Washington, D.C. - During the General Services Administration Honor Awards, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James thanked the awardees for their hard work. She also stressed the need to create a federal government that responds quickly to the needs of its customers, the American people.

"The hard work and dedication which earned you the award you will receive today is the reason Americans are proud of their government and the federal civil servants who ‘Work for America,'" said James. "Under the leadership of Administrator Stephen Perry, GSA is one of the leaders in this critical focus of government, once again, ‘for the people.' You are the nation's front door to the information and services American citizens want from their government."

James' speech, Improving the Way the Federal Government Serves the American People, also highlighted the important work that is being done to implement President George W. Bush's Management Agenda. "You have distinguished yourselves professionally and you are contributing substantially to achieving the goals of the President's Management Agenda. And meeting the objectives of the Agenda requires teamwork in every agency and department. GSA is working together with other federal agencies toward this common goal. The serious attention you are paying to implementing the President's cutting-edge agenda is especially important. You are responsible for making these initiatives live and breathe. Without you, we will not be able deliver the results the President has promised the American people - the results we need to keep our nation safe and prosperous in the 21^st Century."

The President's Management Agenda envisions a federal government that is citizen-centered, results-oriented and market based. In addition, it calls for federal agencies to strategically plan for their Human Resource needs, and it asks them to reexamine how they hire, train, and promote leadership at all levels among their workforce; how they acquire - and deliver - goods and services; how well they budget and manage their financial resources; how they make optimal use of technology; and, how they align their budgetary and other resources with the strategic plan.

"The President's Management Agenda truly serves as the roadmap for delivering a diverse, high-quality work force in every single agency," said James. "All of our efforts are designed to respond to new opportunities and new challenges. There are tough questions that all of us must be prepared to answer together as a team."

In closing, James again reminded the audience that their hard work does not go unrecognized, and that they are doing truly important work on behalf of the American people. "The awardees here today - who are from across GSA - are being recognized for their contributions, both individually and collectively as teams, for producing results. You are achieving results for America by focusing increasingly on adding value through new, efficient, and effective ways for federal employees to do their work...You are all winners. And America is a winner because GSA is committed to building on a strong record of accomplishment and using its strengths and expertise to help create results-oriented government that is even more productive and responsible to all Americans."

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.