J. Jackson Walters
Elected 1983

Charles F. Luce
Elected 1982

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The EOM Panel undertook an initiative in early 2006 to assess the existing management capacities of the President to address 21^st century challenges. This review included the institutional resources of the Executive Office of the President, as well as the use of non-institutional approaches. Based on the findings and assessments, individual panel members have developed issue papers offering options for improving these capacities in order that the next President and Congress can more effectively address 21^st century challenges.

Issues covered in the series include: budget reform, strategic human capital management, intergovernmental management, crisis management, acquisition reform, cross-agency collaboration, and options for strengthening the role of the White House and OMB in management issues. As a result of relationships built through the Collaboration Project, the National Academy was able to secure interviews on Federal News Radio for Fellows Dwight Ink and Tom Stanton regarding their papers.

Click here to listen to Mr. Stanton's interview

Click here to listen to Mr. Ink's interview

You are encouraged to share this web link with your colleagues and others you believe may be interested. You are also invited to contribute comments on the various papers that would be read by other visitors to the website.

Click here to view the issue papers

Many thanks to the eight National Academy Fellows who tested a 2-day curriculum on America’s fiscal future last spring, and to the additional nine Fellows who will be using it in their classrooms this fall. As you know, the National Academy identified America’s Fiscal Future as one of 10 “Big Ideas” several years ago, and we have been aggressively pursuing initiatives in that area. We were pleased to be able to work with our partners at Public Agenda to pilot test this curriculum in furtherance of our common mission and goals.

Public Agenda is now poised to make the curriculum available free-of-charge to professors at universities across the nation, and we want to make sure that you and your colleagues are among the first to know that it is available.

“Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances” is a free package of learning materials, including readings, film, slides, Web-based components, discussion guides, surveys, and opportunities for students to contribute essays, videos, and communicate online. These materials are designed to raise students' awareness of our national fiscal challenges (our $10-trillion-and-growing national debt, its causes, and the potentially calamitous consequences) and engage students in college classrooms across the nation in a discussion of the solutions. The materials can be adapted as mini-courses within existing classes or used by student organizations on campuses.

Public Agenda has asked that faculty or student groups using the materials be in touch with them so that they can track their use, answer questions, and get feedback in the form of student essays, videos, survey results, and blogs to their website:

http://www.facingup.org/faculty

If you are interested in using the classroom module on this critically important set of policy issues, please contact Andrew Yarrow, ayarrow@publicagenda.org or 202-719-9777.

The next administration faces a multitude of complex challenges that will require the rapid transition of leadership. As a new group of presidential appointees prepares for this responsibility, the National Academy of Public Administration is focused on how career govenment employees and political appointees can more effectively work together to get to action faster.

Exploring the Opportunities

PAS Survey: This survey will assess the opinion of current Senate confirmed political apppointees (PAS) regarding the critical insights specific to working in the federal context. Based on the survey, the National Academy, in collaboration with our strategic partners, the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania and Partnership for Public Service will explore options for identifying distinct ways to improve orientation and preparation for incoming political appointees.

SES Survey: This online survey of members of the Senior Executive Service in government is designed to develop a better understanding of what works well in managing transitions and identify successful apporoaches to effectively developing the strong political/career leadership team necessary to produce results. It builds upon and is complementary to the PAS Survey. The National Academy's work on the SES Survey is being supported by Bearing Point and Dun & Bradstreet.

Reaching Out

This year, the National Academy's Annual Conference, held in Washington, D.C., will feature a plenary session focused on the results of the PAS and SES studies. The timing of this event after the national election will give National Academy Fellows, partners, and invited guests an opportunity to explore ideas and implementations for the transition period.

Facilitating a Smooth Transition

Utilizing the results of the activities outlined above, the National Academy intends to facilitate discussions with key stakeholders to futher explore emerging ideas, promising practices and successful approaches to quickly and effectively develop the strong political/career leadership team necessary to produce results.