Human Resource directors from forty counties in New York and North Carolina were interviewed to gain a better understanding of how and when SHCM practices are being implemented in county government. The study results indicate that the level of SHCM adoption in a county depends on whether or not the county government engages in strategic planning and management, the HR director thinks strategically about the role of HR in the government, and top leadership views the HR function as strategic. Results also suggest that the adoption of SHCM principles and practices is an ongoing process. This bulletin presents an overview of this study and its findings and concludes with lessons for local governments wanting to implement SHCM.