Performance and Accountability 2001 Homepage Annual Performance Goals and Results Performance for FY 2001 Goals and Objectives —     Strategic Goal I     Strategic Goal II     Strategic Goal III     Strategic Goal IV     Corporate      Management      Strategies and      Internal Goals Completeness and Reliability of Performance Data

 

Annual Performance Goals and Results

Performance for FY 2001 Goals and Objectives

 

Strategic Goal III.

We provide human resources services to employing agencies, employees, retirees, and their families that are high quality, cost effective, and meet their needs. We established 25 annual goals in our FY 2001 Performance Plan that pertained to the delivery of these services and met 23 of them.

Strategic Objective: These major human resources programs provide cost-effective service governmentwide that meets or exceeds customer expectations:

• USAJOBS—Timely, accurate and complete employment information is available for employees and the public.
• Central Personnel Data File (CPDF)—Accurate and timely workforce statistics and information are available to decision makers.
• Compensation administration—Timely and accurate information and assistance are provided to decision makers for pay and leave administration purposes.

USAJOBS, the governmentwide employment information system, exploits the latest technology to provide service to job seekers and agencies resulting in accessible, cost-effective and efficient recruitment of highly skilled and diverse candidates for mission critical occupations.

Provide accurate and timely Federal employment statistics to customers.

Continue to administer current compensation systems (annual pay adjustment process, Cost-of-Living Allowance program, Federal Wage System, special salary rates, etc.) in an efficient, accurate, and timely manner.

This strategic objective is being met as the agency achieved its three annual goals for FY 2001. Human resources services consistently achieved target levels for customer expectations in major program areas.

Usage of the USAJOBS Web site, which serves as the government's official source of job and employment information, continues to grow and was enhanced in FY 2001 with additional search capabilities. Users can now build a job profile and receive notices of new job postings via email with a direct link to the vacancy announcement.

USAJOBS Web Site Hits (millions)
FY 1997	FY 1998	FY 1999	FY 2000	FY 2001
3.8	8.5	13.1	15.4	20.7

Central Personnel Data File (CPDF) file error rates dropped in FY 2001. For this purpose, a record is considered in error if there is an error in any submitted field. Since some fields are used only in specialized reports, this measure overstates the error rates for most file uses. Timeliness improved by an average of 21 days.

Measure/Indicator	2000 Results	2001 Results
Status file Error Rate (based on quarterly snapshot submission from agencies)	5.0%	3.1%
Dynamics files Error Rate (based on personnel transactions)	8.7%	7.2%
Average Response Time	137 days	116 days

In implementing the President's December 2000 Executive order covering the January 2001 pay adjustment OPM issued 32 locality pay tables for General Schedule (GS) employees, as well as salary tables covering the Executive Schedule, the Senior Executive Service, Administrative Law Judges, Contracts Appeals Board members, and Federal law enforcement officers. The agency also prepared a status report for the President's Pay Agent on OPM's work with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and OMB to improve non-Federal salary surveys conducted by BLS for the GS locality pay survey.

Following the settlement of longstanding litigation involving the nonforeign area cost-of-living allowance (COLA) program in August 2000, OPM worked with the Department of Justice and the COLA Survey Implementation Committee to develop proposed regulations making major changes in OPM's administration of the COLA program. Employees' perception of pay equity continues to improve, as demonstrated by the responses to questions in the Merit Systems Principles Questionnaire shown here, and is tracking ahead of projections through FY 2003.

MSPQ Results Regarding Equal Pay for Equal Work (percent positive)
FY 1999 Actual	FY 2000 Target	FY 2000 Actual	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual	FY 2002 Target	FY 2003 Target
44	45	45	46	47	47	48

Strategic Objective: By FY 2009, a modernized retirement system will be more cost efficient that the current system and will provide:

• prompt, accurate and consistent customer service to all stakeholders;
• accurate and timely payments to benefit recipients;
• accurate and consistent benefits counseling for eligible participants; and
• at least 90 percent customer satisfaction with all retirement services (claims processing, telephone services and retirement counseling).

FERS retirement claims processing times are reduced and more customer services are delivered through self-servicing technology, while customer satisfaction is maintained at FY 2000 levels.

Retiring Federal employees receive benefits counseling and agency benefits officers are provided with improved information and tools for these services. Federal agency human resources staff are provided with improved information and tools to provide benefits counseling and related assistance to Federal employees and retirees.

Complete the planning phase of the Retirement System Modernization Project and begin developing the technology to support modernized retirement.

OPM met its three annual goals concerning the delivery of retirement program services and will achieve its strategic objective as scheduled. For instance, the agency reduced FERS processing times, provided benefits officers with improved information and tools, and proceeded on schedule with the RSM project.

The OPM Web site was enhanced with additional Retirement Coverage Correction information, frequently asked questions on new laws, and posters that advertise retirement information and service sites.

