in fact, we have our own internal HR office that resembles other executive branch HR offices to do the same at OPM.
Recruitment and Hiring
We provide policy guidance on hiring to other agencies to ensure that the federal workforce is diverse and highly qualified, but we do not hire workers for other agencies. Instead, we help other agencies find good candidates for their jobs by designing, developing, and managing USAJOBS, the federal government’s official source for federal jobs and employment information. Agencies submit job announcements to USAJOBs. Next, individuals apply for positions, and then the agencies interview candidates and hire new employees.
We also provide student programs to agencies such as the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) program and Student Career Experience Program (SCEP).
Retirement and Benefits
Retirement and Benefits (R&B) at OPM provides retirement benefits and services to federal retirees and their families under two systems: the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS).
R&B also manages the Federal Employees’ Health Benefits (FEHB), Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Federal Flexible Spending Account (FSAFeds), and Long Term Care (LTC) programs.
Services to Other Agencies
OPM’s HR Solutions partners with, and offers services to, other agencies to support effectiveness in human resources throughout the government. For example, we administer a program under which agencies make merit system appointments of administrative law judges.
Voting Rights
OPM also plays a unique role in ensuring that all Americans—regardless of race or membership in a language minority—are treated equally when exercising their right to vote. Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, OPM is responsible for deploying trained Federal observers to monitor polling sites at local, state, and Federal elections around the nation at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice. We have over 1,000 observers who work as-needed on these elections. About half are proficient in one of the minority languages covered by the Voting Rights Act.
For more about OPM, please visit our main About OPM page or visit OPM’s Web site.