INTRODUCTION
In his Management Agenda, the President has stated that the Federal Government's workforce is one of its most valuable assets. Our employees are a national resource, and the American public expects the Federal workforce to be managed effectively and efficiently on their behalf. The Congress, through law, also supports this goal and has required that agencies establish a system of human capital management with plans that are strategically developed, leadership that has authority and accountability, and performance that is measured and continuously improved.
The Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002 (Act), enacted as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-296) on November 25, 2002, required the heads of 24 Executive Departments and agencies to appoint or designate Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs). In addition, the Act established a Chief Human Capital Officers Council (Council) to advise and coordinate the activities of members' agencies on such matters as the modernization of human resources systems, improved quality of human resources information, and legislation affecting human resources operations and organizations.
The 26-member Council is composed of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), who serves as chairman; the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who acts as vice chairman; the CHCOs of the 15 Executive departments; and the CHCOs of additional agencies designated by the OPM Director.
The Council serves as a policy sounding board for Federal human resources management, partnering with OPM and working in cooperation with the other interagency management councils, including the Chief Financial Officers Council, Chief Information Officers Council, and Chief Acquisition Officers Council.
This document describes the CHCO Council's goals and objectives through Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 to meet the legislative, CHCO Act, and President's Management Agenda (PMA) requirements for managing the Federal Government's human capital.
THE COUNCIL'S PURPOSE
The Act envisaged the Council as an interagency body designed to facilitate dialogue between interested and affected stakeholders on human capital management reform and to produce tangible results that would enhance the Federal government's capacity to manage strategically one of its most important assets - people.
The Council's Charter defines its purposes as follows:
- Advise OPM, OMB, and agency leaders on human capital strategies and policies, as well as on the assessment of human capital management in Federal agencies.
- Inform and coordinate the activities of its member agencies on such matters as modernization of human resources systems, improved quality of human resources information, and legislation affecting human resources management operations and organizations.
- Assist member CHCOs and other officials with similar responsibilities in fulfilling their individual responsibilities to:
- Implement the laws governing the Federal civil service, as well as the rules and regulations of the President, OPM, and other agencies with regulatory authority that affects Federal employees;
- In accordance with those laws and regulations, advise and assist agency heads and other senior officials in carrying out their responsibilities for selecting, developing, training, and managing a high-quality, productive workforce in accordance with merit system principles;
- Assess workforce characteristics and future needs and align the agency’s human resources policies and programs with the agency’s mission, strategic goals, and performance objectives;
- Advocate and assure a culture of continuous learning and high performance, developing and implementing effective strategies to attract, develop, manage, and retain employees with superior abilities;
- Identify human capital best practices and benchmarks, and apply those exemplars to their agencies and the Federal Government as a whole.
- Provide leadership in identifying and addressing the needs of the Federal Government’s human capital community, including training and development.
COUNCIL MISSION STATEMENT
The Chief Human Capital Officers Council supports the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in leading Federal agencies in the strategic management of human capital, providing a forum for senior management officials to exchange human resources best practices, and informing the dialogue on civil service reform in order to build and maintain an outstanding Federal workforce for the Nation.
THE SUBCOMMITTEES
The Council has established five initial subcommittees to examine some of the more pervasive and complex human capital challenges confronting the Federal human resources community, present findings on these issues, and issue recommendations for legislative or regulatory remedies.
COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEES & CHAIRMEN
The Hiring Process - David Chu, Dept. of Defense, Chairman
Leadership Development & Succession Planning - William Leidinger, Dept. of Education, Chairman
Performance Management - Otto Wolff, Dept. of Commerce, Chairman
Employee Conduct & Poor Performers - Patrick Pizzella, Dept. of Labor, Chairman
Emergency Preparedness - Gail Lovelace, General Services Administration Chairman
During FY 2004, these working groups realized substantial progress, and three issued initial reports for the Council’s consideration. All five subcommittees exhibited considerable engagement on their issues, complementing OPM’s efforts by serving as policy sounding boards, partners in promoting various seminars and events for HR staff and line managers, and forums for the advancement of reform options on a variety of human capital matters.
In FY 2005-2006, the subcommittees will continue their efforts. OPM will begin implementing the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Leadership Development and Succession Planning and the Subcommittee on Employee Conduct and Poor Performers, the reports of which were approved by the Council in September and December 2004, respectively. The Subcommittee on the Hiring Process will refine its findings and recommendations and work closely with OPM on methods of attracting and retaining top talent for the Federal Government. Following on its participation during FY 2004 in vetting the joint OPM-OMB regulations to implement the Senior Executive Service performance-based compensation system, the Subcommittee on Performance Management will support OPM in drafting legislation on Governmentwide Civil Service modernization. The Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness will continue to collaborate with OPM and Federal Executive Boards in offering training sessions and administering surveys on employee safety.
