Donald
Trump is calling for a revolution in the way Washington operates. His
Republican Convention speech declared ferreting out waste and cutting costs a
major priority for his first hundred days. This will require thorough
preparation, like a successful military campaign, before the first “shots” are
fired.
A
new American President faces the challenge of assuring both continuity and
change. The institution of the Executive
Branch must remain intact. The direction and focus of the Executive Branch must
quickly and thoroughly reflect the will of the electorate.
Trump
can set the stage for “Making America Great Again” by making sure his Presidential
Transition uses “CPR”.
This
CPR is a form of management resuscitation.
It stands for CURATE, PREPARE, RECRUIT. These are co-equal activities
that are critical for launching a dramatic new direction for the federal
government and America.
CURATE
means turning a mountain of information into action. By collecting, sorting, analyzing, and
prioritizing critical information Trump’s Presidential Transition can make sure
they can govern from day one.
The
federal government is vast. During every second policies, programs, personnel,
contracts, grants, expenditures, treaties, and law are in motion. These activities can range from first drafts
of proposals yet to be considered, all the way through final implementation and
codification. They mostly happen in
Washington, DC, but also occur in government field offices throughout America,
and U.S. Missions around the globe. Much of this activity is not public.
An
incoming President must conduct a scavenger hunt of epic proportions to find
everything that matters. The outgoing
Administration, and much of the remaining career structure, will do everything
possible to make sure the scavenger hunt fails. This will include lying and
misdirection.
The
only way a Transition can succeed is to gather outsiders who are relentless in
their search for information. They must
also be able to determine what is real and when to probe deeper. These outsiders must depend on insiders among
career personnel who support the incoming Administration, as well as government
professionals who will do the right thing out of loyalty to America and its
institutions.
PREPARE
is all about making sure the right people are in the right place to do the
right thing the moment the new President is sworn-in. This means halting everything found through
the scavenger hunt. Trump’s
Administration will want to change course quickly and completely. It is imperative to halt and roll back the
legacy of the outgoing Administration in every way and everywhere possible - policies,
programs, personnel, contracts, grants, expenditures, treaties, and law.
One
key preparation is security clearances.
In 1980, Reagan’s team was fast tracked for clearances by FBI and Secret
Service officials who loathed the Carter Administration. Many clearances were
processed starting in September 1980.
Reagan’s transition planning team also combed the Legislative Branch and
government contractors for people who already held appropriate clearances. The result was legions of Reaganites able to
access secure information starting within weeks of the election and legions
more ready to take office the day after the Inaugural.
RECRUIT
is the importance of finding the right people to do the right things. People equal policy. The first waves of political appointees
invade the Executive Branch. In some
cases they will be greeted as liberators.
In other cases they will face bureaucratic combat on a room to room,
program by program scale. In all cases
the new appointees must be competent and committed. Only true believers committed, heart and soul,
to implementing the new agenda need apply.
Curated
information, prepared teams, top notch committed recruits form a seamless
interdisciplinary capability for the new President to act quickly and
decisively.
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