What is the Center for Presidential Transition?
The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition® serves as the premier nonpartisan source of information and resources to help presidential candidates and their teams lay the groundwork for a new administration or for a president’s second term.
NEW
This new tracker, created in collaboration with The Washington Post, will follow the progress of more than 750 of President-elect Biden’s political appointments from nomination to confirmation.
LATEST FROM THE CENTER
READY TO SERVE
Serving America through a presidential appointment is a great honor and responsibility. But, preparing to serve can be a complicated process and getting started early is important. Ready to Serve is our new, centralized resource that guides candidates through every step of the process.
Learn moreOur Ready to Serve webinar series is for aspiring political appointees potentially interested in serving in the current administration or a new administration.
LATEST RESEARCH
We’ve Done This Before: Presidential Transitions During a Time of Crisis
Previous experiences can inform the work of the current presidential transition facing today’s unique challenges. This report includes eight recommendations for a president-elect’s transition team and an outgoing White House based on interviews with veterans of previous transitions and other experts.
DownloadAfter Ascertainment: What’s Next for the Biden-Harris Transition Team
President-elect Biden and his team have already started their transition work, demonstrating skill, experience and purpose. Now that ascertainment has occurred, they can continue with the full support of the United States government.
DownloadSenate Traditionally Confirms First Cabinet Secretaries Within Days of Inauguration
Having Cabinet positions filled by Senate-confirmed appointees benefits new administrations – and more importantly, the country – by enabling presidents to hit the ground running, especially during times of crisis.
DownloadTOP RESOURCES
2020 Presidential Transition Guide
The Partnership’s comprehensive guide on the activities required during the transition. This updated guide, produced in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, features detailed outlines of transition best practices, historical materials from past transitions, and recommendations for a successful presidential transition to a new or second-term administration.
2020 Agency Transition Guide
Based on convenings with transition leaders from nearly 40 agencies, the Partnership and The Boston Consulting Group have compiled best practices into a guide for senior career leaders.
Presidential Transition Act Summary
In passing the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, Congress explained: “Any disruption occasioned by the transfer of the executive power could produce results detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its people.” To promote the orderly transfer of power, Congress established a framework for the federal government to prepare for a transition from one president to another.
Learn moreOUR PODCAST
Transition Lab
Transition Lab is a behind-the-scenes look at presidential transitions. Join David Marchick, director of the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition for candid discussions with former presidential chiefs of staff, transition team leads and other presidential transition experts. Transition Lab is a must-listen for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of what needs to happen before a president takes office or starts a second term.
Listen to the episodesHAPPENING NOW
Anticipating Senate bottlenecks, Biden races to fill agency jobs
December 2, 2020
Publication Type: In the News
Now that he’s chosen a big chunk of his Cabinet nominees, President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is focusing increasingly on selecting candidates for government positions that do not require Senate confirmation.Transition Roundup: Advice for Biden Administration Job-Seekers; GAO Launches Transition Resources
December 1, 2020
Publication Type: In the News
The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition outlined on Tuesday the resources it has to help job-seekers looking to fill the 4,000 politically appointed positions in the Biden administration.Laws and customs guide presidential transitions – but some go off the rails anyway
December 1, 2020
Publication Type: In the News
“One transition saved jobs and kept people in their homes; another transition delayed relief from the Great Depression,” said David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition.Why should a recent graduate consider a career in public service? Thomas Debass, a #Sammies2020 finalist from the State Department, had a Q&A with Lisa Veith from Maximus to discuss this and more: https://ourpublicservice.org/blog/the-sammies-series-qa-with-maximus-and-a-sammies-finalist-at-the-state-department-creating-public-private-partnerships/?utm_campaign=OURPUBLICSERVICE.ORG&utm_content=1608237017&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Lisa Veith, Senior Vice President of New Market Growth for Federal, spoke with #Sammies2020 finalist Thomas Debass of the U.S. State Department for @publicservice about public service as the engine that drives America’s leadership around the world.
https://bit.ly/3r1awJ3
My friends @publicservice, in collaboration with @washingtonpost, have launched a new tool to follow the progress of more than 750 of President-elect Joe Biden's Senate-confirmed political appointments. Latest nominations and confirmations here: https://ourpublicservice.org/political-appointee-tracker/