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Washington, D.C. -- Director Kay Coles James of the Office of Personnel Management today met with two senior officials of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

During their discussions, Director James briefed the Chairman of the ICSC, Mr. Mohsen Bel Hadj Amor, and the Executive Secretary, Mr. Kingston Rhodes, on compensation systems and federal experiences with broadbanding, pay-for-performance, competency management, and improving job classification.

"The Commission and the federal government face many common challenges in our efforts to recruit, hire and retain the skilled and talented workers we need," James said. "As the HR leader for the Executive Branch, OPM is coordinating efforts across government to streamline the hiring processes, harness technology, and modernize the federal government's compensation system to reward hard work, creativity and excellence. Just as we emphasize learning from the best practices within government and our American democratic free enterprise system, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with our international counterparts."

The ICSC is an independent expert body established by the United Nations General Assembly. Its mandate is to regulate and coordinate the conditions of service of staff in the United Nations common system, while promoting and maintaining high standards in the international civil service. The ICSC is charged with making recommendations on UN pay structures and other compensation issues and is required to examine, among other information, the compensation systems used by the U.S. government for its employees.

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OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also 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.