Priority Open Recommendations: Office of Personnel Management

What GAO Found

In May 2024, GAO identified 16 priority recommendations for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Since then, OPM has implemented three of those recommendations. Specifically, OPM took actions to better mitigate cybersecurity risks, improve its payroll database, and strengthen privacy protections for personally identifiable information on its IT systems.

In August 2025, GAO identified one additional priority recommendation for OPM, bringing the total number to 14. These recommendations involve the following areas:

• preventing improper payments,
• strengthening IT security and management,
• addressing mission critical skills gaps,
• improving the federal classification system,
• making hiring authorities more effective,
• improving payroll data, and
• addressing employee misconduct and improving performance management.

OPM's continued attention to these issues could lead to significant improvements in government operations.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Michelle Sager at sagerm@gao.gov.