The Office of Personnel Management began training chief
human capital officers at the sixth and latest CHCO session
on the recently signed human capital legislation, the
Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004. The act amends
current law regarding critical pay authority, agency
training activities, annual leave, recruitment and
retention bonuses, and compensatory time off for travel.
OPM said the meeting addressed a shift in primary
responsibility for critical pay authority from the Office
of Management and Budget to OPM, which it said would
increase the use of “this underutilized flexibility as a
means of attracting talented individuals to critical
positions in the federal government.”
OPM trained CHCOs on how to use new personnel flexibilities,
adding that the act would allow managers to “accomplish
mission critical goals and continue to build a strong civil
service by finding and selecting the best possible candidates.”
The act gives federal agencies more authority within their
budgets to pay larger recruitment and retention bonuses,
and they will be required to regularly evaluate and modify
training programs to promote a more strategic approach to
adapting training programs to the overall mission, as well
as to provide specific training to develop managers as part
of a comprehensive management succession program, according
to OPM.