In another memorandum issued today, Angela Bailey, OPM’s Deputy Associate Director for Recruitment and Hiring, provided clarifying guidance on the classification of positions responsible for administering the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  We encourage you to implement that guidance promptly.  In addition, OPM is proposing to establish a new occupational series encompassing information management functions, including those related to FOIA.  This proposal is motivated by this Administration’s commitment to transparency.  In order to promote greater transparency throughout government, the Administration has identified information management as a high-priority occupation.  OPM believes that establishing a new information management occupational series that brings together Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Privacy Act, and Records Management positions would support recruitment, selection, and development of this critical workforce; elevate the importance of these functions within each agency; and advance professionalization of the field.

To begin this initiative and gain a full understanding of the range of work performed in this area, OPM requires your assistance.  We ask that you provide relevant documents describing the information management work currently performed in your agency, including the following: 

a. position descriptions
b. job opportunity announcements
c. performance plans
d. employment data – the number of impacted positions and their current classification (pay plan, title, occupational series, and grade)

Because information management work is performed in many different positions and places throughout the Federal Government, it is not always easy to identify by looking solely at job titles or organizational charts.  For this reason, we ask that you seek the input of subject matter experts and program managers, including your agency’s FOIA Officer and Privacy Act Officer.

We also request that your submission respond to the following questions about the proposed occupation:

1. Is it appropriate to merge Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, and Records Management duties and responsibilities into one series?  If not, please explain.
2. Are there additional, related functions that should also be covered by this occupational series?  If so, please provide relevant documents as listed above.

Please provide the requested information along with an agency point of contact to fedclass@opm.gov by April 15, 2011. 

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.  If you have questions please contact Deon Fortune-Canada or Andrea Bright at (202) 606-3600, or e-mail at deon.fortune-canada@opm.gov or andrea.bright@opm.gov, respectively.