SETTING
COURSE
A CONGRESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
EDITION FOR THE
117t h
CONGRESS
SETTING COURSE
117th
CONGRESS
SETTING COURSE, n
ow in its 17
th
edition for the 117
th
Congress, is a
comprehensive guide to managing a congressional ofce. Part I is for Members-elect
and freshman ofces, focusing on the tasks that are most critical to a successful
transition to Congress and setting up a new ofce. Part II focuses on dening the
Member’s role — in the ofce and in Congress. Part III provides guidance to both
freshman and veteran Members and staff on managing ofce operations.
Setting
Course
is the signature publication of the Congressional Management Foundation
and has been funded by grants from:
A CONGRESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
“The best thing a new Member and his or her staff can do is to sit
down and read Setting Course cover to cover. It’s a book that has
stood the test of time.”
—House Chief of Staff
“Setting Course is written as if you were having a conversation
with someone who has been on Capitol Hill for 50 years and knows
how things work.”
—Senate Ofce Manager
Deborah
Szekely
THE CONGRESSIONAL MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION (CMF)
is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprot whose mission is to build
trust and effectiveness in Congress. We do this by enhancing the
performance of the institution, legislators and their staffs through
research-based education and training, and by strengthening the
bridge between Congress and the People it serves. Since 1977 CMF
has worked internally with Member, committee, leadership, and institutional ofces in the House
and Senate to identify and disseminate best practices for management, workplace environment,
communications, and constituent services. CMF also is the leading researcher and trainer on citizen
engagement, educating thousands of individuals and facilitating better understanding, relationships,
and communications with Congress.
CongressFoundation.org
sponsored by
SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
AMerICAn LIbrAry AssoCIATIon
DEBORAH SZEKELY
Deborah
Szekely
SETTING
COURSE
has been made possible by grants from
A CONGRESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
EDITION FOR THE
117t h
CONGRESS
©Copyright 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008,
2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 Congressional Management Foundation
©Copyright 1984, 1986, 1988 The American University
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner, except for brief quotations used in critical articles or reviews,
without written permission from the Congressional Management Foundation.
Congressional Management Foundation
216 Seventh Street SE, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20003
202-546-0100
www.CongressFoundation.org
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-1-930473-24-9
i
Table of Contents
TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................v
PREFACE ............................................................................................................. vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................ix
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... xiii
PART I: TRANSITIONING TO CONGRESS AND SETTING UP YOUR OFFICE
CHAPTER ONE:
Navigating The First 60 Days: November and December ...................................3
Importance of Setting Priorities .........................................................................4
The Critical Transition Tasks ............................................................................6
Guiding Principles for the Transition ..............................................................10
Orientation and Organizational Meetings ........................................................13
Conclusion .......................................................................................................15
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 16
CHAPTER TWO:
Selecting Committee Assignments .......................................................................17
Importance of Committee Assignments ...........................................................18
How the Committee Assignment Process Works .............................................18
Advice for Choosing and Pursuing Committee Assignments ..........................23
Conclusion .......................................................................................................25
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 26
CHAPTER THREE:
Creating a First-Year Budget ............................................................................... 27
Congressional Budget Primers ........................................................................28
The Member’s Role in Budgeting ....................................................................32
Developing a First-Year Budget ......................................................................33
Veteran Ofce Advice on Developing a First-Year Budget .............................42
Conclusion .......................................................................................................44
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 45
CHAPTER FOUR:
Creating a Management Structure and a System for
Communicating with the Member ...................................................................47
Selecting a Management Structure ..................................................................48
Designing a System for Member–Staff Communications ...............................55
ii
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Communication Objectives .............................................................................. 57
Conducting Effective Meetings .......................................................................59
Conclusion .......................................................................................................60
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 61
CHAPTER FIVE:
Hiring Your Core Staff .........................................................................................63
Importance of Hiring Only a Core Staff in November and December ............64
Which Functions To Hire as Part of Your Core Staff .......................................66
Fitting Core Staff to Your Mission and Goals .................................................. 70
Hiring the Rest of Your Staff ...........................................................................71
Recruiting the Best Candidates ........................................................................ 72
A Process for Hiring the Right Staff Candidates .............................................73
Conclusion .......................................................................................................79
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 80
CHAPTER SIX:
Selecting and Utilizing Technology ...................................................................... 81
The Basic Congressional System .....................................................................82
Glossary of Technology-Related Ofces and Staff .........................................83
Determining When to Upgrade ........................................................................85
Critical Questions ............................................................................................87
Key Considerations ..........................................................................................88
Six Steps to Making Wise Technology Purchases ...........................................90
CMF Technology and Communications Research ..........................................91
Keeping Your System Running Smoothly .......................................................94
Conclusion .......................................................................................................97
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................ 98
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Establishing District and State Ofces ................................................................ 99
Importance of Decisions Concerning District/State Ofces .......................... 100
Selecting the Number of District/State Ofces .............................................101
Ofce Location and Space Considerations ....................................................104
Which Ofce To Open First ........................................................................... 108
Furniture and Ofce Equipment ....................................................................109
Conclusion .....................................................................................................111
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 112
PART II: DEFINING YOUR ROLE IN CONGRESS AND YOUR OFFICE
CHAPTER EIGHT:
Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide ......................... 115
Constants in Congress ....................................................................................116
Table of Contents iii
Three Congressional Trends: Close Party Ratios, Inux of New
Members and Increased Partisanship .........................................................118
Conclusion .....................................................................................................122
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 123
CHAPTER NINE:
Dening Your Role In Congress ......................................................................... 125
The Importance of Dening Your Role ..........................................................126
A Discussion of the Five Roles ...................................................................... 127
Balancing Major and Minor Roles ................................................................133
Selecting Your Role .......................................................................................134
Conclusion .....................................................................................................137
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 138
CHAPTER TEN:
The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce .....................................................139
The Member as Leader ..................................................................................140
Organizational Culture ...................................................................................141
Assessing and Understanding Your Leadership Style ....................................147
How to Address the Two Common Leadership Problems .............................150
Conclusion .....................................................................................................153
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 154
PART III: MANAGING YOUR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Strategic Planning In Your Ofce ...................................................................... 157
The Value of Planning ....................................................................................158
The Planning Process ..................................................................................... 160
Conducting an Effective Planning Session ....................................................162
Conclusion .....................................................................................................175
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 176
CHAPTER TWELVE:
Budgeting and Financial Management .............................................................177
The Strategic Importance of Budgeting .........................................................178
Budgeting Toward Your Goals, Year After Year ............................................. 181
Establishing Financial Procedures for Your Ofce ........................................ 185
Tips for House and Senate Ofces ................................................................189
Conclusion .....................................................................................................192
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 193
CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
A Process for Managing Staff ...........................................................................195
Rationale for a Performance Management System .......................................196
iv
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Implementing a Performance Management System ......................................197
How to Run Successful Staff Performance Meetings .................................... 204
Handling Staff with Different Needs .............................................................206
Evaluating Your System .................................................................................210
Conclusion .....................................................................................................211
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 212
CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Managing Constituent Communications ..........................................................213
The Growth of Constituent Communications ................................................214
CMF Research on Member-Constituent Engagement ...................................215
Assessing the Priority of Mail in Your Ofce ................................................ 216
Establishing Mail Policies .............................................................................218
CMF Model Mail System ..............................................................................220
Addressing Common Mail Issues ..................................................................227
Improving the Processing of Email ...............................................................230
Proactive Outreach Mail ................................................................................231
Conclusion .....................................................................................................233
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 234
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Strategic Scheduling ...........................................................................................235
Strategic Scheduling Dened.........................................................................236
Six Steps to Developing and Implementing a Strategic Schedule .................237
District/State Trips .........................................................................................243
The Weeks in Washington, DC ......................................................................248
Addressing Common Problems .....................................................................251
Scheduling Issues Faced by Members ...........................................................256
Conclusion .....................................................................................................260
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 262
CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Managing Ethics..................................................................................................263
The Changed Ethics Environment .................................................................264
Coping with the Changed Environment ......................................................... 266
Guidelines for Managing Ethics in Congressional Ofces ............................267
The Top Five Areas of Ethical Risk ...............................................................269
Conclusion .....................................................................................................272
Chapter Summary .............................................................................................. 273
INDEX .................................................................................................................277
AUTHORS ...........................................................................................................291
ABOUT CMF ......................................................................................................295
v
Table of Figures
CHAPTER ONE: Navigating The First 60 Days: November and December
Figure 1-1: Urgency and Importance Matrix ....................................................5
Figure 1-2: Matrixing Typical Ofce Activities ...............................................6
CHAPTER TWO: Selecting Committee Assignments
Figure 2-1: House Committee Categories ......................................................21
Figure 2-2: Senate Committee Categories ......................................................22
CHAPTER THREE: Creating a First-Year Budget
Figure 3-1: Average Spending by Freshman House Ofces
in Their First Year ........................................................................................34
Figure 3-2: Average Salaries of Congressional Staff ......................................37
Figure 3-3: House Budget Worksheet ............................................................. 39
Figure 3-4: Senate Budget Worksheet ............................................................40
CHAPTER FOUR: Creating a Management Structure and a System for
Communicating with the Member
Figure 4-1: Model 1: Centralized Structure .................................................... 50
Figure 4-2: Model 2: Washington–District/State Parity Structure .................. 51
Figure 4-3: Model 3: Functional Structure .....................................................52
Figure 4-4: Pros and Cons of Management Structures ................................... 54
CHAPTER FIVE: Hiring Your Core Staff
Figure 5-1: Sample House Core Staff ............................................................. 68
Figure 5-2: Sample Senate Core Staff ............................................................69
CHAPTER SEVEN: Establishing District and State Ofces
Figure 7-1: District/State Ofces Maintained by Members .........................102
CHAPTER NINE: Dening Your Role in Congress
Figure 9-1: Congressional Role Selection Chart ..........................................136
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Strategic Planning in Your Ofce
Figure 11-1: Impact Achievability Grid ........................................................166
Figure 11-2: Scorecard for Goal Evaluation ................................................ 167
Figure 11-3: Sample Goal-Oriented Action Plan ..........................................169
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Process for Managing Staff
Figure 13-1: Five Steps of Performance Management .................................197
Figure 13-2: Sample Staff Self-Evaluation Form .........................................202
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Managing Constituent Communications
Figure 14-1: CMF Mail System Flow Chart .................................................225
vi
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Strategic Scheduling
Figure 15-1: Model Speech/Event Evaluation Form ....................................247
Figure 15-2: Sample Event Scheduling Form ...............................................254
Figure 15-3: How Often Members Go Home ............................................... 259
Figure 15-4: Sample Event Preparation Request Form ................................261
vii
Preface
While running for Congress in 1982, Deborah Szekely learned that no manual
existed to help new Members of Congress set up their ofces. Although
she lost the election, in commissioning this book, she discovered a valuable
way to serve the Congress. Without her enthusiasm and foresight, Setting
Course simply would not exist. In the rst edition in 1984, we predicted that
Members of Congress would be in Deborah’s debt for years to come. Thirty-
six years later, that prediction has come true. Many people have good ideas,
but few have the ability to implement them. Fortunately, Deborah excels in
transforming her ideas into projects, and her projects into successes. CMF
remains indebted to Deborah for conceiving and funding the original edition of
Setting Course and for her continued commitment to this book.
And yet, this edition comes to Congress at probably the most uncertain of
times in generations. Like all places of work, the coronavirus has upended how
Congress does its job. Starting in March 2020 through when this book was
published in October 2020, every Member, staffer, and ofce has been forced
to adapt in order to do their jobs. (To assist ofces during this crisis, CMF
created and consolidated resources into a “Coronavirus Resource Center” on
our website at CongressFoundation.org/COVID-19. From here you can access
webinars, handouts, publications, and articles on crisis management, remote
work, burnout and stress, remote town halls, and employee assistance.)
On the positive side, the Select Committee on the Modernization of
Congress in the 116
th
Congress produced 97 recommendations to improve
the House of Representatives, some which will be implemented during
the orientation of new Members in November 2020. The Committee’s
recommendations have the potential of signicantly changing ofce budgets,
technology, and the professional development of House staff. (Freshman
lawmakers and staff should refer to ofcial resources for updates on these
topics.)
Even with these changes, this edition of Setting Course follows Deborah’s
vision of providing timely, proven guidance on the fundamentals of setting
up and managing a congressional ofce. It offers ideas, models, and advice
to guide Members of Congress — whether in their rst, fourth, or tenth term.
It combines the wisdom of previous editions with new insights and updated
information for the 117
th
Congress.
CMF’s mission is “building trust and effectiveness in Congress.” Though
it may seem idealistic to some, our experience has proven that greater
effectiveness is both realistic and achievable. We believe that if Members of
viii
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Congress implement the management and planning advice in this book, they
can increase their own productivity and efciency, thereby improving the
effectiveness of Congress as an institution.
We are honored that Deborah Szekely, the Society for Human Resource
Management, and the American Library Association support this mission
and enable us to continue providing the critical guidance contained in Setting
Course through their generous nancial contributions. Without their support,
this 17
th
edition would not have been possible.
As the world’s largest professional association devoted to human resource
management, SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, is
dedicated to promoting effective management and leadership all over the
globe. We are proud to partner with them to offer management advice and
techniques to individual House and Senate ofces through Setting Course, our
Life in Congress research project, the CMF Democracy Awards, and a variety
of professional development programs. SHRM also was the exclusive sponsor
for Keeping It Local: A Guide for Managing Congressional District and State
Ofces.
CMF welcomes a new sponsor to the publication, the American Library
Association (ALA). Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial
Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for
the development, promotion and improvement of library and information
services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and
ensure access to information for all.”
CMF is fortunate to produce Setting Course with such forward thinking
supporters of the Congress who understand the powerful link between
effective management and professional success — whether the goal is
building a thriving business and meeting customer needs or formulating
forward-looking public policy to address constituent concerns more
effectively.
Thank you.
Bradford Fitch
President & CEO
Congressional Management Foundation
ix
Acknowledgments
The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is indebted to many
people for their help in producing Setting Course. We warmly thank all who
contributed to its success.
Current Congressional Staff
Lynden Armstrong, Deputy Assistant Sergeant at Arms and Chief Information
Ofcer, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Brian Bean, Placement Ofce Manager, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Christopher Brewster, Administrative Counsel, Ofce of the Chief
Administrative Ofcer (CAO)
Jeff Brinkley, Technology Representative, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Richard Cappetto, Chief Customer Ofcer, Ofce of the Chief
Administrative Ofcer (CAO)
Lucretia Coles, Ofce Support Services, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Jen Daulby, Republican Staff Director, Committee on House Administration
Jamie Fleet, Staff Director, Committee on House Administration
Russell Gore, Deputy Counsel, Ofce of House Employment Counsel
Walt Herzig, District Director, Rep. Andy Levin
Christopher Hoven, Administrative Assistant, Rep. Adam Schiff
Tim Hysom, Chief of Staff, Rep. Alan Lowenthal
Teresa James, Deputy Executive Director, Ofce of Congressional Workplace
Rights
Mary Suit Jones, Assistant Secretary of the Senate
Gloria Lett, Deputy Clerk, Ofce of the Clerk
David Maddux, Congressional Staff Academy, Ofce of the Chief
Administrative Ofcer (CAO)
Charles Marshall, Communication and Technology Integration, Senate
Sergeant at Arms
Michael Modica, Customer Relations Manager, Technology Support, Ofce
of the Chief Administrative Ofcer (CAO)
Andrea Olley, Assistant State Liaison, State Ofce Operations, Senate
Sergeant at Arms
Susan Olson, Deputy Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Sen. John Boozman
Eric Petersen, Specialist in American National Government, Congressional
Research Service
Deb Powers, Financial Systems, Secretary of the Senate
Captain Kimberly Schneider, U.S. Capitol Police
Lisa Sherman, Chief of Staff, Rep. Susan Davis
x
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Janice Siegel, Director of Operations, Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Kate Summers, State Ofce Operations Director, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Tracee Sutton, Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director, Rep. Greg
Stanton
Wayne Weak, Technology Representative, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Kathi Wise, Scheduler/Executive Assistant, Sen. John Barrasso
Former Congressional Staff
Jackie Aamot, Director, Financial Counseling, House Finance Ofce
Bob Bean, Minority Staff Director, Committee on House Administration
Bern Beidel, Director, Ofce of Employee Assistance, Ofce of the CAO
Melissa Bennett, Scheduler, Rep. Rob Portman
Gail Bergstad, State Representative, Sens. Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan
Wineld Boerckel, Chief of Staff/Policy Director, Rep. Gwen Moore
Steven Bosacker, Chief of Staff, Rep. Tim Penny
Dave Cape, Ofce Support Services, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Wanda Chaney, House Information Resources, Ofce of the CAO
Tamara Chrisler, Executive Director, Ofce of Compliance
Chris Chwastyk, Chief of Staff, Rep. Chet Edwards
Chick Ciccolella, Director of Information and Technology, Senate Committee
on Rules and Administration
Bernadette Connell, Ofce Support Services, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Nancy Davis, Ofce Support Services, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Debi Deimling, Executive Assistant, Rep. Mike Oxley
Chris Doby, Financial Clerk, Senate Disbursing Ofce
Michelle Donches, Budget Manager/Finance and Payroll Administrator, Rep.
Diane Black
Paula Effertz, Ofce Manager, Sen. Jay Rockefeller
Mary Sue Englund, Director of Administration and Operations, Committee
on House Administration
John Enright, Chief of Staff, Rep. Don Sherwood
Teresa Ervin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Margaret Fibel, Deputy for IT & Strategic Planning, Senate Disbursing Ofce
Lani Gerst, Senior Professional Staff, Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration
Todd Gillenwater, Legislative Director, Rep. David Dreier
Bill Grady, District Director, Rep. Linda Sanchez
George Hadijski, Senior Advisor, Committee on House Administration
Tina Hanonu, Assistant Chief Administrative Ofcer (CAO)
Joel Hinzman, Professional Staff, Committee on House Administration
Cathy Hurwit, Chief of Staff, Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Acknowledgments xi
John Lapp, Chief of Staff, Rep. Ken Lucas
Diane Liesman, Chief of Staff, Rep. Ray LaHood
Cathy Marder, Ofce Manager, Sen. John Ensign
Chris McCannell, Chief of Staff, Rep. Michael McMahon
Ellen McCarthy, Professional Staff, Committee on House Administration
Rachelle Mobley, House Learning Center, Ofce of the CAO
Dan Muroff, Chief of Staff, Rep. Michael Capuano
Jenny Ogle, Casework Manager, Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich
Katie Patru, Deputy Staff Director, Committee on House Administration
Mary Paxson, State Scheduler/Field Representative, Sen. Craig Thomas
Robert Paxton, Chief of Staff, Secretary of the Senate
Mark Perkins, Financial Manager, Rep. Alcee Hastings
David Pike, Deputy Chief of Staff, Sen. Jeff Bingaman
Margo Rushing, Administrative Director, Sen. Conrad Burns
Alan Salazar, Senior Political and Policy Advisor, Sen. Mark Udall
Judy Schneider, Specialist on the Congress, Congressional Research Service
Reynold Schweickhardt, Director of Technology Policy, Committee on
House Administration
Joe Shoemaker, Communications Director, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin
Gene Smith, District Director/Press Secretary, Rep. Howard Berman
Mark Strand, Chief of Staff, Sen. James Talent
Paula Sumberg, Deputy Executive Director, Ofce of Compliance
Steve Sutton, Chief of Staff, Rep. John Kline
Jeanne Tessieri, State Ofce Liaison, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Cole Thomas, Operations Director, Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich
Stacy Trumbo, Administrative Director, Sen. Craig Thomas
Jason Van Eaton, Deputy Chief of Staff, Sen. Kit Bond
Connie Veillette, Professional Staff, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
David Vignolo, State Ofce Liaison, Senate Sergeant at Arms
Rob von Gogh, Special Projects, Ofce of the CAO
Mary Watts, House Information Resources, Ofce of the CAO
Marie Wheat, Chief of Staff, Rep. Jim DeMint
Tim Wineman, Financial Clerk, Senate Disbursing Ofce
Todd Womack, Chief of Staff, Sen. Bob Corker
Rowdy Yeates, Chief of Staff, Rep. Jim Kolbe
Former CMF Staff and Others
Beverly Bell, CMF Consultant and Trainer; former CEO of CMF; former
House Chief of Staff
Ira Chaleff, CMF Management Consultant; former CMF Executive Director
and chair emeritus of the CMF Board of Directors
xii
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Christopher Deering, Interim Dean for the College of Professional Studies
and the Virginia Science & Technology Campus (VSTC) at The George
Washington University
Betsy Wright Hawkings, Select Committee on the Modernization of
Congress; former Chief of Staff, Reps. Andy Barr, Christopher Shays and
Bobby Schilling; former CMF Deputy Director
Meredith Persily Lamel, CMF Management Consultant and former Director
of Training and Consulting Services
Michael Patruznick, former CMF Director of Research
Chet Rogers, Professor Emeritus of political science, Western Michigan
University; and former House AA
Craig Schultz, former CMF Director of Research
Laura D. Scott, CMF Management Consultant and former Deputy Director
Gary Serota, former CMF Executive Director
Rick Shapiro, CMF Management Consultant and former Executive Director
Patty Sheetz, former Senior Advisor, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry; former CMF
Management Consultant
David Twenhafel, former CMF Director of Research
Don Wolfensberger, Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center; Congressional
Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center; former Chief of Staff for the House
Rules Committee
Revising a publication of this scope and magnitude is a signicant
undertaking and could not have been completed without the support and
hard work of CMF staff and research assistants. For their timely assistance
with the revision and production of this edition, I thank Brad Fitch, Kathy
Goldschmidt, Sarah Thomson, Maya Clark, and Ian Harris. Special thanks to
William Mioduszewski, who went above and beyond in the nal stages.
We must also acknowledge our predecessors. The rst three editions of
Setting Course were the joint product of The American University’s Center
for Congressional and Presidential Studies (CCPS) and CMF. We are proud
to follow in the footsteps of the outstanding staff who collaborated on these
editions: Burdett A. Loomis, Paul Light, James A. Thurber, Gary Serota, and
Ira Chaleff.
CMF has worked diligently on Setting Course to keep the guidance
accurate and relevant. However, we care deeply about improving our products
and welcome all feedback, corrections, or suggestions for the next edition.
Nicole Folk Cooper
Director of Research and Publications
Congressional Management Foundation
Editor, Setting Course (17
th
Edition for the 117
th
Congress)
xiii
Introduction
In the classic 1972 lm, The Candidate, Robert Redford portrays an idealistic
young man running for the Senate against an entrenched incumbent. The nal
weeks of the campaign are a frantic whirl of events, and no one — not the
candidate, nor the campaign team — has time for a single thought beyond
election day. Redford wins, of course — this is the movies — but on the way
to deliver his victory speech in the famous nal scene, he pulls his campaign
manager aside and asks in a daze, “What do we do now?” And credits roll.
Where The Candidate ends, Setting Course begins.
Successful careers in Congress don’t just happen; they are the result of
careful planning and management. We believe that good management and
planning techniques can be applied to congressional ofces. More specically,
well-managed ofces are more likely to achieve their political and legislative
objectives. We also believe that improving the performance of individual
ofces enhances the overall effectiveness of the Congress and strengthens the
public trust.
The need to apply management principles to a congressional ofce is
especially true for freshmen, given the extraordinary challenges they face.
Members-elect have two months from election day until swearing-in day be-
fore they are expected to be up and running — an insufcient time to nish
the massive array of tasks they must complete to become a fully functioning
House or Senate ofce. To employ the nautical metaphor of this book, cop-
ing with this shortage of time leaves freshman Members with the daunting
initial challenge of trying to sail their boats in the ocean at the same time that
they are building them. It is a demanding and dangerous task that requires
signicant management skills and courage to succeed.
Effectively setting and implementing priorities is also a discipline veteran
ofces must continually practice if they are to avoid the common congressional
hazard of working very hard but accomplishing very little. This book is
intended to help freshman and veteran Members better serve their constituents
and better serve their country. It is based on four decades of CMF research into
the best practices used by House and Senate personal ofces.
We’ve divided Setting Course into three distinct sections to meet the
needs of our different audiences. New Members and their key transition
staff can use Part I to better understand the critical transition decisions
they face in November and December and to receive guidance for making
these decisions. Part II is designed to help freshman and veteran Members
understand the culture of Congress, choose a path to success within the
xiv
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
institution, and become effective leaders of their ofces. Part III provides
guidance to freshman and veteran Members and their staff on managing
many of the critical functions of a congressional ofce: planning, budgeting,
managing staff, constituent communications, scheduling, and ethics.
This book has changed markedly in content and structure since the
rst edition in 1984, but the core guidance and wisdom of this book have
remained relatively unchanged. Thirty-six years ago, Setting Course was an
interesting experiment addressing the untested question: Would Members
of Congress and staff read and apply sound management guidance from a
written manual? Today, this book has become required reading for Members-
elect and a valuable desktop reference for virtually every Chief of Staff and
many veteran Members. We hope it is as helpful to you in setting your course
for your career in Congress. Enjoy the journey.
Part I:
Transitioning to Congress and
Setting Up Your Ofce
Chapter One: Navigating the First 60 Days:
November and December ........................................... 3
Chapter Two: Selecting Committee Assignments ..........................17
Chapter Three: Creating a First-Year Budget ....................................27
Chapter Four: Creating a Management Structure and a System
for Communicating with the Member ......................47
Chapter Five: Hiring Your Core Staff ..............................................63
Chapter Six: Selecting and Utilizing Technology ........................... 81
Chapter Seven: Establishing District and State Ofces ......................99
Notes a series of questions. Your unique answers can help
you make decisions about managing an ofce and a career.
Alerts you to a situation which Hill ofces have found to be
problematic. Proceed with caution and pay close attention.
Notes a concept or recommendation that CMF has determined,
through its research with congressional ofces, to be helpful.
Identies an ofce or organization which you may wish to
contact for further information on the topic.
Notes a process or steps you can use in the operations of
your ofce.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Icons Used in Setting Course
CHAPTER ONE
Navigating the First 60 Days:
November and December
This Chapter Includes...
✩ A process for setting priorities during the transition
✩ Those key activities which should be your focus in
November and December
✩ Guiding principles to help you make more informed decisions
and maintain your focus during the transition
Not long ago, freshman Members of Congress could use most of the two
months between Election Day and swearing-in day for a well-deserved
vacation. Times have changed. Increasingly, what you do and don’t do
during the transition may well govern the success of your rst term, if not
your career.
You probably can (and should) nd a few days to relax with friends and
family. But only a few. Freshmen who get a late start tend to make rushed,
uninformed decisions about their ofce operations and are often unable to
rebound and demonstrate accomplishments in their rst terms.
It is equally important to recognize that you cannot do everything during
the transition, nor should you. You simply don’t have the time, resources or
information. Rather, you should identify and concentrate on the essential
tasks which will set the stage for a successful rst term. Other, non-critical
decisions should be deferred.
Part I of this book is designed to help you make these decisions and
navigate your transition to Congress.
3
4
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Importance of Setting Priorities
All Members, from the newly elected to the most senior, share a common
problem. There is much more to do than can possibly be done. This is
especially true for freshmen during November and December, when it seems
you are trying to build and sail your ofce ship simultaneously.
You don’t have much time or many resources (money, staff, ofce space) at
your disposal. You probably don’t have all the information you need to make
knowledgeable decisions, or even perhaps a sense of what data would be most
helpful. Yet your responsibilities are enormous, every decision appears critical
and pressing, and the possibilities of what you could be working on are almost
limitless.
There is hope, and it begins when you accept that you and your limited
staff cannot and should not try to accomplish everything in the rst 60 days.
Some tasks are essential to your rst-term success. Countless, tempting others
will have little impact on your
effectiveness, or can be safely
delayed. It is far better to identify
the critical activities and devote
your energy to getting them
done well than to overreach,
spread your resources too thin
and get a lot done poorly or
just adequately. Your rst duty, therefore, is to set priorities and distinguish
between critical and non-critical tasks for the rst 60 days. To do so, you
need to look at how each potential task will or will not contribute to your
effectiveness as a Member.
Dr. Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People dened
effectiveness in terms of bringing about “the maximum long-term benecial
results possible.” Thus, in order to be effective, you need to know what results
you are attempting to achieve. It is possible to be very efcient at getting a lot
of things done without being effective. This applies to both you and your ofce.
For example, you could spend much of November and December
drafting personal responses to all the mail you receive. You could work
very productively on this task, but not very effectively, because it would do
very little to help you achieve “long-term benecial results.” A much more
effective approach would be for you to hire a Chief of Staff who could
then help you assemble staff, computers and supplies by January to answer
current and future mail.
“ It is far better to identify the critical activities and
devote your energy to getting them done well than
to overreach, spread your resources too thin and
get a lot done poorly or just adequately.”
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 5
Dr. Covey used two criteria, urgency and importance, to develop a matrix
that can help you to determine where you should focus your time, energy, and
resources (see Figure 1-1).
Urgent tasks are those that need to be done right now, such as answering a
ringing telephone. Important tasks are those that contribute to the achievement
of goals and objectives. For example, selecting a good Chief of Staff is very
important to your effectiveness as a Member.
Covey argues that the most crucial quadrant for long-term effectiveness is
Quadrant II. By planning, building relations, and seeking to prevent crises, it
is possible to achieve goals and objectives. The more time spent with Quadrant
I activities — those that are urgent and important — the more you are
responding to outside pressures rather than shaping your own activities. Time
spent in Quadrants III and IV do little to contribute to long-term effectiveness.
Covey’s model can help focus new Member activity during the transition.
Figure 1-2 (on the following page) lists some of the activities in which new
Members could be engaged during the transition, and their locations in the
Covey quadrants.
By virtue of being a new Member of Congress, and representing a
constituency, you are likely to have a higher percentage of activities placed in
the urgent category, but one of the secrets to success is nding ways to reduce
the kind of crisis management involved in constantly dealing with urgent
issues. Investing time in Quadrant II activities reduces the need for crisis
management. For instance, hiring a core staff can become a crisis if you don’t
get around to it until a week before the opening of Congress, and you don’t
have a clear idea of the type of staff you need. By spending time planning,
budgeting and developing a management structure — all Quadrant II activities
— you can develop a better sense of your stafng needs. Hiring a core staff
may still be urgent, but with proper preparation it no longer has to be a crisis.