The Retirement Systems Modernization Project (Modernization) proceeded on schedule as the agency met all of the critical milestones established for FY 2001. OPM has virtually completed its design efforts and will begin the phased implementation of the modernized system in FY 2002. Implementation will continue into FY 2008. The agency completed the remaining core process blueprints, the organizational and technology blueprints, and the Project's transition plan. It is now positioned to begin converting historic retirement customer data to electronic format and begin receiving new data in electronic format during FY 2002.

OPM reduced the time it takes to process FERS retirement claims by 45% which far surpassed the FY 2001 target. Other quantitative results regarding the delivery of retirement services are as follows:

Customer Satisfaction	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
New customers received first payment when expected	78%	74%	81%	78%	80%	80%
Customers satisfied with services since annuity began	90%	88%	93%	93%	90%	93%
Retiring employees satisfied with counseling	85%	78%	88%	88%	88%	88%

 

Business Process	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
CSRS Annuity Processing Time (calendar days)	39	23	32	44	55	54
FERS Annuity Processing Time (calendar days)	81	93	94	185	150	101
Conference Attendance	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Federal Benefits Conference	N/A	378	400	500	500	588
Fall Festival of Training	N/A	150	271	298	270	270

Strategic Objective: Insurance program benefits are comprehensive, quality driven and based on informed choice.

Insurance Program customers can make informed decisions about their health care, and they are provided with quality insurance products and services.

OPM did not meet its annual goal; thus this strategic objective is not yet met. However, the agency positioned Insurance Program customers to make informed choices about their health benefits insurance as it continued its practice of communicating health plan performance information in the annual Open Season materials and continued making these materials easily available through the OPM Web site, as well as in hard copy. Also, customers continued to have available to them quality insurance products and services. This is supported primarily by the fact that 79% of the plans participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Programs are either accredited by a health industry accrediting organization, or highly rated based on the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS). The percent of customers enrolled in highly rated plans was 82%—lower than the aggressive 90% target the agency set. The drop is the result of one of the larger fee-for-service plans not being ranked as a highly rated plan in FY 2001, after being highly rated in FY 2000. OPM is working with this plan to improve its rating. Further, OPM will design and implement a health plan performance database in FY 2003. This database will be used to collect and analyze health plan performance data, benchmark it against industry best practices, and develop mechanisms to support improved performance.

However, the 82% figure indicates that most customers are receiving high quality insurance products and services. While overall customer satisfaction levels improved from the previous year, they were slightly below target levels. Finally, processing times for life insurance claims have improved.

Customer Satisfaction	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Overall satisfaction with HB plan service	N/A	N/A	HMO 60% FFS 70%	HMO 59% FFS 75%	HMO 65% FFS 80%	HMO 62% FFS 77%
Business Process	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Perfcent of plans that are highly rated	25%	30%	61%	55%	65%	67%
Percent of customers enrolled in highly rated plans	16%	65%	32%	90%	90%	82%
Timelines of LI claims payments	6.8 days	8.2 days	11.3 days	10.2 days	10.0 days	5.7 days
Accuracy of LI claims as percent of number paid	99.5%	99.6%	99.5%	99.5%	99.5%	N/A*
Financial	FY 1997 Results	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Accuracy of LI claims as percent of dollars paid	99.6%	99.8%	99.8%	99.7%	99.7%	N/A*
* Data for these indicators will not be available until March 2002.

Strategic Objective: Our technical assistance and information on human resources policies and programs are timely, useful, accurate, accessible and user-friendly.

Encourage and facilitate flexible, effective and innovative merit-based HRM projects within agencies.

Encourage and facilitate development of effective accountability systems within agencies.

 

Assist agencies to improve the overall effectiveness of agency human resources management.

 

Stakeholders receive responsive and useful advice and technical assistance to ensure that employee relations, work/life and wellness initiatives, labor-management relations, and human resources development are a positive part of agencies' fully integrated human resources systems.

The governmentwide transition following the 2000 Presidential election is smooth. Leadership and management skills, public service values, and a governmentwide perspective are key factors in selections for all SES positions.

Through the biennial executive resources allocation process, maintain an executive workforce that is consistent with Administration policy and the overall size of the Federal Government.

Agencies receive clear, accurate, timely staffing advice, assistance, and models to ensure that the lawful rights of employees and applicants (including minorities, veterans, displaced employees) are safeguarded and that managers are aware of staffing tools they can use to accomplish strategic objectives.

We provide leadership in solving human resources management problems by offering accurate, clear, and useful advice and technical assistance to Federal agencies and OPM program offices on performance management and incentive awards, position classification, employee compensation, and pay and leave administration that keep all users better informed about appropriate system flexibilities and ways in which they can be used to support accomplishment of agency strategic goals.

