With the 2016 election decided, federal managers and employees are preparing for their new or changing roles under the Trump Administration. However, navigating a presidential transition is a difficult prospect, which is why the GSA has made available the 2016 Presidential Transition Portal.
The resource is designed to connect federal employees and managers working to design the next federal government with the information and resources they will need in that effort. Now serving President-elect Trump, the portal will be continually updated as new information becomes available.
Currently, the portal offers a wealth of information related to the structure of the federal government, and what employees and managers alike should do to prepare in the coming months. One such document is the Introduction to the Transition Overview, which provides a summery of the transition process.
This overview outlines major transition activities, providing a quick guide of the who, what, and when of the major milestones that will occur during the transition. While some in the federal government have been through many presidential transitions, for many this will be their first. For both the seasoned and the novice, the overview is a good place to start.
Additionally, the portal offers a more detailed list of transition activities, divided up into the pre-election, post-election, and post-inauguration phases—a visualization of the 2016 presidential transition timeline to serve as an at-a-glance reference point of critical dates. Also included are the names of those sitting on the Agency Transition Directors Council and the White House Transition Coordinating Council, as well as these individuals’ roles and responsibilities.
The portal also offers a detailed structure of the federal government as it currently operates, including a link to the so-called “Plumb Book,” which contains data on more than 8,000 federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches that could be subject to noncompetitive appointment. The major categories of positions listed, according to the site, include:
- executive schedule and salary-equivalent positions paid at the rates established for levels I through V
- Senior Executive Service (SES) “General” positions
- Senior Foreign Service positions
- schedule C positions excepted from the competitive service by the president or by the director of the Office of Personnel Management, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties
- other positions at the GS-14 and above level excepted from the competitive civil service by law because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties.
The portal also includes links to the 2015 Government manual. The official handbook of the federal government, this document provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations, and boards, commissions and committees.
There are numerous other resources located on the site itself, as well as links to external transition resources that will ensure the 2016 transfer goes as smoothly as possible. “The peaceful transfer of power has been a hallmark of American democracy for more than 200 years,” states GSA materials. “Like his predecessor, President Obama is committed to leaving the federal government in the best possible stead for his successor.”
