Speeding Up the Learning Curve: Observations from a Survey of Seasoned Political Appointees

The outgoing Senate-confirmed appointees of President George W. Bush shared their insights in a survey conducted by the National Academy of Public Administration and the Partnership for Public Service during September 2008.

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By

G. Edward DeSeve

Coordinator of the Agile Government Center

National Academy of Public Administration (215)692-7357 gedeseve@gmail.com

The outgoing Senate-confirmed appointees of President George W. Bush shared their insights in a survey conducted by the National Academy of Public Administration and the Partnership for Public Service during September 2008. In general, this was a seasoned group with a significant amount of federal experience prior to taking their positions, and many of them had served for more than the average Presidential Appointments with Senate Confirmation (PAS) period of service. Their observations are presented within this report as a guide for their successors.