OPM has announced a moratorium on accepting and processing new senior executive service qualifications review board cases at agencies where the agency head departs or announces his or her departure.
OPM said it would also impose a QRB moratorium effective on the date that the President announces the nomination of a new agency head in order to ensure that any incoming agency head has the opportunity to exercise his or her prerogative to make or approve executive resources decisions.
QRB cases submitted prior to an announcement, departure, or nomination will continue to be processed and agencies may continue to process non-competitive SES selections in accordance with applicable regulations, said OPM.
It said requests for exceptions would be considered on a case-by-case basis and that agencies have the option to continue to conduct SES merit staffing actions in the absence of an agency head or designated official, up to the point of submission of the candidate selected to the QRB for certification.