Federal agencies receive timely, accurate, and useful advice and technical assistance on classification, compensation, and performance management that keeps them better informed about appropriate systems flexibilities and ways in which they can be used to support accomplishment of agency strategic goals.

This objective is being met as OPM met all but one of the nine annual goals it had established for FY 2001 and in so doing, provided agencies with technical assistance across a broad range of human resources areas.

For instance, OPM continued to assist agencies in developing demonstration projects, and continued to shift towards exercising a broader role in innovation by consulting with agencies on current flexibilities and innovations (i.e., actions they can take without implementing a demonstration project). New tools developed in FY 2001, including "Demonstration Projects and Alternative Personnel Systems: HR Flexibilities and Lessons Learned" and "Human Capital Solutions for Managers" will be of particular value as the agency continues to pursue this broad strategy. It also began working on a special study of pay banding that will provide essential information to agencies as they implement this innovation under the proposed Managerial Flexibility Act of 2001 or other authorities.

In addition, OPM set up an internal workgroup to gather and organize information on HR metrics, both to improve its own staff's command of this emerging area of practice and to improve service to agencies seeking assistance. The agency also acquired and disseminated additional information via our membership in the Corporate Leadership Council, which produced a major study on HR metrics. This increasing knowledge base helped in drafting the HRM Accountability System Standards, which includes a measurement component, as well as an extensive contribution to the development of the Human Capital Scorecard.

As part of an internal emergency response task force, on September 12 OPM posted "Handling Traumatic Events: A Manager's Handbook" on the Web site and provided a series of bulletins to agency Employee Assistance Program (EAP) contacts on trauma to use in assisting their clients. The Handbook was highlighted in the Washington Post as an effective tool to help managers assist their employees in coping with the tragic events of that period.

Also, the agency provided immediate assistance to Federal agencies on pay and leave administration and other related issues in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Key documents included—

1. a Presidential memorandum authorizing excused absence for affected employees and directing OPM to establish an emergency leave transfer program (September 12);
2. an OPM memorandum providing additional information on excused absence, emergency leave transfer, emergency premium pay limitations, and benefits administration matters (September 13);
3. an OPM memorandum on the rights and benefits of Reservists called to active duty (September 14); and,
4. questions and answers on pay and leave administration (September 21).

OPM used the biennial SES/Senior Level (SL)/Scientific-Professional (ST) position allocation process to focus agencies' attention on the importance of executive resources planning and analysis, including succession planning, to meet current and future mission requirements. As a result, there was sufficient flexibility to grant limited increases to departments and agencies that demonstrated mission-critical needs while maintaining governmentwide restructuring initiatives.

Although OPM's surveys of HR specialists revealed a mixed bag of results for FY 2001, as shown below, feedback from post-workshop and post-seminar surveys indicated its technical assistance consistently met the needs of agency customers.

Technical Assistance Field (Percent satisfied)	FY 1998 Results	FY 1999 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Postition Classification and Position Management	70%	63%	65%	74%
Pay and Leave Administration	82%	83%	83%	82%
Premium Pay & Hours of Work	78%	81%	81%	78%
Annual Pay Adjustment	83%	81%	81%	79%
Performance Appraisal	71%	68%	70%	68%
Incentive Awards	72%	66%	68%	66%
Selection & Promotion Policies	79%	70%	72%	80%
Veterans' Preference	84%	76%	78%	79%
Reduction in Force	80%	69%	71%	72%
Voluntary Early Retirement and Voluntary Separation Incentives	82%	74%	76%	80%
Career Transition	73%	63%	65%	66%
HR Innovation-Alternative Personnel Systems	N/A	47%	49%	48%
HRM Accountability	N/A	69%	70%	48%
Labor-management Relations	66%	62%	64%	69%
Alternative Dispute Resolution	65%	64%	66%	60%

 

Post-conference and post-workshop surveys reported the following:

 

	Overall Conference/Workshop Rating (5-point scale)
Conference/Workshop	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Strategic Conpensation Conference	4.1	4.2	4.3	4.3
Telecommuting Works	N/A	N/A	N/A	4.2
Leave Workshops	4.3	4.4	4.4	4.4
Performance Management - Basic Workshops	4.1	4.3	4.3	4.4
Symposium on Employee and Labor Relations (SOELR)	4.1	4.2	N/A	4.2

Strategic Objective: Direct services to agencies (both reimbursable and non-reimbursable) provide cost-effective choices to meet individual and governmentwide customer needs.

Through the Training and Management Assistance (TMA) program, assistance is provided to Government agencies in managing the development of training and other human resources management solutions that meet specific short-and long-term agency objectives.

The quality of investigations is maintained, and workload demands are met with timely, relevant products.

 

Participation in OPM's executive and managerial training programs is increased and income and costs are balanced. As a revolving fund, OEMD is expected to break even over a period of three years. Total cumulative retained earnings are currently positive.