THE COUNCIL’S GOALS
In addition to the ongoing work of the subcommittees, the full Council will focus its efforts on four key areas during FY 2005-2006: (1) fostering a culture of performance and results in accordance with the President’s Management Agenda; (2) developing further an environment of continual process improvement that enables the Council to plan strategically the transformation of the current structure into a force capable of meeting the challenges and demands of the next generation of Federal employees and leaders (e.g., placing the right people with the right skills in the right positions at the right time); (3) enhancing the connections between electronic government and human capital; and (4) strengthening the Federal HR workforce in recognition of the major changes impacting the HR community.
Goal #1 - Advance the President’s vision of a results-oriented, market-based Government by leading agency reform of performance management and compensation systems.
The Council and individual CHCOs will accomplish this goal by:
- Continuing to implement the requirements of the Senior Executive Service’s pay-forperformance system, established by joint OPM and OMB regulations on December 6, 2004;
- Ensuring agencies hold executives accountable for the quantity and quality of their managers;
- Guaranteeing Federal employees’ performance appraisals are first-rate evaluations that make meaningful distinctions in relative performance;
- Ensuring agencies expand the use of training opportunities, emphasizing the importance of investing in Federal employees’ career development;
- Partnering with OPM to develop a Civil Service Modernization Act composed of HR authorities similar to those recently granted to the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense; and
- Developing specific training initiatives for the Federal workforce to manage in an environment that embraces contemporary classification, compensation, and performance management systems.
Goal #2 - Attract high-quality candidates with critical skills to key occupations in the Federal Government.
The Council and individual CHCOs will accomplish this goal by:
- Assisting agencies in the implementation of hiring authorities, such as category rating and direct hire, in order to develop a more streamlined, transparent hiring process for the Federal Government;
- Advising OPM, per Executive Order 13318, in the establishment of limits for the number of Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) and Senior PMFs appointed during FY 2005 and FY 2006;
- Reviewing the Federal Government’s efforts to attract underrepresented demographic groups, including a reexamination of the efficacy of the Luevano consent decree, established in 1981; and
- Partnering with OPM and external stakeholders to promote public service opportunities.
Goal #3 - Embrace the President’s vision of expanded electronic government.
The Council and individual CHCOs will accomplish this goal by:
- Providing support to the Human Resources Line of Business (HR LOB) and Electronic Human Resources Initiative (EHRI) through participation in a multi-agency executive steering committee and a requirements board convened to address information technology architecture issues and policy matters, respectively; and
- Partnering with the Chief Information Officers Council, OMB, OPM, and other e-Government initiative owners.
Goal #4 - Strengthen the Federal Government’s human resources workforce.
The Council and individual CHCOs will accomplish this goal by:
- Leading agencies’ efforts to transform the culture of HR management offices in a time of significant change to the statutory and regulatory framework governing the Federal civil service;
- Developing training opportunities for Federal HR professionals to gain the necessary skills to support agencies in modernizing the Strategic Management of Human Capital; and
- Establishing a Federal Human Resources Fellows Consortium to create a pipeline for Federal HR personnel, enhance the quality of Federal HR operations, and foster community among HR professionals.
COUNCIL MANAGEMENT ISSUES
- In accordance with the Act, the Chairman will convene at least once per year a meeting of the full Council at which representatives of Federal employee labor organizations are present.
- The Council will produce and transmit no later than May 31, 2005, and March 31, 2006, reports to the Congress on the activities of the Council during Fiscal Year 2004 and Fiscal Year 2005, respectively.
- The Executive Director will
- direct the daily operations of the Council, serve as a policy advisor to the Chairman and a principal liaison to Council members, and act as a catalyst for assuring rapid, effective, and comprehensive follow-through on Council initiatives;
- convene regular sessions of the Chief Human Capital Officers Academy as a forum for members to discuss Federal human resources issues, learn from one another in an informal setting, and share best practices in the strategic management of human capital;
- maintain, in conjunction with OPM’s Office of Communications and Public Liaison, a Council Web site and utilize other means of communicating activities to Council members and external stakeholders; and
- maintain working relationships with the Federal Government’s other interagency management councils on financial management, information technology, and acquisition.