Former senior national security officials discuss vulnerability and continuity during presidential transitions

The most fundamental function of our government is keeping us safe and, as Partnership for Public Service CEO Max Stier has said, doing so “requires extensive and thoughtful transition planning” during presidential election years.

On July 12, the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition® hosted a bipartisan discussion focused on how federal agencies can maintain security and continuity during periods of uncertainty, and the importance of responsibly sharing national security information when there is a change of administrations. The conversation led all four officials to offer deeper advice about leadership in government.

The panel consisted of Elaine Duke, the former deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Karen Gibson, the current Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, Susan Gordan, the former principal deputy director of National Intelligence, and Essye Miller, the former acting chief information officer at the Department of Defense.

Key themes

An important theme of the event was the dynamic between the experienced career civil servants and the political appointees they serve alongside. Gordan framed the distinction as political appointees carrying out the “will of the people,” and the career officials possessing the fundamental knowledge about how to implement new policies.

To be prepared for surprises, Gibson recommended making the establishment of good relationships and linkages across agencies a top priority, stating that “even if you’re handed all the information on a platter, the toughest part is cohering as a team to deal with the crises.” Miller emphasized that career officials provide continuity in the government and she stressed the importance of establishing trust between career and political officials as early as possible.

Duke acknowledged that, even when the political climate creates barriers, civil servants “can take the first step to building that trust” and are well-qualified to do so.

Gordon said that civil servants are committed to making the government better. She emphasized that new leadership can be unnerving for career employees, but bring “real opportunity for change” and that change can be extremely positive for a new administration and the institutions of government.

The event served as a reminder of the importance of having a skilled civil service prepared to coordinate within and across agencies, and to work hand-in-hand with political leaders to help implement the policies of a new administration.

Check out the recording of this bipartisan discussion here on the Partnership’s website.

This blog post was authored by James Passmore, an intern with the Center for Presidential Transition