The Office of the Executive Secretariat (OES) is responsible for the administrative management and support for the Office of the Director and other executive offices.  Responsibilities include coordination and review of agency correspondence, policy and program proposals, and regulations and legislation.  The OES also manages the agency’s international affairs program, coordinating meetings, and the transfer of information between OPM officials and foreign delegations.  The organization is composed of the following subcomponents; Correspondence Management, Resource Management, International Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs.

General Contact Information

For general inquiries, please contact opmexecsec@opm.gov or 202-606-1000.

Mailing Address:
1900 E Street, NW, Room 5A09
Washington, DC 20415

The OES correspondence management team receives and processes all letters, memorandums, and official requests that are sent to the Office of the Director by Federal agencies or the general public. In addition, the team oversees the routing and clearance of any correspondence, documents, personnel actions or reports that must be reviewed, approved, or signed by the Director's Office. The team also handles all approval, archiving, and routing tasks in OPM's Document Management System for senior OD staff.

The Resource Management Office (RMO) is responsible for providing direction and oversight, as well as acting as a liaison and point of contact for various financial, procurement, information technology, human resources, and other administrative functions for the Executive Offices of the Director which include, Congressional, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs; Office of Communications; Chief Human Capital Officer's Council; Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Equal Employment Opportunity; White House Fellows; Office of the General Counsel; Security, Suitability & Credentialing Line of Business; and Federal Prevailing Rate Commission.

• Budget — formulate and provide continuous review and control to ensure funds are spent in compliance with laws, guidance, and directives from Office of Management and Budget and Congress and remains within the organization's operating plans. We ensure that the budget formulation is accurate and provided on time for submission to the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Justification by reviewing all expenditures within the organization.
• Human Resources — Provide guidance on development of organization and staffing plans, succession planning, employee training and development and assists managers in recruiting, hiring and retaining a qualified Federal workforce. We ensure that performance plans are aligned with the each employee's position and organizational impact. We ensure that scheduled reviews, appraisals, awards and other related personnel actions are performed in accordance with policy and regulation. We serve in an advisory role and as subject matter experts to management on various human resources policies and procedures.
• Administrative Functions — We provide support in various aspects including, telecommunications, transportation, equipment, records management, transit benefits, payroll, space management and official travel. In addition, we provide Advance support for Senior Staff members including, daily transportation for the Director and Deputy Director of OPM.

The OES Regulatory Affairs unit is responsible for the review and editing of all OPM regulations and notices that require Federal Register publication. Regulatory Affairs also provides support to OPM's program offices in the drafting stage of regulations, and coordinates with the Office of the Federal Register once a new regulation is fully approved and ready for publishing. Additionally, the unit acts as OPM's liaison with the Office of Management and Budget when draft regulations are ready for the interagency review process. Twice each year, Regulatory Affairs reviews and assembles OPM's submission for the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which is a report that publishes a listing of every regulatory and deregulatory action that Federal agencies are drafting or considering for publication in the coming year.

• Retrospective Review Updates and the Unified Agenda
• Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook

OPM's Regulatory Task Force

Executive Order 13777 requires Federal agencies create a Regulatory Reform Task Force to implement and enforce the regulatory reform agenda.  The task force would ensure that agencies carry out the policies and initiatives of Executive Orders 13771, 12866, and 13563, as well as regularly consult with the agency head and leadership.

As laid out in E.O. 13777, the task force should be chaired by the agency’s Regulatory Reform Officer, and should also include the agency’s Regulatory Policy Officer, a representative from the agency’s central policy office (or equivalent central office), and at least three senior agency officials as determined by the agency head. 

Task Force Membership

Senior Agency Officials:
Chief of Staff – Basil Parker
Senior Advisor to the Director – Anthony O'Boyle
Office of the General Counsel – Mark Robbins
Executive Secretary – Peggy Grande

Regulatory Reform Officer:
Alexys Stanley

Regulatory Policy Officers:
ES – Dennis Kirk
RS – Ken Zawodny
HI – Laurie Bodenheimer
Privacy Officer – Kellie Riley
SuitEA – Lisa Loss 

*Acting until position is filled

For regulatory inquiries please contact Alexys Stanley at opmexecsec@opm.gov or 202-606-1000.

International Affairs supports and coordinates all international activities of OPM.

International Delegation Visits

OPM arranges delegation meetings for countries around the world. Delegations come to OPM seeking to understand the Personnel system of the Federal Government. Foreign visitors ask to learn from OPM subject matter experts about, for example, Federal policy on recruitment and hiring, training and development, pay and leave policies, and executive leadership. Speakers and topics vary, depending on what the group requests. Delegations that do not speak fluent English will bring an interpreter. The knowledge and understanding of the international visitors varies from novice who want a general overview to those seeking an interactive dialogue and to learn best practices. It is a special opportunity to teach others about OPM's core values and the merit system principles that OPM employees strive to preserve in representing the Federal Government.

To schedule a meeting OPM's point of contact is Alexys Stanley at opmexecsec@opm.gov or (202) 606-1000. Scheduled requests should be made about 30 days in advance. Please include the following information in your request:

Country
Name of Government Agency
Point of Contact Name, Title, Address, and Email
Number of Visitors
Proposed Date of Meeting
Topics of Interest

All visitors are screened by OPM's security officers.  Once a request is approved, delegations must provide a list of the participants/delegates including title, date of birth, country of passport and passport numbers for security vetting.  All foreign officials visiting OPM must have valid passports and bring them on the day of the visit to enter the building.  Visitors may take photographs in the OPM lobby. Videos are not permitted.

