Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is sponsoring a comprehensive, three-day conference in September that will provide a forum for discussion of the Bush Administration's vision of human capital management initiatives in the federal government.

The event, entitled the 2004 OPM Federal Workforce Conference: Working for America, will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, September 8 - 10. With its focus on changes and new directions in the human resources field, as well as HR policy and operational issues, the conference is intended for federal managers and practitioners who are responsible for aspects of human capital management, as well as for line managers who implement human capital initiatives.

Many of President George W. Bush's Management Agenda initiatives to improve the efficiency and delivery of federal government services will be discussed by featured guests and conference attendees to determine next steps in implementation and how to best achieve results.

"A conference of this type is both substantive and cost-efficient," said OPM Director Kay Coles James. "The conference will serve to promote dialogue among individuals from different agencies, programs, specialties and sub-specialties who all have the common goal of serving their customers and the American public."

The OPM Federal Workforce Conference, for the first time, brings under one roof contemporary HR functions that must be viewed and discussed collectively, leading to the integration of diverse, yet complementary, systems into the larger federal landscape. Conference topics will present human capital strategies that will help federal employees and agencies deliver better and more efficient services. Conference participants also will be able to examine and discuss the relationship these strategies have with HR functions related to labor and employee relations, pay and benefits, performance management, e-Government, and personnel security, among others.

Each facet of the conference has been planned to encourage dialogue and debate. Workshops will revolve around the key subject areas of six Human Capital Standards, which are: strategic alignment; work force planning and deployment; leadership and knowledge management; results-oriented performance culture; talent; and, accountability.

"Production of a conference of this scale will gather professionals throughout the federal HR community and help bring to fruition President Bush's vision of a government that delivers effective and cost-efficient services to America's taxpayers and to its customers," said James. "Discussions on the issues that affect the cost of government and its conduct of business will be lively and topical."

Additional information and conference registration procedures can be obtained at www.opm.gov/conference.