Resources for Federal Transition Leaders

Federal agency personnel responsible for planning and executing transition activities play a pivotal role in the peaceful transfer of power. The Center for Presidential Transition® has compiled resources to help transition leaders carry out their duties, comply with governing statues and prepare a new or second-term administration to govern effectively on day one.

Agency Briefing Guides and Templates

Agency Transition Guide
Federal agencies face a cascading series of challenges before and after a presidential election and into the early months of a new, or second-term administration. Since 2008, the Partnership for Public Service has worked with federal agencies to promote knowledge-sharing, support collaboration and provide resources to strengthen presidential transitions.
November 20, 2023
A Guide for Chief Human Capital Officers: Supporting New Appointees

This guide and checklist outlines leading practices and key actions CHCOs can take to build effective relationships with new appointees during their first weeks and throughout the onboarding process to position them as a trusted advisor. It includes insights and advice from current and former CHCOs, appointees and other federal leaders.

January 16, 2020
Agency Briefing Material Bureau/Component Executive Summary Template

A template to be used by agencies to source and organize the information they receive from employees to create the high-level overview of a bureau or component within the agency to develop briefing materials for the incoming administration.

October 06, 2016
Agency Briefing Book Sample Table of Contents

This template provides agency transition leaders a table of contents and structure for the briefing materials they will prepare to brief the incoming administration about their agency. This format was developed based on interviews with prior incoming administration leaders, agency transition leads and OMB to maximize the effectiveness of the agency briefings.

October 06, 2016
Agency Briefing Material Deep-dive Template

This template for agencies can help them source and organize the information they receive from employees to create a deep-dive report on a topic or issue. The template may be used to provide a more detailed explanation of any component in an executive summary, or may be used to create separate policy-item, budget-item, management issue, or other specific item reports. The data collected can be used to inform the briefing materials for the incoming administration team.

October 06, 2016
Agency Briefing Material Office/Region Executive Summary Template

This template will help agencies create an office/region’s executive overview in preparation for the presidential transition. The information provided will be incorporated into final briefing materials for incoming administration leadership. It is designed to work with the “Agency Briefing Material Deep-dive Template,” for issues that require additional explanation.

October 06, 2016

Do you need transition planning assistance?

The Center can provide critical assistance on how to organize and execute a transition; help agency career executives prepare for new political leadership; offer guidance to political appointees on the unique aspects of government leadership; and engage with Congress to promote transition reforms. In addition, the Center can offer insights to help incumbent presidents prepare for a second term and advise on the steps needed for a smooth transfer of power in the event that a new president is elected.