As Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), I am pleased to present OPM’s Equity Action Plan in accordance with Executive Order 14091. As the Federal government’s chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager, OPM is deeply committed to developing policies and services that advance equity and remove barriers for underserved communities across the Federal government.

In 2021, OPM restored the Chief Human Capital Officers Council at OPM, established the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (ODEIA), held focus groups with Federal employees to better understand the experiences of underserved communities with OPM programs, and finalized a series of policy actions that advance equity government-wide.

In 2022, OPM advanced and embedded equity further into our programs by increasing access to post-audit Applicant Flow Data (AFD); engaging Federal employees to inform the design of a future Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Decisions Support Tool; finalizing a series of regulations and policy actions that deepen OPM’s commitment to leading as a model employer; and implementing major functions to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the Federal government, including launching the first Chief Diversity Officers Council.

In March 2023, OPM released updated guidance Advancing Gender Identity Inclusion in the Federal Workplace. The new guidance reflects several changes in law and executive policy that have occurred since this guidance was first written in 2015 and updated in 2017.

OPM’s Equity Action Plan emphasizes the use of data to better understand barriers and advance DEIA principles in the Federal workforce, including releasing a data collection strategy of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, consistent with Executive Order 14035. The Biden-Harris Administration is leading a vital national effort to advance opportunity and equity for every American. OPM is proud to contribute to these actions to advance equity for all.

Kiran A. Ahuja
Director
U.S. Office of Personnel Management