Statute: 5 U.S.C. 3330f

The Periodically Listing Updates to Management (PLUM) Act of 2022 (codified at 5 U.S.C. 3330f) requires the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish, host, and maintain a public-facing website containing information on policy and supporting positions as defined at 5 U.S.C. 3330f(a)(5) for the sitting administration and each subsequent administration. The Act requires all executive agencies and other federal entities covered under the Act (agencies) to comply with guidance and instructions from OPM for reporting all necessary data to update the website.

The website required under 5 U.S.C. 3330f replaces the quadrennial Plum Book historically assembled by OPM in coordination with the U.S. Government Publishing Office and published on behalf of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability alternately after each Presidential election.

The 2024 printed Plum Book can be found on the Government Publishing Office website.

Reporting Requirement

Each agency, as defined in the PLUM Act, must provide OPM with the required data on each policy and supporting position at the agency. The major categories of positions that all agencies must report include:

• All positions appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• All other positions appointed by the President, except for positions appointed under 3 U.S.C. §§ 105(a), 105(b), 106 or 107(b) that have no role relating to government policy and do not have a confidential working relationship with an official who has a role relating to government policy.
• All positions of a confidential or policy-determining character under 5 CFR 213.3301 (schedule C of subpart C).
• All other politically appointed positions classified at or above level GS-14 of the General Schedule (or equivalent), unless such a position has no role relating to government policy and does not have a confidential working relationship with an official who has a role relating to government policy.
• All positions designated as “general” in the Senior Executive Service (SES).
• All positions in the Senior Foreign Service. OPM notes that it may expand the list of policy and supporting positions to include additional positions that are not already covered by the bullets and are of a similar type.

Applicable Appointment Types

The following types of appointment are required to be reported under 5 U.S.C. 3330f:

• Career Appointment (CA) – appointment through competitive merit staffing procedures made without time limitations and providing certain job protections and benefits.
• Limited Term Appointment (TA) – nonrenewable appointment made for up to 3 years to an SES General position, which expires because of the nature of the work (e.g., a special project, or to facilitate transition between administrations).
• Limited Emergency Appointment (EA) – nonrenewable appointment made for up to 18 months to an SES General position, established to meet a bona-fide, unanticipated, urgent need.
• Noncareer Appointment (NA) – usually political appointments and made without a specific time limitation, though the appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Noncareer SES appointments are usually made within each agency and approved by the Office of Personnel Management (in coordination with the White House Presidential Personnel Office).
• Presidential Appointment with Senate Confirmation (PAS) – top-level, senior positions that include the heads of most major agencies. These appointments require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
• Presidential Appointment (without Senate Confirmation) (PA) – positions appointed by the President that do not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
• Schedule C Excepted Appointment (SC) – political appointments in policymaking positions or positions which serve in confidential, or policy roles immediately subordinate to other Presidential and noncareer SES appointees. Schedule C appointments are approved by the Office of Personnel Management (in coordination with the White House Presidential Personnel Office).
• Appointment Excepted by Statute (XS) – appointments authorized by the parent agency’s governing legislation.

Data Collection

OPM’s Executive and Schedule C System (ESCS) is the secure web-based application that is used to collect and maintain information on all policy and supporting positions, as defined in the attached document.

Agencies must submit all information required in the attached document through ESCS. For agencies not currently utilizing ESCS, their human resources personnel, or human resources servicing provider, are required to establish accounts for ESCS to enter, view, and maintain their respective agency data and complete input and updates on a regular basis. For access to ESCS, email ESCS@opm.gov.

Data Standards

Each agency must submit data on all of its policy and supporting positions (as defined in the attached document) and must include: agency component, position title, name of incumbent (if filled), names of all previous incumbents going back to January 20, 2021, appointment type, geographic location of the position, pay plan, grade, level or rate of pay, tenure and expiration date (if applicable), and—for vacant positions—the name of the acting official or official performing the duties of the vacant position, if any.

Required Updates

Under 5 U.S.C. 3330f(f)(2), agency heads are required to provide, at minimum, annual updates to the website on their policy and supporting positions. OPM recommends updates to ESCS take place on a regular basis as current and accurate data is critical to remaining transparent and supports efficient and timely reporting. It is the responsibility of each covered entity to ensure the information it provides to ESCS is current, complete, accurate, and reliable and is not prohibited from disclosure under federal law. Please consult your agency counsel if you have any questions about disclosing specific data.

Data Certification

Agency heads serve as the certifying official for information and updates reported to ESCS for purposes of the PLUM reporting website. Agency heads may delegate this role to:

• the agency White House Liaison (WHLO) for all presidential and political appointees;
• the agency Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) for policy and supporting positions occupied by career civil servants; or
• another senior agency official.

Acting Incumbencies

Agencies must also establish a process to document and report in ESCS acting incumbencies for individuals acting in PAS positions or “performing the duties of” (PTDO) any vacant policy and supporting position.

Public Comment

Under 5 U.S.C. 3330f(h)(3), the public may provide feedback on the accuracy of the information provided on the website. OPM has established a process for receiving public comment, and where applicable, will be responsible for distributing inquiries to agencies responsible for relevant data. As described in the attached document, covered entities are responsible for addressing feedback related to data accuracy.

Additional Information

For additional information, agency headquarters-level human resources offices may contact OPM at ESCS@opm.gov.  To provide feedback on the content of the PLUM Reporting website by emailing OPM at PLUMreporting@opm.gov. Component-level human resources offices must contact their agency headquarters for assistance.