The primary goals of the transition process for a new president include:
- Staffing the White House and the Executive Office of the President, developing a functional decision-making process, and preparing to assume governing responsibility.
- Starting the process of more than 4,000 presidential appointments across the federal agencies, more than 1,200 of which require Senate confirmation.
- Getting up to speed on more than 100 federal agencies, then organizing and training leadership teams for each one.
- Building a policy platform for the new administration based on campaign promises, and planning out executive actions, a management agenda, a budget proposal, and potential legislation.
- Preparing a 100- to 200-day plan for executing the policies laid out during the campaign to help the new administration get off to a quick start.
- Developing a strategy for communicating with the American people, Congress, the media, political appointees, the federal workforce, and other key stakeholders.
The primary goals of a transition for a second-term president include:
- Planning for Cabinet and other high-level personnel changes.
- Developing plans for improvements in policymaking, program effectiveness, and management practices.
- Establishing the second-term agenda and a timetable for action.
- Establishing priorities to take advantage of a post-election honeymoon period, if one develops.
