Washington, DC - The Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council today celebrated its 5^th anniversary at a luncheon at the State Department. The celebration included welcoming remarks by U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda M. Springer and a video presentation featuring members of the CHCO Council and Members of Congress.

"The Chief Human Capital Officers Council continues to realize significant progress in the strategic management of human capital, a key element of President George W. Bush's Management Agenda," said Springer. "For the past 5 years, the Council has taken on critical human resources challenges, such as those involving technology and the streamlining of HR functions across government, that are reshaping and improving how federal agencies conduct their work."

Since its inception, the CHCO Council has provided input and guidance on a number of important issues, including the creation of human capital guidance for use during emergency situations such as a Pandemic Influenza outbreak and the development of the Human Resources (HR) Line of Business. In addition, the Council provides a forum for discussing and encouraging agencies to use the hiring flexibilities they have to recruit quality job candidates to maintain and re-shape their workforces.

"During the past year, the Council has been driving reform on some of the federal government's most pervasive human resources management challenges," said Springer. "While we are seeing a ‘cultural shift' in thinking and doing, nothing happens overnight. I look forward to the Council's continued work to create a federal workforce that can meet any challenge it is given."

Most recently, the Council issued a report, entitled Collection of Human Capital Practices, which may be used as a reference guide for the federal human resources community to utilize when developing their human capital strategies.

For more information on the Council and its work, you may go to www.chcoc.gov.