This blog post is co-authored by Alan Howze In 2017, for the first time in eight years, a new President will be sworn into office. Regardless of which party wins, a new set of political appointees will serve as executive leaders across the government. The decisions that the new administration makes about who to appoint – which starts during the transition process -- will set a path forward for the administration.
How do you assess the effectiveness and impact of mission support functions -- human resources, acquisitions, finance, technology, etc. -- on an agency’s mission?
On November 8, the President-elect will begin the next phase of the transition to power that culminates with Inauguration Day on January 20, 2017. The next Administration will have a tremendous opportunity to drive change that improves mission performance across government, in ways that can positively impact millions of lives across the Nation across a broad range of mission areas – including health care for citizens, stewardship of natural resources, and delivery of benefits with financial integrity.
For the next administration, the management of the federal workforce—including executives—will be a critical factor in the president’s success. The president’s political appointees will work with members of the career Senior Executive Service (SES) to direct the work of agencies and departments.
While the financial management community has made significant progress over the years, it continues to face challenges in meeting some of the basic standards for accounting and reporting. Many agencies currently use outdated financial systems that do not support their efforts to improve financial performance and accountability. Efforts made to improve financial systems through upgrades or replacement of current financial systems must be undertaken with planning and care.
