Washington, D.C. - U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James praised the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) efforts in getting to green on President George W. Bush's Management Scorecard, and the agency's success in reaching their goal.

"It is with immense pleasure that I share with you the significant achievement made by our friends at NASA," stated OPM Director Kay Coles James. "Thanks to the leadership of Administrator Sean O'Keefe, NASA has worked diligently as a team and has taken a momentous step forward to become the first agency to achieve a green status in the Human Capital initiative of the President's Management Agenda."

The President's Management Agenda (PMA) lays out President Bush's plan to give managers the tools they need to ensure that government becomes "citizen-centered, results-oriented and market-based," and by strategically managing human capital, agencies such as NASA are proving successful.

"NASA's ability to fulfill its ambitious mission is dependent on the quality of its work force," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "NASA faces an increasing management challenge in attracting, hiring, and retaining the talented men and women who in the future will break new ground in science and technology, explore the universe, and pioneer exciting discoveries here on Earth and beyond."

OPM is leading the effort to transform human resource operations within federal agencies. Under the Human Capital component of the President's scorecard, OPM, the Office of Management and Budget, and the General Accounting Office have developed a set of standards that form an integrated, results-oriented vision of what constitutes effective human capital management. When an agency "gets to green," it means they have achieved the desired results laid out in the scorecard.

"NASA has made it clear that all levels of its agency share the responsibility and accountability for effectively managing its human capital resources," James stated. "And as a team, they have learned to continuously promote the activities that elevated their ability to attract, retain, and develop a high-performing work force."