Executives

This report was prepared to assist new political appointees as they enter the political world of Washington, D.C. The study is based on two surveys of previous political appointees, as well as personal interviews with nearly 50 former political executives from both Democratic and Republican administrations. Their experiences have been distilled into seven key lessons: turn to your careerists, partner with your political colleagues, remember the White house, collaborate with Congress, think media, pace yourself, and enjoy the job.

Ferrara and Ross dispel common myths held by political appointees about careerists and by careerists about political appointees. One such myth about careerists suggests that they are loyal to the previous administration. A myth about political appointees implies that they care only about ideology and not about organizational stewardship. The report sets forth constructive "rules of engagement" that political and career executives can use to form partnerships in achieving the administration’s program and policy objectives.

Wye describes how political executives can overcome common problems in the design, alignment, use, and communication of performance measures and information. The report links performance-based management to the higher calling of public service and provides a meaningful rationale as to why political executives should care about performance-based management. In the past, political appointees have traditionally focused primarily on the political agenda, without much attention given to management responsibilities.

This report examines how organizational factors and management strategies have affected the ability of federal agencies to generate reliable information for financial statements and achieve unqualified audit opinions. By indentifying successful management strategies, this study offers recommendations about how agencies can better approach the recurring requirements to produce annual audited financial statements. Financial Management

Over the past decade much work has been done on defining leaders and examining the distinctions among leaders, management and administration. This study examines an innovative approach to leading as a discipline and a method. It describes the Bureau of Primary Health Care's management effort from 1998 to 2001 to transform the health care system at the community level throughout America. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA) within the Department of Health and Human Services organized the 100% Access & 0 Disparities Campaign.

This report includes two previously published Center reports (Leaders Growing Leaders: Preparing the Next Generation of Public Service Executives and Organizations Growing Leaders: Best Practices and Principles of Public Service) in one volume. In both reports, addresses the crucial question of how well the federal government is developing its next generaiton of leaders. hhs, health and human services, ssa, social security, va, veterans, coast guardHuman Capital ManagementLeadership

This report profiles three outstanding local government executives – Robert O’Neill, Jan Perkins, and Phil Penland -- who have served in various local governments over the years. The study profiles the change activities of these city/county managers as they have sought to transfer a set of values and a methodology for leading change into a new setting. Case studies are developed on the change activities of each of these managers, drawing out lessons from their experiences that might suggest a model of leading change in American local governments. Leadership

Since its creation in 1953 as an amalgam of several existing agencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (originally the Department of Health, education and Welfare) has struggled to find the appropriate balance between centralized functions in the Office of the Secretary and autonomy to the various agencies and bureaus contained within its boundaries. Over the years, the pendulum has swung back and forth between emphasis on centralization and decentralization.

This report describes how career executives can overcome common problems in the design, alignment, use, and communication of performance measures and information. It provides a series of antidotes to the cynicism and fatigue frequently felt by career executives in regard to performance management. The report offers specific advice on actions and approaches career executives can take, and urges career executives to use goals and performance measures as critical aspects of their work.

This report consists of a series of in-depth interviews with senior executives in government who have been identified as outstanding leaders. The study attempts to determine the characteristics that have most centrally contributed to the success of these senior executives. Leadership