Passport Information for OPM Employees

We provide assistance in processing passports for official government travel. Passport forms to obtain a new passport or renewal are provided on the Department of State website:

To Renew or Apply for a Passport

Our office also assists employees with visas and country clearances for official travel abroad.

President Barack Obama signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (H.R. 946/Public Law 111-274) on October 13, 2010. The Act is designed "to improve the effectiveness and accountability of Federal agencies to the public by promoting clear Government communication that the public can understand and use."

As the responsible office for coordinating and reviewing all agency correspondence and publications of the agency’s Plain Language Report, the Office of the Executive Secretariat ensures these documents are easy to understand and use.

Plain language is grammatically correct and universally understood language that includes complete sentence structure and accurate word usage. Plain language is not unprofessional writing or a method of "dumbing down" or "talking down" to the reader.

Writing that is clear and to the point helps improve all communication as it takes less time to read and comprehend. Clear writing tells the reader exactly what the reader needs to know without using unnecessary words or expressions. Communicating clearly is its own reward as it saves time and money. It also improves reader response to messages. Using plain language avoids creating barriers that set us apart from the people with whom we are communicating.

We at OPM fully support the Plain Language initiative, which has its origins in a Federal directive that requires agencies to incorporate plain language elements in the development of communications materials for the public. We are committed to the use of plain language in all new documents written for the public, other government entities, and fellow workers.

After all, OPM's mission is to recruit, retain, and honor a world-class workforce. Prospective, current, and former employees – as well as their families and other stakeholders, many of whom also receive benefits through OPM – deserve to receive clear and consistent information from us. Further, the American people deserve a better window into what their government does.

Tips for Using Plain Language

Certain qualities characterize plain language. These include common, everyday words, except for necessary technical terms. Other qualities include the use of personal pronouns; the active voice; logical organization; and easy-to-read and understandable design features, such as bullets and tables.

1. Engage Your Readers.

• First, consider who your readers are.
• Consider what your readers need to know and want to know. Organize content to answer their questions.
• Write at a reading level that is appropriate to your intended audience.

2. Write Clearly.

Use common, everyday words whenever possible.

Word Choices:

• Use common, everyday words but avoid slang.
• Use personal pronouns such as "you."
• Use "must" instead of "shall."
• Avoid using undefined technical terms.
• Use positive rather than negative words.
• Avoid using gender-specific terminology.
• Avoid long strings of nouns.

Verb Forms:

• Use active voice.
• Use action verbs.
• Use the present tense whenever you can.

Structure:

• Use parallel construction.
• Be direct.
• Avoid unnecessary exceptions.

3. Display Material Correctly

Appearance is an important aspect of clear communication. If a document is pleasing to the eye, it will be more likely to attract your readers' attention. Appearance can also be an aid to readers, improving comprehension and retention.

• Organization. Strong, logical organization includes an introduction followed by short sentences and paragraphs. Organize messages to respond to your readers' interests and concerns.
• Introduction. In lengthier documents, use an introduction and a table of contents to help readers understand how a document is organized.
• Short Sentences and Paragraphs. Sentence length should average 15-20 words. Sentences that are simple, active, affirmative, and declarative hold readers' interest. Generally, each paragraph should contain only one topic. You may wish to use a series of paragraphs if you need to express complex or highly technical information. The more writing deviates from a clear and to-the-point structure, the harder it will be for readers to understand what you are trying to convey.
• Layout. Layout includes margins, headings, and white space. Provide white space between sections to break up text and to make it easier for readers to understand. Use headings to guide readers; the question-and-answer format is especially helpful. Try to anticipate your readers' questions and pose them as a reader would. Use adequate margins.
• Tables. Tables make complex information readily understandable. They can help readers see relationships more easily, and they may require fewer words than straight text.
• Typography. Typography relates to fonts and typographical elements used for emphasis, such as bullets or italics. Limit the number of fonts you use. It is usually best to stick to one font for headings and another for text. Use typographical elements consistently throughout your document – and avoid overusing any one element.

4. Evaluate Your Document.

To ensure that you are communicating clearly, evaluate the document or, better yet, have another person read it and offer suggestions for clarification. Look over the document for:

• Word choice, verb forms, and structure;
• Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
• Inclusion of appropriate devices, such as dating, page numbering, and consistency;
• Visual appeal;
• Consistency and effectiveness of layout and typographical devices; and
• Line breaks that inadvertently separate part of a name or date in a way that reduces clarity.

Where Can I Learn More?

• OpenOPM. Visit our Open Government blog to learn more about what OPM is doing to promote plain language. You can also leave us a comment there.
• Plain Language Action and Information Network. PLAIN is an organization of federal employees that promotes plain language.
• Training offered by the National Institutes of Health. This basic training is free. It uses engaging stories from the history of health and medicine but is not just for medical professionals. The 8 modules address topics such as "how people read" and "organizing your ideas."

Contact Information

For more information, contact opmexecsec@opm.gov.

The Office of the Executive Secretariat oversees Presidential Transition to ensure a smooth transition for both incoming and outgoing Administrations. OPM roles and responsibilities for Presidential Transition include conducting background investigations for lower-level positions and providing guidance to agencies as they prepare for thousands of departing/incoming political appointees; submitting a list of all presidential appointments to candidates after the conventions; collecting information for Plum Book; and submitting quarterly reports to Congress on requests by agencies to appoint political appointees or former political appointees to nonpolitical civil service positions.

• Presidential Transition Guide 2020