Which agency has jurisdiction over appointments to the competitive service and enforces civil service rules?

• A. MSPB
• B. DoD
• C. Congress
• D. OPM

Answer: (D)

The main idea is who administers the federal civil service merit system for open hiring. The Office of Personnel Management handles appointments to the competitive service and enforces the civil service rules that govern how federal employees are recruited, selected, and treated. It sets policies for merit-based hiring and oversees the processes used to fill competitive positions. The Merit Systems Protection Board deals with appeals of personnel actions rather than setting or enforcing hiring rules. Congress creates the laws, and DoD follows those policies for its own civilian workforce, but the ongoing management of the competitive service rests with OPM.