Presidential Management Initiative

Overview

This winter, for only the second time in 16 years, the White House will get a new inhabitant. Over the course of 47 debates during the 2007-2008 primary campaign season, candidates rarely – if ever – discussed federal management. Yet, the next president’s success rests largely on his ability to effectively manage federal operations with the help of a highly skilled management team. Amid tremendous pressure to score major policy victories in the first 100 days, the new administration must also quickly invest in government’s long-term organizational health.

To shape the next president’s management plan, the Partnership for Public Service launched the Presidential Management Initiative, which offers recommendations for the presidential transition and establishes a framework for effective management in the next administration. The centerpiece will be a strategy to build and lead a first-rate federal workforce.

Goals

Our primary objectives for this effort are to:

• Contribute reliable information to the general election campaign dialogue, positions, and analysis;
• Publish a viable reform agenda, with transition recommendations for the next administration;
• Directly assist the new administration through its transition; and
• Provide useful counsel and perspectives to the next generation of political appointees.

Related Documents

Presidential Management Initiative Overview
The Partnership for Public Service’s Presidential Management Initiative focuses on the upcoming presidential transition and effective management in the next administration.

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Roadmap to Reform: A Management Framework for the Next Administration
Effective government requires effective management. For too long, our federal government’s operational challenges have received insufficient attention, with serious consequences for the nation. The transition from one presidential administration to the next offers an important opportunity to tackle this problem. To help shape the next president’s management reform framework, a number of leading government reform experts forged a consensus about critical federal workforce management issues and actions our next president should take to improve government operations. These proposals concentrate on improving the federal government by focusing on its greatest asset – its people.

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Proposed Party Platform Language for Federal Management
The next president’s success rests largely on his ability to effectively manage federal operations, with the help of a highly skilled management team. To address operational challenges, the Partnership for Public Service proposes national party platform language that promotes attention to federal management issues.

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Senate Can Help New President Get on His Feet, Roll Call
Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, and Howard Paster, who was responsible for the confirmation of the Cabinet and sub-Cabinet in 1993 and who served as President Clinton’s first director of legislative affairs, advise the U.S. Senate on the four things they should do to ensure our nation’s next leadership team is in place and prepared to govern. “For the first time in 48 years, a sitting U.S. Senator will soon become president. His first management challenge will be overseeing the transition and getting his leadership team in place and up to speed. It’s a critical test because getting the next president’s national security and economic teams in place by Inauguration Day is essential to the safety and security of all Americans.”

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It's Not Too Soon to Plan the Transition, Wall Street Journal
Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, and Gary Ginsberg, an executive vice president of News Corp. who served on the Clinton transition team in 1992, advise presidential candidates on three things they should do to ensure the next presidency gets off to the right start. “We know you're busy campaigning and the election is just four months off. But what should be occupying a large portion of your time right now is how you will govern after the election when you have some 4,000 posts to fill.”

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Human Capital Roundtables – “Three Burning Questions for the Next President”
Working with the CNA Corporation, the Partnership conducted a series of roundtable discussions with diverse groups of top-level officials and key stakeholders offer advice on three important workforce management issues: federal compensation, managing a multi-sector workforce, and building collaboration.

• Summary of Washington, DC, Roundtable: March 12, 2008
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• Summary of Los Angeles, CA, Roundtable: May 22, 2008
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• Summary of New York City Roundtable: July 24, 2008
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• Summary of Chicago, IL, Roundtable: August 7, 2008
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• Summary of Atlanta, GA, Roundtable: August 11, 2008
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An Event with Young Government Leaders – “Surviving the Presidential Transition”
Many “young to government” professionals have not worked through a change in presidential leadership and are curious about how it will affect them and how to successfully manage the transition. To help answer these questions, the Partnership for Public Service and Young Government Leaders asked presidential transition experts to discuss their experiences and perspectives on managing the next transition.

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For more information, please contact:

Katie Malague
Senior Program Manager
Partnership for Public Service
kmalague@ourpublicservice.org

 

© 2007 Partnership for Public Service