Figure 1-1
Urgency and Importance Matrix
Urgent Not Urgent
Quadrant I Quadrant II
Important Dealing with crises or handling Planning, building relations
projects with deadlines and preventing crises
Not Quadrant III Quadrant IV
Important Interruptions; some calls, Busy work; some calls
mail and meetings and mail
Figure 1-2
Matrixing Typical Oce Activities
6
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
It’s also important to remember that just because an activity is urgent
does not necessarily make it important. A reporter’s request for an interview
or a constituent letter both have a sense of urgency to them. A reporter has
a deadline and a constituent is expecting a reply. But are performing these
activities now contributing to your rst-term effectiveness, and is it worth
pushing aside other critical tasks in order to devote time to them? Most often
in these cases, the answer is no.
The Critical Transition Tasks
While each new Member must determine their own list of critical tasks for the
transition, there are three activities which should appear on everyone’s list.
These are the activities which will be vital to any Member’s successful man-
agement of the transition, although the amount of time, attention and resources
devoted to each may vary according to the Member’s priorities.
Critical Activity #1: Decisions About Personal Circumstances
Becoming a Member of Congress means ending one career and lifestyle and
establishing a new one. It’s like taking a new job in a new city. All of the
details involved in a move apply here as well.
Not Urgent
Important
Not
Important
Urgent
Quadrant IV
• Taking ocial photo for press kit
• Having committee sta brief
Member on upcoming legislation
• Obtaining additional oce
furniture
Quadrant III
• Responding to any routine
requests by the media
• Answering a constituent letter or
dealing with casework problems
Quadrant II
• Planning for the term
• Developing relationships with
colleagues
• Drafting a mission statement
• Creating a rst-year budget
Quadrant I
• Hiring core sta
• Seeking committee assignments
• Attending ocial orientation
programs and party organizational
meetings
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 7
Most decisions regarding your personal state of affairs will be just that
— personal — and should be decided based upon your needs and those of
your family. You’ll have to leave your current job, and you’ll need a place to
stay in Washington, DC. Other circumstances will vary greatly from Member
to Member. Your spouse/partner may have to leave a job. You may need to
nd child care for your young children. You may need to resolve potential
conicts of interest regarding your investments. And you may need to let
organizations to which you belong know that your new schedule may make
it difcult to continue in the same capacity (e.g., probably unable to continue
serving on local boards or as head of the PTA).
One crucial decision that each new Member faces is whether to relocate
to Washington, DC. Members may want to keep a primary residence in the
district or state and commute to Washington during the weeks that Congress
is in session. Alternatively, they may move their families to Washington
and travel back home on weekends and during district/state work periods.
Unless your personal situation makes the choice obvious, it can be helpful
to discuss these options with freshman and veteran Members who have
already made and lived with their decisions. One word of warning: most
new Members are startled at the high cost of housing in the Washington, DC
metro area.
Personal circumstances qualify as a vital transition activity primarily
because they will contribute to, or distract from, your emotional and physical
well-being, which could signicantly inuence your job performance.
Personal decisions have the potential of consuming a large quantity of your
time and attention, so it’s worth choosing which decisions you want to make
during the transition, and which can be postponed.
Critical Activity #2: Selecting and Lobbying for
Committee Assignments
This is a critical activity for November and December because of the
signicant role committees can play in a Member’s success and because
the entire assignment process is almost always over by swearing-in day.
Committees are the primary means of moving legislation to the House
or Senate oor. They also provide an opportunity, through hearings, for
Members to bring issues to the forefront of the congressional agenda. Not
all committees are alike, however, making it imperative for a Member to
choose committees which will be able to assist in the pursuit of their goals.
Some committees are geared towards specic policy areas or regions of the
country, while others allow a Member to be more of a generalist and national
legislator. Some committees carry more clout, and others are associated with
the leadership.
MANAGEMENT FACT
In 2020, unfurnished
one-bedroom apartments
on Capitol Hill typically
cost between $1500 and
$2300 per month.
8
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The formal committee assignment process begins during the orientation
and party organizational meetings held during the rst week Members are
in Washington, DC. The informal lobbying, however, often starts the day after
the election, as Members-elect jockey
for position for open committee seats
along with returning Members who
are looking to switch committees. In
December and January, the party’s
decisions are usually nalized.
We should emphasize that it
is common for Members to try to
switch panels mid-career, so while choosing and lobbying for committee
seats are critical decisions, they are not irreversible. Still, if you are clear
about your goals, it is preferable to get on the committees of your choice as
a freshman.
Chapter 2 will provide you with a comprehensive description of the
committee assignment process, and tips for selecting and lobbying for
committee seats.
Critical Activity #3: Setting Up Your Ofce
There are an incredible number of decisions which encompass the setting up
of a congressional ofce, but some decisions are clearly more important than
others. Your goal for the rst 60 days should be to determine your stafng
and equipment needs, and ofce management policies, for at least two ofces
(Washington and district/state). Accomplishing these tasks will allow you to:
(1) take care of routine business from opening day, and (2) create a foundation
that will provide a smooth climb to a fully functioning operation that reects
your values and priorities, and is capable of accomplishing the strategic objec-
tives you’ve set for your rst term.
We have identied ve tasks that are necessary for setting up a congression-
al ofce. We’ll only briey describe them here, as they are covered in greater
detail in Chapters 3-7. The ve critical tasks are:
Creating a rst-year budget (see Chapter 3). Many of the major decisions
you’ll make in the rst 60 days, such as hiring a core staff and establishing
district/state ofces, will have budget implications. Without a budget, you’ll
have a difcult time allocating your resources in a way that will help you
reach your goals. With a budget, you’ll be able to test whether your goals are
feasible, and make educated trade-offs to stay true to your priorities.
Creating a management structure and method of communicating
between staff and Member (see Chapter 4). A freshman ofce cannot be
effective unless the Member and staff have a clear, shared understanding of
“ The formal committee assignment process
begins during the orientation and party
organizational meetings held during the rst
week Members are in Washington, DC.”
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 9
how the ofce will operate: who has decision-making authority and over
what issues, who supervises whom, and how staff and the Member should
communicate with each other. Unless these choices are made in November
and December, staff will be hired without a clear understanding of their
roles in the ofce. Down the line, ad hoc policies will evolve that create staff
confusion and frustration, impair productivity and diminish accountability.
Hiring a core staff (see Chapter 5). Your staff will be your most
valuable resource, greatly inuencing your success in Congress and ability
to accomplish what you set out to do. You will need a core staff on opening
day that can keep your Washington and district/state ofces functioning:
answering phones, responding to mail, scheduling your time, performing
basic legislative research, preparing speeches and talking points, and
processing casework. You’ll also want this staff to bring the skills and
expertise necessary to help you accomplish your longer-term goals.
Evaluating your technological needs (see Chapter 6). Technology is
a necessity in today’s fast-paced, information-based world of Congress.
Computer equipment that is inadequate will hurt ofce productivity and
may not even allow your staff to keep up with routine business. Depending
upon your predecessor’s purchases, the equipment you inherit may be top-
notch, barely sufcient or somewhere in between (if something doesn’t meet
minimal standards, you won’t even be allowed to inherit it). You should
evaluate this equipment in November and December to see if it will meet your
most immediate needs. If it won’t, you’ll want to minimize the disruption to
your ofce by being ready on opening day to place your order to upgrade.
Establishing district or state ofces (see Chapter 7). Most House
Members have one or two district or state ofces while the majority of
Senators have between four and six. While veterans say that it is important
to establish one district/state ofce by the rst day of the new Congress — to
demonstrate that you’re “open for business” — it is also important to draw up
the plans for all of your proposed ofces by the time you’re sworn-in. How
many ofces you’ll eventually want, where you’ll locate them, and the work
you’ll expect to be performed out of them, will impact your early decisions
on budgeting, management structure, stafng and technology purchases. Also,
many decisions regarding district/state ofces are difcult to reverse (or at
least not without political or nancial penalties) if you later discover they do
not contribute to achieving ofce goals or do not t into a larger game plan.
Planning now will save time and money later.
Of course, setting up your ofces and deciding which committee assign-
ments to pursue will require some basic understanding of how Congress
operates, both formally (rules/regulations) and informally (norms/practices).
You will likely be guring out “how the place works” well into your rst
10
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
year. In the short term, your best sources of information will be orientation
programs run by the House/Senate and your party’s leadership. CMF strongly
recommends that you and an aide attend these orientations. You can also pick
up quite a bit of advice by talking with veteran Members and their Chiefs of
Staff. We provide an overview of the orientation and early party organizational
meetings later in this chapter. Chapter 8 in Part II will provide Members-elect
with helpful background information on the culture of Congress, which will
assist you in both pursuing committee assignments and setting up your ofce.
Guiding Principles for the Transition
Develop and Base Decisions Around Your Strategic Goals
As we discuss throughout this book, one of the common attributes of
successful Members is the ability to set clear goals and develop a workable
plan for achieving them. Without clear priorities, ofces quickly become
overwhelmed with the pressures of work and events. Members become crisis
managers putting out an endless series of res with little time to actually
decide upon, or pursue, their priorities.
Many Members-elect make the mistake of deciding that they can put off
planning until later in the year when they have completed the Herculean
activities described earlier. More often than not, they end up making a range
of critical decisions in November and December with too little strategic
thought about their long-term effects. The result can be regrettable decisions;
regrettable because many of these early decisions cannot be easily rectied if
it turns out you need to change course. Planning should precede or accompany
decisions such as:
• Which committee assignments to seek
• Who you should hire for your key staff positions (i.e., your strategic
plan will inuence how you decide to staff your ofces: Should you
hire an outstanding Communications Director or an outstanding
Legislative Director? Four Legislative Assistants and two Constituent
Services Representatives, or the reverse?)
• How many district/state ofces you should open and where you
should locate each one
Developing goals for your rst term requires that you consider three
primary factors: your personal interests; the interests or needs of your district/
state; and the electoral environment within which you are operating. Your
goals should be targeted to achieve strategic ends that you intend to achieve,
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 11
such as becoming a national leader on medical fraud issues or being seen
throughout the district as the champion for addressing a sewage treatment
problem. And because goals are the
top strategic priorities of the ofce,
you should have no more than six.
Any more indicates that you have
failed to make the hard trade-offs,
leaving you with too many priorities
to pursue effectively.
With clear goals established
early on in your transition, you
will be in a much better position to make wise decisions about setting up your
ofces and positioning yourself for a successful rst term. Freshmen should
also read Chapter 11, “Strategic Planning in Your Ofce” in Part III of this
book. There you’ll nd a complete discussion about planning, as well as a
step-by-step process for setting and evaluating goals.
Recognize: “Less is More”
You will quickly discover that the critical activities we discussed earlier do
not come close to encompassing the potential tasks to which you could be
devoting time and energy during the rst 60 days. In fact, we routinely use
as an orientation training tool a list of more than 60 possible tasks Members-
elect and their aides can undertake during the transition. All seem urgent and
important, and that’s where you can get tripped up.
The reality is that only a handful of tasks need to receive the bulk of your
attention in November and December because they are critical to your rst
term. The topics in Part I of this book cover most of them. You may add a few
more to reect your specic goals and priorities. But remember, the more
items on your list, the less likely you are to accomplish any of them.
We’re not saying that you should ignore the other tasks, but rather that you
should keep a sense of perspective. You don’t need to spend weeks organizing
the VIP list, or selecting the catering and souvenirs for your swearing-in
party. Similarly, it is probably not worth devoting heavy resources to scouting
the best DC ofce suite available through the “ofce lottery.” You’ll have a
swearing-in party and select an ofce, to be sure, but neither a memorable
bash nor a prime ofce location will have much effect on whether you’re a
successful rst-term Member.
By keeping your attention focused and doing the essential tasks well, you
can lay the foundation for later achievements. If one of your goals is to be a
leader on veterans issues, for instance, you may see good reason to spend time
during the transition drafting related legislation so it can be introduced on
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
“ Developing goals for your rst term requires
that you consider three primary factors:
your personal interests; the interests or
needs of your district/state; and the electoral
environment within which you are operating.”
12
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
opening day. Or maybe you’d want to get together
your biography and ofcial photo so you can
hand them out when veterans visit. But neither of
these activities is the best use of your time.
You will be much more effective in the
long-run by thoughtfully and strategically
completing critical tasks such as creating a
rst-year budget, hiring a quality core staff and
evaluating your technological needs. With this
groundwork, you’ll be in a position not only to
introduce legislation, but to promote it and guide
it through Congress. You will not only have
material available when veterans visit, but you
will be able to use technology to reach them.
Learn to Delegate
A nal consideration as you think about what needs to be done is who should
get it done. New Members are often reluctant to delegate, but being effective
requires it. Delegating involves identifying which tasks should be performed
by the Member, and which can be entrusted to staff. It also entails creating a
reporting or communications structure that allows the Member to oversee and
direct the transition staff without actually having to do the work.
Certain activities should only be done by you, the Member, or by a Member
with staff input. These include setting rst-term strategic goals; selecting a Chief
of Staff; deciding which committee assignments to seek and lobbying for them;
attending Member orientations and party caucuses; deciding how many district/
state ofces to open and where to
locate them; and deciding on an
ofce management structure. In
contrast, many other tasks can easily
be delegated to competent staff.
These tasks include: sorting through
resumes, invitations and casework
requests; working with House and Senate support ofces to negotiate a district/
state ofce lease; evaluating your inherited equipment and determining whether
to upgrade; and coordinating your swearing-in celebration and Washington, DC
ofce suite selection.
You’ll need a transition team for the rst two months, at which time you’ll be
able to bring your core staff on the payroll. Two to four aides should be enough.
The single most valuable aide would be someone whom you trust, and who
can be designated as the transition team leader. This person can attend some
Early Member Tasks
• Decide rst-term
strategic goals
• Select Chief of Staff
• Target/lobby for
committee assignments
• Attend orientation and
party caucuses
• Determine number and
location of district ofces
• Set up ofce management
structure
■
“ Certain activities should only be done by you,
the Member, or by a Member with staff input.
In contrast, many other tasks can easily be
delegated to competent staff.”
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 13
orientation programs, contribute to strategic planning, and manage the details of
setting up your ofce. They also can assist with media requests, and you should
consider whether they are someone who can speak for you, on your behalf.
Ideally, you would pick someone who would eventually become your Chief
of Staff. The second most useful person on the team would be someone with
administrative skills to manage requests and the schedule (you will be inundated
with invitations, resumes, and messages), and provide personal assistance to you
and the transition team leader.
You’ll have to decide how to compensate transition staffers. Senators may
put only two staffers on the payroll during the transition, while the House is
currently exploring the option of paying designated aides for Members elected
in 2020. You also can recruit volunteers or pay some or all of your transition
staff out of campaign funds. Volunteers are free, but they may have competing
demands and loyalties that limit their ability to give you their complete
attention. On the other hand, using campaign funds enables you to quickly
assemble a team exclusively dedicated to serving your needs. However, you
may have to defend your choice to spend these funds for something other than
their original purpose.
Finally, as you delegate during the transition, you’ll need a system that
ensures decisions are being made in accordance with your wishes. No single
system will work for everyone. One Member-elect had his transition team
leader provide daily memos. Other Members-elect relied upon oral briengs
every few days. The key factor is your level of comfort and condence that
tasks are being carried out pursuant to your goals and priorities. Develop
a simple reporting or communications structure that meets your need for
information without bogging down the decision-making process.
Orientation and Organizational Meetings
At separate House and Senate orientations, new Members are provided
handbooks that describe the ofcial rules they must follow in setting up their
ofces and conducting their business. Presentations amplify and expand upon
the written materials. The topics usually covered in these sessions include:
budgets allocated to hire staff and run your ofce; use of the congressional
frank; use of and rules regarding hardware, software, and social media;
emergency preparedness protocols and the security and protection provided
by the U.S. Capitol Police; internal congressional services and ofces (such
as the Attending Physician); employment benets; and congressional ethics.
Additional sessions describe legislative branch support ofces (such as the
14
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Congressional Research Service), introduce and explain the duties of the
ofcers of the chamber, and discuss options for setting up a congressional
ofce. Each chamber provides its new Members with tours of their chamber,
while the House also conducts training on its electronic voting system.
Orientation programs are generally taught by Members in each chamber
and are helpful in providing “lessons learned.” Social events are also held for
both Members and their spouses. These orientation programs provide new
Members with their rst opportunity to make impressions on their colleagues
and to begin the important process of establishing coalitions. It is also one
of the few times that party leaders will both make presentations and provide
new Members the opportunity to ask questions.
While the Members-elect are at their orientation meetings, the “designated
aides” accompanying the new Members to Washington receive their own
specialized training overseen by the Committee on House Administration. The
Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) participates in this training
program, and our programming focuses on the critical tasks in setting up an
ofce between November and January.
CMF also works in conjunction with
the House Chiefs of Staff Association
to connect the incoming staffers with
freshman and veteran Chiefs of Staff.
Immediately following orientation,
which usually lasts two or three days,
veteran Members join the freshmen for
early organizational meetings, which
are conducted independently by each
party in each chamber. Whereas the
ofcial orientation provides general
information, the party leadership
programs are more likely to provide
Members with advice on how to
effectively use available resources to
meet political objectives. This program
is more partisan in nature, as party
positions and strategies are decided.
The culmination of the orientation
and early organizational meetings are
party organizing meetings, at which
the organization of the new session
of Congress is determined. During
these meetings, the parties select
CMF Assistance During Your
Transition to Congress
Every election year, the Congres-
sional Management Foundation
(CMF) undertakes several initiatives
aimed at helping Members-elect
successfully transition to Congress.
First, CMF provides every new
Member with this book, Setting
Course, our signature publication.
Then, CMF joins with the
Committee on House Administration
to provide training to the aides
of Members-elect on the most
important transition tasks between
November and January.
At this orientation, the designated
aides also receive copies of CMF's
90-Day Roadmap to Setting Up
A Congressional Ofce, an easy-
to-follow guide on how to spend
your time and resources during this
critical time.
For more information on CMF's
transition resources and materials,
please contact us at 202-546-0100
or visit our New Member Resource
Center, found on our website at:
https://CongressFoundation.org/
New-Member
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER ONE Navigating the First 60 Days: November and December 15
their oor leaders and committee leaders, and begin the process of making
appointments to committees. Social events held during this period offer
Members, particularly new Members, valuable opportunities to interact with
senior Members and party leaders.
Outside organizations also conduct policy-oriented programs, primarily
for new Members. In the past, organizations such as the Congressional
Research Service (CRS), the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage
Foundation, and the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School all held
seminars in December and January. These programs focus on policy and
ideological topics facing the new Congress. In addition, the CRS program
covers legislative and budget procedures.
Conclusion
Managing the rst 60 days after the election is the rst real test for a new
Member of Congress. Your decisions and choices during the transition will
have a long-lasting impact on your rst term, and quite possibly your career.
You must recognize that some tasks will be critical to overall rst-term
effectiveness; these should receive the bulk of your attention and resources.
You should also develop a handful of goals to guide your early decisions.
Thoughtful decisions now can save time and resources later, and start you
down the path towards achieving your objectives. And, nally, you should put
together a transition team and delegate certain prescribed tasks to them.
The other chapters in Part I take a closer look at the critical tasks we’ve
identied in this chapter and provide advice on how best to accomplish them.
We’ll examine selecting and pursuing committee assignments, creating a rst-
year budget, creating a management structure and method of Member-staff
communication, hiring a core staff, evaluating your technological needs and
establishing district/state ofces. We hope this advice will allow you to chart a
course toward a successful rst term.
16
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO's and DON’Ts of
Navigating the First 60 Days: November
and December
Do...
Don’t...
•
concentrate most of your energy on
three critical activities:
– making decisions about your living and
other household arrangements;
– selecting and lobbying for committee
assignments; and
– setting up your oce.
•
use your strategic goals to shape critical
early decisions, such as:
– creating a rst-year budget;
– establishing/selecting a management
structure;
– hiring a core sta;
– evaluating your technology needs; and
– establishing a district or state oce(s).
•
learn to delegate. A Member should focus
on those tasks which only they can perform,
and delegate the rest to sta.
•
try to do everything. Set priorities so
you can do essential tasks well, rather than
an overwhelming number of tasks only
adequately.
•
put o strategic planning until later
in the year. If you do, you might make
decisions that cannot be easily reversed.
•
skip the House/Senate orientations
and party organizational meetings.
They provide invaluable opportunities for
networking and learning the intricacies of
Capitol Hill.
CHAPTER
ONE
CHAPTER TWO
Selecting
Committee Assignments
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The importance of committee assignments to freshmen
✩ How the committee assignment process works
✩ How to choose and lobby for committee assignments
Perhaps the most important event for a freshman that occurs between the
election and the rst day of the new Congress is the allocation of committee
assignments. These assignments often determine the character of a Mem-
ber’s rst term, if not their career. Indeed, they are often the key to successful
congressional careers and successful policymaking. For this reason, the effort
to obtain the best possible committee assignment often begins the day after
the election. Your timing is critical because the process intensies during the
early organizational meetings your rst week in Washington, and decisions are
almost always nalized by the parties before opening day.
This chapter describes how the committee assignment process works and
offers advice on how best to secure an assignment.
17
18
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Importance of Committee Assignments
Because of the prominent role committees play in Congress, committee assign-
ments can play a central role in shaping the character of a Member’s career.
Committees are a key structural component of the work of Congress. They
are the principal vehicles for initiating and shaping bills to be considered
on the House or Senate oor.
Moreover, leadership usually
respects committee jurisdiction
when referring bills, allowing
committees to exercise great
power within their spheres of
inuence. Committees also
provide forums, through hearings,
for Members to raise awareness
on issues, which can have quite a dramatic effect when administration ofcials
or experts are called to testify.
Not all committees are alike, and some are clearly more powerful than
others. A seat on a powerful committee gives a Member clout and may lead to
other political and legislative opportunities. Some committees lend themselves
well to development of an expertise in an issue or two, while others tend to
promote Members who are generalists. Still other committees are tied closely
to the leadership.
It should be noted that committee choices in the rst year are not forever
binding. It is common for Members to try to switch panels mid-career, and in
recent years, even mid-Congress (as other Members leave). However, given
the predominance of the seniority system, it is preferable for freshmen to try to
land a committee seat of their choice from the start. Your ability to do so will
be affected, however, by how clearly you’ve dened your strategic goals.
How the Committee Assignment Process Works
Before each party can begin placing its Members on committees, the number
of seats that each party will receive on each committee must be determined.
Traditionally, the respective party leaders, occasionally with input from com-
mittee leaders, negotiate individual committee sizes and party ratios prior to
the early organizational meetings. However, this process can continue well into
January.
“ It’s the most important decision you can make.
If you’re on a good committee, you’ll enjoy
legislating and accomplish something. If you’re
on a bad committee, you won’t enjoy it here.”
— Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY)
CHAPTER TWO Selecting Committee Assignments 19
Committee sizes tend to remain fairly constant year after year. When seats
are increased, it is usually done to accommodate an individual Member’s
request to serve on a particular panel. In the Senate, the overall ratio on
committees generally reects party strength in the chamber. That is, a party
with 60 percent of a chamber’s seats will have roughly 60 percent of the
committee seats, although the composition of individual committees may, in
some instances, diverge from the overall ratio of the parties in the chamber. In
the House, the majority party controls the ratio of committees and it may not
reect the ratio in the chamber — a practice that usually causes disputes with
the minority party at the beginning of each Congress.
Once committee sizes and party ratios are xed, the process for a Member
receiving a committee assignment has three formal steps: (1) party recom-
mendation; (2) approval by the party caucus or conference; and (3) a House
or Senate oor vote on the entire roster of assignments created by each party’s
leadership, for pro forma acceptance.
By far the most important step is party recommendation. Recommendations
are made by a “committee on committees,” also referred to as “steering
committees” or “party committees.” Membership on these party committees
may vary with each new Congress and whether their party is in the majority
or minority, but it’s generally designed to give each leadership considerable
inuence. Recent membership of these steering committees for each chamber
and party are:
• House Democrats — comprised of 50+ Members in the 116th Con-
gress, including top party leaders, six committee chairs, 12 regionally
elected Members, a representative of the freshman class, and up to 15
Members appointed by the Speaker. Each Member has one vote.
• House Republicans — comprised of 30+ Members in the 116th
Congress, including: top party, conference, and committee leaders;
17 regional, state, and at-large representatives; one representative of
the sophomore class; one representative of the freshman class; and
the Dean of the House. The Republican Leader has four votes, the
Republican Whip has two votes, and other Members have one each.
• Senate Democrats — Senators appointed by the oor leader. Recently
there were 25 Members with one vote each.
• Senate Republicans — Senators appointed by the oor leader.
Recently each of the eight Members had one vote.
In making their recommendations, these party committees take into account
a number of factors, including: the number of vacancies on each committee;
the number of Members competing for those vacancies; and the chamber and
20
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
party rules governing the number and types of committees on which a Member
may serve. They also consider each Member’s seniority, background, ideology,
election margin and leadership support. In addition, they may seek to achieve
geographic balance by ensuring a committee’s membership represents a cross-
section of the United States.
Respective party committees vote by secret ballot to arrive at individual
recommendations for assignments. The party caucus or conference then votes
to ratify the recommendations, as does the full House or Senate.
Committee Categories
A combination of chamber and party rules govern how many, and what types,
of committees a Member may serve on. (Note that party rules also may change
depending on whether the party gains or loses the majority in their chamber.)
For convenience, committees are grouped into categories. The process is dif-
ferent in each chamber, so we’ll discuss each separately.
House
Each party committee in the House determines its own categories and which
committees it wants to place in those categories (see Figure 2-1). The lists are
printed in the respective party caucus rules. House Members can serve on no
more than two standing committees and four subcommittees of those commit-
tees. Both parties limit service to one exclusive committee, although a Demo-
cratic Member can serve on the Budget or House Administration panels while
on an exclusive committee. A Republican Member may take a leave of absence
from a standing committee allowing Members to serve on the Rules Committee
without losing seniority on the standing committee. Both parties allow service
on two nonexclusive committees. However, waivers are often granted by the re-
spective party to serve on additional committees and subcommittees.
For both Democrats and Republicans, service on the Ethics Committee is
exempt from assignment limitations. House rules limit service on Ethics to
three Congresses in the last ve, and service on the Intelligence Committee to
four Congresses in the last six. Democrats generally limit membership on the
Budget Committee to no more than three out of ve successive Congresses.
Senate
Senate committees are categorized according to Senate rules as either “A,” “B,”
or “C” (see Figure 2-2). Each Senator may serve on two “A” committees, one
“B” committee, and one or more “C” committees. However, waivers are often
granted to permit service on additional panels.
In addition, each party designates certain committees as “Super A,” and
prohibits Senators under party rules from serving on more than one of these
CHAPTER TWO Selecting Committee Assignments 21
committees. The list of “Super A” committees is typically the same for both
parties: Appropriations, Armed Services, Finance, and Foreign Relations
(though as of the 115th Congress, Democrats no longer consider Foreign
Relations as “Super A,” which could change if/when they are in the majority).
Republican Senators from the same state are generally prohibited from serving
on the same committee by Republican Conference rule. Democrats adhere to
the same prohibition, but by tradition rather than party rule.
Figure 2-1
House Committee Categories
Category Democrats Republicans
Exclusive Appropriations Appropriations
* Energy & Commerce Energy & Commerce
** Financial Services Financial Services
Rules Rules
Ways & Means Ways & Means
Nonexclusive Agriculture Agriculture
Armed Services Armed Services
Budget Budget
Education and Labor Education and Labor
Foreign Aairs Foreign Aairs
Homeland Security Homeland Security
House Administration
Judiciary Judiciary
Natural Resources Natural Resources
Oversight and Reform Oversight and Reform
Science, Space, and Technology Science, Space, and Technology
Small Business Small Business
Transportation & Infrastructure Transportation & Infrastructure
Veterans’ Aairs Veterans’ Aairs
Exempt Ethics Ethics
House Administration
Select Intelligence Select Intelligence
Joint Economic Joint Economic
Joint Library Joint Library
Joint Printing Joint Printing
Joint Taxation Joint Taxation
* Applies to Democratic Members named in or after the 104th Congress.
** Applies to Democratic Members named in or after the 109th Congress.
22
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Rules Governing Committee Chairs and Ranking Members
Both parties in both chambers designate a formal leader for each committee,
with the leader chosen by the majority party serving as chair. Seniority can
play a role in these selections. There are limitations on the number and type of
chairmanships a Member may hold, although exceptions are allowed.
In 1995, House Republicans adopted a House rule that limits chairs of
committees and subcommittees to three consecutive terms (six years). The rule
was retained by the new Democratic majority in 2007 but repealed in 2009, so
House Democrats currently have no limits for their committee chairs. House
Republican Conference rules also apply the term limit to ranking minority
leaders when the party is in the minority. In 1996, Senate Republicans ad-
opted a similar six-year limit on committee chairs. After control of the Senate
changed hands in 2001, Senate Republicans became Ranking Members of
the Committees, and this rule was modied in 2002. The Senate Republican
Conference changed their rules so that Senators’ service as Ranking Member
Figure 2-2
Senate Committee Categories
“A” Committees “B” Committees “C” Committees
Agriculture, Nutrition and
Forestry
Appropriations
Armed Services
Banking, Housing, and Urban
Aairs
Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
Energy and Natural Resources
Environment and Public Works
Finance
Foreign Relations
Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions
Homeland Security and
Governmental Aairs
Select Intelligence
Judiciary
Budget
Rules and Administration
Small Business and
Entrepreneurship
Veterans’ Aairs
Special Aging
Joint Economic
Select Ethics
Indian Aairs
Joint Library
Joint Printing
Joint Taxation
CHAPTER TWO Selecting Committee Assignments 23
would not count against their six-year limit as chair. Another new rule re-
quired that chairs be elected by secret ballot within each committee and by
the full Republican Conference, thereby making the chairs accountable to all
Republican Senators and not just those on the committee. Senate Democrats
have not adopted term limits for their committee leaders.
Advice for Choosing and Pursuing
Committee Assignments
There is no one right way to decide which committees to pursue, nor one right
way to lobby for them. Members have different needs and strengths, which
should govern their choices and their strategies for gaining leadership support.
Veteran observers of the process, however, offer the following time-tested
advice:
Start early. The attempt to obtain the best possible committee assignment
for freshmen often begins the day after the election. You should learn
where the openings are, learn the jurisdiction of each committee, talk with
other Members about the working atmosphere of each committee and the
operating style of the committee chair, and plot strategy for obtaining the best
assignment. If you think this is too early, consider that for returning Members,
the process of changing committee assignments actually begins long before
the election.
Gather information. Members are generally advised to talk with “their”
representatives on the party committee (i.e., those who represent your region,
class or other grouping) about their choices. Members also should talk with
other Members from their district, state, or region about ways to inuence
the party machinery to obtain the best committee. Members from the same
group, such as women, conservatives or progressives, should be consulted for
advice and support. There are excellent opportunities to gather information at
the orientation programs and early organizational meetings.
