“For the past five years, the council has taken on critical human resources challenges, such as those involving technology and streamlining of HR functions across government, that are reshaping and improving how federal agencies conduct their work,” said Springer, who serves as head of the council. The gathering included CHCOs, their deputies and other HR officials from across the government, and chief executives from Washington’s good-government groups. John Salamone, executive director of the council, said the council had been able to make major strides in part because stakeholders, including the good-government groups, have rallied around its activities. “They’ve helped us whenever we’ve asked, so I’m very appreciative of the work and the help we get from outside groups as well,” he said. The council was created under the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002, which was enacted as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The law required the heads of 24 executive departments and agencies to appoint CHCOs, who function as their agencies' chief policy advisors on human resources management issues and are charged with developing and managing a high-quality workforce. The council’s role is to advise agencies on human-capital issues and coordinate a range of activities, including the modernization of HR systems, improved quality of HR information and legislation relating to HR operations.
The Chief Human Capital Officers Council has made significant gains in the management of human capital, a key piece of President Bush’s Management Agenda, since the council was launched in 2003, Office of Personnel Management Director Linda Springer has said.
Springer, speaking at a luncheon at the State Department June 10 to mark the council's fifth anniversary, said it has provided leadership on an array of important issues. She said it has helped create human-capital guidance for agency managers for use during emergency situations and develop the Human Resources Line of Business initiative, which will move responsibility for HR information systems and payroll operations from agencies to consolidated services centers that specialize in those operations.
