Merit System Audit and Compliance
Through rigorous oversight, Merit System Audit and Compliance (MSAC) ensures Federal agency human resources programs are effective and meet merit system principles and related civil service requirements. We work directly with other Federal agency HR managers and specialists to make improvements or changes to programs that are not in compliance with Federal HR policies and regulations. To best provide services Government-wide, we carry out this responsibility with a staff of employees in five field offices across the nation and at OPM headquarters in Washington, DC.
The three key components of MSAC’s oversight and compliance programs are Delegated Examining Unit Evaluations, Large Agency Human Resources Evaluations, and Small Agency Human Resources Evaluations. We also adjudicate classification appeals, job grading appeals, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims, compensation and leave claims, and declination of reasonable appeals which provide Federal employees with administrative due process rights to challenge compensation and related agency decisions without having to resort to seeking redress in Federal courts.
In addition, we oversee the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the Voting Rights Program. The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee-focused, cost-efficient, and effective in providing all Federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all by charitable giving. Under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (as amended), OPM provides Federal observers to monitor the election process in areas designated by the U.S. Attorney General. Observers report what they see and hear both orally and in writing. These reports support the U.S. Department of Justice’s mission to ensure that no citizen’s right to vote is abridged or denied due to race, color, or membership in a minority language group.
Additionally, we manage OPM's office of Internal Oversight and Compliance (IOC). IOC drives the resolution of audit recommendations, conducts program evaluations, and oversees the review of capital investments to strengthen OPM's risk management and operational performance.
Through our services, we ensure that Federal human resources offices effectively provide the high-quality and merit system-based services expected by all employees.