Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hosted a Human Capital Best Practices Showcase today at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., featuring NASA. The showcase was designed to assist federal agencies in reaching human capital milestones outlined in President Bush's Management Agenda (PMA).

OPM Deputy Director Dan G. Blair and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe showcased the programs and recognized the staff at NASA as being an example of an agency that has been instrumental in getting to green on the strategic management of human capital portion of the PMA scorecard.

"Americans today expect and deserve a results-driven government and the President's Management Agenda maps the course for government to follow," Blair said. "Whether it is in the extraordinary response in moments of crisis or the professional operation of day-to-day government, NASA shows what excellence is all about."

Blair highlighted Director James' definition of a ‘green' score, namely that ‘green' does not mean an agency is ‘perfect,' nor does it mean that every problem has been solved. "Earning a green status score indicates that an agency has demonstrated a commitment to plan and take the actions necessary to improve the conditions of their workforce - present and future. Perhaps most importantly, however, earning a green score means that an agency is not afraid to seek out problems, acknowledge their existence and make an honest and transparent effort to resolve them."

The showcase is part of OPM's overall strategy to bring forth demonstrated human capital practices so federal leaders can see practical examples that are having an impact on an agency's ability to meet its mission.  OPM recently conducted several professional development workshops that also featured proven practices.

The event included remarks from OPM Deputy Director Blair and an overview of the featured agency by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. Additionally, there were presentations by NASA officials on the agency's human capital program and how they achieved success. The half-day event included workshops and a panel highlighting NASA's best practices.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.