Select committees that will help you achieve your goals. Do you want to focus
on constituent services or be a national legislator? Will you become an expert in
foreign affairs, health care, nancial services or the environment? Are you from
a “safe” district or will you likely face a difcult re-election battle in two years?
The answers to these types of questions, combined with the information you’ve
assembled about the committees, should help you narrow your choices.
If you know precisely what you want to achieve, or if it’s clear your
district or state has a few dominant interests, your best choices may be
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
24
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
easy to identify. As one south Florida freshman said, “We know what’s
important for our district: crime and immigration. That’s why we went after
[the] Judiciary and Foreign Affairs [Committees]. We’ve got heavy Cuban
and Jewish populations and
needed to represent their
interests.” Similarly, Members
representing rural districts will
probably want to consider the
Agriculture Committee even
though they might personally
prefer another assignment. One freshman told us, “Listen, if you’re from my
state, you don’t select the Agriculture Committee, you’re sentenced to it.”
Make your case. You should let your colleagues know why a particular com-
mittee assignment is important to you (e.g., representation of the needs of the
district/state, or electoral concerns) and why you are qualied to serve (e.g.,
prior experience in the subject while serving in the state legislature).
But you should also demonstrate why your desired assignment is important
to your colleagues; in other words, why it is in their best interest to grant you a
seat. As a House Democratic Member explained to us:
“I didn’t understand the value of exploring and exploiting the lever-
age I had available. I came [to the process of selecting committees]
with a resume — my professional credentials. I thought that was the
primary basis of the committee selection process. What I learned
was that the resume by itself was clearly insufcient. You have to
be able to gure out how you can best leverage your assets so that
leadership feels motivated to meet your needs.”
The orientation and organizational meetings are a prime time for lobbying.
The way you conduct yourself during these sessions may inuence your
ability to get a good committee assignment, and may shape other Members’
perceptions of you. These meetings also allow you to start the long-term
process of forming relationships and building coalitions with your colleagues.
Consider leadership requests. Leadership may recommend to a Member
where they should seek assignment. The composition of committees is im-
portant to party leaders who organize the chamber. Doing what the leadership
wants early in a career often pays great dividends in future years.
Assess your chances. Many Members seek assignment to the most prestigious
committees such as Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and
Means in the House, and the Appropriations and Finance Committees in the
Senate. Appointments for freshmen and junior Members on these panels are
rare, especially for House freshmen. Only when an extraordinary number of
“ Listen, if you’re from my state, you don’t select the
Agriculture Committee, you’re sentenced to it.”
— Freshman Member
CHAPTER TWO Selecting Committee Assignments 25
new Members are elected is the leadership willing to appoint some freshmen to
these committees. Furthermore, only when their numbers are large are fresh-
men emboldened to demand their share of top assignments.
This does not mean you shouldn’t try for a top committee; you’ll never get
it if you don’t try. But you should consider your chances of obtaining a top
spot, and perhaps have a second choice in mind.
Conclusion
Choosing and securing committee assignments will be one of your rst major
decisions as a Member-elect. It’s a critical task for your rst 60 days. The
process may begin as soon as the election is over, will heat up during the
orientation and organizational meetings, and will likely be concluded by the
time you’re sworn-in to ofce. Landing the right assignment, one that ts your
needs and can help you achieve your goals, will put you on the path towards a
successful rst term.
26
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Selecting Committee Assignments
Do...
Don’t...
•
recognize the importance that
committee assignments play in the
success of your rst term.
•
become well-acquainted with the
formal rules and processes that govern
the assignment of committee seats.
Pay particular attention to your party’s
committee on committees. Pursue committee
assignments that can advance your goals and
which reect your priorities.
•
start early. Gather information on the seats
available and your chances of getting them.
Make your selections, and make your case
to your colleagues as to why you should be
granted a particular assignment.
•
be discouraged if you do not get
your rst choice for committee
assignment. The appointment
of freshman Members to the most
prestigious committees is rare. It is
common for Members to try to switch
panels after two or four years.
CHAPTER
TWO
CHAPTER THREE
Creating a First-Year Budget
This Chapter Includes...
✩ An introduction to the rules of House and Senate budgeting
✩ The Member’s role in budgeting
✩ A four-step process for developing a rst-year budget
✩ Advice from veteran ofces in putting together a rst-year budget
On the Covey Matrix described in the rst chapter, budgeting is a Quadrant II
activity. It is an important, but not urgent, task for a new Member of Congress
to undertake between the election and January. No one is demanding that
your ofce put together a budget. Without one, however, your goals are little
more than a wish list. A budget sketches out how you will allocate resources
in a way that will help you reach those goals. Of course, this assumes you’ve
set down some goals for your rst term. If you haven’t done so yet, we urge
you to. For guidance in goal setting, see Chapter 1, “Navigating the First 60
Days,” and Chapter 11, “Strategic Planning in Your Ofce.”
Crafting a budget early, even if it’s only a rough estimate of how you plan
to spend your money, has a number of advantages to just winging it as you go
along. First, it will help you avoid making fast and loose commitments which
you may later regret. Without the big picture in mind, it may be difcult
to see that promising $100,000 salaries to three inexperienced campaign
workers, or telling your constituents that you’ll visit every town in the district
or state in the rst year, might not be the best use of your limited resources.
Second, it will give you condence that large commitments of money you do
make will t into a larger spending plan. Hiring staff, buying computers and
signing district/state ofce leases may use a good portion of your budget, and
decisions once made are not easily undone.
Early budgeting also lets you know if your goals are feasible. If you’ve
promised to turn back some of your allocation, or to stay in close touch with
constituents through newsletters and surveys, you will get an idea of whether
you can afford to do so. Moreover, you will have a good basis on which to
decide if the costs are reasonable and justied by the anticipated benets.
27
28
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
It may also alert you to expenses over which you’ll have little control. Rent
in Manhattan is expensive. So is traveling from Washington, DC to a state
without major air hubs. Now is a good time to consider whether it’s worth
opening an extra district ofce or ying home every weekend.
This chapter is designed to help you get that rst budget in place. Chapter
12, “Budgeting and Financial Management,” contains a more detailed discus-
sion of the strategic uses of budgeting, the challenges of planning for year
two and beyond, the importance of sound accounting practices and a list of
cost-saving and budgeting tips. For now, we’ll cover the basics.
Congressional Budget Primers
This section provides an overview of ofcial House and Senate allowances
and their uses. It will be especially helpful for any Member or staffer
with limited experience in managing congressional funds. For additional
information, House Members should review the Member’s Handbook
(found at http://cha.house.gov), and consult with staff from the House
Finance Ofce (202-225-7474) and the Committee on House Administration
(Democrats: 202-225-2061; Republicans: 202-225-8281). Senators may
seek advice from the Senate Handbook (available on Webster, the Senate
Intranet), the more extensive Senate Manual, and from the staffs of the
Disbursing Ofce (202-224-3205) and the Senate Rules and Administration
Committee (202-224-6352). An additional resource that freshmen Members
may wish to review is the Congressional Research Service report RL30064,
Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief, available at crsreports.
congress.gov.
While each chamber sets its own spending levels and regulations on the use
of their funds, they share some budgeting characteristics. House and Senate
ofces should keep in mind that:
• Allocations are xed. Unlike campaign funds, you cannot raise more.
• Members are personally responsible for nances. If an ofce over-
spends its allocation on ofcial expenses, the Member, personally, must
pay the difference.
• Funds are not actually given to you. Your ofce will not receive a check
at the beginning of each year. The money is held by the U.S. Treasury.
The House Finance Ofce and Senate Disbursing Ofce track accounts,
process payment requests (known as vouchers), and remit payments and
reimbursements to vendors, Members, and staff. As an employee of the
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
MANAGEMENT FACT
If an ofce overspends
its allocation on
ofcial expenses, the
Member, personally,
must pay the
difference.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 29
Senate Disbursing Ofce described it, “We’re not sitting around with
bags of cash.”
• Funds are authorized annually. Any funds not obligated by the end of
the year for which they are authorized are lost for your use. But if you
obligate within the year, the payment can come up to two years later.
This situation occurs quite regularly, as when items are purchased at
the end of a year and the bill doesn’t arrive until the following year, or
when staff nd long-lost travel receipts. Many ofces use funds still
unexpended near the end of the year to stock up on supplies, upgrade
or pay off existing equipment, and give staff bonuses. It’s important to
note that the House uses a legislative year (January 3 to January 2), not
a calendar year, and the Senate a scal year (October 1 to September
30) in authorizing funds to Members.
• Funds have limited uses. They cannot be used for just any expense
that you choose, but only for those categories of expenses sanctioned
as “allowable” (i.e., “reimbursable”). The Senate goes further than the
House and reserves certain pots of money for specic expenses (see the
next page).
• Your ofce doesn’t pay employer taxes and some employee benets.
Your staff salaries are deducted from your account, but your ofce is
not charged for the government’s share of payroll taxes, pension/retire-
ment plans, or health, life, disability and unemployment insurance.
These expenses are picked up by House- and Senate-wide accounts.
House Members also do not pay for transit benets out of their ofce
budgets (Senators do).
• Your ofce is provided separate allocations for student loan repay-
ment and paid interns. Each chamber authorizes specic amounts for
their Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP), and, in the 116th Con-
gress, for paid interns through the House Paid Internship Program and
the Senate Intern Compensation Fund. Ofces may still pay interns out
of their ofcial resources (the Members’ Representational Allowance or
the Senator’s Ofcial Personnel and Ofce Expense Account, described
on the next page). Interns paid through the House Paid Internship Pro-
gram do not count against the Member’s employee staff ceiling.
• Your ofce is not charged for Washington, DC ofce space, standard
furniture, a limited number of parking spaces and many support
services. Each Member is assigned one ofce suite in a House or
Senate ofce building, and all Senators have a second “hideaway”
ofce in the Capitol. These ofces, along with furnishings and support
services (e.g., housekeeping, maintenance and trash removal), are
provided at no cost to your operating allowance.
30
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
House ofces have two additional rules to remember:
• There is a single account (called the Members’ Representational Al-
lowance or MRA) from which expenses are paid. In order to simplify
congressional ofce budgeting and give Members more exibility in
managing their ofces, in 1995 the House replaced its system of separate
allowances (personnel, franking, ofce expenses) with one consolidated
account. This makes budgeting an even more versatile tool for achieving
a Member’s strategic goals.
• All Members do not have the same MRA. Three variables affect
the amount of a Member’s MRA: distance from DC to the Member’s
district; the cost of ofce space in the district; and the number of postal
drops (i.e., households, post ofce boxes, etc.) in the district. The House
Administration Committee does the calculations and will inform you of
your MRA; there is no work to be done on your part. In 2020, the MRA
typically ranged from $1.35 million to $1.56 million (Puerto Rico is
higher), with an average of $1.45 million.
The budget accounts for Senate ofces are organized differently:
• Senators have many accounts, each with a different sum of money
and limitations on how it can be spent. Not surprisingly, the alloca-
tions available to a Senator are in most cases determined by the popula-
tion of the state that they represent. States are grouped into categories,
such as “fewer than 5 million people” or “28 million and more.” The
accounts described below are ordered from largest to smallest in size, on
average:
• Senator’s Ofcial Personnel and Ofce Expense Account
(commonly referred to as the Senator’s Account). This allocation
ranges from $3.4 million to $5.4 million, with an average of $3.7 mil-
lion, depending on state population, distance from DC, and number of
postal addresses in the state. The Senator’s Account is used for staff
salaries and all other “ofcial ofce expenses,” including travel, sub-
scriptions, some telephone charges, franked mail or delivery charges,
stationery and ofce supplies. It also includes $50,000 for mass mailings
(which cannot be exceeded, but can be used for other expenses).
• Economic Allocation Fund (EAF). After you are elected or re-elected,
your ofce will receive an EAF that can be used anytime during your
six-year term for the purchase of information technology equipment
and ofce equipment in your DC and state ofces. It is given to ofces
in two three-year allotments. Unspent balances from the rst three-year
allotment may be carried over into the remainder of your six-year term.
The total amount of the EAF is based on each ofce’s state population.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 31
• Constituent Services Systems (CSS) funds. This funding is allocated
for the six-year term and is based on state population. The CSS funds are
only to be used for CSS hardware, software purchases and maintenance.
• Home State Furniture and Furnishings. Your ofce will receive a
lifetime allowance for furniture, drapes, carpeting and other furnishings
for all your state ofces. The amount ranges from $52,000 to $73,000.
• Senator’s Allowance. For each six-year term, an amount of $5,000
is allotted to each newly elected/re-elected Senator for the purpose of
furnishing a personal ofce, reception room and conference room with
non-standard items in the Washington ofce. This amount cannot be
rolled over to future terms.
• Other accounts available to
Senators allot things rather
than money. Again, a specic
Senator’s allotment is often based
on state population. This is just a
sample:
State ofce rent. You may lease as many state ofces as you wish, as
long as (1) the total square footage is under the maximum allotment
(currently 5,000 to 8,200 square feet); and (2) the rent in each ofce
is less than the maximum per square foot lease rate set by the General
Services Administration for that city. Rent is approved and paid
through the Sergeant at Arms.
Long distance telephone service. There’s no separate bill for domestic
long distance calls made on pooled WATS lines, though the calls are
itemized on your phone records. Again, these charges are paid by a
Senate-wide account.
Paper and envelopes. Each ofce receives a substantial quantity
of blank and letterhead paper, and blank and franked envelopes.
Printing and folding services. The Senate Sergeant at Arms has
facilities to print, fold and mail constituent mail and outreach mass
mail.
Senate ofces may pay for “ofcially related expenses” with excess
campaign funds. Generally speaking, this category includes expenses
incurred in connection with ofcial duties that are not reimbursable under
Senate rules, such as refreshments provided at ofcial events. If you
have any questions about whether an expense falls under this category,
contact the Ethics Committee for guidance. A reminder: this rule is for
Senators only; House Members may not pay for any ofcial expenses with
campaign funds.
The amount of money allotted to House
and Senate ofces is based, in part, on the
distance from D.C. to the district/state and
number of postal drops in the district/state.
32
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Senate budgets are prorated for partial years. Because newly elected
Senators do not take ofce until three months into the scal year, they receive
three-quarters of their usual allotments to cover January through September.
Similarly, Senators who retire or are not re-elected have one quarter of a
yearly budget to carry them from October until they leave ofce in January.
Check with the Senate Disbursing Ofce to conrm exactly what your
allocations will be your rst year.
The Member’s Role in Budgeting
The vast majority of budgeting and nancial management decisions can be
delegated to staff, but you, the Member, must take an active role in three areas:
dening goals and setting guidelines for spending decisions; determining your
level of involvement in the nancial management of your ofce; and assem-
bling a nancial team.
1. Goals and Guidelines. Do you want to use every dollar at your
disposal, maximizing your available resources? Or, do you want to
demonstrate frugality with the public funds that have been allotted
to you? Do you want to maintain visibility and a dialogue with
your constituents or do you want to focus more energy on DC-
based coalition building and rely on an active press program to keep
constituents informed of your activities? These types of decisions
are fundamental to budgeting. You have xed resources. More of one
option means less of another. You must provide general guidelines
about where you wish your resources to be targeted. No one can do this
for you. Your choices here must be consistent with your ofce goals
and, in many cases, will be dictated by them.
2. Your Involvement. Do you want to decide which equipment to buy,
or will you leave that decision to staff? Who will set salaries and
subsequent merit pay adjustments? How often do you want to be
briefed on your ofce nances? Monthly? Quarterly? You need to
delegate, but you also need to establish clear limits on your staff’s
authority to commit funds for which you ultimately are responsible.
CMF has run across Members whose preferences vary widely on these
matters, from those who want to know how every penny is spent, to
those who get involved only when big decisions are made.
3. Your Financial Team. The less involved you are, the more important
your nancial team will be. Responsibility and authority for money
matters in your ofce can be divided in any number of ways. It is vital
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 33
that all parties absolutely understand their responsibilities and their
authority. Candidates for membership on your nancial team include
the Chief of Staff, the Administrative Director or Ofce Manager, and
the District/State Director. You may also want to consult with other
staff on expensive or important purchases. Of course, in the two months
between the election and opening day, you may have only a few
transition aides with which to work. Strongly consider giving one staff
person the direct, day-to-day responsibility for managing your ofce
nances.
Although you will delegate specic nancial management activities to
individual staffers, there are benets to treating everyone on your staff as part of
the nancial team. The more staff are involved in the budgeting aspects of the
planning process, the more they will understand the trade-offs of each spending
decision. A freshman Chief of Staff in a recent Congress, for example, selected
an expensive computer system after seeking staff input. The staff understood that
spending the money on this choice likely meant that the ofce could not afford
to hire additional people to help with the constituent correspondence. However,
everyone in the ofce anticipated that using more advanced technology would
lead to increased staff efciency and productivity.
Your decisions about the three elements discussed above form the foundation
for all of the nancial decisions that your staff will undertake in your name.
After you have established general ground rules and broad strategies, your staff
can ne-tune the details of the budget and the nancial procedures that will be
used to meet House or Senate regulations, and monitor your nancial standing.
Developing a First-Year Budget
Your rst-year budget will be the hardest to put together. Never again will
you have to develop a budget with so little staff support, relevant information,
or time. Seasoned veterans advise that it is nearly impossible to develop an
accurate, detailed budget until at least six months into your rst term. Still,
as we discussed earlier, it is important to start putting gures down on paper
as soon as possible. CMF therefore recommends that you follow the most
commonly stated advice of Chiefs of Staff: err on the side of caution. With
that wisdom in mind, we offer a four-step process for developing a rst-year
budget: (1) collect expense information; (2) make major allocations; (3)
compare major allocations to your strategic plan; and (4) build a month-by-
month budget.
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
34
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Step 1: Collect expense information.
Following is a list of resources that freshman Chiefs of Staff have found useful
in compiling data specic to the unique characteristics of their district or state.
In addition, Figure 3-1 below lists the average spending by freshman House
ofces in their rst year in ofce.
Sources of Ofce Expense Information
Your predecessor’s budget(s). This is the best possible source of information
tailored to your district/state. Unless the campaign has poisoned relations, your
predecessor will likely share past years’ budgets with you. It is important to
review more than one year, since election year and retiree budgets can differ
signicantly from regular years. This information can be a gold mine, provided
that you understand how your priorities differ from those of your predecessor.
The budget(s) from an adjoining district or similar state. If you cannot
obtain your predecessor’s budget(s), that of a district/state with similar
demographic and geographic characteristics will provide much of the same
information.
Statement of Disbursements of the House and Report of the Secretary
of the Senate. These massive multi-volume ofcial reports, as required
Figure 3-1
Average Spending By
Freshman House Oces in Their First Year
Category Average Spending % of MRA
Franked Mail ............................................................................................................................. $21,990 1.57%
Personnel Compensation ................................................................................................. $900,963 65.41%
Travel............................................................................................................................................ $47,792 3.46%
Rent, Communication & Utilities ...................................................................................... $78,582 5.70%
Printing and Reproduction ................................................................................................ $44,297 3.20%
Other Services ......................................................................................................................... $45,251 3.29%
Supplies & Materials .............................................................................................................. $30,472 2.21%
Equipment ................................................................................................................................. $16,471 1.20%
Average Expenditures $1,185,559 86%
Unspent Funds ....................................................................................................................... $192,145 14%
Averag e Al loca ted Fun ds (MR A) $1,377,704
Note: Figures represent an analysis of the 85 full-year freshman oces’ spending in 2019 as reported in the
Statement of Disbursements of the House. Expenditures in the “Transportation of Things” category were
uncommon and not included this analysis.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 35
by law, publicly disclose every expenditure of every ofce in detail. The
House report is published quarterly (disbursements.house.gov) by the Chief
Administrative Ofcer (CAO) while the Senate report comes out twice a year
(www.senate.gov). If you cannot obtain your predecessor’s budget, you can
still review their spending.
Combined Airlines Ticket Ofce (CATO) or Airline Congressional Desks.
If none of the preceding sources are helpful for estimating travel expenses,
consult CATO (703-522-2286; www.catotvl.com) or the congressional desks
run by most major airlines. You’ll need to know how often you plan to travel
back to your district/state.
House Information Resources (HIR) and Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA).
Given the ongoing rapid improvements in technology, computer equipment
may be a big ticket purchase during your rst year or two. HIR (202-225-
6002) and the SAA (202-224-0821) can help you estimate what an upgrade is
likely to cost.
Congressional Management Foundation (CMF). As the producer of this
book, as well as several reports on House and Senate employment practices,
CMF is an expert on congressional budgets, compensation, benets, and
personnel policies. CMF can answer your questions on a range of operational
and management issues, and has numerous resources and guidance on our
website: www.CongressFoundation.org.
Outside third parties. Several off-the-Hill organizations, such as ProPublica,
LegiStorm and the National Taxpayers Union, have analyzed congressional
expenditures, using publicly available data from the ofcial House and Senate
reports discussed earlier. Their analyses tend to focus on salaries, travel
expenses, franked mail, or simply overall spending. They receive a good deal
of press attention, bringing additional scrutiny on your expenditures.
Step 2: Make major allocations.
With expense information and ofce goals in hand, your nancial team (e.g.,
Chief of Staff, Administrative Director/Ofce Manager, and District/State
Director) can assign general dollar amounts to major spending categories.
By grouping expenses into broad categories, your team can quickly develop
a usable budget. It is important that all of the people on your nancial team
participate in this step because they may be able to contribute valuable
insights into the allocation process, based on their prior work experiences in
Congress or elsewhere. They will also be charged with modifying the budget
as necessary during the year.
Working with veteran Chiefs of Staff, we have developed budget work-
sheets to assist freshman House and Senate ofces (see Figures 3-3 and 3-4).
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
MANAGEMENT FACT
Freshman Members
spent 86% of their
budgets in 2019,
approximately
$192,145 less than
allocated.
Source: Statement of
Disbursements of the House
36
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Again, because of the differences between the chambers, we’ll discuss each
separately.
Each House budget category has special characteristics that you should bear
in mind:
Personnel Compensation. By far, your largest expenditure will be for staff
salaries. Determine how many staffers will be needed to carry out your
strategic plan, which positions are necessary to execute your plan, and what
salary ranges will be set for each position. You are limited in the number of
staff you may hire (18 permanent and 4 temporary), but you have a great deal
of freedom in the salary levels you select. You are constrained only by the
national minimum wage and maximum annual staff salary levels (increased
to $173,900 in 2020). To assist you, the Congressional Research Service has
conducted analysis and published the average salaries of the most common
staff positions (see Figure 3-2). Additionally, the 2019 House Compensation
and Diversity Study is available on the Speaker’s website. This is also the time
to consider whether to hire shared employees to get specialized experience
on a less than full-time basis, such as with a nancial specialist or Systems
Administrator. In addition, you should take into account that most freshman
ofces are not fully staffed on swearing-in day. Finally, do not forget to budget
for staff overtime pay or bonuses, if applicable (see Chapter 5 for guidance on
hiring your core staff).
Rent, Communication and Utilities. District ofce rent is expensive, so the
important variables affecting expenditures in this category are the number of
district ofces you will open, the number of staff and interns in each ofce,
typical ofce rents in your district, whether utilities are included in the
rent, and the telecommunications system you choose for your ofce(s) (see
Chapter 7 for information on establishing district ofces). Also reported in
this category are the calling expenses associated with conducting telephone
town halls.
Travel (Member and Staff). Estimate the number of expected trips to your
district in accordance with your ofce objectives. Erring on the side of
caution in this case means estimating on the high side — many Members
travel home more than 40 weekends per year. Take into consideration the
expenses that are incurred when traveling — hotels, dining, and car rental,
to name the most obvious — and budget for the unexpected. Determine how
often district staff may need to be in Washington, DC and vice versa. Explore
the option of leasing a car for ofcial use rather than constantly using rentals.
And nally, remember that special government fares are available to you
for ofcial travel; these are usually the cheapest and most exible options
available.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 37
Other Services. This category includes your “Technology Service Contracts”
that you have with your constituent database and maintenance vendors, which
can be large annual expenses. Additional examples of “other services” are:
cleaners for district ofces, news clipping services, room fees for town hall
meetings, and staff training.
Printing and Reproduction. This category includes newsletters, printing,
photography, and other related expenses. As with franking, your best guides
are the Statement of Disbursements, your predecessor’s budget(s) and the
extent to which your plans differ from their practices. You should be aware,
however, that the number of variables is quite large. The size of a newsletter,
the quality of paper stock, the use of colors in printing, whether you are
Figure 3-2
Average Salaries of Congressional Sta
House
Washington, DC Oce
Chief of Sta ................................................ $153,302
Communications Director .........................$77,817
Executive Assistant ....................................... $59,981
Legislative Assistant ..................................... $56,741
Legislative Correspondent .........................$45,457
Legislative Director ......................................$89,596
Oce Manager ..............................................$55,829
Press Secretary ............................................... $62,515
Scheduler .........................................................$56,270
Sta Assistant .................................................$41,961
District Oces
Caseworker .....................................................$52,187
Constituent Services Representative .....$48,308
District Director .............................................$94,771
Field Representative ....................................$50,824
Senate
Washington, DC Oce
Administrative Director ........................... $113,389
Chief of Sta ................................................ $166,646
Communications Director ...................... $117,207
Counsel.............................................................$90,265
Executive Assistant ....................................... $78,477
Legislative Assistant ..................................... $76,770
Legislative Correspondent .........................$42,409
Legislative Director ................................... $141,493
Press Secretary ............................................... $74,966
Scheduler .........................................................$84,916
Sta Assistant .................................................$43,898
State Oces
Casework Supervisor ...................................$84,682
Caseworker .....................................................$51,829
Constituent Services Representative .....$49,749
Field Representative ....................................$60,296
State Director .............................................. $137,312
Source: Congressional Research Service. Average salaries shown for House sta positions are from 2019 and
are taken from CRS Report R44323, “Sta Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Oces, 2001-
2019.” Averages salaries shown for Senate sta positions are from FY2018 and are taken from CRS Report
R44324, “Sta Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators’ Oces, FY2001-FY2018.” These and other related
reports are accessible at https://crsreports.congress.gov.
38
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
mailing to all postal patrons in a zip code or are using individual addresses,
how much folding and stufng your staff will do in-house, and many other
factors will affect how much you spend in this category. As soon as you have
a well-developed communications plan, have your staff produce detailed cost
estimates for printing and reproduction, as well as franking.
Supplies and Materials. This broad, surprisingly expensive category includes
costs as disparate as ofce supplies, bottled water, food and beverages for
meetings with constituents, newspapers, online subscriptions and reference
books.
Franked Mail. Look at your predecessor’s budget and determine whether
you plan to mail more or less frequently than they did. Because many mass
mailings involve outside printers and other contract services, don’t overlook
your “Printing and Reproduction” expenses when budgeting for franked
mailings.
Equipment. This category includes computers, copiers, fax machines
and similar types of hardware. It may also include some payments to your
technology vendors. This category may be the most difcult to estimate
because there are so many options. Your computer system is likely to be
the largest expense. It may take time for you to develop a feel for the work
ow and communication needs of your Washington, DC and district ofces.
Veteran Chiefs of Staff strongly recommend that you talk to several friendly
ofces in addition to House Information Resources before purchasing
equipment (see Chapter 6 for advice on evaluating, purchasing and using
technology in your ofce).
Contingencies. Veteran Chiefs of Staff keep at least $5,000 in reserve;
freshmen may want to increase this gure as an extra margin of safety. There
has never been a congressional ofce that had no unforeseen expenses. If every
cent is already allocated, you will nd yourself with limited options when you
encounter a surprise expense. This is especially important to remember at the
end of the year, when the only option if an ofce has overspent its MRA is for
the Member to pay the difference from their own pocket.
Returning Money to the Treasury for Debt Reduction. Many Members,
to be consistent with their scal philosophy or to keep campaign promises,
decide to spend less than their entire MRA. If you fall into this category, we
encourage you to explicitly include this decision in your budget and set aside
the money accordingly. In 2019, freshman Members spent an average of 86
percent of their MRAs, approximately $192,145 less than each was allocated.
Note that all MRAs are funded from a single appropriation, so there is not
an account at the Treasury with your name on it; all unspent MRA funds are
applied as a lump sum toward reducing the national debt. Also note that this
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 39
debt reduction takes place after three years (the year the funds were authorized
plus two additional years when they remain available).
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
Figure 3-3
House Budget Worksheet — Legislative Year 20___
Budgeted Amounts
Franked Mail ........................................................................................................................................ $____________
Personnel Compensation ..............................................................................................................$____________
Base Pay ........................................................................................................ $___________
Overtime Pay .............................................................................................. $___________
Bonuses/Performance Recognition .................................................... $___________
Travel .......................................................................................................................................................$____________
Commercial Transportation — Member ........................................... $___________
Commercial Transportation — Sta ................................................... $___________
Lodging ........................................................................................................ $___________
Ground Transportation ............................................................................ $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Rent, Communications & Utilities ..............................................................................................$____________
Rent — Main District Oce ................................................................... $___________
Rent — Additional District Oce(s) (add lines as needed)......... $___________
Utilities (Gas, Electricity, Etc.) ................................................................. $___________
Telephone Equipment & Service .......................................................... $___________
Telephone Town Halls .............................................................................. $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Printing & Reproduction ................................................................................................................ $____________
Printing & Folding of Franked Mail ...................................................... $___________
Photography, Radio & TV ........................................................................ $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Other Services .....................................................................................................................................$____________
Constituent Database (CMS) Vendor Contract ................................ $___________
Maintenance Vendor Contract .............................................................. $___________
Sta Training ............................................................................................... $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Supplies & Materials ........................................................................................................................$____________
Oce Supplies ........................................................................................... $___________
Subscriptions & Books ............................................................................. $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Equipment ............................................................................................................................................ $____________
Computer Hardware (Server, PCs, Printers) ...................................... $___________
Photocopiers ............................................................................................... $___________
Other ............................................................................................................. $___________
Contingency .........................................................................................................................................$____________
Total Expenditures $____________
Your MRA Allocation $____________
40
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
One of the tricks of Senate ofce budgeting is guring out how best to use
your allocations of space, equipment and services so that you can better use
your allocations of money. While this makes budgeting in Senate ofces a
simpler procedure than it is in House ofces, it also makes it less of a strategic
tool. You don’t get to make as many choices, nor do you have to make as many
trade-offs as House ofces do. You cannot decide to forgo new state ofce fur-
niture and use that money instead to make more trips to the state. You cannot
decide to forgo replacing your copier machine for one more year so you can
give staff bonuses.
