Did you tune-in to last night’s debates? Record numbers of you took to twitter.
But career feds were still left in the dark for specifics on what a second-term Obama administration or a Romney-Ryan ticket would actually look like.
Would there be a workforce overhaul? What initiatives would be started right out the gate? Who would get the top political appointee positions? How should career feds prep?
So many questions.
And unfortunately very few answers. But the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) have tried to answer some of those questions.
They’ve launched the Memos to National Leaders project to help inform incoming national leaders about policy and management challenges facing the Nation. Dwight Ink wrote the memo on transition.
In part two of his interview with Chris Dorobek on the DorobekINSIDER program Ink explains why if President Obama wins his re-election bid there will still be a large transition.
How Career Feds Should Prep
“Career folks need to be studying carefully what the two candidates are saying with respect to policies. Unfortunately neither candidate has been very specific so far. It’s hard for career folks to anticipate how to be most helpful without specifics,” said Ink, “the key for career people is to be VERY receptive to new policies and political appointees.”
Department Heads
“Most department heads don’t realize the impact they can have on agency operations. They get bogged down with political and policy demands they don’t think they have time to deal with operations. It won’t matter how wonderful the policies they create if they can’t implement them,” said Ink.
Need for Comprehensive Transition Meetings
“Right away political appointees need to meet with career folks. They need to figure out what’s been effective and not effective for successful transitions in the past. In the same vain political appointees should meet with their predecessors from both political parties,” said Ink.
Transition No Matter What
“The political strength that the 2nd-term President garners right after the election wanes much quicker than it does in the first term. So the President’s transition team needs to move even quicker than the first time around,” said Ink, “but second-term Presidents do have an edge because they can start immediately after the election. They don’t have to wait until inauguration to get started on initiatives.”
For additional blogs and great discussions about the transition, check out:
Next Four Years: Managing a Balancing Act
Transition is An Opportunity – Be Ready
How Are You Preparing for a Presidential Transition?
Are you ready for the TRANSITION?
Memos to National Leaders: Transition Prep, Political Appointees Confirmations and More