Federal Workforce Competency Initiative – General and Technical Competencies and Competency Frameworks for Information Technology Management, 2210

MEMORANDUM TO: Heads and Acting Heads of Departments and Agencies FROM: Scott Kupor, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management DATE: April 13, 2026 RE: Federal Workforce Competency Initiative – General and Technical Competencies and Competency Frameworks for Information Technology Management, 2210

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing the Federal Workforce Competency Initiative (FWCI) competency frameworks for the Information Technology (IT) Management Series, 2210. These frameworks provide updated general and technical competencies to support skills-based hiring, workforce planning, employee development, and performance management across the Federal Government. This initiative supports Executive Order 13932 - Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates, Executive Order 14170 - Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service, the Chance to Compete Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-188) and the Merit Hiring Plan. Together, these efforts advance a governmentwide shift toward skills-based, competency-driven hiring and reduce overreliance on educational credentials and self-reported experience. This release is the first of three coordinated 2210 IT Management policy products: 1. Competency Frameworks 2. Competency-Based Classification Standard 3. Competency-Based Qualification Standard Together, these products provide an integrated approach to aligning classification, qualifications, and assessments with job-relevant competencies and proficiency levels. The IT occupational series has undergone significant transformation in recent years and remains critical to effective and secure Federal operations. To ensure agencies can recruit, develop, and retain a highly skilled IT workforce, OPM conducted governmentwide competency research through the FWCI in 2021. This study resulted in a general competency model for the IT 2210 occupation. In 2024, OPM conducted a governmentwide survey to identify key technical competencies for the 2210 series. More than 24,000 Federal employees and supervisors participated. The survey assessed the importance of 84 competencies across IT specializations and informed the development of these frameworks.

2 The FWCI builds on OPM’s prior MOSAIC (Multipurpose Occupational Systems Analysis Inventory—Closed-ended) studies by updating and validating selected technical competencies and identifying emerging competencies relevant to current and future IT work. These competency frameworks reflect work performed across agencies and are designed to support mission needs in a rapidly evolving technology environment. OPM is providing general and technical competency frameworks, along with occupational profiles for the Information Technology Management Series, 2210, organized by grade-level bands to support governmentwide, high-priority initiatives (see Attachment 1). For the FWCI, OPM focused on a subset of technical competencies from prior MOSAIC studies and incorporated emerging competencies identified from other credible sources. The related IT functional areas and competencies identified through this work are summarized in the Frequently Asked Questions (see Attachment 2). The selected competencies reflect work performed across the Federal Government and were validated to ensure they remain relevant to current agency needs in a rapidly evolving technology environment. The remaining general and technical competencies from the MOSAIC studies continue to be available for agency use. Agencies should use these competency frameworks to inform job analysis, assessment development, qualification determinations, and workforce planning efforts. Agencies are responsible for identifying position-specific technical competencies and required proficiency levels based on job analysis. These frameworks are intended to support immediate and ongoing implementation of skillsbased hiring practices across the Federal Government. OPM will continue to provide guidance, tools, and technical assistance to support agencies in applying these resources effectively. For questions regarding the FWCI competency frameworks, please contact the Classification and Assessment Policy Office at competency@opm.gov. For additional information and support, agency headquarters-level human resources offices may email: • Assessment_Information@opm.gov for questions on assessment policy. • HX@opm.gov for implementation assistance or questions. • AskHRS@opm.gov for reimbursable agency assistance on implementation or assessments. • USAHire@opm.gov for questions concerning USA Hire. • MeritHiring@opm.gov for questions on the Merit Hiring Plan. • Employ@opm.gov for questions concerning hiring policy. Attachment 1: OPM Federal Workforce Competency Initiative (FWCI) Competency Handbook for Information Technology Management, 2210 (April 2026) Attachment 2: Federal Workforce Competency Initiative (FWCI) Frequently Asked Questions cc: Chief Human Capital Officers, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officers, Human Resources Directors