The U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. To help accomplish the mission, it is important to collect accurate, comprehensive training information and make it available to decision-makers and others who have a vested interest in the training activities of the Federal government.

On May 17, 2006, OPM issued Final Regulations  requiring agencies to report accurate data and completed training events to OPM. To properly execute a Human Capital Strategic Plan, agencies must manage and collect training information in support of their mission objectives and strategic goals. In addition, all training must be properly evaluated to determine whether or not it provides meaningful contributions to agency results.

If you have any questions regarding training policy or executive development, you can contact the Training, Learning and Development Group by sending an email to HRDLeadership@opm.gov.

There are 27 mandatory data elements that agencies must report to OPM. Agencies should refer to OPM's Guide for Collection and Management of Training Information and Chapter 4 of OPM’s Guide to Human Resources Reporting for detailed guidance on collecting and electronically reporting the mandatory training data elements to OPM. Each training record should include all of the mandatory data elements. These data elements are included on the Standard Form (SF-182), Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training.

The mandatory data elements must be reported to OPM under the following conditions:

• For each completed training event for each individual in the agency, including all
  subcomponents/bureaus;
• On a regular basis (at least monthly);
• For all types of training (e.g., traditional classroom, blended, etc.); and
• All records must include cost data even if the cost is $0.

Overhead costs must be reported by the end of the fiscal year. Overhead or development costs
consist of any indirect cost not associated with course delivery (e.g. utilities, salary, building
space). For those agencies unable to provide these costs at this time, OPM, at a minimum,
requires the following overhead costs of all agencies:

• Learning Management System (LMS)
• Online libraries (e-Learning packages)
• Employee licenses
• Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products
• Course development costs unless captured by individual training records, which is the
  preferred method.

Responsibility for maintaining and storing training records is delegated to the agencies. Agencies develop their own internal policies for this purpose, but typically agencies keep records of approved training in their training files or learning management systems. Employees may want to keep their own record of any significant training, whether sponsored by their agency or taken on their own.

OPM’s Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping contains general policies on the creation, maintenance and disposition of human resources management records. As specified in 5 CFR 410.601, agencies must establish a schedule of records to be maintained in accordance with regulations promulgated by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the General Services Administration (GSA).