{"id":18675,"date":"2016-11-01T16:58:21","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T16:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2016\/11\/01\/easing-the-transition-to-a-new-administration\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:48:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:48:26","slug":"easing-the-transition-to-a-new-administration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/2016\/11\/01\/easing-the-transition-to-a-new-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Easing the transition to a new administration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Americans prepare to go to the polls for this year’s presidential election, a positive point overshadowed by the contentious campaign season has been the progress we’ve made over the past decade or so in smoothing the transitions that take place as new administrations assume power following elections. Thanks to the advocacy of the Partnership for Public Service<\/a> and other good-for-government organizations, new laws and policies were introduced with the arrival of the Obama Administration aimed at giving incoming administration staffs a running start as they prepare to take over leadership of the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Specifically, the General Services Administration (GSA), my former employer, has taken on an expanded role to support candidates from both parties as they prepare for the possible transition. Previously, this type of support was provided only after elections to staff members of the president-elect. Under the new program, GSA provides both candidates\u2019 teams with office space, computers, mobile devices and services such as email and security. Support begins as soon as each party has nominated their candidate, providing several months more of transition and planning time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This arrangement\u00a0\u2014\u00a0already in place with candidates from both parties\u00a0\u2014\u00a0gives both candidates\u2019 teams access to key government data. This is important because new administrations tend to want to sweep away everything associated with the previous office holders upon their arrival in Washington. By giving them access well in advance, these new folks in town will have much better insight into which programs are working and which aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also elevates the importance of IT and management issues like procurement reform\u00a0\u2014\u00a0issues that don\u2019t get that much attention during campaigns but are essential to keeping the wheels of government turning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other areas of focus for the incoming administration include talent management, achieving agility in the federal budget process, approaches to cybersecurity and promoting innovation. These are largely nonpartisan activities for which we have broad agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of government\/industry groups have recently published recommendations to help the incoming administration hit the ground running following the election. ACT-IAC<\/a>, an organization that promotes collaboration between government and industry, recently published a report titled, ” Transforming Government Through Technology: A Report for the New Administration<\/a>,” which outlines steps incoming executives can take to address the issues outlined above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ACT-IAC study was co-chaired by my colleague at Unisys, Mark Forman, a former federal CIO, and by Roger Baker, former CIO at the Department of Veterans Affairs. As Mark recently noted, the goal of this report is to “<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to provide the next administration with the key insights that ensure that whatever the government does, it does it well.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group identified seven focus areas for the incoming administration: <\/p>\n\n\n\n