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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed amendments to the current performance management regulations covering General Schedule (GS), Prevailing Rate, and certain other employees. The rule would increase efficiency and accountability in performance management by reducing available summary level patterns and incorporating additional evaluation of GS appraisal system(s) by OPM, among other changes.

Statement of Need:

The current regulatory structure governing performance appraisals for non-SES employees has remained largely unchanged for decades and no longer reflects the operational realities or accountability standards necessary for today’s Federal workforce. Persistent issues, including inflated performance ratings, limited differentiation between successful and unsuccessful performance, and uneven agency compliance with statutory performance appraisal requirements demonstrate the need for comprehensive reform.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

OPM does not believe this rulemaking will substantially increase the ongoing administrative costs to agencies.  OPM anticipates that this rulemaking would foster greater accountability, transparency, and uniformity in the administration of performance appraisal systems, thereby improving public confidence in Federal workforce management.