In fact, it is likely that you will spend 75-90 percent of your Senator’s
Account on staff salaries (see Figure 3-2 for average salaries). As a result,
personnel is one of the few areas in which you can really budget strategically.
This is where you will make decisions that will fundamentally affect your ability
to meet your goals. You will staff your ofce, and pay salaries, according to
the priorities you have set for your term. For example, if one of your goals is to
become one of the top Senators on environmental policy, you may want to hire
an experienced environmental lawyer as one of your Legislative Assistants, or
hire a Legislative Director with environmental experience, or hire several junior
staff who studied environmental politics in college (see Chapter 5 for guidance
on hiring your core staff).
MANAGEMENT FACT
Senate ofces spend
75% - 90% of the
Senator’s Account on
salaries.
Source: Report of the Secretary
of the Senate
Figure 3-4
Senate Budget Worksheet — Fiscal Year 20__
Budgeted Amount
Salaries ....................................................................................................................................................$______________
Senator’s Travel.....................................................................................................................................$______________
Sta Travel .............................................................................................................................................$______________
Additional Telecommunications Equipment and Services ..................................................$______________
Additional Oce Equipment ..........................................................................................................$______________
Stationery Room Certications ......................................................................................................$______________
Books, Newspapers, Magazines, and Online Information Services ................................... $______________
Recording & Photography ................................................................................................................ $______________
Stationery & Other Oce Supplies ...............................................................................................$______________
Postage Certications ........................................................................................................................ $______________
Recording & Photo Studio Certications ....................................................................................$______________
Franked Mail Certications ..............................................................................................................$______________
Mass Mail Certications ....................................................................................................................$______________
Other Ocial Expenses .....................................................................................................................$______________
Unallocated Funds ..............................................................................................................................$______________
Total $______________
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 41
Another potentially large budget category is travel, especially if your state is
far from Washington, DC, and doesn’t have major air travel hubs. With a larger
staff and more territory to cover than a House Member, staff travel, as well as
your own, will likely take up a good portion of the budget.
It is also important to remember that the Senate budget runs on a scal year
rather than a calendar year. Although the last month of your rst-year budget
is September, it is likely that some of the choices you make will commit your
ofce through December. You may want to start a separate, second-year budget
now to evaluate the long-term impact of your decisions.
Step 3: Compare major allocations to your strategic plan.
Now that you have a rough budget, compare it with your allowances and your
goals. Have you over-budgeted? Is the plan too ambitious for the available
resources? This step is important in adjusting the plan to nancial realities,
further clarifying priorities, or developing creative ideas to meet your goals
more economically. You may nd that a major overhaul of your budget or plan
is necessary or that just a few adjustments will do the trick. (A list of cost-
saving and budgeting tips can be found in Chapter 12.)
If you are still over-budgeted after using the cost-saving tips and other
minor adjustments, here are some guidelines for doing what is necessary,
whether it’s an overhaul of your budget or of your goals.
1. Involve your entire nancial team. You will benet from their ideas,
experiences and multiple perspectives.
2. Look for creative ways to meet your goals. For example, could you
achieve your district/state outreach goal and generate more local press
by locating your Communications Director in the district/state instead
of hiring an extra Field Representative? Evaluate the benets of these
types of moves against the costs (e.g., loss of access to the Member
and the legislative process). A Member may want to be involved in
this creative budgeting process by reviewing a list of alternatives for
achieving ofce goals.
3. If you cannot nd creative ways to meet your goals within budget,
you will need to reassess your goals. See Chapter 11, “Strategic
Planning in Your Ofce,” for information on how to do this,
especially the section on “Evaluating Potential Goals.” It is obvious
that the Member must be personally involved in this very important
process.
Step 4: Build a month-by-month budget.
Finally, your ofce should allocate your budgeted expenditures month-by-
month. Estimate as best you can when periodic expenses will be incurred,
42
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
in addition to providing for xed items that will appear each month. Each
month, this process will yield the following: monthly expenditure gures,
year-to-date expenditures, committed funds gures, and a net balance. This
is one of the most valuable steps in the budgeting process because you are
creating a means of determining if you are on the right nancial track as the
year progresses. This comprises the early warning system that can prevent
end-of-the-year horror stories.
After completing these four steps, you will have a basic budget to guide
you through the year. In one of your early staff meetings in January, we
recommend that you share this information with the entire staff. The budget is
an integral part of your ofce plans and will affect the way in which the staff is
expected to conduct the business of the Member. Giving your staff knowledge
of the nancial structure of the ofce has four benets: (1) it will clarify what
the Member intends to accomplish this term; (2) it will clarify the staff’s
role in achieving the Member’s goals; (3) it will give staff a greater sense of
ownership and accountability in meeting the goals; and (4) it may generate
cost-saving ideas from staff.
Veteran Ofce Advice on Developing a
First-Year Budget
This last section contains advice from veteran Chiefs of Staff, Administrative
Directors, and Ofce Managers. Suggestions listed rst apply to both House
and Senate ofces, followed by chamber-specic suggestions.
Advice for House and Senate Ofces
Learn the rules and regulations, and when in doubt, ask for help. This
seems like basic advice, but sometimes the rules are counterintuitive. When
one Senate Ofce Manager tried to submit a voucher for bottled water in a
state ofce, he discovered the expense could not be paid because the “cooler”
also provided hot water. Availability of hot water meant hot beverages could
be served, and hot beverages in the Senate count as non-reimbursable food
expenses. The solution was to turn off the hot water option.
Keep your options open when it comes to spending leftover funds. Many
ofces have a multi-purpose cushion fund that can be used for contingencies,
to pay off hardware, stock up on supplies, to give year-end bonuses, or simply
to be left unspent. Each option has benets: paying off computers frees up
money in the next year; giving staff bonuses could boost morale; not spending
your entire allowance can be trumpeted in a press release.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 43
Still, it’s a good idea to have some proposals in mind ahead of time as the
year draws to a close so you’re not scrambling to make last minute decisions.
Remember, you use it or lose it.
Get to know the employees of the House Finance Ofce and Senate Dis-
bursing Ofce, especially the ones assigned to work with your ofce. They
know the tricks of the trade.
Use the buddy system. Almost every staff member with whom we spoke rec-
ommended that a new ofce team up with a friendly veteran ofce to help get
them through the rst year. House and Senate staff associations can help also.
Estimate your transportation costs as soon as possible. Distance from
Washington does not always correlate with transportation costs. For example,
roundtrip airfare from DC to a hub such as Los Angeles is generally less
expensive than DC to a smaller market such as Mobile, Alabama.
Budget at the highest level of detail that still allows you to keep sight of the
big picture. For instance, a single budget category called “subscriptions” may
not provide enough information to help you decide whether to subscribe to a
news service online or in hard copy. Breaking it down into subcategories to get
a sense of how much each format costs will help you weigh the advantages of
each. But don’t go overboard. You could probably divide telephone service or
transportation into a dozen or more subcategories, but there is a point where
the extra information is not worth the time to put it together.
Additional Advice for House Ofces
District ofces are expensive. Research what it takes to run a district ofce
before you commit to one. More than one ofce has been surprised by unan-
ticipated costs. Remember that you will pay for virtually everything associated
with a district ofce out of your MRA. And once you open a district ofce, it
may be politically and contractually difcult to shut it down.
Pay attention to specials that won’t last. One budgeter recalled, “We had
budgeted $20,000 for publications, but we didn’t realize that the price for one
subscription was an introductory offer. I about died when the next year we had
to fork out an additional $12,000 we hadn’t budgeted for.”
Additional Advice for Senate Ofces
Learn all you can about allocations of things to which your ofce is
entitled. Don’t make the mistake made by one ofce of buying copier paper
when the paper allotment may give you millions of sheets.
Purchase computer equipment out of the Senator’s Account in the rst
year, when there is likely to be an ofce surplus, rather than deplete your Eco-
nomic Allocation Fund, which has to last several years.
MANAGEMENT FACT
Managers must be
ready for changes to
ofce budgets, even
after they’ve been
“nalized.”
Government shut-
downs, mid-year
rescission bills, and
end-of-year continu-
ing resolutions all
can change budget
allocations.
44
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Decide early if you’re going to send out mass mailings and whether you’ll
spend up to the $50,000 franking limit. One Ofce Manager told us of a
Senator who decided to use this money for priorities other than franking. She
continued, “Then one day the Senator said, ‘I think we’ll do some mass mail-
ings.’ I said, ‘What?!?’ That money was already committed for someone’s
salary.”
Pay close attention to budgeting in August. August is near the end of the
scal year and the time of a traditional month-long congressional recess when
a lot of staff travel to the home state takes place. Don’t let surprise travel ex-
penses upset the budget.
Be aware that changes in allocations can inuence the rest of your budget.
Let’s say that the Senate decides to make a popular $5,000 per year informa-
tion service standard (that is, the product will be made available to all Sena-
tors, and the Senate as an institution rather than individual Senators will pick
up the tab). It may follow that every ofce budget is cut $5,000 the following
year, which is just ne for ofces which had been paying for the service that
is now “free.” But if your ofce made the strategic choice to use that money
elsewhere, you will be down $5,000. It’s tough to predict these changes, but at
least be aware that they can occur.
Conclusion
Creating a budget is more than simply learning the House or Senate rules,
although this is important. It’s more than making sure you don’t overspend,
although that too is essential. Budgeting also means translating your ofce
goals — the reasons you wanted to serve and what you intend to achieve while
you’re here — into tangible assets which are capable of achieving those goals.
It involves balancing needs, alternatives and trade-offs — in other words,
making all the pieces t together. It leaves open the possibility that your list of
goals is too ambitious and needs to be modied.
It is certainly possible for a freshman to survive their rst term without
putting together a budget during the rst 60 days following the election.
You’ll have access to your ofce resources on opening day whether or not
you’ve planned how you will spend them. But CMF does not recommend this
ad hoc approach. Devoting the time during the rst 60 days to create a rst-
year budget will allow you to make more informed decisions on hiring staff,
opening district/state ofces, purchasing computer equipment and other critical,
early tasks. That, in turn, will contribute to a more successful rst term.
CHAPTER THREE Creating a First-Year Budget 45
Do...
Don’t...
•
spend the time to write a rst-year
budget before making decisions on
management structure, core sta, district/state
oces, and technology.
•
learn the rules and regulations for
House and Senate allowances, and
when in doubt, ask for help. Develop good
working relationships with sta from the House
Finance Oce or Senate Disbursing Oce who
know the tricks of the trade.
•
determine the Member’s involvement in
nancial management, and how responsibilities
and authority will be delegated to sta on the
nancial team.
•
create a rst-year budget by:
1. collecting expense information;
2. making major allocations;
3. comparing major allocations to your oce
goals;
4. building a month-by-month budget.
•
have a plan for spending leftover funds.
Consider your goals for the next year so you
aren’t scrambling to spend funds at the end of
the year.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Creating a First-Year Budget
CHAPTER
THREE
•
make commitments that might have
nancial repercussions for sta or
constituents without rst devising a rough
budget.
•
forget to set aside reserve funds —
particularly in your rst year — to handle
unforeseen expenses.
•
overspend the oce budget. If the
oce goes over budget, the Member must
personally pay the dierence.
•
forget that as an elected ocial,
your expenditures are public
information and are easily found
online. Spend taxpayer money
appropriately and responsibly.
CHAPTER FOUR
Creating a Management
Structure and a System
for Communicating with
the Member
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The most common management structures used in personal ofces
✩ The advantages and disadvantages of each management model
✩ Guidance for designing a system for Member-staff
communications
For a freshman ofce to operate effectively, staff and the Member must have
a clear, shared understanding of how the ofce operates. How will decisions
be made in this ofce? Who has decision-making authority and over what
issues? Who supervises whom? How should staff communicate with the
Member and the Member communicate with the staff?
Many freshman ofces are inclined to let the answers to these questions
evolve over the rst term with little direction. Over time, the thinking goes,
the Member’s operating style emerges and the ofce can then cobble together
a management structure and communication system that reects these
preferences. CMF believes this is a mistake for several reasons.
First, lack of clarity early on will create staff confusion and encourage
freelancing, which in turn will impair ofce productivity and blur lines
of accountability. Staff should not be left to gure out on their own “how
the place works” and how they should operate. Second, basing an ofce’s
management structure and communications practices solely on the Member’s
preferences will likely not result in a productive work environment. Many
Members will choose practices that are familiar and comfortable to them but
47
48
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
make the ofce inefcient and ineffective. Finally, decisions about how you
want the ofce to function should inuence, and therefore precede, your early
hiring decisions. For these reasons, freshman ofces should carefully address
and decide these operational issues in the rst 60 days.
Selecting a Management Structure
The term “management structure” is a catch-all phrase generally describing
the structure an organization uses to manage its operations and oversee each
employee.
Larger public and private organizations frequently depict their
management structure visually in an organizational chart that shows the
hierarchy used to manage the organization. While few congressional
ofces draft such diagrams, the questions of authority, responsibility, and
accountability are central to their operations as well. Consequently, the
subject deserves careful consideration by Members and management staff.
Specically, freshman ofces need to address basic structural questions such
as:
• What role will the Member play in ofce management?
• Who will report directly to the Member?
• Who will report directly to the Chief of Staff (CoS)?
• Who will report directly to the District/State Director (DD/SD)?
• Will the DD/SD report directly to the Member or to the CoS?
• Will the House Legislative Director (LD) supervise the Legislative As-
sistants (LAs) or simply provide them guidance when needed?
• Will the Senate LD supervise the Legislative Correspondents (LCs) or
will that function be left to another supervisor, such as the Administra-
tive Director or Communications Director?
• Should the ofce hire a Deputy CoS or Deputy DD/SD to help manage
the ofce or will an Ofce Manager or Administrative Director assist
with these duties?
• Which other staff will have supervisory responsibilities?
• Which, if any, staff will report directly to more than one person?
(e.g., Member and CoS)
• Will the district/state ofces be managed by region or by function (e.g.,
casework vs. outreach vs. Member schedule and travel)?
The answers to these questions should inuence your early hiring
decisions. For example, will you hire as District/State Director the person
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 49
Communicating with the Member
with the best political skills or must this hire also have good management
skills? The answer to this question should be partially based on how you
choose to structure your district/state ofces and if the Chief of Staff or the
District/State Director is responsible for managing the district/state ofces.
In selecting your Legislative Director (LD), the relative importance of
management skills should be determined on the basis of what management
duties the LD will be expected to assume. Similarly, you may choose one
Communications Director over another because your Chief of Staff wants to
supervise this activity and one of your candidates insists on reporting solely
to the Member.
The answers to these questions will also quickly shape the way your
ofce operates. And once patterns are established, whether through clear
deliberation or benign neglect, they are very difcult to change. It is very
difcult and painful to take responsibility away from staff once they become
comfortable with their duties. Similarly, it is difcult to persuade a Member
that decisions that they have become accustomed to making should now
be decided without their input. So make these decisions carefully and
deliberately.
A Review of Personal Ofce Structures
There is no single best organizational structure. The key is to select one that
best suits the mission, goals and personnel of the ofce, taking into account
the management styles of the Member, the Chief of Staff, and the District/State
Director and their respective management skills; the demands on the Member’s
time; the experience of the staff; and the amount of supervisory attention and
oversight needed.
House and Senate ofces tend to use three basic management structures,
though a number of ofces create hybrids from these main types. This section
describes these structures from most to least centralized — and most to least
common — and the advantages and disadvantages of each (summarized in
Figure 4-4). This analysis should help freshman Members and their senior
management staff determine which structure is best suited to their ofce.
Veteran ofces can also use this discussion to analyze their present structure
and identify possible ways of improving their operation.
The most common structure in both the House and Senate is the centralized
model (Figure 4-1). The vast majority of House and Senate ofces use
management structures that resemble this model. This model has all staff
reporting to the Chief of Staff, with the Chief of Staff reporting to the
Member. In this model, other staff also may report directly to the Member.
However, its dening characteristic is that the Chief of Staff has a great deal of
responsibility for managing the ofce.
50
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
This model has several advantages that explain why it is so commonly
used. First, it is simple and clear. If the Member or staff has a question, needs
clarication, or has a problem, it is abundantly clear who they should see about
it. Second, because virtually all relevant ofce information ows to the Chief
of Staff, it allows one person to efciently coordinate the activities of the entire
staff. Third, by making the Chief of Staff the ofce gatekeeper, this model
provides well-controlled access to the Member, thus protecting the Member from
unnecessary interruptions and allowing him to focus on Member-only activities.
However, CMF has found through its research that this model has some
clear drawbacks to consider. First, such a structure places a tremendous
burden on Chiefs of Staff. Few are actually capable of staying on top of
all of the ofce activities and supervising all of the staff. Consequently,
success using this structure tends to require a Chief of Staff with very good
management and interpersonal skills, and a good, experienced staff that
requires minimal assistance and supervision. This combination is unusual
in congressional ofces. Second, this structure makes the Member and the
ofce very dependent on one staff person. If the Chief of Staff leaves the
ofce, it may be difcult to nd a replacement capable of immediately and
comfortably taking over the job. Third, this model tends to make it more
difcult for a district/state staff person to effectively represent the Member
Figure 4-1
Model 1: Centralized Structure
MEMBER
CHIEF OF STAFF
COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR
SCHEDULER
ADMINISTRATIVE
DIRECTOR/OFFICE
MANAGER
LEGISLATIVE
DIRECTOR
DISTRICT/STATE
DIRECTOR
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 51
Communicating with the Member
back home. Under this model, there is no district/state staffer with ready
access to the Member or the authority needed to make decisions. For some
ofces this is a liability; for others it is insignicant. Fourth, this centralized
structure can sharply limit staff access to the Member if the Chief of Staff
chooses to take on the role of staff liaison, which often hurts staff morale.
Though less common than the centralized model, the parity structure
(Figure 4-2) is used by several House and Senate ofces. Under this structure,
all of the DC staff generally report to the Chief of Staff while all of the district/
state staff report to the District/State Director. The dening characteristic
of this model is that the Chief of Staff and District/State Director share
responsibility for the management of the ofce and each reports directly to the
Member. They generally decide when other staff meet with the Member.
This model has several strengths: First, decentralizing authority allows
for shared management responsibilities within the ofce, which can result in
greater management oversight and control. Second, it provides the District/
State Director with authority to actively and visibly represent the Member in
the district/state. For some ofces, this is especially desirable if the District/
State Director is politically savvy and has close ties to the community, and the
Chief of Staff is not from the district or state. Third, it provides controlled staff
access to the Member by using the Chief of Staff and District/State Director as
gatekeepers.
The model also has some weaknesses. First, unless the Chief of Staff and
District/State Director work well together, this model can lead to competing
agendas, conicts between managers, and competition among the staff.
Figure 4-2
Model 2: Washington–District/State Parity Structure
MEMBER
CHIEF OF
STAFF
DISTRICT/STATE
DIRECTOR
52
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Second, this model, like the centralized model, can limit staff access to the
Member if the Chief of Staff and District/State Director choose to be the
primary liaisons for their respective ofces.
The functional structure (Figure 4-3) is also used by several House and
Senate ofces. In this model, all staff responsible for independent functions
of the ofce report directly to the Member. Thus, the Member may have
as many as ve direct reports: the Chief of Staff, District/State Director,
Legislative Director, Communications Director, and possibly the Scheduler or
Administrative Director/Ofce Manager. In this structure, however, the Chief
of Staff usually retains responsibility for the overall management of the ofce.
Thus, the other functional heads generally report both to the Member as well as
to the Chief of Staff.
On its face, this structure makes sense. It creates a group of managers, each
responsible for their functional areas, and thus reduces ofce bureaucracy and
the dissemination of information from one level to the next. It also provides
those Members who want to keep track of ofce activities ample opportunities
to do so, while providing some limits on staff access. This structure can also
foster the development of a management team, which reduces the Member’s
reliance on any single person.
For this structure to work well, the ofce must have a Chief of Staff who
is comfortable working collaboratively with the other management staff. The
Chief of Staff’s power and effectiveness in this structure does not come from
their position in the hierarchy, but from the ability to earn the respect and trust
of the other function heads.
The primary downside of this structure is that it is more complex than the
others and requires more attention and maintenance. Because several staff
Model 3: Functional Structure
CoS
MEMBER
LD CD
AD/OM/Sch
DD/SD
Figure 4-3
Model 3: Functional Structure
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 53
Communicating with the Member
share responsibility and accountability, the Chief of Staff and functional heads
must work hard to ensure that ofce activities are properly coordinated. Failure
to coordinate creates confusion and mistakes due to unclear and overlapping
responsibilities. In addition, this structure places greater management responsi-
bilities on the Member than does either of the other two — responsibilities that
Members frequently nd they cannot or do not want to manage.
Finally, a few House ofces and several Senate ofces follow “other”
structures, typically combinations or hybrids of these basic models. Due to
their larger staff sizes and the number of state ofces they manage, Senate
ofces have more options and exibility when dening their management
structure. For example, they may have Regional Directors instead of a single
State Director. Another option that results in a modied model is when the
Chief of Staff is based out of the district/state, in which case the DC ofce
may be managed by a Deputy Chief of Staff or a Legislative Director with
management skills in addition to their legislative and policy expertise. The
occurrence of hybrid models illustrates the need for managers to carefully
consider the pros and cons of each structure (summarized in Figure 4-4) and
implement a structure that best meets the needs of the ofce.
Once a management structure has been selected, every staffer must clearly
understand how the ofce will operate and how decisions will be made,
including the chain of command and the expectations for, and responsibilities
of, each manager and employee. Equally important, ofces should expect to
make modications in the structure based on rst-year feedback about what is
working and what is not, what is clear and what is causing confusion.
The consequences of not
selecting a management structure,
or not dening it to employees, can
cause signicant problems in staff
productivity and morale. CMF has
found that when ofces have not
clearly dened or communicated
their ofce structure, the managerial role essentially defaults to the Member.
Any staff person with a decision to make must see the boss.
The obvious disadvantages of this situation far outweigh the advantages.
Staff access is maximized, but usually at the expense of effective ofce
coordination and order. Members tend to develop good working relations with
their staffs, but are overwhelmed by the work they take upon themselves. In
short, this situation tends to lead, at best, to controlled chaos.
For these reasons, CMF recommends that the Member play a minimal
role in managing day-to-day operations. As leader of the ofce, they should
be heavily involved in setting the overall direction, strategy and goals of
“ The consequences of not selecting a
management structure, or not dening it to
employees, can cause signicant problems
in staff productivity and morale.”
54
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Figure 4-4
Pros and Cons of Management Structures
Model Basic
Characteristics
Advantages Disadvantages
Centralized
Structure
• All sta report to CoS
• Only CoS reports to the
Member
• CoS has a great deal
of responsibility for
managing the oce
• Simple and clear
• Allows one person to
eciently coordinate
the activities of the
entire sta
• Provides well-
controlled access to the
Member
• Large burden on CoS
• Requires CoS with
strong management
and interpersonal
skills and best for
experienced sta
who need minimal
assistance and
supervision
• Very dependent on one
sta person
• More dicult for
district/state sta to
eectively represent
the Member back
home
• Limits sta access to
the Member
Washington–
District /
S
tate Parity
Structure
• CoS and DD/SD share
responsibility for the
management of the
oce
• Each reports directly to
the Member
• CoS and DD/SD
generally decide which
other sta meet with
the Member and when
• Allows management
responsibilities to be
shared within the oce
• Provides the DD/
SD with authority to
actively and visibly
represent the Member
in the district/state
• Provides controlled
sta access to the
Member by using the
CoS and DD/SD as
gatekeepers
• Can lead to competing
agendas, conicts
between managers
and competition
among sta
• Can limit sta access to
the Member
Functional
Structure
• All functional heads
report directly to the
Member
• CoS usually maintains
oce management
responsibility
• Reduces oce
bureaucracy and the
relaying of information
• Provides Members
opportunities to more
closely track activities
• Develops a
management team,
making oce less
dependent on one
person
• Complex and requires
more attention and
maintenance
• Shared responsibilities
require proper
coordination
• Increased management
responsibilities on the
Member
• Requires CoS
committed to
collaboration with the
other management
sta
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 55
Communicating with the Member
the ofce and should be consulted on all major decisions. However, the
Member should leave the daily operational decisions to key management
staff.
Designing a System for Member–Staff
Communications
One of the most important issues facing all personal ofces is how to effec-
tively manage Member-staff communications because, in Congress, access to
the Member is power. Areas which must be addressed include:
• What should be communicated orally and what in writing?
• Which matters should be brought to the Member’s attention and which
can be handled by the Chief of Staff (CoS) or Legislative Director (LD)?
• Should the CoS or Scheduler play the role of gatekeeper and screen staff
requests for time with the Member, or should your ofce maximize staff
access to the Member?
• Should the Member meet with staff individually or in small groups (which
could affect the total number of meetings the Member will attend)?
• Who should initiate most meetings — Member or staff?
• Should the purpose of Member-staff meetings be to convey information,
engage in analysis, or both?
These issues are vitally important because information is the lifeblood
of a Member in Congress, and most of it comes from the staff — the
Member’s eyes and ears. Staff who have regular access to the Member can
operate more effectively than staff who have to wait days to get Member
input. In addition, the methods that evolve for managing the Member-staff
communications will signicantly shape the way the ofce functions and its
organizational culture (see Chapter 10, “The Member’s Role as Leader of the
Ofce” in Part II).
For example, CMF has found through our work that Members who tend to
meet primarily with staff individually throughout the day tend to create ofces
that discourage teamwork. Everyone has projects they are working on with the
Member, and no one is responsible for or capable of coordinating all of the
activities or identifying issues in which working collaboratively makes more
sense than working individually. In ofces in which the “open-door” policy is
the predominant method of communication, Members often face an above aver-
age workload, while the work and authority of the Chief and LD is diminished.
Ofces that communicate with the Member largely in writing tend to be
less creative than ofces that regularly kick around ideas with the boss. On
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
The Member Binder
Many congressional ofces
create standardized binders
for their Member — one for
workdays (provided the
night before) and one for
the weekend. The contents
typically include the Member’s
current schedule, upcoming
oor and committee action,
background materials,
legislative and informational
memos, constituent mail to
approve, personal notes to be
drafted, and the latest news/
press from the district/state.
■
56
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
the other hand, these ofces also tend to free up more time for the Member to
pursue other important activities like reading and reecting, meeting with other
Members, or getting home earlier and spending more time with their family.
Although the system by which ofces manage communication is critical,
most ofces give little active thought to the subject. Instead, communication
practices tend to evolve over time without directly addressing the question:
What communication practices best suit the needs of our ofce?
Often, freshman Members simply begin operating and interacting with
their staffs in the manner in which they are most comfortable. Members’
styles of communicating are usually a
melding of their general preferences (e.g.,
hates interruptions, prefers to talk rather
than read) and previous experiences. The
problem is that communication habits
that prevailed in the large law rm, the
family business, or the state legislature
may not serve the Member well in their
congressional ofce.
This section will help you analyze your
communication practices and design a
Member-staff communication system that
most effectively meets your needs and those
of your staff.
Methods of Communication
Six primary communication methods are used in congressional personal of-
ces:
1. Open-door or unscheduled meetings initiated by staff;
2. One-on-one meetings initiated by the Member;
3. One-on-one appointments scheduled by the staff;
4. Group meetings;
5. Written communications (primarily memos, notes and brieng materi-
als); and
6. Email.
Freshman Members and their Chiefs of Staff should devise a Member-staff
communication system for their ofces that addresses our 10 objectives (next
page) and uses a full range of these communication methods. Each method has
strengths when used in moderation but shows weaknesses when overused.
For example, a Member who insists that most communication from staff
should come in writing through the Chief of Staff will effectively meet
several of the key objectives: ensuring important information gets to the
Communication Objectives
1
Essential information deserving of Member attention gets to the
Member.
2
Information that doesn’t require the Member’s attention is handled by
others.
3
Staff has sufcient access to the Member to effectively represent the
Member.
4
Staff convey simple, factual information to the Member quickly and
concisely.
5
Opportunities exist for creative and analytic thinking when appropriate
(e.g., problem-solving, brainstorming, strategizing — not just
exchanging information).
6
Meetings between the Member and staff efciently utilize the Member’s
time.
7
Rapport, trust, and good working relations are built between the
Member and the staff.
8
The Member responds to staff requests for input and decisions
promptly and effectively.
9
Relevant decisions or important information discussed with the Member
reaches other relevant staff when appropriate (e.g., Chief of Staff,
Scheduler).
10
The Member and Chief of Staff have opportunities to clarify
expectations and provide both positive and constructive feedback to
staff about their performances.
■
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 57
Communicating with the Member
Member; screening out unnecessary information; and creating regular and
reliable communication routines. If this is the primary mode of Member-staff
communication, however, it will fail to meet several of the other objectives:
allowing staff sufcient personal access; allowing staff to communicate basic
information quickly; and permitting creative, analytic meetings.
On the other hand, an open-door policy that encourages unscheduled meet-
ings will maximize staff accessibility, improve morale and foster in-depth,
analytic discussions. If relied on predominantly, this method runs the risk of
not screening out non-essential, non-urgent matters, potentially overwhelming
58
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
the Member with information and taking up too much of the Member’s time.
Additionally, it excludes supervising staff (e.g., Chief of Staff, LD) from the
information loop, thus harming ofce coordination and generally weakening the
ofce’s management. Similarly, group meetings can encourage teamwork, pro-
vide staff access to the Member and foster analytic discussions, but can be very
time-consuming and inefcient in getting the Member essential information.
Finding the right balance for your ofce will require regular review. After a
few months, make an assessment by asking these questions:
• Which methods are most used by your ofce? Are they over-utilized?
• Which methods are rarely used? Are they under-utilized?
• Which specic communication objectives do your present practices meet
effectively?
• Which specic key communication objectives are not effectively met
given your present practices?
• What changes would enhance your Member-staff communications?
General Advice for Designing Your Communication System
In designing a system for your ofce, keep in mind several key points:
First, employ a full range of methods to create more effective commu-
nications. As we stated earlier, Members tend to over-rely on one or two of
these methods to the overall detriment of good Member-staff communications.
House Members tend to over-utilize open-door policies. It is the simplest prac-
tice to put into place because it requires no “system.” Just leave the door open
and let staff who have questions walk in. It also tends to be stylistically prefer-
able to many House Members who are uncomfortable putting barriers between
themselves and their staffs. But Members who grow frustrated with the amount
of time they spend in meetings with staff frequently take drastic measures to
solve the problem — like terminating their open-door practices. Unfortunately,
this solution only creates a new set of problems. Instead, Members could re-
duce open-door access to one to two hours a day at regular times.
