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Building a people-first government: 15 years of the Federal Human Capital Collaborative

Fifteen years ago this month, the Partnership for Public Service’s Federal Human Capital Collaborative convened for the first time to help agency human capital leaders solve their biggest challenges and transform the way government works.   

Today, the chief human capital officers and federal HR leaders who have joined the Collaborative help set and carry out policies that ensure the federal government effectively serves and regains the public’s trust through a diverse and talented workforce. 

Shaping federal HR for the better  

Open to agencies of all sizes, the Collaborative allows HR chiefs from agencies of all sizes to share ideas.  Among the 34 current member agencies are Department of Homeland Security, an agency of 260,000 employees, and Inter-American Foundation, which has just 38 employees.  

“As a member of the Federal Human Capital Collaborative, Customs and Border Protection benefits from the opportunities for HR leadership and staff to share best practices and learn from colleagues across the federal government,” said Andrea Bright, assistant commissioner for human resources management at CBP. 

Over the past year, quarterly meetings have included speakers discussing artificial intelligence, data sharing and managing presidential transitions from the public, private and nonprofit organizations, including the General Services Administration, the Center for Democracy and Policy, LinkedIn and the Partnership itself.  

The Collaborative has also helped members navigate tumultuous times, including looming government shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, and shaped Partnership efforts to support political appointees and federal workforce reform.  

During last month’s meeting, members provided feedback on our forthcoming Ready to Exit checklist for political appointees, which will complement our existing Ready to Govern resource. Members’ perspectives have also informed the Partnership’s thinking on many of our policy priorities. We’ve drawn on their expertise to better understand the policy landscape around hiring, internships, supervisors, workforce data and other related topics. 

Benefits for members 

Emerging HR leaders benefit from the program, as each agency’s membership in the Collaborative includes bulk access to our six-month Emerging HR Leaders Forum. According to a recent survey, 98% of participants in our winter 2023 EHRL session indicated that the program made them a better leader.   

In 2023, we also enhanced the benefits structure of the Collaborative to provide more perks, including access to our Advanced HR Leaders program, a $100 discount to our upcoming Federal Human Capital Conference, and the opportunity to help shape an annual project that the Partnership’s research team conducts on behalf of the members on a range of topics, including surge hiring, DEIA, digital talent and more. 

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