White House Creates Merit-Based Schedule Policy/Career in the Federal Service to Boost Accountability

The White House issues an executive order moving senior policy-influencing roles into a Schedule Policy/Career in the federal excepted service to improve accountability and merit, amends Civil Service Rules and related Executive Orders to allow merit-based appointments and clearer removal for misconduct, creates a separate performance-award pool and a presidential award program, and directs OPM to issue revisions within 60 days; agencies must notify incumbents of placement within seven days, and an appendix lists the affected positions.