In contrast, Senate ofces, because they are bigger, tend to discourage open-
door policies and Member meetings with staff and instead over-rely on written
communication. Consequently, Senate ofces tend to be far more formal.
Senators are often too sheltered
from their staffs, and staff are often
frustrated with the cumbersome
communication practices, lack of
access, and lack of understanding of
their boss’ needs and preferences. In
fact, as one Senate Chief of Staff stated, “the number one thing staff complain
to me about is lack of access to the Member.”
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
“ The number one thing staff complain to me
about is lack of access to the Member.”
— Senate Chief of Staff
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
Conducting Effective Meetings
1
Meet at regularly scheduled times when possible so that
the effort of securing a time that works for everyone does not have to
occur each week.
2
Designate a meeting facilitator. Most Chiefs of Staff
believe that it is more effective for them to run a meeting than for the
Member.
3
Have a clear purpose (e.g., information-sharing, coordination,
problem-solving). Without it, meetings try to accomplish too much, go
too long and diminish the energy of the participants.
4
Operate from a written agenda so everyone knows what is
to be discussed. Whenever possible, distribute it in advance to allow
staf
f to prepare.
5
Establish a starting and ending time (and stick to
it!). Ideally, each agenda item would also have a starting time, which
requires the facilitator to think through how long the meeting should
take.
6
Inform staff of their responsibilities ahead of time
(e.g., bringing their calendars, brieng other staff on relevant issues,
note-taking, etc.).
7
Everyone should participate but no one should
dominate. Staff comments and questions should be encouraged so
the meeting is not just about top-down management direction.
8
Adhere to a standardized format. If staff understand the
format and what is expected of them, the meetings will operate more
efciently.
9
End by summarizing the results and next steps.
Review who is going to do what by when. Afterward, promptly
circulate this summary to all staff, including the major topics
discussed, decisions made and assignments.
10
Assess their effectiveness. Even effective formats can grow
tiresome over time. Ask staff for feedback and suggestions that would
improve future meetings.
■
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 59
Communicating with the Member
60
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Second, draft a memo that species how the ofce intends to manage
Member-staff communications. Don’t allow practices to simply evolve over
time. Freshman ofces should specify in writing before the end of January:
• Which matters or issues should be put in writing before being submitted
to the Member for comment or decision
• What types of matters should be taken up during the Member’s open-door
time and which should be handled through other means
• How often the Member will meet with the legislative staff, and what the
objectives are for these meetings
• What types of Member-staff meetings the Chief of Staff, LD and/or
Communications Director should attend
The entire staff and the Member should comment on, discuss, and eventually
agree on the points in the memo.
Third, evenly enforce the agreed-upon ground rules and practices. Chiefs
of Staff, as well as the Member, must take action when staff neglect to go
through the agreed-upon channels. While real crises and urgent matters do oc-
cur that will occasionally require the setting aside of these rules, ofces must
police themselves to make sure that not every unexpected event is turned into
a crisis, justifying a disregard for the ofce’s communication practices. Of
course, if the Member also breaks the rules regularly, they must recognize the
example they are setting for the staff and the difculty they are causing for the
Chief of Staff trying to manage an orderly ofce.
Finally, conduct regular ofce-wide discussions about your communications
to identify problems and consider ways of ne-tuning the system to address
them. It is almost impossible to get this balance right on the rst try, but through
discussions an ofce can create a system that meets everyone’s needs.
Conclusion
This chapter has provided freshmen with guidance on designing an ofce man-
agement structure and a Member-staff communication system. Both of these
tasks should be undertaken in the rst 60 days after your election. Address-
ing these decisions in November or December will allow your ofce to make
better hiring decisions and provide clarity to you and your staff about how the
ofce is to operate. This will help your ofce get off to a good start. It will
enhance productivity and morale, promote accountability and instill a sense
of professionalism throughout the organization. Delaying these decisions will
invite problems and the development of ad hoc practices and expectations that
will be difcult to change down the road.
CHAPTER
FOUR
CHAPTER FOUR Creating a Management Structure and a System for 61
Communicating with the Member
Do...
Don’t...
•
address basic questions in management
structure, such as:
– what role should the Member play in the
management of the oce?
– who will report directly to the Member?
– who will report directly to the Chief of Sta?
– who will report to whom (don’t forget about the
district/state oce sta)?
•
create a management structure that
reects the styles and abilities of the Member,
Chief of Sta, and District/State Director and
takes into account the oce’s mission, goals
and personnel.
•
design a system of Member-sta
communications that employs a range
of methods.
•
conduct regular oce-wide discussions
to ne tune the communication system.
•
create a monitoring system or establish
a checklist to track all requests requiring
the Member’s attention.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Creating a Management Structure and a System
for Communicating with the Member
CHAPTER
FOUR
•
let the oce management structure
and methods of communicating
“just evolve” between sta and Member
over your rst term.
•
base an oce management
structure solely on the Member’s
preferences. Many Members will choose
procedures comfortable to them, which
may not necessarily be good management
practices.
•
cut o access to the Member
completely, but preserve the
Member’s time for high-value
activities. As the most valuable resource
in the oce, the Member’s time should be
spent wisely.
•
neglect to include in your commu-
nications procedures a system for
creative and analytic work. Problem-
solving, brainstorming, and strategizing
require time.
•
ignore the importance of regular,
well-run sta meetings. Have a clear
purpose and written agenda for each
meeting. Establish rm starting and
ending times.
•
overlook district/state oce sta
when developing communications
and access procedures. They also need
conduits for communicating with the
Member.
A More Representative Democracy
The Congressional Management Foundation is proud to be a member
of Representative Democracy, a coalition of think tanks, nonpartisan
organizations, practitioners and civil rights groups that recognize diversity
strengthens our institutions of government and authenticates our tradition of
democracy and civic engagement.
For House and Senate ofces seeking career advancement opportunities for
staff, coalition members offer curriculum-based leadership development
training at every level. We also support internal administrative efforts to build
inclusive workplaces with technical diversity and human resources expertise
that is tailored to the workplace environment of Congress.
CMF encourages congressional managers and staff to visit the
Representative Democracy website (https://www.repdemocracy.org/) to
view the latest news, events, and resources available. These resources
include:
• “Building and Maintaining a Diverse and Inclusive
Congressional Ofce: An Introductory Guide for
Congressional Staff and Leadership” — This guide
provides resources and information to help congressional managers
and those with human resource (HR) responsibilities hire a diverse
staff and create a more inclusive work environment. Authors Laura
Maristany and Maria Robles Meier have developed a rst-of-its-kind
framework customized to the congressional workplace, drawing upon
their combined knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
(DEIB) practices, their previous experiences of working in Congress, and
additional interviews with current and former congressional staff.
• The Brain Trust for a Representative Democracy —
The Brain Trust is comprised of individual practitioners and experts
in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) who support the
cohort and offer thought leadership on DEIB in the workplace. Working
across communities, the Brain Trust supports and encourages learning,
methods, and tactics to advance DEIB in congressional ofces and
internal administrative operations in the Capitol. In the workplace,
technical expertise support may include developing a customized
framework with goals and metrics, training modules for staff, and
communication strategies that center DEIB.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
62
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
CHAPTER FIVE
Hiring Your Core Staff
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The pressures new Members face to hire staff quickly
✩ The benets of hiring only a core staff in November and December
✩ The ofce functions that a core staff need to perform and the
number of staffers needed to perform them
✩ The importance of tting your core staff to the mission and goals
of your ofce
✩ Hiring the rest of your staff
✩ A process for interviewing and hiring candidates
New Members are under enormous pressure to hire a full staff as soon as pos-
sible, and they frequently try to assemble that staff in the two months between
the election and swearing-in day. The results are often poor hiring choices that
do not contribute to the Member’s success, as well as a neglect of other criti-
cal tasks which must be accomplished before swearing-in day. The long-term
effects can be low staff cohesion and morale, staff talents which do not match
ofce needs and priorities, high staff turnover and wasted resources in hiring
and training new staff.
This chapter lays out an alternative approach that we believe will help you
assemble an ofce team capable of achieving your goals. We believe Members-
elect should interview and offer jobs in November and December only to a core
staff who will be in place on opening day to perform the essential functions
of a congressional ofce. Individuals should be hired who can become part of
the larger ofce team dedicated to achieving your ofce goals. The remainder
of your staff should then be hired when you have nalized your goals and you
have the time and resources necessary to hire the right candidates.
Note: For specic legal guidance on interviewing and hiring, contact the
Ofce of the House Employment Counsel (202-225-7075) and the Senate Chief
Counsel for Employment (202-224-5424).
63
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
64
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Importance of Hiring Only a Core Staff in
November and December
Members-elect frequently believe they must put together a full staff as quickly
as possible. They may ll typical ofce “positions” from a list compiled by
talking with veteran Members. They will hire eager campaign workers, long-
time friends, business partners or the rst experienced Hill staffer that walks
through the door, all with a vague notion that “we’ll nd places for them some-
where.” And they do all of this before they even take the oath of ofce.
The pressures you face are real and should not be ignored. But if you hire
too many staff too soon, you may nd that you’ve squandered precious time
and resources during the transition that were needed for other tasks. Moreover,
you may nd that you’ve assembled a staff that lacks certain skills critical to
the pursuit of your goals.
Pressures to Hire a Full Staff Quickly
There are a number of reasons why Members-elect feel the need to hire their
entire staff in November and December. Some are quite altruistic and sincere.
For instance, Members might value staff to such an extent that they fear highly
qualied candidates will be snatched by other ofces if they aren’t hired right
away.
Freshmen may also have very high expectations for their rst terms, and
believe that having a full staff is absolutely essential in order to “hit the ground
running.” The media and constituents back home may contribute to these
expectations. They may be looking for signs that their freshman is preparing
well for the rigors of representing the district or state.
New Members may also hire quickly in an effort to stop the ood of job
requests from all those eager to become part of the new team. After an election,
a new Member can expect to hear from friends, supporters, campaign staff,
business partners, experienced Hill staff who work for defeated or retiring
Members and countless others looking for jobs (2,000 resumes is not unheard
of). It’s not comfortable to have to put off supporters and campaign staff who
worked long hours and demonstrated great loyalty in support of your election
efforts. The easiest way to resolve this situation, the new Member rationalizes,
is to ll the roster.
Finally, some freshmen come to Washington, DC lacking management
experience, and so turn to the last model they saw for setting up a political
operation, i.e., their campaigns. They hire for a congressional ofce as they
would a campaign, by favoring the short term, focusing on a single goal (for
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 65
the campaign, it was election victory; for the ofce, it’s survival), and aiming
to keep a team together only long enough to achieve that goal.
Benets of Hiring Only a Core Staff
You will be in ofce for at least two or six years, and judging by history, prob-
ably far longer than that. You owe it to yourself and to your constituents to
build an ofce structure that is capable not only of serving in January, but over
your entire career. This means making the right decisions early on that will
allow you to achieve your longer-term strategic goals. Granted, it’s difcult to
concentrate on the long term when faced with so many short-term demands,
but that’s what most successful ofces do. With this framework in mind, hiring
only a core staff in November and December has two major benets:
Scarce time and resources during the transition can be directed towards
accomplishing other critical tasks. Opening day is less than two months after
the election, and until you are sworn-in, you have very little resources. Your
energies during this time must be used to make strategic decisions outlined in
this part of Setting Course: not only hiring core staff, but setting up a district/
state ofce, putting together a rst-year budget, selecting and pursuing com-
mittee seats, and evaluating your technology needs.
Even if you are absolutely sure of your rst-term priorities and know
precisely the staff you need, you still don’t have the time to properly locate,
interview and hire an entire well-qualied staff in two months, while still
taking care of your other duties. Neither you, nor anyone else, should be
expected to undertake such an important task under these conditions.
Moreover, a congressional ofce can operate effectively with a core staff
for six weeks or so after opening day. This news comes as a shock to some
freshmen, who are overwhelmed during orientation by the myriad tasks
required just to get an ofce up and running. But the reality is that January is
usually a slow legislative month, so you really won’t need more than a basic
legislative shop for a while. You will also probably not be generating large
press or mail outreach, so these
functions can be reactive rather than
proactive. All in all, our experience
shows you can survive fairly well for
a month and a half with a core staff.
Chances of hiring the right staff are increased. Staff turnover rates are in-
credibly high among freshmen. It’s not uncommon for a freshman ofce to ex-
perience 20 to 40 percent turnover in their rst year. Staff leave for a variety of
reasons, to be sure, but poor hiring decisions are arguably rst among them.
The indirect and direct costs of turnover are high. Hiring and training
new staff is time-consuming and costly, ofce productivity and staff morale
“A congressional ofce can operate effectively
with a core staff for six weeks or so after
opening day.”
66
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
suffers, and opportunities can be missed while new staff get up to speed. In
the extreme, poor hiring can cost you your congressional seat. The people
who work in your Washington, DC and district/state ofces are your most
valuable resource, greatly inuencing your success in Congress. A high-
caliber, sharp, creative, productive team who works well with you and with
each other will be key to achieving your goals. Conversely, you will show
little progress on your strategic objectives if you are burdened with an
ill-tting or constantly changing staff. You can still make mistakes in hiring
your core staff, but you’re much less likely to make bad hiring decisions if
you hire eight staffers, rather than 16, in the 60 days between the election
and swearing-in.
Which Functions To Hire as Part of Your Core Staff
For 65 years, a barnstorming four-person softball team called the King and
His Court soundly defeated full, nine-player teams. They won mostly because
of superb pitching, but also because they were great athletes lling the key
positions needed to cover a softball eld: catcher, rst baseman, shortstop, and
pitcher. They could then adapt to other positions as needed — inelder, third
baseman, and outelder. (Did we mention their athleticism?) It was the perfect
combination of the right people standing in the right spots.
This section is designed to help you emulate the King and His Court by
identifying the core functions in your congressional ofce and the number of
staff needed to perform them. Through our work and experience with numerous
congressional ofces, CMF has identied the following vital functions that must
be performed by any congressional ofce from opening day:
Answering the phones/greeting visitors. Whoever performs this function will
be the rst contact constituents and others who walk through the door or call
on the phone will have with your ofce. Staff who handle this function should
be helpful and convey professionalism.
Beginning to manage the mail. You may not have the capacity to keep up
with (or dig out from) the constituent mail that’s been accumulating since the
election and will soon be ooding your ofce. You may not have rmly estab-
lished all of your mail policies. Still, you have to start organizing and catego-
rizing your mail right away and developing some basic responses to constituent
letters, even if it is a general acknowledgment of their concerns and opinions.
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 67
Conducting basic legislative research. As we’ve said, January tends to be a
slow legislative month, so you shouldn’t need to do any heavy lifting in this
area. But you’ll need someone who can generate talking points, or explain
your positions on key issues to whomever might need them. You will also need
some legislative support for the few oor votes that do take place.
Maintaining your technology. You’ll want someone who can keep your cur-
rent computer systems and equipment functioning. You’ll also want someone
who can help determine if the ofce should upgrade, and if so, which new
system to purchase.
Handling scheduling requests. Someone has to organize, help prioritize, and
respond to the many requests you’ll receive for appointments with the Mem-
ber, as well as invitations to attend events in DC and in the district/state.
Providing Member with personal assistance. If you need a list of names
and phone numbers, a thank-you note drafted, or travel arrangements made,
you, the Member, should not be doing it yourself. Staff should be designated
to help you. In the district/state, a variety of administrative tasks go along
with attending an event. Whether you will require assistance may be a matter
of personal preference and style.
Handling casework. You will most likely inherit cases from your predecessor,
and many constituents will call your ofce to inquire about the status of their
cases. In addition, publicity surrounding the election will generate new cases.
You will need to respond professionally and knowledgeably to these constitu-
ents, even if you won’t start working immediately on their cases.
Handling press inquiries. Even if you don’t actively court the press, they will
call you looking for comments on various issues and doing proles of the “new
faces.” Someone needs to be able to speak on your behalf, assist you in manag-
ing these requests, and draft basic press releases.
Day-to-day management. This function includes tasks like advising the
Member, solving problems that arise, coordinating activities of the DC and
district/state ofces and staff, as well as coordinating hiring, spending and
other ofce decisions.
Handling nances. Someone needs to track and submit vouchers for purchas-
es, and begin setting up a process for managing the ofce nances and record-
keeping. This person can also help develop a rst-year budget.
Coordinating Ofce Move (Senate only). Senators are moved by seniority, so
you will rst have a temporary DC ofce before moving to a permanent suite.
Depending on the number of ofces changing suites, you can expect to be in
your temporary space for three to six months. Somebody, preferably somebody
with experience, needs to be in charge of getting everybody and everything
smoothly from one ofce to the other while the daily work continues.
MANAGEMENT FACT
A House Member
may employ up to
18 permanent staff
and 4 additional
staff designated as
paid interns, part-
time employees,
shared employees,
temporary employees,
or employees on
leave without pay.
(Interns paid from the
House Paid Internship
Program rather than
from your Members’
Representational
Allowance are not
counted against this
employee ceiling.) The
Senate has no staff
limit.
68
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
How many core staff people do you need to cover these functions? No
single right answer exists, but CMF recommends that you hire as few staff
as possible, especially if you are as yet undecided about your ofce goals.
Remember that you are looking for people who will t an overall ofce
strategy. It is useful, however, to have staff who are exible and capable
of performing many roles. Keep in mind that hiring part-time or shared
employees, or contracting out services, can be more cost-effective than
hiring a permanent staffer. These employees (or contractors) require virtually
no training and can provide more expertise in specic areas. Based on our
research with freshmen Chiefs of Staff, CMF recommends that you strongly
consider this option for your nancial and systems administration functions, at
least for the rst six months of your term.
A new Senator should also consider their state population when stafng
certain functions. For example, a Senator from California may require more
people to handle casework, respond to constituent mail or answer the phones
than a Senator from Montana. On the other hand, some core functions can
Figure 5-1
Sample House Core Sta (7-10 people)
COMMON TITLE FUNCTIONS
Chief of Sta .................................................. day-to-day management, press, nances*
Scheduler ....................................................... scheduling, personal assistance, nances*
Legislative Assistant ..................................... legislative research, mail
Systems Administrator ................................. computer maintenance*, mail
Sta Assistant (DC) ....................................... answering phone, greeting visitors, mail
Sta Assistant (district) ................................ answering phone, greeting visitors
Constituent Services Rep (district) ............ answering phone, casework, personal assistance
at district events (optional — may not be needed
depending upon Member’s style)
District Director (district) ............................ day-to-day management, press (optional — may not
be needed if DC Chief of Sta handles these duties)
Scheduler (district) ....................................... scheduling, personal assistance (optional — may not
be needed if DC Scheduler handles these duties)
Field Rep (district) ......................................... personal assistance at district events (optional —
depends upon Member’s style)
*Note: Shared employees and contractors are an eective way to handle nancial administration and
systems administration, especially in the rst six months, and free up core sta to handle other duties.
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 69
be handled by a single person whether the Senator represents 1 million or
30 million people (e.g., day-to-day management, coordinating the DC ofce
move, basic legislative research).
With those caveats, Figures 5-1 and 5-2 show core staff lists for typical
House and Senate freshman ofces. (See Chapter 3 for the average salaries
of these positions.) Notice that a number of critical players are not on these
lists. CMF research shows that historically, each fully-staffed Representative
averages 15 staffers (8-9 in DC and 6-7 in the district), while each Senator
averages 35 staffers (22 in DC and 13 in the state). In the House, you might
think how nice it would be to have a Communications Director and Legislative
Director on board from day one. In the Senate, you might want an LD and
Legislative Counsel on your team. But remember, they are not critical to your
success in January or February, and it is far better to hire condently than to
ll slots quickly. If you are not sure yet whether your legislative focus will
be health care, taxes, the Great Lakes or foreign aid, then you don’t know the
role the LD will play or the skills required for the job. Even if you’ve settled
on an issue, you do not have the time or resources to do a thorough LD search.
Additionally, research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking found that
new Members of Congress benet most signicantly from hiring individuals
Figure 5-2
Sample Senate Core Sta (13-14 people)
COMMON TITLE FUNCTIONS
Chief of Sta ............................................................ day-to-day management
Scheduler ................................................................. scheduling, personal assistance
Communications Director ..................................... press
Administrative Director/Oce Manager ............ coordinating oce move, assisting
day-to-day management, nances
Legislative Assistant ............................................... legislative research, mail
Systems Administrator ........................................... computer maintenance, mail
Legislative Correspondents (2) ............................. mail
Sta Assistant (DC) ................................................. answering phone, greeting visitors
State Director (state) .............................................. day-to-day management
Sta Assistant (state).............................................. answering phone, greeting visitors
Constituent Services Reps (2) (state) ................... answering phone, casework
Field Rep (state) ...................................................... personal assistance at state events
(optional — depends upon Senator’s style)
70
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
with high levels of legislative experience (not by having large legislative staffs),
so all the more reason to hire your core legislative staff (particularly your LD)
thoughtfully and carefully.
Although it is listed as an ofce function like any other, a special word needs
to be said about the role of the Chief of Staff. This person will be responsible,
to a large degree, for the work output from your ofce. In so many ways, this
position is more than the sum of its parts. A Chief of Staff is often described
as the Member’s alter-ego. Both Members and top aides emphasize that the
Chief of Staff must be someone whom you trust. They should both complement
and reinforce your management style, be able to transmit your values and
expectations to the rest of the staff and the public at large, and excel in areas
that are not your greatest strengths. For example, if you are a big-picture person,
you may want a Chief of Staff who is good at detail. If you are inexperienced
in management, you may want to hire a Chief of Staff who is a strong and
experienced manager. Your choice ideally should be someone with whom you
can feel comfortable working intimately for years to come. They should be
someone who can help you build an effective organization over time.
In fact, CMF recommends that, if possible, the Chief of Staff be the rst
person you hire. A good Chief of Staff will be very helpful in the early days,
as you set out to broadly assess your needs. They will also be able to serve in
other useful capacities: as the gatekeeper, to ensure outsiders and your own staff
don’t unwisely monopolize your time or attention; as the Jiminy Cricket on
your shoulder offering a fresh perspective on difcult choices, and preventing
you from making unwise commitments; and as the “bad guy” who can deliver
unpleasant news or break commitments made in haste. Of course, the critical
nature of this position dictates that you hire only when you are absolutely sure
of your needs and can nd a candidate who meets them.
Fitting Core Staff to Your Mission and Goals
A central theme of all the chapters in Part I of this book is that new Members
should base early decisions, especially those involving ofce resources, on
their strategic goals. Hiring a core staff is no exception. The clearer you are
about your goals for your rst term, the more likely you’ll be to hire a staff that
will help you meet them.
Your aim and challenge is to put together a core staff that will allow you to
function in the short-run, while preparing your ofce to thrive in the long-run.
For example, let’s say a freshman House Member decides that constituent
outreach is a top goal, and that the District Director must have political savvy,
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 71
local connections, and know how to communicate a message effectively. The
Member’s immediate concern is who should run the district ofces in January.
This decision, however, should be made with larger objectives in mind. If the
perfect candidate for a District Director appears, the choice is easy. Hire them.
But if no such candidate appears, and recruiting one is going to take a good
deal of time, then the Member must choose another route: let the DC Chief
of Staff oversee the district ofces; hire a risky District Director now; or let
a Caseworker manage the ofce on an interim basis and delay the District
Director search. Each choice gets the district ofces up and running, but some
choices will make it easier to reach the longer-term goal of having district
ofces with top-notch constituent outreach capability.
Unfortunately, there are many examples of ofces doing it the wrong
way. One ofce hired a Legislative Director very early without clarifying
her duties. She quit a few months later when she was told she had to answer
some of the ofce’s constituent mail. Another ofce hired a Communications
Director before the Member had decided whether he planned to focus on
media in DC or the district. The Communications Director was replaced
when the ofce later settled on pursuing favorable district press because,
although she was quite talented, her expertise was in the DC media market.
The bottom line is that, to the extent possible, think about how well each
staff candidate will contribute to your long-term goals. In addition, try to
assess whether each candidate is likely to t in well with your management
structure and your budget priorities. Some ofces we’ve known were unable to
make these assessments to their satisfaction for the candidates available, and
therefore hired temporary workers to cover the vital ofce functions. If you
take this route, make those you hire clearly aware of their temporary status.
Hiring the Rest of Your Staff
When should you hire the remainder of your staff? Recall that a core staff can
carry the workload for about six weeks after opening day. Most House ofces
have a full or near-full staff in place by late April to early May. Some Sen-
ate ofces may take a bit longer, especially if the move to a permanent suite
doesn’t take place until the second quarter of the year.
Within these time constraints, however, you have some discretion as to
when you hire for each remaining staff position. If you know the type of staffer
you need (i.e., what functions they’ll perform and what skills they’ll require),
start the hiring process early, even before the initial six weeks is up. This
situation might occur if you’ve been sure of your needs since the fall, but you
Recruiting the Best Candidates
Design a standard application that solicits basic information
and job experience. Include questions to help you assess a person’s “t”
with the mission of your ofce. Ask candidates to sign the application
attesting to the accuracy of the information provided.
Develop a customized job posting with the unique attributes
of the vacant position and your ofce. Clearly state your requirements to
eliminate candidates you would not consider.
Utilize district/state-based job boards to attract candidates.
For example, contact local universities in your district/state to nd excep
-
tional students interested in Capitol Hill.
Create a balance in y
our ofce between staff from your dis-
trict/state and Hill professionals. The combination of district/state under-
standing and Capitol Hill know-how will give you the perspectives and
knowledge needed for a more successful term.
Seek out applicants with a br
oad range of back
-
grounds, skills, and personalities. People tend to gravitate
tow
ards others who think and act like themselves, which can limit the
skill sets and narrow the strengths of your team. Both the House and
Senate have diversity ofces or initiatives to assist ofces with recruiting
and placement.
Take advantage of Capitol Hill resources. Both chambers
maintain resume banks and post job vacancy announcements. Due to
high volume, a separate “resume drop-off” location for newly elected
Members is usually set up during the transition period. Check with the
Senate Placement Ofce (202-224-9167; www.senate.gov/employment)
and the House’s First Call Customer Service Center (202-225-8000; B-227
Longworth HOB) for more information.
■
72
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
rightly delayed hiring because you didn’t have the time or resources during
November or December to nd a superior candidate.
If, on the other hand, you do not have a clear vision of your needs, it is
wise to take some time to settle on your goals before expending energy on the
hiring process. Above all else, we urge you to focus on quality, not speed. For
example, you may be looking to hire someone to accompany you on district
or state trips, but are not sure exactly what role you’d like that person to play.
You have a few options. You could simply hire a “driver” and be done with
it. However, it makes more sense to take some time and gather additional
information to help in your hiring decision. You ought to run “tests,” perhaps
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
1
2
3
4
5
6
Congressional
Accountability Act
Though House and Senate
staff are “at-will” employees,
they are still guaranteed
certain protections under the
Congressional Accountability
Act (CAA), which was re-
formed in 2019. Members of
Congress and staff respon-
sible for managing personnel
should familiarize themselves
with the 13 civil rights, labor,
and workplace safety and
health laws applicable to the
Legislative Branch.
The CAA also created
the Ofce of Congressional
Workplace Rights (formerly
the Ofce of Compliance),
which educates congres-
sional ofces and employees
about their rights and
responsibilities and investi-
gates alleged violations. More
information is available at
www.ocwr.gov.
The Ofce of House
Employment Counsel (202-
225-7075) and the Senate
Chief Counsel for Employ-
ment (202-224-5424) provide
legal guidance on personnel
policies and practices and
represent employers in litiga-
tion arising under CAA.
■
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 73
having different existing staffers travel with
you. You can then decide on the types of
logistical or legislative skills you’ll require in
an aide.
It will be equally important to move slowly
if you were once sure of your needs and goals,
but changed circumstances have necessitated
that you re-evaluate them. For example, one
Member hoped to make health care a priority
until a natural disaster hit his district, leaving
constituents clamoring for help. Where
previously he planned to start a search in
January for an LD with expertise in health
issues and the legislative process, he had to
rethink his agenda and the staff needed for his
new focus on securing private and government
assistance to rebuild his district’s battered
infrastructure.
A Process for Hiring the Right
Staff Candidates
Now it’s just a matter of nding the right
candidate for each job. No matter how well
you’ve assessed the needs of your ofce, both
immediate and long-term, it all means very
little if you then hire people with the wrong qualications. CMF’s experi-
ence is that the hiring process used by most congressional ofces falls short
in a number of areas. We will review the approach taken by many ofces on
the Hill, discuss the weaknesses of that approach and then describe a better
process for nding the right candidate.
Typically on the Hill, a Chief of Staff would start by identifying a position
in the ofce to be lled, such as the Scheduler. He would then review the stack
of resumes that have been accumulating looking for “likely candidates” based
upon some minimum criteria. For instance, he may take a closer look at those
with at least a bachelor’s degree, home state ties and scheduling experience.
He may also call or email other Chiefs of Staff asking if they know of anyone
seeking a scheduling position.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
74
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
After whittling down the list to a few names, the Chief of Staff will call in
each candidate for an interview. The interview would likely begin with the Chief
of Staff saying, “Let me tell you a little bit about the ofce” or “Tell me about
yourself and why you want to work for Congressman X?” The discussion might
turn to the candidate’s career goals and previous experience. The session would
seem more like a casual conversation than an interview, with the Chief of Staff
trying to get a sense of whether the candidate would be a “good t” in the ofce.
He may also give the candidate a writing test.
Following each interview, the Chief of Staff would decide whether the
candidate is worth further consideration. He may mark the candidate’s resume
“yes,” “no,” or “maybe.” After all interviews are completed, the Chief of Staff
will choose the nal candidate(s). The nalists may have nal interviews with
the Member before one is offered the job.
What’s wrong with this approach? Plenty, according to research on hiring.
The Chief of Staff started off looking at the available resumes rather than rst
developing a sense of the requirements and skills needed to do the job, com-
bined with the unique priorities of his ofce.
The Chief of Staff should have been able to construct a prole of the hypo-
thetical perfect candidate. Instead, he was resigned to choose from among the
best of what was immediately available.
During the interview, the Chief of Staff was handicapped by not knowing
which skills and traits he was looking for, and therefore was unable to formulate
questions targeted towards determining if a candidate had those skills. He may
have known which skills were needed to perform the job “generically.” What he
didn’t know were the skills and experiences required to do the job well in his
ofce, for his boss, and in pursuit of his ofce’s goals.
