Presidential Prowess

First in a series of columns by Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration-current and former government officials and scholars who will offer management advice to the next president.

Whether Sen. John Kerry or President Bush prevails in the election, the next president will wrestle with some of the most extraordinary challenges any chief executive has ever faced in areas such as homeland security, bioterrorism, health care and fiscal management.

Effective management initiatives are critical to constructively addressing these daunting challenges. And the four cornerstones to implementing those initiatives can form the foundation for a president's management triumphs.

Be a creative, determined leader.

Presidential leadership involves mapping the course and serving as the driving force behind each initiative. The president must think innovatively as he develops and leads his management agenda. Instead of simply studying how government is currently managed and then developing a strategy for change, presidents should paint a portrait of how government would ideally operate and ask: "How do we get there?" After all, "Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard," as leadership guru Warren G. Bennis once said. Getting government to dance can prove exceedingly difficult. Politics, turf battles, and champions of the status quo often pose significant challenges, making effective presidential leadership even more essential.

Raise the visibility of critical management initiatives.

President Bush's emphasis on results and accountability is one example of a chief executive taking a public stand on critical management efforts. The President's Management Agenda kicked off Bush's high- profile effort to improve government performance. As part of the agenda, the administration has evaluated more than 400 federal programs worth about $1 trillion in an effort to allocate more funding to programs that deliver positive results. Politicians and pundits might argue about the merits, objectives and details, but there is no doubt that Bush's results-oriented policies have put the issue of results on the table and have greatly expanded advances in prior administrations.

Bring management-related policies down to ground level.

Given how a president expects his initiatives to be perceived by a whole host of stakeholders, what will be necessary to make each one happen? It is an unquestionable tenet of public management that without pragmatic attention to implementation, even the best policies can fall flat on their face. Ignoring effective management techniques and tools when formulating new policies or improving existing ones can be a recipe for disaster.

For instance, the president should strike the balance between monitoring progress and micromanaging. While management initiatives need active support from the top, the president should not stifle the creativity of civil servants responsible for making his policies a success. There is, however, a growing need for carefully examining how programs are constructed and managed up front, rather than expecting civil servants to pick up the administrative flotsam of well-meaning programs that are badly designed. If done right, this will give federal employees a sense of ownership of presidential initiatives.

Create an atmosphere of bipartisan, intergovernmental collaboration.

The new president's honeymoon period is a perfect time to establish the tone for constructive conversation. Partisan politics run rampant through the corridors of Washington, but if the president engages Congress on both sides of the aisle, involves leaders from departments and agencies, and consults with state and local governments, he will see measurable benefits. In the 21st century, all government is intergovernmental. And, in this environment where all government is intergovernmental and even international, the way the federal government implements its policies needs more fresh and open thinking about the importance of the management of new and complex initiatives.

These four cornerstones should form the foundation for the management agenda of whoever resides in the White House in January 2005, because that is where management starts-1600 Pennsylvania Ave.