Goal 4: Modernize OPM Information Technologies
Modernize IT across OPM through investments in systems and technologies to improve customer experience
Overview
This goal, IT modernization, includes the procurement, development, and deployment of the appropriate IT solutions to meet OPM’s mission and business objectives. OPM will use leading-edge technologies and processes to maximize productivity and lower development risk. Further, OPM is committed to implementing the core tenets of the President’s Executive Order 14058 Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery To Rebuild Trust in Government across all OPM technology projects.
Enhance customer experience through an improved OPM digital presence
Today, OPM’s websites are the primary means by which OPM customers interact with the agency to find relevant information and use OPM services. Improving the customer experience is vital to Goal 3 of the OPM Strategic Plan of improving the customer satisfaction index score for targeted services to 4.3 out of 5
Initiatives for this strategic objective include:
- Modernize OPM.gov and the intranet
- Transition the USA Suite to the cloud and enhance the customer experience
- In support of the President’s Management Agenda, adopt the use of modular, common building blocks for digital services, including digital infrastructure, products, services, or channels, which may be implemented singly or in combination
- Complete a user-centered design and develop a minimum viable product for a new Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program decision support tool that will give eligible individuals the necessary information to compare plan benefits, provider networks, prescription costs, and other health information
- Launch a digital retirement system pilot to move from a predominantly paper-based system to an all-digital-based system
- Develop a U.S. Postal Service Health Portal and decision support tool
Improve OPM customer experiences by modernizing key internal systems
While web presence enhancements are critical for applicants, federal employees, and retirees, there are numerous systems that support OPM employees in addressing key agency priorities. OCIO will work with the OPM program offices to determine ongoing modernization priorities for these internal systems.
Initiatives include:
- Consolidate all existing OCIO help desks into one help desk, to reduce silos and implement enterprise solutions
- For the Retirement Services Call Center, add chat bot, knowledge base development, and integration with legacy systems to speed the retrieval of retiree information
- Modernize the Janus retirement calculator
- Develop and upgrade user interfaces, modernize system components, and enhance data integration of Retirement Services systems to improve customer service
- Partner with HCDMM and the Office of Privacy to expand the quality and use of OPM’s federal human capital data as appropriate
- Support HCDMM to implement a data-driven approach to recruitment, assessment, and hiring strategies that strengthen and support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) across the federal government
- Complete the transition of background investigation systems support to DCSA
Expand and leverage cloud services to enhance employee productivity and cybersecurity protections
OCIO will leverage cloud services to enhance employee productivity and cybersecurity protections that reinforce the agency’s commitment to seamless customer service. OPM expects to have migrated most of its IT systems to the cloud by 2025.
Initiatives include:
- Continue to fully support the OCIO’s Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) and its mission to provide oversight and consultation on cloud best practices throughout the agency
- Develop new applications in the cloud, and use application rationalization to set priorities for existing applications to migrate to the cloud
- Migrate mainframe and on-premises databases to the cloud
Continually evaluate and upgrade solutions to improve the communications of today’s hybrid workforce
The pandemic accelerated extensive changes in how OCIO, OPM, federal employees, stakeholders, partners, and customers work. OCIO will implement services to embrace the new work environment and, when possible, adapt to future workplace changes.
Initiatives include:
- Accommodate a hybrid workforce
- Maintain systems remotely, without on-premises dependencies
Expand the Champions Network, OCIO’s partnership across the agency to help with technology and change management
OCIO established the Champions Network, consisting of more than 100 volunteers across OPM who can answer questions and address technology modernization and business transformation issues. The Champions Network was critical to the successful rollout of Microsoft 365 tools, including Teams and Office.
Initiatives include:
- Formalize the Champions Network in policy and approach, to use the Champions Network for the rollout of any new system
- Document “lessons learned” from the Champions Network support to improve its value for future system rollouts