This Chief of Staff’s evaluations were also unreliable because of the
subjectivity of his approach. First, he tried to sum up an entire interview with
a global assessment that boiled down to a “yes,” “no” or “maybe.” Such a
simplistic appraisal would, at best, reect how well the candidate and Chief of
Staff had gotten along together. Second, he made this global assessment after
the interview ended. Studies have shown that memory alone is not reliable;
managers in test conditions were not able to recall what a candidate said even
20 minutes earlier. Third, the Chief of Staff injected potential bias by being the
only one in the ofce conducting the interviews, although the Member may
have done a nal interview before making a job offer.
Can an ofce locate an acceptable staffer this way? Probably. But the goal
is to hire not those who can merely perform the job adequately, but those who
can do so superbly and as vital contributors to achieving the ofce’s goals. It
is the inattention to these details that leads to high staff turnover, low morale
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Additional Resources
For assistance, you may
want to review the sample
job descriptions posted
on the CMF website at
CongressFoundation.org and
the Congressional Research
Service report, “Congressional
Staff: Duties, Qualications, and
Skills Identied by Members
of Congress for Selected
Positions,” available at https://
crsreports.congress.gov.
■
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 75
and an inefcient use of resources. We believe there is a better way to evaluate
a candidate’s suitability, and we describe below a process to improve your
chances of selecting an excellent candidate for each position.
CMF recognizes that Members-elect and their one or two aides during the
transition will be hard-pressed to complete our entire multi-step process when
hiring each core staffer. Your limited time and resources just won’t permit it.
However, the more you can incorporate these steps, or at least the principles un-
derlying the steps, in choosing your staff, the better off you’ll be. Then, starting
in January, you can be much more thorough in hiring the remainder of your staff.
Staff Candidate Selection Process
1. Do a job analysis for each position.
The rst step in any attempt to ll a staff position is to put down in writing the
principal duties and functions of the job, and the skills required to perform those
functions. Those duties and skills can start with the common, Hill-accepted job
description, but must take into account your ofce’s goals and priorities and the
particular needs of the Member. Only
you know what you want each staffer
to do; only you know what additional
skills are important to you.
For instance, depending upon the
ofce, a Scheduler may be required
to organize incoming scheduling
requests by date, their potential contributions to the ofce’s legislative
goals, or their importance to the Member’s political prospects. They may be
required to present and defend recommendations at scheduling meetings with
other senior staff. They may be asked to anticipate the logistical and politi-
cal needs accompanying a district or state event, or the Member’s frequent
appearances on the national television news show circuit. Or, in some cases,
a Scheduler may be expected to perform
all of these functions. Each of these duties
would require different competencies,
so you should assess the applicant’s
professionalism, organizational skills, and
technical abilities, rather than rely solely
on previous Hill experience.
It is important at this stage to differenti-
ate between critical and non-critical job
skills. You may want every staffer to be
knowledgeable about the district or state,
but is this expertise absolutely necessary
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
“ The rst step in any attempt to ll a staff
position is to put down in writing the principal
duties and functions of the job, and the skills
required to perform those functions.”
76
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
for every position? For a Scheduler and Chief of Staff, perhaps yes. For an
Ofce Manager, perhaps not.
Fully dening a job saves an ofce time and resources by allowing
candidates to remove themselves from contention if they doesn’t believe they
can meet the requirements and qualications. For those who do interview,
it may help to explain a typical day or week on the job to the candidate,
including the undesirable elements. It’s better to have the candidate admit they
may not be able to handle the job or that the job doesn’t sound as good as they
thought, than to end up having to repeat the hiring process three months later.
Finally, job analyses help address whether campaign staff or a predecessor’s
staff should be hired, both of which are common occurrences among freshmen.
Most often, a staffer is being considered for a job similar to that which they
held during the campaign (i.e., a Campaign Manager is considered for Chief
of Staff). Job analyses may reveal which congressional positions utilize skills
similar to those of their campaign counterparts, and which require a different
set of abilities. (Schedulers and Communications Directors may transfer well
from campaign to congressional ofce; Campaign Field Representatives may
have a tougher time adapting to the role of Legislative Assistant.) Similarly,
it may bring to light that you have different expectations for a Legislative
Director than did your predecessor. We are not recommending that a campaign
or predecessor’s staffer not be given the chance to compete for an ofcial
position, but only that both the ofce and the candidate will benet from a
better understanding of the job requirements. However, we do recommend
that ofces not carelessly create a position for or structure their ofce around
a person they want to hire. Rather, the requirements of the position should be
determined rst, then the best candidate should be identied.
2. Develop interview questions and other tests that will elicit
information about whether the candidates have the skills
identied in the job analyses.
It seems logical, but you’d be surprised how readily interviewers can get
distracted with interesting but irrelevant points. Essentially, you are trying to
predict how a candidate will perform in the job, based on an interview. Each
question or test should help pursue that end.
Asking a Scheduler candidate to “tell me a little about yourself” might
be the beginning, but should not be the end, of the questioning. It will give
the candidate the opportunity to put their best foot forward, which might
give you insight into what the candidate deems most important (i.e., personal
values), or what the candidate thinks you think is most important (i.e., per-
ception). These basic requirements can be assessed in a 15-minute telephone
interview, making efcient use of your time. However, this approach may not
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 77
give you relevant information about the candidate’s qualications in schedul-
ing, political awareness, professionalism or any other critical skills you have
identied previously.
In addition to open-ended ques-
tions, construct problem-solving
questions that give you a chance to
learn how the candidate thinks and
makes judgments. To do this, it is
best to ask about past experiences.
For instance, if you’re seeking a
Scheduler who works well with others, has a keen political sense and can think
proactively, the interview might include the following:
• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a former employer (Chief
of Staff or Member, if the candidate worked in a congressional ofce)
over a scheduling priority. What was the disagreement about, and how did
you handle it?
• Suppose you are asked to turn down the request of a large civic organi-
zation that’s been trying for months to get the Member to address their
group. What would you do or say?
• Taking into account what you perceive to be the Member’s strengths,
weaknesses, interests and electoral situation, what are some of the events
in the state they should attend this year?
It is also useful to see how the candidate performs under pressure and under
realistic conditions. For instance, some ofces ask candidates to answer a hypo-
thetical letter from a constituent. The result may show how well the candidate
understands a particular issue, or how much condence they portray in writing a
response. It may also simply conrm that their writing skills are up to par.
Tests can also be tailored to the specic job at hand. Writing constituent
responses may take different skills than writing press releases. As such, an
ofce might want Communications Director candidates to write a sample
release based on materials provided by the legislative team. Or perhaps the
candidates could be asked to develop a list of further information they would
request to improve the quality of a release. All of these tests would indicate
whether a candidate has the specic skills needed to get the job done well.
Finally, ask the candidate about their strengths and areas in need of
improvement. If they are unable to identify any areas for development, you
should carefully consider whether that person is open to learning and growth in
the job, which are essential attributes of successful Hill staff.
“ In addition to open-ended questions, construct
problem-solving questions that give you a
chance to learn how the candidate thinks and
makes judgments.”
MANAGEMENT FACT
The Congressional
Accountability Act
(CAA) forbids asking
questions about
gender, race, religion,
disability, parental
or marital status,
national origin, health,
or other protected
characteristics.
78
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
3. Ask the same key questions of, and give the same test to, each
candidate. Use a rating system and tally the scores, deciding on
the scoring system ahead of time.
Interviewing is not an exact science, but studies show that numerical ratings are
more useful than “gut feelings.” Also, resist the temptation to assign a single
score to the entire interview at the end from memory. This isn’t reliable. Instead,
rate the answer to each question during the interview and use that raw data to
arrive at a single score. Also, you may want to weight some questions more
heavily than others to reect which issues or questions are most important.
By developing a scoring system and deciding ahead of time the types of
answers which will receive specic scores, you will greatly reduce subjectivity
and bias on the part of the interviewer. For example, a Legislative Assistant
applicant might be asked, “The Member wants to take the lead in Congress
on transportation issues. How should they do that?” If this ofce seeks an
LA who is creative and energetic, but also sensitive to political realities and
the requirements of the legislative process, the following ratings might work
(based on 1-10 scoring).
Sample Answer by LA Candidate: Score
“Create a task force in the district/state, develop legislation
with a 2-3 year goal for passage, invite Transportation
Committee Chair to join Member on fact-nding trips,
pursue speech opportunities at transportation conventions,
advocate for Washington hearings and eld hearings.”
...................................... 10
“Give one-minute oor speeches on transportation issues,
send out press releases after transportation-related votes,
develop legislation and pressure Transportation Committee
chairman and leadership to bring up bill this year.”
............................................... 1
In this example, the ofce concluded that the answer demonstrating
enthusiasm for the work and an understanding of constructive activities likely
to raise the Member’s prole deserves a “10.” In contrast, the answer revealing
the applicant’s timidity and recklessness receives a “1.” This rating system
uses only two sample answers, but your system can include additional middle-
ground answers which merit, for instance, a “3,” “5,” or “7.”
4. Involve other staff in the interview and testing process.
Studies show that using multiple interviewers better predicts a candidate’s
job skills than does an interview by one staff member. This makes sense. The
chance of bias is reduced if a candidate is rated by a number of interviewers as
opposed to just one.
CHAPTER FIVE Hiring Your Core Staff 79
Involving staff may also provide another perspective on whether a candi-
date would be a “good t” for your ofce’s culture. It would convey to the
candidate that they are joining a team rather than just lling a position. Just as
important, it would convey to your existing staff that you value their input.
5. Don’t hesitate to conduct further interviews or tests with each
candidate.
You are hiring people to be part of a relatively small, close-knit team, and you
shouldn’t feel obligated to make a nal judgment after one meeting. Often
additional time is needed to make successful hiring decisions. In addition, the
willingness of a candidate to participate in multiple interviews gives you valu-
able information about their commitment to your ofce.
6. Check references.
Checking references is absolutely essential and frequently overlooked in
the rush to hire. You want to make sure that the candidate’s background
information and professional accomplishments are accurate. Talk to previous
supervisors and current or former co-workers, clients, or peers. Ask pointed
and detailed questions. Also, be aware that how something is said, and what
is not said, can be equally important.
You should also protect yourself from unexpected discoveries by conduc-
ting an online search of your candidate. Ensure that they present themselves
professionally, particularly on social media and networking sites. You may
also request that the U.S. Capitol Police conduct a criminal background check
(which requires ngerprinting) on your candidate, or on all new hires as part
of your ofce policy. Contact the Capitol Police (202-593-3347) for more
information.
Conclusion
You will likely not have the time necessary to hire a full staff and complete all
of your other critical tasks by swearing-in day. You may also not have a clear
idea of your strategic priorities, the type of staff you’ll need, and the skills
you’ll want them to possess. You may also not have the ideal applicants in
front of you. Therefore, our recommendation is to choose a core staff who can
perform the vital functions of the ofce in January, and who will also t into
your long-range plans. Then, hire the rest of your staff over the next couple
of months as you nalize your needs and are able to devote the necessary re-
sources to nding quality candidates. This approach will increase your chances
of building an effective team that will help accomplish your ofce goals.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
80
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Hiring Your Core Staff
Do...
Don’t...
•
select your Chief of Sta rst, if possible.
A good Chief of Sta is instrumental in setting
up your oce and must be someone you
trust to make critical decisions during the
transition.
•
pick a core sta that will be able to
perform the essential functions of
your oce for about six weeks. January
is a slow legislative month, and it’s more
important to answer phones and greet visitors
than to research legislation.
•
hire the remainder of your sta
between January and May, as you
become sure of your needs.
•
only review the stack of incoming
resumes in seeking potential sta.
Find other candidates so you aren’t limited
to hiring only those people who have
contacted you.
•
choose a full sta before January,
even though there is enormous pressure
to have a lot of sta in order to “hit the
ground running.”
•
hire sta without a written job
description for each position. It is
essential to clearly identify the principal
duties and functions of the job, and helps
ensure that the oce and the candidate/
new hire are in agreement regarding the
responsibilities of the position.
•
hire someone you cannot re.
For example, don’t hire the child of a
prominent politician or another key
stakeholder from the district/state unless
you’re absolutely certain that you want
this employee for the long term.
CHAPTER
FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
Selecting and
Utilizing Technology
This Chapter Includes...
✩ Guidance for purchasing hardware and software
✩ Key considerations for making technology decisions
✩ Steps to purchasing the right hardware and software
✩ How to keep systems running smoothly
The Internet, intranets, and email have enhanced Congress’ ability to conduct
legislative research, provide constituent services, and enhance press operations.
Correspondence Management Systems (CMS) in the House and Constituent
Services Systems (CSS) in the Senate have enabled ofces to integrate all
constituent interactions into one, readily accessible database. Mobile devices
and remote access to House and Senate networks allow staff to be fully
connected, even when they aren’t in the ofce. Technology has provided
congressional ofces with new opportunities and new strategies for conducting
legislative work, and delivering more effective and efcient constituent
services. Constituents, reporters, and interest groups now expect congressional
ofces to implement new technologies quickly and seamlessly to provide
greater access to legislative information and the legislative process.
Balancing constituent expectations and limited resources, however, has
become one of the most difcult management issues for ofces. Like any
business, each congressional ofce is responsible for making most of its own
information technology (IT) decisions, which can feel like a daunting task.
Before you can determine the appropriate technology for your ofce, you will
need to have a clear sense of exactly what you’ll want it to do for you. Don’t
worry — the House and Senate have extensive assistance available to help
ensure a smooth transition for the Member and staff. This chapter will guide
you through this process.
81
82
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Basic Congressional System
While the Senate tends to have a more standardized electronic workplace,
almost as many different hardware and software congurations exist in the
House as there are Members. However, there are some things that can be
found in most congressional ofces — House and Senate — because they have
proven invaluable. These are:
• Staff computers. Most ofces have one PC for each member of the
staff in both the DC and district/state ofces, though a few ofces are
using Mac operating systems instead of Windows. Desktop computers
are most common, but increasing numbers of ofces are providing
staff with laptops for greater mobility and exibility. Some ofces
have purchased extra laptops for staff to use when working remotely.
Freshman House Members will typically receive enough computers for
10 staffers.
• Networks. The Senate provides a high speed network connection for
the DC ofce and all of the Senator’s state ofces. The House provides
high speed network connections for the DC ofce and between the DC
ofce and primary (agship) district ofce. Each ofce is responsible for
the networks within each district/state ofce as well as the connection
between the secondary district ofces. Network options, speed, and
performance can be affected by the conguration of the network, and
your staff’s use of the network. Be sure to ask vendors to explain how to
optimize your network performance, and what steps would be involved to
ensure optimization, before you purchase from them.
The Senate also supports Virtual Machine Infrastructure (VMI) that
provides a virtual network infrastructure in ofces to minimize the need
for additional internal hardware. Additionally, both the House and Senate
support virtual private networks (VPNs) that enable remote access to
ofce information via a secure connection on the Internet, but in most
cases individual staffers are responsible for the necessary broadband
Internet connections in their residences.
• File servers. Most Senate ofces have a virtual le server, securely
hosted in the Senate’s data centers, or a server in the DC ofce for
storing documents and les. Some also have a server in the primary
state ofce. In the House, freshmen are provided a virtual le server,
securely hosted in the House’s data center. The server and maintenance
are provided at no cost to the ofce. The primary district ofce also
stores and shares les on this House-provided virtual le server.
MANAGEMENT FACT
Freshmen may inherit
their predecessors’
equipment, unless the
House and Senate
determine that the
systems are no longer
adequate.
Glossary of Technology-Related Ofces and Staff
CMS/CSS Providers — A vendor that is responsible for CMS (House) or CSS
(Senate) software and associated hardware, technical and software support
services. Most vendors offer their products for purchase or for use in a
hosted environment.
House Information Resources (HIR) — An ofce of the Chief Administrative
Ofcer (CAO) that oversees all House information technology (IT) systems.
Maintenance Provider — A vendor who is under contract with the House to
provide Member ofces with services to ensure that the ofce’s hardware
and software are effectively integrated and functioning correctly. House staff
can nd more information on HouseNet.house.gov.
Ofce Coordinator — A representative from the CAO assigned to House
ofces to provide assistance with purchasing and/or leasing equipment,
establishing maintenance agreements, furnishing district ofces, and
maintaining inventories of equipment and certain software in both the DC
and district ofces.
Senate Sergeant at Arms Ofce (SAA) — Institutional ofce that oversees
Senate information technology and network systems.
System Consultants — A vendor assigned to each Senate ofce that provides
limited technical support to the systems administrator and helps coordinate
the technical support between the ofce, CSS vendor, and Sergeant at Arms
staff.
Technical Support Representative (TSR) — A representative of HIR who is
specically assigned to provide Member ofces with technical support,
advice and assistance with requests for purchasing, and guidance using and
operating computer hardware and software.
Technology Representative (TR) — A representative of the Senate Sergeant
at Arms (SAA) who is specically assigned to provide Senate ofces with
technical support, advice and assistance with requests for purchasing, and
guidance using and operating computer hardware and software.
■
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 83
• Network access. House and Senate ofces use Microsoft’s Active
Directory structure for the creation and maintenance of user accounts
and email access. Senators are hosted on the Senate Sergeant at Arms’
supported enterprise system. All House Members are supported by the
institution, so no additional server in the ofce is required.
• Printers. In House ofces, there is usually one high-speed printer, one
or two average printers in the DC ofce, and one or two average printers
in each district ofce. The House provides guidance to the maintenance
providers on how to install printers securely. You may consult with your
TSR or vendor on the proper installation of a networked printer. In the
84
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Senate, ofces typically have one high speed printer for every 7-8 staffers
and an average speed printer for every 3-4 staffers. In addition, it is
common for congressional ofces to employ multi-function machines that
print, copy and scan.
• Correspondence Management System (CMS)/Constituent Services
System (CSS). In many ways, the CMS/CSS is the most important
software in a congressional ofce. It is also the most specialized. CMS/
CSS packages are databases specically designed for the congressional
environment that enable staff to record, process, track, and manage
constituent correspondence, casework, and any other interactions your
ofce might have with constituents. The CMS/CSS package that an ofce
chooses or inherits will often dictate many of its hardware and software
choices.
• Scheduling software. The Member’s time is the most valuable and
most limited resource a congressional ofce has, so using the scheduling
software that best meets your needs is crucial. The functions that most
ofces believe essential are those that enable them to update the schedule in
real-time, search for keywords, present the schedule in a variety of formats,
report on the ofce’s scheduling trends, share the Member’s schedule with
all staff online, and view scheduling information on handheld devices.
Most House and Senate ofces use the calendar function in Microsoft
Outlook, though some use the scheduling module in their CMS/CSS
packages. Benets to using Outlook include the ability to easily identify the
availability of the Member and staff, and integration with handheld devices.
• Email management. House and Senate ofces are on the Microsoft
Exchange email system, so most staff are using Outlook. Most often,
ofces are managing the ow of email to and from constituents through
their CMS/CSS databases, which can be congured to interact with
Exchange/Outlook.
• Smartphones and handheld devices. Almost all staff on the Hill use
smartphones to stay in contact with their ofces virtually 24/7. These
devices have steadily increased in sophistication and now allow staff to
access nearly all of the information and tools that used to only be available
to them when they were in the ofce.
• Web browser. Not only is a web browser imperative for congressional
research, but some CMS/CSS packages are web-based, dictating the
browser and version staff must use.
• Intranets. Each chamber maintains its own intranet that provides detailed
information on the administrative services available to your ofce.
HouseNet (the House intranet) and Webster (the Senate intranet) also
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 85
connect to several legislative resources that your staff will rely on. Some
Senate ofces and a smaller number of House ofces also create and
maintain their own private intranet for staff use.
• Budgeting and accounting software. Each House and Senate ofce is
responsible for — and accountable for — its own budget. Both chambers
have software specically designed to help ofces create customized
budgets, monitor expenditures, generate reports, and produce vouchers.
Training for each program is available from the respective chambers.
• Social media. Tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and
others have created new opportunities and challenges to congressional
ofces. Keep two important things in mind when it comes to their use.
First, always follow House and Senate rules about how you can and
cannot use them. Second, don’t feel compelled to use all of these tools.
Begin by determining what your communications goals are and then as-
sess which tools can help you best achieve them.
A range of other hardware and software tools — such as video
conferencing, project management and graphics design software, for example
— can be found in congressional ofces, though their use and occurrence
varies. Some of these options offer useful communications and productivity
options, while others are still largely being used by ofces to support targeted
goals or specialized needs, or by ofces with more technically savvy staff. Be
cautious, at rst, about purchasing hardware and software that is not common
in Congress, especially if it falls into the “gadget” category. In the complicated
House and Senate technical environment, it can end up costing much more,
both in terms of money and productivity, than it is really worth.
Determining When to Upgrade
Shortly after you are elected, you will receive an inventory of any equipment
you will be inheriting from your predecessor. Some freshman Members will
nd that their inherited system needs to supplemented to meet their needs
while others will nd an entire system of practically new high-end computers.
Unfortunately, the amount of time and money you must budget for information
technology in your rst year also depends, in large part, on what your
predecessor left behind.
The lucky freshmen who nd complete systems of good computers that
are completely paid for by their predecessors can skip the rest of this section.
They can afford to spend their time and money on other things until they get
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
86
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
settled and have a chance to gure out if there’s anything more they need. The
unfortunate freshmen whose predecessors’ systems had to be removed because
they were not up to par should read each part of this chapter carefully, because
information technology is going to be one of the biggest budget items in their
rst year. For better or worse, most freshmen will nd that they inherit systems
somewhere in-between.
The rst thing to do is decide whether or not you need to purchase new
hardware, software and peripherals right away. The more time you dedicate to
understanding your information management and technology needs, the better
equipped you will be to make wise decisions. Unfortunately, many ofces will
not have the luxury of waiting to make technology purchases. To help you
decide whether or not you need to make hardware and software purchasing
decisions immediately, or whether you can wait a few months to assess your
needs, consult with your assigned TSR (House) or TR (Senate) to determine
which of the following categories best describes the system you will inherit:
1. Incomplete. Members-elect are not allowed to inherit any equipment
deemed inadequate by House Information Resources (HIR) or the
Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA). Any substandard equipment is
removed from their inventories, requiring House ofces to pay for new
equipment out of their Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA)
and Senate ofces to use their Economic Allocation Fund (EAF) or
Senator’s Account. If your hardware or software falls into this category,
you will need to quickly decide how to complete the system to meet
your staff’s immediate needs.
2. Complete and sufcient to meet your short-term needs. If your
ofce inherits sufcient equipment to get through the rst few months,
consider putting off new technology purchases for a little while and
spending your time and energy elsewhere. This will give you time to
become familiar with congressional systems, policies, and procedures;
determine which features and capabilities are important to you; identify
and explore your options; and further evaluate the system you’ve
inherited. As a result, you will be much better-equipped to make
effective, strategic decisions in February or March.
3. Complete and sufcient to meet your long term needs. If you are
one of the lucky ofces to inherit a complete system of medium or
high-end computers and software, you can take your time to discover
what, if anything, you might want to add or upgrade in your rst term.
Set aside some of your budget for things that come up — things will
always come up — but you are in a position to use most of your time
and budget on other priorities.
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 87
Once you know into which of these categories your ofce falls, you will
have a better idea of the urgency with which you will need to make hardware
purchasing decisions. The decisions you make will have a signicant impact
on your ofce productivity and budget. Be sure to approach them strategically
and thoughtfully, using the following advice.
Critical Questions
As you settle into Congress, keep track of the capabilities you wish your
ofce had. Consider having staff keep lists of their own, as well, so that
everyone’s needs are represented in the decision-making process. Ofces that
must make immediate purchasing decisions should develop a list by seeking
advice from veteran staff and your assigned TSR/TR. Once you have created
your list, you can then prioritize your needs before making nal purchasing
decisions by answering the following critical questions:
• Do you have a strong foundation on which to build? The most
important components of your system are your servers, PCs, printers,
and communications networks. Every capability you want to add to your
system must be built onto this foundation. If the foundation is weak, you
will likely experience frequent problems and crashes that will hinder
productivity and add repair costs. Some ofces try to make do with
foundation components that are not performing well in order to purchase
new capabilities and peripherals, or to spend money elsewhere. While
new or advanced tools can be very useful, adding them to a weak system
is akin to building a luxury home on a weak foundation. The investment
will be wasted if the whole thing comes tumbling down.
• What are your goals and priorities? Choose the technology and
functionality that allows you to achieve your goals and priorities
more easily and effectively. If, for example, you intend to be seen as a
responsive and technologically savvy Member, you may want a CMS/
CSS with advanced email management features. If keeping in close
contact with constituents is a priority, even while you are in DC, you
might invest in higher-quality components for video calls.
• What is your staff’s — and your own — level of technical comfort
and skill? State-of-the-art equipment is a waste of money if no one uses
it. Consider your staff’s abilities and the complexity of the hardware
and software that you are thinking of purchasing. Training is always an
option, but be realistic about the time your ofce is willing to commit to
training, especially during the rst few months in ofce.
88
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• What are the district/state unique issues with which your ofce
will be contending? Each district and state has challenges that will
affect technology priorities. For instance, a Member from the Pacic
time zone may have greater need for team
communication and collaboration software
than a Member from the Eastern time zone.
Members from high-tech districts/states
may feel more pressure to fully integrate
and use technological tools than Members
from lower-tech districts/states. Consider
your unique district/state circumstances and
factor them into your technology decisions.
• How much money should you budget for your system? Your system
will be important to staff productivity, but the costs should be weighed
against your other budget priorities. Purchasing congressional computer
systems is expensive. House Members will also need to budget for
telecommunications, installation, training, and maintenance fees. For
information about the hardware and software other ofces are buying,
and the amounts you can expect to pay, contact your TSR/TR.
• Where do you want to spend the money you’ve earmarked for
technology? There are innite ways to spend your money, and
you need to gure out where to focus. Is your goal to enhance staff
productivity? Improve constituent communications? Enhance your press,
outreach, and social media capabilities? Foster the image of a high-tech
ofce? Ensure you have the best available support for your system?
Naturally, ofces will want to use technology for all of these goals, but a
congressional budget can only go so far, and you will need to make trade-
offs. Conduct a thorough needs assessment and get input from all staff to
help you decide what your technology budget should best be spent on.
Key Considerations
Technology plays a critically important role in supporting the effective
functioning of House and Senate ofces. It has been increasingly utilized to
ensure the safety, security, and continuity of operations on Capitol Hill. At
the same time, email, websites, and social media have become essential for
communicating with and serving an increasingly “wired” public. They have
also become essential for communications among staff and between the staff
“ Each district and state has challenges
that will affect technology priorities.
Consider your unique district/state
circumstances and factor them into
your technology decisions.”
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 89
and the Member. As a result, congressional ofces are exploring more options
to be as accessible, effective, efcient, and secure as possible. The following
key factors should be considered as you plan and budget for new technology:
• Remote access and telecommuting. Establishing the means, policies,
and procedures to enable staff to access ofce information from other
locations is critical for the continuity of operations and potential
emergency situations. It also gives staff the ability to work from home
or on the road. Both the House and Senate provide ofces secure remote
access systems. To set this up effectively, you will need to nd out the
technical requirements, establish management guidelines, and follow
House or Senate security protocol.
• Mobile and handheld devices. Smartphones can help busy Members
keep in touch with their staffs and with each other on Capitol Hill, as
well as while they are in the district/state and working from home. The
House and Senate have different capabilities and policies regarding
handheld devices, so learn what they are before you invest. You also
need to determine your ofce’s policy on other portable devices, such as
laptops and tablets. Questions to consider include: Who should get one?
How will you handle lost, broken or stolen devices? How accessible
will staff need to be after hours and on vacation? What constitutes
appropriate and inappropriate use?
• Online communications management. A user-friendly and informative
website is an essential communications tool and constituent service.
A variety of options exist for creating and managing congressional
websites, ranging from doing it yourself to hiring a vendor to both
design and support your website. Talk to other ofces whose websites
you admire to nd out what they do. In the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms
maintains a list of approved web vendors. Contact your Technology
Representative (TR) for additional information and assistance. In the
House, freshman Members typically are provided a fully functioning
website and maintenance service options at no cost. You’ll also want to
consider which social media tools will help you best achieve your goals.
You can nd information about, and examples of, the best congressional
websites and social media practices at CongressFoundation.org.
• Data security. As the number of portable devices on Capitol Hill grows,
the need to protect the data they contain and the networks to which
they attach becomes ever more important. These devices help increase
productivity and improve communications, but ofces that are using
them should apply best practices for ensuring that the information
on them — and the information to which they have access — is well
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
90
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
protected in the event that the devices are lost or stolen. Be sure to
follow House and Senate policies and recommendations to ensure data
security in your DC and district/state ofces, as well. And if you are
considering purchasing or using any communications device or software
not on the House or Senate supported lists, nd out why not before
you invest. It could cause security problems for your ofce or for the
institution.
• Email management. Email is one of the more difcult technological
issues in Congress. The volume of email received by Members continues
to increase dramatically while constituents’ expectations for quick
responses to their concerns also keep rising. Due to limited resources
and slow technological adoption, however, ofces have had difculty
implementing solutions for more efcient and effective handling of
email. For guidance on best practices for your constituent mail operation,
see Chapter 14, “Managing Constituent Communications.”
• Rapidly changing IT environment. Technology continues to advance
at a staggering pace, and the House and Senate are investigating and
implementing many new capabilities and processes to help ofces
fulll their duties. E-governance and the continued exploration of best
technology practices for legislatures will also impact the IT environment
in Congress. As a result, your ofce should focus on building a solid
foundation that can support new capabilities as they become available.
Six Steps to Making Wise Technology Purchases
Once you have identied your goals, needs and resources, you will be ready
to make your purchases. The six steps that follow can help you evaluate the
products and choices available and select those that best suit your needs.
Step 1: Conduct an inventory of your current hardware,
software, and functionality.
To determine what you need, rst gure out what you have. Conduct a
physical inventory of the hardware and software in your ofce, rather than
rely on the inventory provided during orientation. You may be surprised at
what you own or what equipment is listed on your inventory but missing in
your ofce. For example, hardware upgrades to individual computers — such
as installing more memory or larger hard drives — may not appear on your
equipment inventory even though you have them. You should also consider the
CMF Technology and Communications Research
Through our decades of work with House and Senate ofces, the
Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has become a leading expert
on information and communication technologies in Congress. Some of
CMF’s most recent research is listed below, while more information on
managing technology, email, websites, and social media can be found at
www.CongressFoundation.org.
“The Future of Citizen Engagement: Coronavirus, Congress, and
Constituent Communications” — Based on research with senior House
and Senate staffers, this report explores how Members of Congress
and staff engaged with citizens while navigating the constraints posed
by COVID-19, and offers examples of how Congress can substantively
connect with constituents using modern technology against the
backdrop of a global pandemic.