The Presidential Management Intern (PMI) program is operated to result in the hiring of as many PMI's as agencies desire within the limit of 400 established by Executive order.

The Administrative Law Judge personnel program is operated to continue to meet the needs of Federal agencies for the services of Administrative Law Judges, while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

A broad range of cost-effective and high quality reimbursable human resources services are available to meet agency needs, to assist agencies in achieving a diverse and talented workforce, and to contribute to Governmentwide cost savings and mission accomplishments.

Administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for the Department of Defense and provide related services.

This objective is being achieved. OPM's direct services to agencies consistently met customer needs, as demonstrated by steadily increasing requests for services, customer feedback in surveys, and our ability to cover the full cost of delivering services.

The Training and Management Assistance (TMA) program managed more than 250 projects to support the strategic training and human resources management initiatives of numerous Federal agencies, and broke even on revenues of more than $37 million. Agency customer satisfaction surveys reported that 88% felt that TMA made a substantial contribution to the project's success.

The new contract with OPM's investigations provider executed in July 2001 contains specific, quantified performance standards that were not in the previous contract. The contractor has expanded its use of the "investigative source recontact" to obtain more information on how well their investigators are carrying out work for OPM. The agency also continued to convene Investigations Quality Panel meetings between OPM and our contractor's managers to discuss and resolve any quality concerns or issues and to discuss possible investigative enhancements. OPM continued to expand information sharing with agencies by holding a Security Directors' conference to ensure that agency security personnel were fully informed of changes brought about by Executive order 12968.

OPM worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that all procedures were in place to accommodate additional casework to support the Sky Marshal program. This included portable "Livescan" fingerprint equipment which allows OPM personnel to provide immediate on-site criminal history checks from the FBI data banks at FAA's recruitment locations.

Investigative Workload	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Background Investigations	44,000	53,000	62,000	93,532
National Agency Checks / National Agency Checks and Inquiries	125,000	175,000	485,000	366,269
SACI's / SAC's	219,000	231,000	230,000	379,675

Executive training provided a positive balance of $84,000 in FY 2001.

Executive Training	FY 1999 Results	FY 2000 Results	FY 2001 Target	FY 2001 Actual
Sessions	230	328	340	422
Participants	7,477	10,164	10,655	11,234
Participant Training Days	73,241	87,890	92,407	95,377

Four hundred people, the maximum allowable by Executive order, were hired through the Presidential Management Intern program in FY 2001, the highest in the history of the program. Federal agencies have indicated that their workforce planning includes expanded use of the PMI program to fill future managerial and policy analyst positions. By drawing graduate students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, the PMI program provides a continuing source of trained men and women to meet the future challenges of public service. A survey of HR Specialists showed increasing satisfaction among agency HR Specialists with PMI Program operations.

Percent HR Specialists Satisfied with Presidential Management Intern Program Operations
1998	1999	2000	2001
53	54	56	57

OPM vastly expanded the use of USA Staffing, an electronic hiring system, from six agencies in FY 2000 to 48 in FY 2001. The individual user base expanded from 6 to 400.

Strategic Objective: The competencies and leadership effectiveness of Federal executives and managers continuously improve through training, development and voluntary mobility.

Continual learning and voluntary mobility are valued as strategies for maximizing executive effectiveness. Agencies and executives increasingly use training, sabbaticals, details, temporary assignments, and movement within and between agencies to broaden perspectives and gain fresh insights on leadership.

Form comprehensive long-term strategic alliances with High Impact agencies that will result in identifiable benefits to individual executives, teams, and agency performance.

This objective was achieved. OPM sponsored a conference for agency leaders and Senior Executives to share the experiences of agencies that are implementing results-based performance management programs at the Senior Executive level. In a post-conference evaluation nearly three-quarters of the participants rated the session very good to excellent. The agency also held three "Briefings for New Senior Executives," at which 98% of the respondents affirmed the effectiveness of the briefings as a way to learn about their role as a new SES member and the agenda of the Administration.

Throughout the year OPM worked with stakeholders through an interagency workgroup that conducted focus groups and gathered data on providing an authority for an exchange of executives with the private sector. This workgroup recommended legislation that is part of OPM's legislative agenda. In addition, OPM has testified before both the House and Senate on the benefits of a broad authority under agency management. Subsequently, a Senate report recommends such an authority and both the Senate and the House have introduced private-sector exchange language into their pending legislation, though more targeted than OPM recommended. OPM continues to provide technical support.

The agency established strategic partnerships with 19 Federal agencies or offices having a high impact toward addressing the growing developmental needs for managers at all levels. These agencies included the Department of Treasury, General Services Administration, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Naval Air Systems Command, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Five new courses were added to the Leadership for a Democratic Society program at the Federal Executive Institute; organizational design, knowledge management, personal leadership, emotional intelligence, and communications skills.

 

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