Chief Information Officer Open Recommendations: Office of Personnel Management

What GAO Found

In January 2026, GAO identified 16 open recommendations under the purview of the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Chief Information Officer (CIO) from previously issued work. Each of these recommendations relates to a GAO High-Risk area: (1) Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the Nation or (2) Improving IT Acquisitions and Management. In addition, GAO has designated two of the 16 as priority recommendations.

For example, GAO previously recommended that OPM fully implement all event logging requirements as directed by the Office of Management and Budget. Further, GAO recommended that OPM complete annual reviews of its IT portfolio in conjunction with the Federal CIO.

GAO also recommended that OPM compare in-use software license inventories with information on purchased licenses to identify opportunities to reduce costs and better inform decision-making. The CIO's continued attention to these recommendations will help ensure the secure and effective use of IT at the agency.

Why GAO Did This Study

CIO open recommendations are outstanding GAO recommendations that warrant the attention of agency CIOs because their implementation could significantly improve government IT operations by securing IT systems, identifying cost savings, improving major government programs, eliminating mismanagement of IT programs and processes, or ensuring that IT programs comply with laws, among others.

For more information, contact Nick Marinos at marinosn@gao.gov.