Ofce Toolkit — Through a grant from Democracy Fund, CMF facilitated
innovative experiments with House and Senate ofces to improve their
operational effectiveness and communications. The resulting guidance
includes easy-to-implement suggestions for telephone town halls,
constituent mail, casework, scheduling and more.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 91
services provided by the House and Senate, rather than purchasing your own
hardware or software for similar capabilities. For example, House ofces can
use services provided by the Chief Administrative Ofcer (CAO) for video
conferencing, high-resolution printing, and message management (including
voice mail and email).
Step 2: Talk to the people who can help.
Abundant resources are available on the House and Senate intranets to help
you explore your options and make your decisions. In addition, talk to the
following people:
• House and Senate Customer Support. All House Members are assigned
a Technical Support Representative (TSR) by the Chief Administrative
Ofcer (202-225-6002) and all Senators are assigned a Technology
Representative (TR) by the Senate Sergeant at Arms (202-224-0821).
These people are there to help you nd the information and support you
need to purchase and operate your hardware and software.
• The Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee
on Rules and Administration. These committees oversee information
technology in their chamber and set policies regarding its purchase and
use. They can also provide information regarding the technological needs,
challenges, and future goals of the House and Senate.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Additional Technology
Assistance for New
Members and Staff
The First Branch Tech, Science and
Data (TSD) cohort is a group of
people and organizations on and
off Capitol Hill working to support
congressional modernization and
capacity-building.
For the incoming Members-elect
and staff of the 117th Congress,
this initiative will offer a virtual
orientation session, a handbook,
and an online TSD resource
hub with case studies, product
information, and staff reviews of
resources used by congressional
ofces. For more information, visit:
http://popvox.com/tsd
■
92
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Congressional Staff Associations.
The members and leadership of the
congressional staff associations in the
House and Senate can provide insight
into what other ofces are doing.
• Vendor Representatives. CSS
vendors (and, for House Members,
CMS and maintenance vendors)
representatives will be among the rst
people you meet on the Hill. Your
ofce should develop relationships
with them as you contemplate what
you need. Ask them questions and
solicit information and bids from
several before you make decisions and
purchases.
• Other Personal Ofces. Staff are
good sources of subjective
information about hardware and
software. You will get the clearest picture of the experiences of other
ofces if you speak with the Chief of Staff (House), Administrative
Director (Senate), and the Systems Administrators.
• Leadership Ofces. The leadership ofces in both the House and
the Senate are very involved in helping ofces use technology to be more
effective and can provide additional assistance and resources.
• House Ofce Coordinators and Senate Technology Representatives.
These individuals can help you with the purchase of equipment,
maintenance plans (in the House), web development (in the Senate), and
the development of inventories of your equipment and software.
Step 3: Shop around.
House ofces are encouraged to contract with a maintenance provider to help
install and support their systems, but they do not have to purchase only from
their maintenance vendors. House ofces can request bids for products from
other vendors or comparison shop online or at discount stores.
Senate ofces that use their Economic Allocation Fund (EAF) for purchases
are required to order items from the Senate’s Technology Catalog. If they do,
the installation and support is provided by the Senate’s support vendor for
these items.
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 93
Step 4: Try before you buy.
To the extent possible, test hardware and software in an environment as close
as possible to the one in which it will be operating. “Floor models” operate un-
der ideal conditions, but your equipment will not. For example, when consider-
ing a CMS/CSS package, try it out in both the DC and district/state ofces of
a veteran Member if you can. The demo version the vendor uses does not have
to operate under the same strain that the actual software will. It is very difcult
for the vendors to predict and replicate all of the variables that might impact
performance, so be diligent in your testing. In the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms
has a Demo Center where ofce staff can see and use most of the currently
supported hardware. Contact your TR to schedule an appointment. You should
also ask vendors for congressional references, and be sure to check them.
Step 5: Be sure your planned purchase is compatible with
your existing system.
Be attentive to the technical requirements of any hardware and software you
are going to purchase. You must have at least the minimum technical standards
required to run it, but having the minimum does not guarantee optimal per-
formance. You should also discuss compatibility, not only with the vendor of
the hardware and software you are considering purchasing, but also with your
CMS/CSS vendor, your TSR/TR, and, in the House, your maintenance provid-
er. Always check with all of these people before you buy, because the complex
technical environments in the House and Senate can impact the performance of
certain hardware and software tools.
Step 6: Pay close attention to the installation and
maintenance details.
Once you have decided what to buy, be sure to work out the specics of instal-
lation, testing, follow-up, maintenance, support, and all associated fees and
timeframes before you commit to the nal purchase. The purchase price is only
part of the cost of most systems, and you should be fully aware of the bottom
line. Additionally, installation of new hardware and software in a congressional
ofce often takes time, and it will cause your ofce some degree of incon-
venience. It also involves coordinating details and schedules with your staff,
vendors, and House or Senate support staff. Work out the general schedules
and details before you commit to the purchase, and be sure to esh them out
and monitor them after you commit to the purchase. The better planned and
managed the process is, the easier it will be on everyone.
94
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Keeping Your System Running Smoothly
Once you have a computer system that meets your needs, the next step is to get
it to work effectively for you. For this to happen, you must have three things in
place: solid maintenance support, a set of policies and procedures governing its
use, and a well-trained staff.
Exploring Maintenance Options
You depend upon hardware and software for almost everything you do. When
systems malfunction, you lose time and work. It is unrealistic to expect all
systems to run perfectly 100 percent of the time — functionality like that costs
far more than a single congressional ofce can afford. When systems do go
down, you will want to receive the service, support, and good advice you need
quickly. Clearly outline your maintenance expectations and consider your op-
tions carefully. You need reliable resources to keep your system as functional
as possible, to provide xes and enhancements when you need them, and to
offer good counsel when it is time to upgrade. Whether and how you rely on
a skilled or shared Systems Administrator, a support or maintenance provider,
or a combination of these is a choice you need to make. For Senate ofces,
the Sergeant at Arms provides the maintenance through a contracted support
vendor and standard service levels apply to all ofces in DC and the state.
Dening Policies and Procedures
To ensure that technology is utilized effectively and appropriately in your
ofce, you will need to dene policies and procedures concerning many
different aspects of its maintenance and use. House Information Resources and
the Senate Sergeant at Arms can provide guidance and sample policies, and
much of this information can be found on their websites. At a minimum, your
policies and procedures should clearly dene your expectations regarding:
• Ethics. As technology is constantly changing, so are the rules regulating
it. Be certain that your ofce is aware of, and complying with, the latest
rules regarding technology use from the Ethics Committee, as well as
the Committee on House Administration or the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration. In addition, you may want to go further and
require that staff not only follow the rules, but also conduct themselves in
a way that will not give any appearance of impropriety. Policies should
cover such topics as sending unsolicited email, privacy of constituent
information, and appropriate use of technology and social media.
• Security. The House and Senate both have clear policies about data
security and recommendations for ofce data security policies. Be sure
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 95
you are familiar with them. Once data enters your ofce system, the
House and Senate cannot manage the security, so you must establish and
communicate policies to protect your data.
• System maintenance and upgrading. To protect the data in your
ofce and ensure staff productivity, it is important to perform routine
maintenance on your server and staff computers. Clearly dene a
procedure for server backups and routine maintenance for your Systems
Administrator to follow. The procedure should be clear so that other staff
can perform maintenance when the Systems Administrator is unable to
do so. You should also dene policies about upgrading and replacing
your hardware. The House and Senate follow industry standards and
encourage a policy of replacing laptops and desktops every three years,
so budget accordingly. This will ensure that your system remains current
and will prevent your ofce from having to spend funds on an entirely
new system in one outlay.
• Emergency procedures. What procedures must your ofce follow
to ensure the safety and security of your ofce data in the event of an
emergency? Who will shut down the system, if necessary? Do you have
a recovery plan? How will you ensure that you have a proper and secure
back-up of your ofce data? How will staff communicate, if at all? Will
staff have access to ofce les? Will phones be forwarded to another
location, such as the district/state ofce? How will your website be used
in an emergency, if at all? Who on your staff will be designated the Ofce
Emergency Coordinator (OEC)? Contact the House Ofce of Emergency
Management (OEM) (202-226-0950) and the Senate Sergeant at Arms
Ofce of Security and Emergency Preparedness (OSEP) (202-228-4406)
for more information and guidance.
• Knowledge management and archiving. If you hope to achieve easy
access to important documents, this should be a key priority. Unless
you want each staffer to devise their own electronic ling system, you
should establish policies for le and data management. What is the most
logical, user-friendly ling system? Will documents be led by issue? By
document type? By date? Should only nal drafts be stored on the server?
What le naming scheme must staff follow to ensure that everyone
understands what they have access to? When and how will les be
deleted or archived? How will staffers share and collaborate on important
documents or projects? The Senate Archivist and the House Ofce of
History and Preservation both provide guidelines and resources to help
ofces create effective record keeping strategies.
• Remote access and telecommuting. Because of Members and staff
working remotely, and the great deal of travel typically engaged in, you
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
96
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
will need to decide how you want to handle remote access to your ofce
information. How should information be accessed? What precautions
should be taken? How will your ofce support teleworking staff? The
Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee on Rules
and Administration can provide policy guidance in these areas.
• District/state ofce operations. Determine who will be responsible for
the computers in your district and state ofces, where that person should
turn for maintenance and support when needed, and how they should
interact with the DC Systems Administrator.
• Member website. How often will your website be updated and
maintained? How will it be integrated into the day-to-day operations of
your ofce? What content should be posted? How will it be formatted?
Who will review it? Will you include links to other sites? Does your staff
know what material is prohibited from being posted? Which staff will be
authorized to post material?
• Social media. What social media tools is the Member comfortable
using? Which tools will help the ofce to best achieve its goals? How
will potential new tools be tested and implemented? Who in the ofce is
authorized to post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Who is responsible
for reviewing posts for accuracy and political sensitivity? Will the ofce
respond to some, all, or no incoming posts? What will you do when
people say inaccurate or negative things about your boss?
• Constituent email. What is the procedure for processing constituent
email? Which mail will you respond to? Which staff will be involved
with the mail? For guidance on best practices for your constituent mail
operation, see Chapter 14, “Managing Constituent Communications.”
Once policies and procedures governing technology use are developed, it is
extremely important that they are shared with staff, and strictly enforced. Ofces
that have failed to do this have found that staff create procedures of their own,
which often leads to misplaced data, duplicated work, and inconsistent messages
to constituents. Due to the high staff turnover on Capitol Hill, you should
formalize these policies and procedures in an ofce manual, and communicate
them to staff every six months or post them on your ofce intranet.
Training Your Staff
To get the most out of the system you purchase, you will need to be sure that
staff know how to use it. Consider the following three key training needs your
ofce will have:
• Systems Administrator training. House and Senate computer systems
are becoming increasingly complex. If your Systems Administrator is
CHAPTER SIX Selecting and Utilizing Technology 97
well trained, your system will run much more smoothly, your data will
be more secure, and time and materials maintenance fees will be lower.
Both the House’s Congressional Staff Academy and the Senate Ofce
of Training and Development offer high-quality, free training that is
adapted specically to the needs of the House and Senate environments.
Additionally, we strongly recommend that Systems Administrators —
and anyone involved with constituent communications — receive CMS/
CSS training directly from their vendor.
• District/state staff training. Do not neglect the staff in your district or
state ofce. In many ways, they are more in need of training than are your
DC staff, because they typically have access to fewer support resources.
The House’s Congressional Staff Academy and the Senate Ofce of
Training and Development also offer a variety of options that district and
state staff can use, including webinars, videos, and manuals. You can also
arrange to have a training representative travel to your district/state ofce
to train staff.
• New employee training. Turnover is high on Capitol Hill, and you will
need to ensure that your new hires get up to speed with your system as
quickly as possible. Even if you are hiring people who have worked on
the Hill before, you will need to introduce them to your ofce policies
and procedures and any software they may not have used before.
Conclusion
Although outtting your ofce with the technology you need seems daunting,
these decisions will be more manageable once you know what you want your
technology to accomplish for you. If approached methodically, the choices and
decisions can be whittled down to the critical few. Focus on determining the
capabilities you’ll need to help you accomplish your goals in Congress. You
can then explore the options with the help of your assigned Technical Support
Representative (TSR) or Technology Representative (TR) to nd the hardware
and software that will provide those capabilities.
In November and December, you should assess the capabilities of the
equipment you might inherit (or might not if it is deemed inadequate). This
initial work will allow you to make an informed decision about whether your
existing equipment will meet your needs. If it won’t, you’ll be able to decide
when and how to upgrade. You’ll also be able to bring your technology choices
into your other early decisions (i.e., budgeting, district/state ofces, hiring
staff), all of which will contribute to your rst-term success.
MANAGEMENT FACT
The House’s Congres-
sional Staff Academy
and the Senate Ofce of
Training and Develop-
ment offer professional
development and techni-
cal training opportuni-
ties and services to
House and Senate staff.
98
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Do...
Don’t...
•
address critical issues before you make
nal purchasing decisions. Consider:
– the technology required to fulll oce goals;
– the sta’s level of comfort and skill with
technology;
– whether your district/state has any quirks
that could demand unique technological
resources;
– how much of your budget you want to
earmark for technology.
•
follow the “six-step process” when
purchasing:
1. Inventory your current hardware, software,
and functionality.
2. Talk to the institutional experts in the House
and Senate who can help.
3. Shop around.
4. Try before you buy. Test the equipment in a
similar environment.
5. Be sure your planned purchase is compatible
with your existing system.
6. Pay close attention to the installation and
maintenance details. Maintenance contracts,
services and costs can vary signicantly.
•
establish technology policies and
procedures for data management, district/
state oce operations, social media use, and
constituent communications.
•
get mired in the details when
purchasing hardware and software. What
you want to accomplish is more important
than how you will accomplish it.
•
plan just for today’s needs. With
the rapidly changing environment and
increasing demands from constituents,
oces need to be prepared to expand
their technological capabilities quickly.
•
treat technology as an afterthought.
Think of it as integral to every function of
your oce.
•
buy anything without consulting
available resources or other oces
that currently use the system. House
and Senate sta should consult with
their assigned technology/support
representatives.
•
neglect training the sta. Your system
will run more smoothly and sta will be
more productive after training.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Selecting and Utilizing Technology
CHAPTER
SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
Establishing District
and State Ofces
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The importance of decisions concerning district/state ofces
✩ Selecting the number and location of district/state ofces
✩ Determining which ofce to open rst
✩ Obtaining furniture and equipment for district/state ofces
“All politics is local,” according to the late House Speaker Tip O’Neill. And
nothing creates more visibility on the home front, especially for a freshman
Member, than opening a district or state ofce. According to most veterans,
opening one ofce on swearing-in day is important. It need not be fully staffed
or adequately equipped, but the door/phone lines should be open. Therefore,
preparing to open one ofce should be a critical task to undertake between the
election and the start of the new Congress.
In addition, there are great benets if you begin now to plan for all of
your district/state ofces. First, your success as a Member of Congress will
depend on ensuring that your combined DC and district/state resources are
coordinated in pursuit of your ofce’s goals. Also, decisions regarding the
number, location and objectives of your district/state ofces will inuence
other key management decisions, such as budgeting, management structure,
stafng, and technology purchases. Finally, many decisions regarding
district/state ofces are difcult to reverse (or at least not without political or
nancial penalties).
This chapter will help you through the process of planning your district/state
ofces and opening one by the start of the new Congress.
Note: All leases for district/state ofces must be reviewed and approved by the
Senate Sergeant at Arms’ (SAA) State Ofce Operations (202-228-STAT) or the
Administrative Counsel of the House (House[email protected]v;
https://www.house.gov/doing-business-with-the-house/leases) before signing.
99
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Additional Information
CMF has published an
entire manual on this topic,
Keeping It Local: A Guide for
Managing Congressional District
& State Ofces. Focused on
the needs of District/State
Directors, it includes step-
by-step instructions on how
to establish, manage and
implement a coordinated agenda
and the benets for doing so.
It also offers guidance on how
to strategically approach and
manage outreach, scheduling,
events, casework and projects.
For more information, visit
CongressFoundation.org.
■
100
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Importance of Decisions Concerning
District/State Ofces
You have just been elected. In contrast to the tasks awaiting you in Washing-
ton, DC — lobbying for committee assignments, making a favorable impres-
sion upon your party’s leadership and your state delegation, and attending
policy seminars led by the best minds in the country — the task of opening
district/state ofces can seem mundane. Many Chiefs of Staff tell us, how-
ever, that your initial decisions in the district/state are at least as important as
those in Washington.
Why? For starters, more and more federal government programs are
affecting the lives of constituents, from Social Security to federally funded
local projects. Additionally, states and cities have more control over how
federal dollars are spent, which places demands on district/state staff to become
engaged in how those funds are distributed. This results in a growing need for
Members to become more involved in local matters.
Citizens are also savvier about the legislative process through the explosion
of information available. Whether it’s because of televised oor proceedings,
24-hour news channels, webcasts of committee hearings, or livestreams on
social media, what happens in DC just doesn’t seem so far away anymore. A
congressional ofce may distinguish between legislative activities in DC and
casework or community outreach handled in the district/state, but constituents
and local media might not. For many constituents and reporters, there is no
difference between contacting DC or a
district/state ofce — especially by email.
Next door is the same as across the country.
In addition, technology has made
Members and staff more accessible.
Congressional ofces can communicate
electronically with more constituents more
quickly than ever before and can directly
engage them in public policy. Citizens are
also using technology to stay informed of
what their Senators and Representatives are
doing and to make their voices heard. This
results in greater coordination and awareness
at the grassroots level, with constituents
turning out in greater numbers at Member
events and appearances in the district/state.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 101
Setting up district/state ofces deserves your full attention for other reasons
too:
Intractability. According to many Chiefs of Staff, you may never overcome an
early mistake in your district/state. Administrative decisions in the district/state
take on an air of permanency. Did you hire staff with ties to your strongest
supporters? If so, how difcult will it be to re them if they don’t perform
adequately? Once you’ve established a district/state ofce, can you move
it without sending an implicit message to the local community that other
constituents are more important? In contrast, the political cost back home of
changing committee assignments or ring legislative staff is a lot less.
Your initial choices, of course, are not permanent. You can and should
change staff and move ofces, if those steps will better enable you to achieve
your goals. But be advised that such action will come at a price. It will create
problems that will have to be dealt with. Invest time and energy up front and
avoid costly mistakes.
Public scrutiny. Decisions about your district/state ofces often seem intrac-
table because, small as the shbowl is in Washington, it is even smaller back
home. While you are one of hundreds of Members of Congress in DC, you are
only one of three Members back home. Your rst visible decisions about your
district/state will be locating ofces and hiring local staff. Expect intense inter-
est from the local media and community groups.
Fewer resources. An infrastructure of support services for congressional
ofces is well-established in Washington. If the computer system in your DC
ofce isn’t working properly,
qualied technical support staff are
minutes away. If your Washington
ofce needs rewiring, you
need do little more than ask. In
contrast, your district/state ofce,
especially one in a rural area, is
generally on its own. Arranging for
congressional support services or for locally contracted vendors to reach you is
more complicated and may result in a charge to your ofce account.
Selecting the Number of District/State Ofces
Q: How many district/state ofces should you establish?
A: Only as many as you need!
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
“ Many Chiefs of Staff report that one of
the biggest mistakes they made was setting
up district/state ofces in areas ‘without a
demonstrated constituent need.’”
102
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
This seems obvious, but many Chiefs of Staff report that one of the biggest
mistakes they made was setting up district/state ofces in areas “without a
demonstrated constituent need.” Chiefs of Staff described situations where “too
many ofces were promised during the campaign” and the difculty of closing
an ofce once it was opened.
Recent calculations show that the number of state ofces maintained by
Senators varies, while House Members tend to operate one to three district
ofces (Figure 7-1). For Senators, it may be helpful to look at the ofce setup
of states similar in size and population. For House Members, part-time ofces
can be an option depending on the leasing and other arrangements you obtain.
However, CMF research indicates that it is usually very expensive to operate
a part-time ofce when you consider the rent, telephone, and equipment
expenses that are necessary to make the ofce operational. Another option is
holding community or open ofce hours regularly in various locations, which
is an excellent way to “test-market” the demand for constituent services in an
area. It also allows the Member to serve remote areas and reach constituents
who may be unable to travel. Post ofces, municipal buildings, and libraries
may make space available to you for this purpose. Prior to accepting any
donated space, however, House Members should check with the Committee on
Ethics (202-225-7103). Senators are not allowed to utilize donated space.
Criteria for Selecting the Optimal Number of Ofces
Size of your district/state. A physically smaller House district usually will
enable you to operate fewer ofces. In the Senate, your state’s population
will determine your “aggregate square footage allowance” — you may open as
many state ofces as you wish as long as they total less than this allowance. This
means Senators need to consider carefully not just how many ofces to open,
but how big they will be. Senators from vast but sparsely populated states take
special note, as you’ve got the largest area to service and the smallest allowance.
District/State Oces Maintained by Members
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Figure 7-1
Number of District/State Oces Representatives Senators
1 25% 6%
2 31% 14%
3 25% 10%
4 13% 17%
5 3% 17%
6 2% 23%
7 1% 8%
8+ 0% 5%
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 103
Accessibility to constituents. Accessibility is obviously tied to the district or
state size. If it is important to you that as many constituents as possible have
quick and easy access to your services, you don’t want them to spend several
hours traveling to your ofce. Or perhaps you feel comfortable satisfying
this need by installing a toll-free telephone line or maintaining a top-notch
website so that constituents have easy access to the resources of your ofce.
Senators who desire a toll-free telephone number in their state should contact
the Sergeant at Arms’ Telecom Assistance Center at 202-228-HELP (4357) for
assistance with the ordering and selection of telephone services.
Constituent expectations. Whether or not you created certain expectations,
constituents have them. Generally they come from two sources:
1. Number of ofces operated by your predecessor. While not impos-
sible, it can be difcult to reduce the number of ofces when communi-
ties have become accustomed to, or feel entitled to, a particular ofce
location. Such a cut can reect poorly on a new Member, so make sure
you have a plan to address potentially angered constituents.
2. Campaign promises. If you promised six ofces on the campaign trail
and used it to your political advantage, chances are you will be expect-
ed to — and will want to — keep your promise once elected.
Competing budget priorities. Ask, “What else can I do with my allotted
resources to accomplish my goals most effectively?” For some Members,
it may mean opening another district/state ofce. For others, it might be
more realistic having a Communications Director based in the district/state.
This is more of a limitation in the House because you are going to pay for
everything the ofce needs to operate (rent, furniture, supplies, equipment,
staff, etc.). For Senators, this may be less of a concern because much of what
it takes to run a Senate ofce is allocated to you and does not compete with
other priorities (notable exceptions are staff and ofce supplies).
Urban/rural differences. It should come as no surprise that rural districts/
states generally operate more ofces. It is still important, however, to assess
the volume of constituent use of ofces before opening them.
Strategic importance of constituent services. Again, how important are
constituent services in your overall plan? If it’s crucial because you said you
were going to offer the best constituent services ever delivered in the state or
because a very tough race is expected in the next election, you may need to
open that extra ofce.
Staff hiring limitations. A House Member may employ up to 18 permanent
staff and 4 additional staff who must be designated as paid interns, part-time
employees, shared employees, temporary employees, or employees on leave
without pay (note that interns paid from the House Paid Internship Program
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
104
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
rather than from your MRA are not counted against this limit). This total
includes the DC and all district ofces. If you open another district ofce,
is there space under the cap to hire someone to staff it, or will you transfer
someone from another ofce? Will one person be enough to cover the phones
and meet with constituents? Numbers are not a concern in the Senate, which
has no staff limit, but budgetary restrictions may be.
Ofce Location and Space Considerations
Deciding on ofce locations and the type of space can be very challenging, es-
pecially in the rush between Election Day and the new year. It’s not necessary
to have secured all your district/state ofces by the start of the new Congress,
but the decision process should be well underway. Use the following criteria to
help shape your deliberation.
Criteria for Locating Ofces
Proximity to:
1. Constituents most in need of casework. If casework is a priority
for your ofce, locate at least one ofce near the segments of your
constituency that most frequently seek assistance. Locations might
include economically depressed or high unemployment areas, or
areas with large elderly and veteran populations, or large numbers of
government employees.
2. Federal agencies. Occasionally a visit to a federal liaison ofcer
is necessary to get a case moving or to overcome a bureaucratic
roadblock. If ofces are located within walking distance of federal
agency ofces, it may help district/state staff develop a personal rapport
with agency ofcials and facilitate the casework process.
3. Targeted groups. If your strategic plan calls for building or
strengthening ties to a certain group, an ofce located in its community
can be a crucial part of that effort.
4. Airport or train station. It’s important to remember your own needs
when locating ofces. Late-night and early-morning trips between
Washington and the district/state might be made easier if at least one of
your ofces is easily accessible to a major transportation facility.
5. Staff. Recruiting and keeping a rst-rate staff is always a challenge,
which is made even tougher if your ofce locations create difcult
commutes for your employees.
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 105
Visibility. How important is it that your ofce itself be visible? If a “presence”
is important, a storefront ofce might win out over an ofce in a high-rise.
Campaign promises. As with promises about the number of ofces, you
should think twice before reneging on a campaign pledge about their locations.
Quality of the space. No one wants to work in dingy, claustrophobic sur-
roundings or in a place that does not support the day-to-day needs of staff. This
doesn’t mean every staffer has a private ofce, or that you need a full kitchen,
but the work environment may be an important factor in retaining good staff.
Ask yourself, “Is it a pleasing environment? Is the ofce an adequate
size? Is there sufcient storage space for casework les, other paperwork,
and ofce supplies? Are there enough hard-wired electrical outlets for all of
our equipment? Can the copier be centrally located, while not drowning out
conversations with constituents in the front ofce? Are renovations possible?”
Assess potential renovation needs early and determine what can be
accomplished. It can be extremely frustrating to deal with an ineffective layout
simply because you didn’t negotiate for renovations when you signed the
lease. In addition, compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act or
the Americans With Disabilities Act may require renovation work (usually a
requirement of the landlord). Be sure your ofce is, or can be made, accessible
to all of your constituents.
Senate ofces also must keep in mind that “suitable” ofce space must
accommodate a designated closet to house the Senator’s telecommunications,
network and security equipment. For more information on how to meet this
requirement, contact the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations.
Number of staff and interns. Generally, allow 135 square feet for each person
working in the ofce, including the Member if they will be working out of a
district/state ofce regularly. Don’t forget to include interns in your calcula-
tions. Crowding your paid staff or, even worse, turning away interns for lack of
space is a lose-lose situation that could be prevented.
Parking availability. This is a crucial consideration for both staff and constitu-
ents, especially if there is a “walk-in” tradition in your district/state.
Safety of location. To the extent possible, make sure your ofces are where
staff and constituents feel safe. If the safety is marginal, work with local law
enforcement and appropriate House and Senate ofces to address the issue.
The Senate Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations (202-228-STAT) works
with state ofces to provide a safe environment for staff and visitors. Upon
request, the SAA will also provide Senators with a safety/security overview
of any locations under consideration. In addition, they can install security
enhancements in new or existing sites at no cost to the ofce. In the House,
the Sergeant at Arms’ Law Enforcement Coordinator (LEC) program assists
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
106
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Member ofces in planning and preparing for security threats in the district.
The LEC is the Member’s district ofce liaison with law enforcement agencies
and the U.S. Capitol Police. House ofces are encouraged to assign primary
and alternate LECs for their district ofces.
Length of the lease. Before you get too far in your negotiations, make sure the
building will accept a two-year (House) or six-year (Senate) renewable lease.
All leases for district and state ofces must be reviewed and approved before
signing by the Administrative Counsel of the Chief Administrative Ofcer in
the House or the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations.
Rental cost (House only). The more ofces you are going to open, the more
important it is to get “the best bang for your buck.” Be sure to have the cost of
renovations included in the rent.
Cleaning and maintenance. Cleaning arrangements are frequently over-
looked, yet are very important to a professional ofce appearance. Staff should
not be expected to vacuum and dust after a long day of serving constituents.
Ofce Options
Once you have decided upon the number and general location of your district/
state ofces, you still need a specic site. Your options include occupying your
predecessor’s ofces, using federal ofce space, renting private facilities, and
using a mobile ofce housed in a van.
Occupying Your Predecessor’s Ofces. In CMF surveys, Chiefs of Staff and
District/State Directors had mixed opinions about this option. Some were very
satised with the results; for others, it was a mistake. If taking over the ofce
space of your predecessor is a possibility, consider:
• How does your strategic plan differ from your predecessor’s?
• What did constituents think of the preceding Member’s ofces?
• Were the ofces adequate for constituent services?
• Are renovations needed? Are they possible?
• Can renovations start between the election and the rst of the year?
Using Government vs. Privately-Owned Space. The majority of Senators,
and a signicant number of Representatives, have one or more of their ofces
in a federal building. In fact, the law says that Senators must use federal space
if it is available and suitable to their needs. Leasing in federal buildings offers
several potential advantages:
• The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Congressional Services
Representatives (CSRs) can tell you what space is available in the areas
of interest to you.
• The other tenants in a federal building are federal agencies. Close
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 107
proximity to agencies may facilitate casework and probably increase
constituents’ use of your ofce.
• Federal buildings typically already have security countermeasures in
place to provide for staff and constituents’ safety.
• Seeking private space may subject you to pressure from people you
know to locate in their buildings. After all, a Member of Congress
is a prestigious tenant. Be very cautious about renting from anyone
you know. This includes friends, supporters, prominent local political
gures, and certainly political foes. The press intuitively questions the
ethical nature of any government contracts directed toward family and
friends. Moreover, any dispute over the terms of the lease could readily
threaten or compromise any friendship or association. All of these are
risks worth avoiding.
• For Senators, renting space in federal buildings may be simpler.
Senators may not pay more per square foot for private space than the
current maximum GSA rate for the city in which the ofce is located.
Additionally, the lease may not include agreements to pay any non-
rent charges separately. This means parking, signs, common area
upkeep, maintenance, repairs, renovations, etc., must be built into the
rent. Federal landlords are used to this while private landlords may
not be. This also means that should you rent privately-owned space,
the lease should not commit you up to the full GSA rate at the very
beginning. You will want to have some room under the cap to pay for
unanticipated costs associated with extra parking space, repairs or
renovations.
Renting private space also has its advantages:
• On rare occasions, private space can be more accessible during
evenings and weekends. Depending on the location, businesses may be
open beyond the 9-to-5 weekday schedule. By contrast, because federal
agencies are closed most evenings and weekends, federal buildings may
be closed during those times.
