OPM meets most 2008 strategic goals
Agency still struggles with the rollout of its electronic retirement system.
The Office of Personnel Management has met 91 of its 105 operational goals for 2008, the agency announced on Thursday.
The public list of goals was part of the 2006-2010 strategic plan created by former OPM Director Linda Springer, who viewed the list as an accountability measure. Some of the accomplishments include improving standards for the acquisition workforce and creating cost-effective telework training for managers.
OPM has missed its deadline on three objectives related to retirement modernization and training, but has until the end of 2008 to complete 11 other goals. Those include an audit of the emergency preparedness of the Federal Executive Boards, a report on Senior Executive Service pay-for-performance systems, and a review of providers participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
OPM spokesman Michael Orenstein said acting Director Michael Hager has reviewed all 105 goals and is "fully committed" to the strategic plan.
"We will have a program in place for next year, and if there are any changes to it made by the next administration, that will be made by that administration," Orenstein said.
Other goals, particularly those related to retirement systems modernization efforts, could be harder for OPM to meet. The agency missed deadlines in June and September for bringing two separate waves of federal employees online into the new RetireEZ system after suspending work on an electronic retirement calculator being developed by a contractor. Another group of employees is scheduled to join the system by Dec.1, but that's unlikely.
Orenstein said the agency was working to correct problems with the calculator and move forward with RetireEZ, but that OPM did not have a definitive status update on the program.
The agency also missed a deadline to begin training for the Federal Candidate Development Program, which is designed to help employees prepare to transition into the Senior Executive Service. OPM suspended the program in April to review the applications process, but has begun accepting applications again.