The Office of Personnel Management announced a proposed rule Thursday morning to stop including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) metrics and end grade inflation on senior bureaucrats’ performance evaluations.
The proposed rule aims to reform the Senior Executive Service performance appraisal system. For several years, more than 96% of bureaucrats in the SES, top-level agency employees serving in leadership roles, have received high marks on performance reviews despite documented failures, according to the OPM.
SES performance is graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “unsatisfactory” and 5 “outstanding.” In 2023, OPM claims, 96% of SES members received a 4 (“exceeds fully successful”) or a 5. Less than 0.5% received ratings below “fully successful.”
The proposed rule would also eliminate any DEI component in SES evaluations, in line with President Donald Trump’s initiative to root DEI out of the federal government. As it currently stands, the Code of Federal Regulations requires federal government agencies to incorporate “leadership effectiveness in promoting diversity, inclusion, and engagement” into SES performance grades.
The OPM proposed the new rule at the direction of the president. On his first day in office, Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum titled “Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives.” The president specifically called out the Senior Executive Service, and said he intended to “reinvigorate the SES system” and ensure “that SES officials are properly accountable to the president and the American people.”
“The American people deserve a federal government led by executives who are held to the highest standards,” acting Director Chuck Ezell said in the OPM release. “This proposed rule restores accountability, rewards true excellence, and ensures senior leaders deliver real results. OPM is proud to take this important step to strengthen performance among the highest levels of the federal workforce.”