Laying the Foundation for Effective Governing

The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition® is the nation’s premier nonpartisan source of information and expertise for presidential candidates and their teams.

The Center provides critical assistance on how to organize and execute a transition; helps agency career executives prepare for new political leadership; offers guidance to political appointees on the unique aspects of government leadership; and engages with Congress to promote transition reforms.

 

In addition, the Center offers insights to help incumbent presidents prepare for a second term as well as advice on the steps needed for a smooth transfer of power in the event that a new president is elected.

What We Do

To facilitate effective transfers of power and help incumbent presidents prepare for a second term, the Center:

Assists presidential candidates, the incumbent administration and agencies with transition planning

Our comprehensive Presidential Transition Guide serves as a roadmap for transition planning, while our Agency Transition Guide helps career officials prepare critical information for incoming senior leaders. We have assembled a library of past transition documents and offer a series of nonpartisan conferences and roundtable discussions for candidates and their transition teams.

 

Prepares presidential appointees to succeed

Our Ready to Govern® program accelerates the ability of political appointees to lead by deepening their understanding of the unique aspects of managing in the federal government. We provide content and planning tools to help appointees get ready for rigorous background checks, ethics evaluations and the Senate confirmation process. Our Ready to Serve® resources provide prospective public servants with the tools and information to pursue a political appointment.

 

Advocates for reforms and draws attention to transition issues

We work with Congress to promote presidential transition reforms and streamline the appointments process. In collaboration with The Washington Post, our online Political Appointee Tracker provides real-time data on the status of political appointments, holding the administration and the Senate accountable for timely action.

 

Identifies and promotes sound management practices for a more effective government

We provide expertise on the government’s talent and operational challenges and bring together diverse perspectives and institutional knowledge on federal management issues.

Advisory Board

Our advisory board members—Democrats and Republicans—have been involved in planning, executing and closely observing presidential transitions. They volunteer their expertise to support early and effective transition planning for second-term and new administrations.

About the Partnership for Public Service

For more than 20 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government operates by increasing collaboration, accountability, efficiency and innovation.

Learn more at ourpublicservice.org.

“Any administration invested in the smooth transfer of power or effective second-term planning should tap the Partnership’s deep knowledge in these areas.”   Allison Fahrenkopf Brigati Deputy administrator, General Services Administration, 2017-2021

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The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy.