FINAL THOUGHTS

We are facing a human capital crisis in the federal government in the United States. The strategic management of human capital is the top government-wide initiative in the President's Management Agenda. For the health of the government and its workforce, it is critical that agencies use a myriad of approaches to address this human capital dilemma. Certainly, the four key pillars discussed in this book—competency management, performance management, knowledge management, and change management—should form the underlying structure for developing a human capital strategy. Many concepts from the knowledge management field, as expressed throughout this book, can be applied to address the strategic management of human capital in an organization. We must work hard at this issue if we are to produce a citizen-centered, results-oriented, market-based government; develop and nurture its human capital; and create a knowledge sharing culture across the government.