Introduction to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Assessment and Evaluation Branch (AEB)

What Does OPM Do? OPM is the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the Federal Government. Federal HR Policy and Outreach Federal HR Audit and Compliance Federal Employment Investigations Retirement and Benefits for Federal Employees and Retired Military HR Solutions Consulting Organization

HR Solutions Consulting Organization What is HR Solutions? A fully reimbursable consulting organization within OPM Provides products and services to other Federal agencies on a fee for service basis Operates under a true consulting model, similar to many private sector consulting companies Composed of five practice areas including HR Strategy and Evaluation Solutions (HRSES) HR Strategy and Evaluation Solutions (HRSES) Provides strategies that help agencies plan and position for maximum performance Comprised of three groups HR Strategy provides workforce planning, organization design and classification, succession planning, and performance management Administrative Law Judge Program Office provides support for the ALJ community Assessment and Evaluation Branch (AEB) provides measurement expertise for hiring and promotion, surveys, and program evaluation HR Solutions Consulting Organization

What Is the Assessment and Evaluation Branch (AEB)? Group of approximately 30 personnel research psychologists with advanced degrees in I/O Psychology and related fields Three sections, with staff working in a matrixed fashion on projects across sections Leadership and Workforce Development Assessment Organizational Assessment Selection and Promotion Assessment Reimbursable consulting organization Provide products and services to other Federal agencies on a fee for service basis Worked with 45 Federal agencies in 2018 Customer service focus ACSI score: 81.9 compared to Government benchmark of 69.7 Scientist-practitioner model Delivers products and services informed by research Conducts applied research to contribute to the I/O field ACSI=American Customer Satisfaction Index, which is on a scale of 100 and based on three questions regarding overall satisfaction, meeting expectations, and comparison to an ideal organization. This is the FY17 score, because benchmarks for 2018 are not yet available.

Why work for AEB? “Expand your I/O knowledge base and apply your knowledge in real-life work settings” “Work across nearly every domain of I/O psychology” “A team of 30+ I/O psychologists to serve as mentors or resources”

Leadership and Workforce Development Assessment (LWDA) Leadership Assessment Solutions Leadership Assessment Center Select new leaders or leadership development program participants with a “day-in-the-life” simulation Leadership Profiler Measure and provide feedback on personality traits and preferences and their impact on leader effectiveness Leadership Potential Assessment Measure and provide feedback on aspiring leaders’ ability and motivation to lead Customized Assessments Develop or customize assessments for agencies’ specific selection or development needs (for example, customized supervisory situational judgment test) Competency Modeling Gather information from employees and supervisors, using focus groups and surveys, to identify critical competencies for a job or job family Competency Gap Assessment Work with agencies to identify current proficiency gaps in incumbents’ ability to apply competencies on the job

Organizational Assessment (OA) Organizational Assessment Solutions Help agencies measure, diagnose, and understand the factors that lead to organizational effectiveness Organizational Assessment Survey Customer Satisfaction Surveys New Employee and Exit Surveys OPM Leadership 360 Focus Groups Program Evaluation Training Needs Analysis Organizational Development Solutions Work with agencies to take action on assessment results to target areas for organizational improvement and intervention Action Planning Workshops for Leaders and Employees Leadership Coaching

Selection and Promotion Assessment (SPA) Assessment Strategy Design Tailor to agencies and occupations Focus on the best strategy to assess candidates and meet specific hiring or employee development needs Customized Assessment Development and Validation Develop entry-level and promotional solutions Conduct job analysis, test development, validation, and analysis Develop assessments that meet legal guidelines and professional standards Maximize return on investment in employee and leader selection and promotion Online Assessment Content Management Evaluate and manage the content in USA Hire, OPM’s online assessment system Provide guidance to account managers, HR specialists, and clients Wide-range of assessment tools including: Traditional knowledge, skill, and ability tests Biodata & personality inventories Situational judgment tests Computer adaptive tests Simulations and work samples

What to expect as an intern at AEB… Work with a team of talented psychologists Recognized experts in the field Interact with customers from a variety of client agencies Law enforcement, military, scientific, health care, administrative, human resources Gain valuable technical experience Assessment development and validation Statistical analysis Survey development and analysis Organizational assessment and development Program evaluation Job analysis Leadership assessment Build your general competency areas Written and oral communication Project management Customer Service Build your professional skillset Participate in internal research and development initiatives Participate in project management and delivery Consult with clients and customers

Scientist-Practitioner Model: AEB Example AEB conducted a substantive amount of research focusing on leadership competence and performance in the federal government Included a literature review, SME panels, and comparisons to private sector models This research was used to develop the OPM Leadership 360 rating instrument and report 28 Leadership Competencies (Fundamental Competencies and 5 ECQs) 98 closed ended items (at least 3 for each competency) 2 open-ended items - optional The OPM Leadership 360 is a staple product offering in AEB Used by over 40 agencies and across multiple levels of leadership On average, AEB administers between 2,500 – 3,500 OPM Leadership 360 assessments each year AEB continues to analyze data collected from the OPM Leadership 360 and monitors the literature to identify opportunities for improvement

Interested in Learning More? To obtain more information about AEB, call or email Matt Sigafoose (Matthew.Sigafoose@opm.gov) Noel Jones (Noel.Jones@opm.gov) Tyler Reck (Tyler.Reck@opm.gov) Apply to join the AEB team JOA posting:  TBD Start Date:  May/June 2019 Location:  Washington, DC (TRB) Length of internship:  6 months to 1 year Provide your email address to receive a notice when the announcement opens