The Center for Presidential Transition examined the transcripts from the Senate confirmation hearings of 23 Cabinet-level and agency head positions. We isolated and categorized questions from the confirmation hearings of the two most recent officials confirmed for each selected position.
The guide for incoming Cabinet secretaries is designed to support a new secretary lead effectively from day one and make an impact as the leader of a large and complex organization. Informed by insights from senior federal leaders, it outlines best practices to build an effective team, advance the administration’s agenda, and work effectively with key stakeholders.
The Center for Presidential Transition has gathered answers to the most frequently asked questions about the political appointment process. For information about navigating this process, visit our Ready to Serve website.
This document, prepared by the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition® and the law firms of Steptoe & Johnson and Holland & Knight collects historical examples of decisions previous administrations have made when vetting prospective political appointees. It includes updates for the 2020 presidential transition cycle.
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) transition guide is a comprehensive resource to help potential political appointees, nominees and their support networks successfully navigate the financial disclosure, conflicts of interest and other ethical requirements of nominees.
The guide for incoming assistant secretaries for administration and management (ASAM) is designed to support an ASAM lead effectively from their first day. It has been developed with input from current and former ASAMs and lists key actions a new ASAM can take to accelerate their impact during their first month on the job. It also highlights leading practices they can use to strengthen their effectiveness over their first year and beyond.
Memo from Beth Cobert, Acting Director Office of Personnel Management announcing suspension of agency Senior Executive Service (SES) qualifications review boards (QRB) when agency heads depart, and across all agencies as of December 7, 2016. This memo also details the required resignations for non-term presidential appointees.
This document features over one hundred sample job descriptions for senior positions that are presidential appointments which are Senate confirmed (PAS). This file has position descriptions for senior roles in 28 agencies. Data includes prior appointees, responsibilities and authorities for roles including Secretary/Director/Administrator, Deputy, CFO, General Council, Inspector General and other key management and policy roles. This document is in Microsoft Word for customization.
Companion piece to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Nominee Ethics Guide includes financial disclosure checklists, rules for reporting and ongoing financial reporting requirements.