The Public Manager Forum: Lessons Learned From the Presidential Transition
Speaker: Martha Joynt Kumar and Tim Horne
What does it take to be ready to run the country? Presidential transitions require a substantial effort from every major agency, government manager, project leader, and specialist. And while high-profile cabinet selections grab the most public attention, it’s the hiring, placement, and onboarding of the almost 4,000 political appointees, not to mention the reorientation and evaluation of countless programs and services that prepare a new administration to take the reins on day one. This year, the upcoming presidential transition is in the spotlight after Congress in March passed new legislation that requires the president to establish a pair of transition councils six months before the election and offers transition services to the major-party nominees. At the heart of the 2016 transition are presidential scholar Dr. Martha Joynt Kumar, who helped spark that legislation, and Tim Horne, the first federal transition coordinator responsible for fulfilling the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) responsibilities to administer presidential transitions. In a special one-on-one interview session, Kumar and Horne talk about their favorite lessons learned from this year’s first formalized transition and give an update on what agency leaders and managers should expect.
This is a recording from the 2016 Government Workforce: Learning Innovations conference.
