U.S. Department of Defense - Fiscal Year Human Capital Operations Plan

Key Chapter Title List

1. Message from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy
2. Overview, Background, and Purpose
3. Strategic Alignment of Human Capital Goals and Strategies
4. Strengthening the DoD's Ability to Acquire and Shape a Resilient, Highly Skilled Workforce
5. Enhancing the DoD's Ability to Develop, Manage, and Retain Top Talent
6. Advancing the DoD Human Capital Management Plan
7. Alignment of the DoD Human Capital Operating Plan with Strategic Guidance Documents
8. Fiscal Years 2022-2023 Human Capital Operating Plan and Results
9. Fiscal Years 2024-2025 Human Capital Operating Plan Metrics
10. Acronyms/Glossary
11. References and Basis

Document Introduction

This plan is an updated version of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Fiscal Years 2022-2026 Human Capital Operating Plan (HCOP), focusing on specific action plans and metric adjustments for Fiscal Years 2024-2025. The background stems from the evolving global security environment and unprecedented national challenges. The DoD needs to ensure its civilian workforce can support its core mission of deterring war and safeguarding national security by optimizing human capital management.

The plan is structured around three core human capital goals: First, strengthening talent acquisition and shaping capabilities, focusing on the supply side of the labor market by expanding external opportunities and transforming recruitment models to attract resilient, highly skilled talent. Second, enhancing talent development, management, and retention levels, focusing on the demand side of the workforce by building professional capabilities, expanding development opportunities, and fostering a culture of retention. Third, advancing the modernization of the human capital management plan, relying on technology enablement and process optimization to build an efficient, integrated human capital management system.

The development of this plan is based on the implementation results and lessons learned from Fiscal Years 2022-2023. It integrates top-level guidance such as the DoD Strategic Management Plan and the Under Secretary of Defense's Talent Management Initiative, while also adhering to federal regulatory requirements like the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010 and Federal Personnel Management Regulations. Each strategy and initiative has clear milestones, responsible entities, and quantitative metrics, forming a complete implementation chain of goals-strategies-initiatives-metrics.

In terms of specific content, the plan covers multiple key initiatives, including the pilot expansion of the Defense Civilian Training Corps, increased employment opportunities for military spouses, optimization of recruitment process timelines, cybersecurity talent qualification certification, and expansion of human capital data analysis. By integrating digital tools such as cloud technology and artificial intelligence, it promotes process reengineering across the entire talent management lifecycle. It also emphasizes the integration of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) to ensure the diversity and adaptability of the civilian workforce.

This plan not only provides a clear roadmap for the DoD's human capital management in Fiscal Years 2024-2025 but also serves as an important reference for understanding how the U.S. defense system supports national security strategy through talent strategy. Its implementation will directly impact the combat effectiveness of the DoD civilian workforce and the efficiency of achieving the defense mission.