U.S. Office of Personnel Management www.opm.gov - Recruiting, Retaining and Honoring a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People

Back to the Future …

By now it should be apparent that by his actions to date, the President has laid out a clear vision and compelling strategy for modernizing the Federal civil service system. And contrary to those who have suggested otherwise, he has made that modernization an imperative of his Administration. That strategy is manifested in and by the four principles of modernization set forth above, and with DH S and DoD (together comprising over 850,000 employees), OPM has already begun to successfully execute it. These four principles have served to guide us in these historic efforts, and we believe that they also provide the framework for the way ahead. In so doing, they describe a Federal civil service system, and an OPM, that is far, far different from the one that Theodore Roosevelt (and even Scotty Campbell) led, yet one that is also the same…radically different in structure and administration, but unwaveringly grounded in the very same foundational values that they both held so deeply.

In charting a path to that future, OPM will assess how best to translate these possibilities into action. Some of these changes will require legislation; other reforms may be possible through Executive orders or regulations. However, all will require close collaboration and coordination with the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, congressional leaders, employees, veteran service organizations, union representatives, managers, and other key stakeholders. OPM is committed to such a process, and looks forward to the next wave of reform.