• Federal ofce buildings exist primarily for executive agencies, reducing
the availability of space to other tenants, including Members of Congress.
Therefore, your choices of privately-owned ofce space may be greater.
• Sometimes the only spaces GSA has available are more square footage
than you need at a higher cost than you want.
Using Mobile Ofces. Mobile ofces are an alternative to traditional district/
state ofces that a few Members use to good effect. Members who operate
a mobile ofce say it: increases visibility; provides a personal atmosphere
for one-on-one meetings; demonstrates a commitment to “staying in touch;”
108
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
enables the Member to serve remote areas and reach constituents who may be
unable to travel; and facilitates initiating casework.
Other considerations, however, may make the use of vans less attractive.
These considerations include: maintenance and operational costs; extreme
weather that may discourage constituents from waiting to be served; unpre-
dictable constituent turnout; and unproductive travel time.
Each Senator may lease one mobile ofce, with operating costs (excluding
the cost of staff) paid for by the Senate Sergeant at Arms. A mobile ofce
is charged against a Senator’s allotment based on a formula that takes into
account the actual cost of the lease, the operating costs, and the number of
square feet remaining in the Senator’s allowance. House Members pay for
mobile ofces out of their Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA).
Which Ofce To Open First
Developing a plan for the number and location of all your district/state
ofces doesn’t answer the most immediate question: Which one do I open
rst? As long as your overall plan is in place, it really doesn’t matter. A
major goal of opening your rst ofce is simply to demonstrate that you’re
open for business. But some choices may be better than others, so you may
want to take these factors into account:
Symbolism Counts. The media
will be paying attention, so if
you want to convey a message
beyond, “yes, we’re open,” this is
your chance. If your grand plan
calls for more or fewer ofces
than your predecessor, or in different parts of town, now might be the time
to “sell” the changes. Part of that sale can be conveyed by the symbolism of
which ofce is opened rst.
Make Sure the Ofce Can Carry the Load. One ofce will be representing
you in the district/state for a while. Make sure it can handle the immediate on-
slaught of work, especially constituent contact. This may mean having private
areas for meetings and conference rooms for large groups. Additionally, there
will be pending cases from your predecessor (which you hope get transferred
to you), and some of those people may call to see whether you have their les.
You don’t need to start processing the work immediately, but you do need the
basic ability to eld questions and look competent.
“ As long as your overall plan for establishing
district/state ofces is in place, it really
doesn’t matter which one you open rst.”
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 109
Don’t Do Anything Just To Look Good on Day One. You may want to make
a favorable impression, but don’t blow your budget or make decisions you
can’t undo. Think twice before hiring too many staff too quickly (see Chapter
5, “Hiring Your Core Staff”) or making costly expenditures on equipment and
furniture (especially when some purchases require approval or must follow
specic procedures, particularly in the Senate).
Furniture and Ofce Equipment
Another important task is outtting district and state ofces with furnishings
and equipment, such as desks, chairs, tables, computers, staplers, telephones,
garbage cans, and other essentials. Freshman Chiefs of Staff tell many stories
of learning about rules only by breaking them. Our rst and best recommen-
dation is to always check before making commitments. In the House, contact
the Committee on House Administration and CAO First Call; in the Senate,
consult the Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations.
Help is also available from the General Services Administration (GSA).
GSA regional liaisons work closely with new ofces. For both freshman
House and Senate Members, liaisons can assist in selecting GSA furniture
or nding local private discount dealers. Senate ofces should be aware that
all purchases, including those from private sources, have to be made through
GSA, whereas House ofces can purchase from GSA or directly from private
vendors. House ofces should also keep in mind that, if buying from private
sources, most states exempt your purchases from sales taxes. Check to see if
yours does, and if vendors will require proper documentation from the House.
When purchasing through GSA, the regional liaisons will handle the tax
exemption for you.
Although the rules and budgets for outtting district/state ofces differ
between the House and Senate, the process is roughly the same:
STEP 1: Assess your needs. How many staff and interns will be using
each ofce? How many desks and chairs do you need? How many rooms
will be available for meeting with constituents? Will the Member have a
private ofce?
STEP 2: Conduct an inventory. After the election, you’ll get an inventory
of your predecessor’s furniture and equipment. Compare this inventory
with what is actually on hand.
STEP 3: Decide what you’re going to keep and what you’re going to
return. Once you know what you have and what you think you need, you
can make some decisions. It’s worth your time to give this matter careful
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
110
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
consideration. While stories of battered furniture and worn-out equipment
are common (particularly in the House), serviceable secondhand furniture
is cheaper than new furniture, and is available for immediate use. A few
minutes of examination can save the ofce substantial expense.
STEP 4: Consult the appropriate institutional staff. Again, before
making commitments, check with the ofces cited on the previous page.
STEP 5: Place your orders. Senate ofces must purchase through GSA,
while House ofces can buy from a local vendor or GSA.
There are additional, chamber-specic things to keep in mind. For the Senate:
Remember: you do not pay for furniture or other furnishings (carpets,
curtains, etc.) out of your Senator’s Account. You have a separate allowance
for your ofces based on your “allowable” square footage. Your allowance
may already be all or partially “spent” by the value of your predecessor’s
furniture, which you will inherit. If you wish to return an item, contact GSA
to discuss your options.
You may also want GSA to restore and refurbish older pieces. If it can
be restored for less than half the cost to replace it, the Sergeant at Arms
will not charge the Senator’s allowance for the work. For this reason, you
may want to consider keeping some of your predecessor’s big-ticket items,
such as desks, tables, and cabinets, even if they appear old, scratched, and
decrepit. However, this option is allowed on a case-by-case basis. Contact
the Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations for guidance and approval
before proceeding.
Because all of your ofces will be furnished out of one nite allowance,
it is important that acquisitions from that allowance be monitored and
approved so you don’t end up with gross inequities among ofces. It is
helpful to develop a formula that accounts for square footage, number of
employees, size and type of reception area, and any special needs (such
as the amount of time the Senator will work out of that ofce) to use in
establishing a budget for each ofce. You may wish to leave some money in
reserve, especially in the rst part of your term.
For the House:
Everything you need that’s not inherited will have to be bought and paid for
by your MRA. Even some items you inherit may not be paid off, in which
case you’ll have to assume the payments if you decide to keep them.
You have a choice of two payment plans for your purchases. Computers,
ofce equipment, and furniture may be paid for in full or the charges
may be spread over two years. Small-priced items and internal computer
components such as hard drives must be paid for outright. Lump sum
CHAPTER SEVEN Establishing District and State Ofces 111
purchases must be kept on the Member’s inventory for one year and those
procured under the multi-year plan for the length of the contract. If you
inherited little useful furniture and equipment from your predecessor, you
may have no choice but to spread out the payments, especially if your
ofce wants to maintain a signicant presence in the district.
Conclusion
District/state ofces offer an unparalleled ability for a new Member of
Congress to meet constituent needs, complement DC legislative efforts
with district/state events and achieve high visibility. But these ofces are
expensive to operate and once you’ve opened one, it’s difcult to close down.
Opening too many, or in the wrong locations, can be costly. Weigh your
options, limitations and goals, and make your choices wisely.
Always check before you act to make sure you are complying with the
rules. Most importantly, all leases for district/state ofces must be reviewed
and approved by the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations or the
Administrative Counsel of the House before signing. If you agree to a lease
that violates the rules, you could be personally nancially liable. That’s sure
to ruin what should be an opening day celebration.
112
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Establishing District and State Ofces
Do...
Don’t...
•
understand that setting up a district/
state oce is a dicult decision to
reverse. Give it your full attention because
closing an oce in your rst term can have
political repercussions.
•
weigh the advantages and disad-
vantages of using government vs.
privately-owned space for your district/
state oces. Consider location, accessibility,
cost, square footage, and other factors when
making your decisions.
•
think creatively about how to best
serve constituent needs. Part-time oces
and mobile oces are alternatives to the
traditional district/state oce, and holding
regular community and open oce hours
allows the Member to reach remote areas and
constituents who might be unable to travel.
•
make sure the rst district/state oce
you open is adequately prepared. While
it doesn’t need to be fully staed or equipped,
the oce will need to handle an immediate
onslaught of meetings, scheduling requests
and questions about ongoing casework.
•
automatically decide to occupy
your predecessor’s oce(s). Consider
how your needs and goals might
necessitate a dierent city or a dierent
space.
•
open more district/state oces
than you need. Use the following
criteria to determine the number to open:
– size of district/state;
– accessibility to constituents;
– constituent expectations;
– competing budget priorities;
– urban/rural dierences;
– strategic importance of constituent
services; and
– sta hiring limitations.
•
make any long-term commitments
without rst seeking guidance and
assistance from the Senate Sergeant
at Arms’ State Oce Operations or the
Committee on House Administration and
the House Administrative Counsel.
•
overlook the role of technology
in increasing district/state eectiveness
and eciency.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Part II:
Dening Your Role in
Congress and Your Ofce
Chapter Eight: Understanding the Culture of Congress:
An Insider’s Guide ..................................................115
Chapter Nine: Dening Your Role in Congress ..............................125
Chapter Ten: The Member’s Role as Leader
of the Ofce ........................................................... 139
Notes a series of questions. Your unique answers can help
you make decisions about managing an ofce and a career.
Alerts you to a situation which Hill ofces have found to be
problematic. Proceed with caution and pay close attention.
Notes a concept or recommendation that CMF has determined,
through its research with congressional ofces, to be helpful.
Identies an ofce or organization which you may wish to
contact for further information on the topic.
Notes a process or steps you can use in the operations of
your ofce.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Icons Used in Setting Course
CHAPTER EIGHT
Understanding the
Culture of Congress:
An Insider’s Guide
This Chapter Includes...
✩ Constants in Congress
✩ Three trends that have inuenced recent Congresses:
close party ratios, large inux of new Members and increased
partisanship
Like all organizations, Congress has a culture — a context in which Members
operate. This culture extends beyond formal rules and regulations to encompass
the unwritten and often unstated norms, values, tensions, practices and taboos
of the institution.
Culture can greatly inuence a Member’s ofcial decisions by determining
the scope of the choices a Member has available and how a Member denes
success. Possessing insight ahead of time can help Members — especially
new Members — maneuver and make choices without having to learn
lessons the “hard way.” This chapter is an overview of some of the trends
we’ve observed.
115
116
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Constants in Congress
Some things in Congress never seem to change, such as the pageantry of the
House Sergeant at Arms carrying the mace into the chamber, or the continued
presence of blotters and snuffboxes in the Senate. But these are only outer
trappings. There are also some understood ways of doing business which have
become ingrained in the culture of the institution, whether over two centuries
or just in the past few decades. It is impossible to list them all here, but men-
tioning a few will give you the avor.
First, nothing big gets done early or quickly. Policymaking in Congress can
be, at times, partisan, slow, cumbersome, and frustrating. The rules and orga-
nization in each chamber exist equally for supporters and opponents of each
proposition. Constituents, the media,
the President and various interest
groups all exert pressures. In fact,
some scholars believe that Congress
was created not to pass good legisla-
tion, but to stop “bad” legislation.
An old maxim tells of the Senate
having only two rules: unanimous
consent and exhaustion. A House freshman understood the situation well: “You
can have a cure for cancer and if you can’t get 218 people in this body to agree
with you, it doesn’t matter because you can’t get anything done.”
Many state legislatures also exhibit this behavior, of course, but the effect
is intensied by the diversity of interests represented at the national level.
At the state level, there is usually some common understanding of, and even
agreement on, at least which issues to address, if not the proposed solutions. A
state legislator’s concerns rarely extend beyond the other side of the state, and
this is still relatively familiar territory. In contrast, Members of Congress must
try to be knowledgeable about issues important to districts or states on the
other side of the continent. Yet it may not be a natural inclination for a Florida
Member to be sensitive to home heating fuel prices in winter, or for a Kansas
Member to worry if the New Jersey Turnpike has potholes. Deciding which
issues to address, and how to address them, is often a gradual process.
There is also an inherent tension between a Member’s individual
autonomy and the efciency of the institution. On the one hand, Members
must advocate strongly for their constituents; on the other hand, they must be
willing to negotiate and compromise if anything is to get done. Congress is
often criticized for being both too parochial, and too plodding, to address the
pressing needs of the country. Members can easily be caught in the crossre
“ You can have a cure for cancer and if you
can’t get 218 people in this body to agree with
you, it doesn’t matter because you can’t get
anything done.”
— House Freshman Member
CHAPTER EIGHT Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide 117
and receive criticism whether they choose to promote institutional efciency or
exercise individual autonomy in looking out for their constituents.
Second, nothing on a schedule is written in stone. This is true whether the
schedule is for projected committee hearings or mark-ups, news conferences
at the upper Senate Park or the House Triangle, or bills, amendments and
votes expected on the oor. The haphazard nature of deciding when things in
Congress get done is encouraged by more permissive legislative rules than
are usually found at the state level. And even these permissive rules may be
ignored or waived.
Last minute changes often lead to late nights and hectic schedules. This
might be expected in the days leading up to a recess (district/state work period)
or the end of the session, but it has also been occurring during non-crunch
times in the House. In response, the House has seen a number of organized
efforts to promote a more regular, family-friendly schedule. However, this has
met with limited success. Late night and Friday sessions have occurred less
frequently in the Senate in the past few years, as there seems to be a purposeful
effort to allow Senators to spend evenings with their families.
Many Members simply play it safe and expect the unexpected as standard
operating procedure. Accordingly, every Scheduler knows all the options for
Thursday and Friday airline ights between the three Washington-area airports
and the boss’ district or state.
Third, Members are expected to be entrepreneurs. This trend started
more than 40 years ago when reforms decentralized Congress. This provided
a Member with the means and the opportunity to develop an effective person-
al organization and to pursue personal goals. Under this system, a Member
can pursue objectives, seek re-election, advance policy positions, and other-
wise be successful within the framework of Congress without relying on the
traditional power structures.
To assist in this task each Member has, as part of their enterprise, an ofce
staff and ofcial allowances that provide funds for computers, multiple district
and state ofces, and frequent travel home. Members also have access to
committee staff, the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress,
and other resources. These resources provide Members with virtually all
they need to effectively cultivate constituent relations and to craft a career in
Congress.
One popular technique of entrepreneurship has been the use of informal
Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs). These caucuses may be
regional (e.g., Northern Border Caucus), based on industry (e.g., Congressional
Nursing Caucus) or used to promote a range of issues (e.g., Congressional
Sportsmen’s Caucus).
118
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Senior Members counsel new Members that this individual behavior is not
only appropriate, but expected. Being a loyal foot soldier to the party today,
by itself, is not a guarantee that a Member will pass legislation or gain stature.
Whereas years ago power bases, or efdoms, could be bestowed from above,
now they must be won through individual effort and savvy.
Three Congressional Trends:
Close Party Ratios, Inux of New Members
and Increased Partisanship
Close Party Ratios
Recently, party ratios in each chamber have been very close when compared
to historical standards. With thin majorities, both the House and Senate have
been exceedingly difcult to manage. Leadership in both parties have had
great difculties imposing discipline because they often can’t control factions
and guarantee the votes to pass or block legislation. Consequently, leadership
have had to constantly negotiate deals and try to hold together shaky alliances,
and always remain concerned that virtually any small, organized group of
Members has the ability to kill or demand changes to a bill. It is doubtful that
this situation will change in the next Congress so long as neither party has
sufcient margins to be able to win decisively without resorting to ad hoc
coalitions.
In the House, the Republican Study Committee, Congressional Black
Caucus, Progressive Caucus, New Democrat Coalition, Freedom Caucus,
Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the recent freshman classes — to name a
few — have been power brokers on various issues. The Senate libuster rule
makes even a single Senator capable of holding the chamber hostage, although
libusters themselves are rare. In practical terms, though, any combination of
Senate voting blocs — i.e., conservatives upset that a proposal spends too much
money, and progressives upset that it spends too little — totaling a mere forty
votes can prevent cloture from being invoked on any given measure.
There have even been examples of the leadership itself being split into
factions. For instance, one group might rally around a Member of the
leadership promoting a position of staying “true” to party principles, while
another faction is favoring a stance of seeking out bipartisan compromise.
Again, this is the logical result of narrow congressional majorities.
CHAPTER EIGHT Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide 119
From the leadership’s perspective, trying to maintain party unity is a
delicate balancing act: coordinating with factions, but trying not to cede
control to them; offering incentives (committee seats, high-prole task force
chairs, campaign assistance) to individual Members to stay loyal, but risking
that the strategy won’t work. While they are not always effective, these
leadership efforts have given junior Members opportunities to exert inuence
on the process far earlier in their careers than is usually the case. As one House
Democratic Member told us,
“We now revere our freshmen. When I came here in 1992, I was told by
the party elders, essentially, ‘stick around and we’ll talk to you in ten
years.’ Freshmen were viewed as relatively unimportant. These narrow
margins [of control] have made every seat critical and given the freshmen
much more standing than we ever had.”
Still, leadership doesn’t have the exibility it once did. For example, close
ratios have made it difcult for leadership to protect its vulnerable Members
against unpopular votes. In previous Congresses with larger controlling
margins, a Member could receive a “pass” to vote against the leadership
position if they (1) made the case that voting with the leadership could
signicantly damage their prospects of re-election; and (2) gave sufcient
notice to the leadership. In the leadership’s eyes, losing a few votes this way
was a small price to pay so long as it didn’t affect the outcome of the vote.
In the era of close party ratios, however, such a concession is politically
impossible if the leadership intend to win or block a vote. On the majority side,
the results, more often than not, have been that controversial bills never make
it to the oor to begin with.
The growing power of conservatives, progressives, and younger Members
is becoming ingrained into the culture of Congress. Consider, for instance, the
committee assignment process in the House. Whereas Members used to refer
to a “Pennsylvania seat” or a “women’s seat” on exclusive committees (e.g.,
Ways and Means, Appropriations, Energy and Commerce), they are now apt
to talk about a “Progressive” seat or “Freedom Caucus” seat. These coalitions
have expanded their reach from coordinating blocs of votes on the oor to
extracting representation on key committees. Committee leaders in the House
have come to expect challenges to their bills, even in committee.
Thin congressional majorities and changing party control since 1994, on
top of divided government, have also shifted greater legislative power to the
Executive Branch, especially in critical and high-stakes appropriations matters.
Congress’ difculty in overriding the President’s veto forced Congress to
become more accommodating to the interests of the President.
120
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Infusion of New Members
Another trend in Congress has been the rapid turnover of seats. More than half
of the members in the House and Senate were rst elected within the last 10
years, a switch from past years when the chambers were dominated by “old
bulls” who had served for decades.
The cultural shift resulting from this infusion of new Members has been
enormous. For one, Members are rising faster into positions of power. Those
whose tenure and limited experience would have ranked them as back-
benchers barely a decade ago are now ascending to leadership positions or
subcommittee chairs. Seniority still plays an important role in each party’s
hierarchy of power, of course, but the sheer number of new Members has
created far more opportunities for quick advancement.
Many of these new Members have brought with them a non-traditional
attitude towards their work. They view congressional service as a job, and a
temporary one at that, rather than as a career. Some of these Members have
limited themselves to a certain number of terms: usually three or six terms for
a House Member, and two terms for a Senator. Consider Rep. Scott Rigell
(R-VA), who pledged to serve no more than six terms, and declined to seek
re-election after his third. At the time of his announcement in January 2016,
Rep. Rigell noted that ve years marks a decision point as to whether to make
service in Congress a career. He determined that wasn’t the path for him,
citing his belief in term limits and feeling that he accomplished in Congress
what he came to do. Other Members have not specied how long they’ll stay
but have openly expressed their intent to pursue other interests or another
career at some point in the future. Another factor inuencing Republican
Members’ decisions to leave may be their party’s internal rules that term limit
committee chairs (and their service as ranking member, if in the House).
The openness to leaving Congress voluntarily is a shift in thinking.
For example, former Rep. Dennis Eckart’s (D-OH) decision to retire after
12 years in ofce was met
with blank stares and looks
of confusion. How could a
43-year-old Representative from
a safely Democratic district
who had served barely a dozen
years call it quits? Rep. Eckart’s
explanation that he wanted
to spend more time with his family didn’t make sense at the time to the
Capitol Hill crowd. In the last several Congresses, however, it has not been
uncommon to see Members leave Washington to enter the business world or
run for other ofce in their home states after serving just a few terms.
“ In the last several Congresses, it has not been
uncommon to see Members leave Washington to
enter the business world or run for other ofce in
their home states after serving just a few terms.”
CHAPTER EIGHT Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide 121
Many recently elected Members are less invested in the long-term success
or well-being of Congress than those they replaced. Some new Members,
having achieved powerful positions without working and waiting patiently for
a number of years under the tutelage of senior Members, do not value tradition
and protecting the institution as much as more senior Members do, or their
predecessors did. Other new Members, having planned not to make Congress a
career, may not consciously think about the long-term effects of their decisions
on the operations of the institution.
Rather, these new Members have brought fresh ideas, a willingness
to overturn tradition and a belief that it is acceptable to jeopardize the
productivity of the institution when Congress is not meeting their needs.
Grizzled veterans may carry on the notion that Members exist to serve
Congress, but the prevalent view among many of the newer Members is that
Congress exists to serve them.
Increased Partisanship and Lack of Civility
There have been a number of ramications of close party ratios and an increase
in the number of Members not planning on long-term congressional service.
One that stands out is an increase in partisanship and the resulting lack of
civility in the institution. In the past several years, the rhetoric has grown hot
as all sides have become frustrated with the difculty of getting their priorities
through the legislative process.
In both chambers, factions or the minority party leadership have occasion-
ally used protest votes and other tactics to shut down the oor for a time.
Tensions have run high as leaders lob charges of obstructionism at each other
in the media. In the House, vigorous debate has occasionally escalated into
instances of name-calling, and in one or two high prole cases, near stghts.
A June 2000 Washington Post article described the situation in the Senate in
militaristic terms, which could still apply to both chambers today:
“Three weeks after the partisan warfare threatened a legislative
meltdown, the Senate has stepped back from the brink, pulled itself
together and worked its way through two virtually glitch-free weeks.
But the fundamental problems that caused a virtual shutdown of Senate
business before the Memorial Day recess — including policy disputes,
personal tensions, power struggles and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of
an election year — remain as threatening as ever. They lurk just beneath
the surface, ready to explode again when a new provocation occurs.”
This lack of civility has coincided with the fact that Members do not
socialize with each other as much as they used to, either within their own
party or with the opposite party. The Democratic and Republican Clubs don’t
attract the deal-making regulars they once did. Members with young families
122
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
no longer seek out evening companionship with other Members. Instead,
they return home as soon as a daily session of the chamber is over. Even staff
participation in ofce softball leagues is down. A story in The Hill covering a
farewell lunch for a retiring House Member summed it up. The story quoted
another Member who attended the party and praised his colleague: “Tom has
been a friend. This is not a friendly place. This is a lonely place.”
It is one thing to disagree on policy; it is quite another when that disa-
greement turns personal. It is easier to demonize a debate opponent when you
don’t know them individually. Psychologically, it is a much harder process
when that other Member enjoys a drink or two with you, or when your spouses
and children get together for outings on a regular basis. In these latter cases,
you are apt to recognize an opponent’s decency and agree to disagree on the
policy at hand.
Conclusion
The three trends discussed in this chapter — close party ratios, the large inux
of new Members and increased partisanship — have signicantly altered the
culture of Congress over the past decade. The leadership have faced tremen-
dous challenges in controlling the legislative agenda, and well-organized
factions have taken on a more prominent role. Many recently elected Members
have come to the institution with the idea of not making congressional service
a career and have risen to positions of power without going through the
traditional, multi-term path to which previous generations were accustomed.
The results have often been both leadership and individual Member
frustration with the difculties of passing legislation, and more recently
elected Members’ general acceptance that it is okay to risk the day-to-day
efciency and long-term effectiveness of the institution if it will produce short-
term gain. These, in turn, have spawned increasingly partisan, and at times
uncivil, behavior among Members. At the same time, however, there have been
opportunities for more junior Members to exert inuence on the policymaking
process earlier in their careers than had previously been the case.
These trends are likely to continue at least through the next Congress,
especially if neither party in the House or Senate is able to win a large
controlling majority of seats. Members who are attuned to cultural shifts will
be in a more informed position to make decisions about their careers and daily
operations.
CHAPTER EIGHT Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide 123
Do...
Don’t...
•
be entrepreneurial. Getting what you want
from Congress requires individual eort and
savvy. Courting leadership is not enough.
•
expect partisanship and a lack of
civility. When control of the House and Senate
are tenuously held by a political party, and
Members are not interested in establishing
careers in the institution, partisanship reigns.
•
expect quick action on issues.
Policymaking can be slow, partisan and
frustrating.
•
think that a congressional schedule
is written in stone. There are often
last minute changes that can result in late
nights and hectic Member schedules.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Understanding the Culture of Congress:
An Insider’s Guide
CHAPTER
EIGHT
124
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Scholarly Insight into How Congress
Works
Recent academic research on Congress has resulted in helpful insight into the
culture and roles of Members of Congress, and has provided some actionable
guidance Members and staff can use to be more effective. Even better, the
scholars involved are eager to help Members and staff, so they are accessible
if you are interested in talking with them.
• How to navigate the culture of Congress. A team
of scholars from the University of Maryland recently conducted
interviews with former Members and staffers to better understand
the culture and organization of Congress. They wanted to understand
the unwritten rules of the congressional environment, what types
of behaviors are rewarded and encouraged, and how the shared
perceptions and practices inuence how Members work with each other
within and across parties. They published their ndings in a report,
held a conference, and produced a short video that help explain how
polarization, competition, incentives, and rewards work on Capitol Hill.
To see their conclusions go to: https://go.umd.edu/CongressStudy
• How to be an effective lawmaker. If your chosen role in
Congress includes passing legislation, you will want to take a look at the
Center for Effective Lawmaking’s advice. The Center is a partnership
of scholars from University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University, and
their years of research have enabled them to identify the ve habits
of highly effective lawmakers. In addition to their scholarly work, they
have created simple tools to help new legislators begin to dene their
legislative agendas for effectiveness. Access their guidance at:
https://thelawmakers.org/new-member-material
•
How Congress works . . . and doesn’t. Legislative Insiders
will want to better understand the inner workings of Congress, from
appropriations to oversight to legislative procedure. The Legislative
Branch Capacity Working Group’s blog provides insight from
congressional scholars and practitioners into some of the details of
Legislative Branch process and operations and raises some of the
issues about how Congress works, where it doesn’t, and how it could
work better. Visit https://LegBranch.org to access their blog for the
most recent posts and their various topics pages to drill down on
specic issues.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Job Description for a Member of Congress
CMF created a job description for U.S. Senators and Representatives,
much like those that exist for staff positions. We grouped Members'
current duties into seven main functions and vetted our ndings with
former Members of Congress, and current and former congressional
staffers. We encourage Members and staff to review this resource
(available at CongressFoundation.org) in addition to this chapter. ■
CHAPTER NINE
Dening Your Role
in Congress
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The importance of dening your role in Congress
✩ The ve major roles available to Members
✩ Balancing major and minor roles
✩ Guidance for selecting your role
Many freshman and veteran Members of Congress make the mistake of
assuming that their jobs and roles are largely prescribed by the Constitution
and political tradition. For much of American history that conclusion may
have proven true. However, as the previous chapter explains, over the last
several decades, Congress has evolved into an institution of entrepreneurs who
are expected to chart their own course once elected. In this regard, the most
important step for a freshman or veteran Member is to dene the role you want
to play in Congress.
Successful Members recognize early in their tenure in Congress that there
are many diverging paths to power and gure out which path they should take.
Members who do not understand that they cannot do it all, that they cannot
pursue all the paths, tend to fail and grow frustrated with their jobs.
Consequently, the goal of this chapter is to help you dene what role
you choose to play and help you prosper in this entrepreneurial culture.
125
126
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Importance of Dening Your Role
As we will detail in the next section, through its extensive work with Members
and their staff, CMF has identied ve primary roles Representatives or
Senators can play in Congress:
1. Legislative Insider
2. Party Insider
3. Ombudsman
4. Statesman
5. Outsider
Generally speaking, Members can “major” in one of these roles and
“minor” in another (provided the “minor” role is not incompatible with the
“major” role). Members who are able to clearly dene their roles in the
institution can guide their careers with the aid of this insight.
When opportunities arise or decisions are demanded, these Members can
quickly weigh the issue by asking the simple question: “Does this opportunity
or decision support the role I am carving out in Congress?” For example, will
serving on a leadership task force help me in my effort to become an effective
legislative insider or party insider? Will writing an op-ed criticizing the
President on an issue help or hurt my image as a statesman?
Having clarity about your role in Congress will make it much easier for
you, and your staff, to make wise and consistent decisions on large and small
matters. Over time, clear direction — combined with the discipline
to stay your course — leads to successful careers within Congress. If you
know your role or how you
t within the institution and
diligently direct your resources
in support of that role, you will
greatly minimize inefciency
or the unproductive “tacking”
so common in many House and
Senate ofces.
One of the most common and distinguishing characteristics of very
successful people is the ability to know what they want and how they can deploy
their strengths to achieve it. This clarity about “what” and “how” seems far more
correlated with professional success than does talent or hard work. Dening
your role in Congress ideally should be the rst step in this process because
your choice can make it easier to develop your long-term mission statement and
your short-term goals. Not all Members, however, will be able to dene the right
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
“ If you know your role or how you t within the
institution and diligently direct your resources
in support of that role, you will greatly minimize
inefciency or the unproductive ‘tacking’ so
common in many House and Senate ofces.”
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 127
role or t in Congress early on. Some experience and experimentation may be
needed to gure out their role. Members who feel stymied in their attempts to
dene their t should give themselves the time they need to make this decision
while still making sure they set annual goals for themselves and their ofce.
While the argument for role clarication may seem obvious, most
Members of Congress ignore this step and prefer to operate more opportu-
nistically. They scan the environment on a daily basis looking for issues to
take on or needs to address without ever fully recognizing the problems with
this approach. These Members and their staffs routinely struggle to adapt
to the opportunities they identify by having to constantly learn new skills,
develop new expertise and cultivate new relationships. These ofces can
almost always be characterized as working too hard and accomplishing too
little. What they don’t recognize amidst their hard work is that this approach
is very time-consuming and stressful, and more often than not leads to
disappointment. Success in Congress — particularly early success — requires
focusing on what you can do successfully, learning how to do those few
things very well by developing process or content expertise, and using your
skills and expertise repeatedly.
Of course seniority, and its rich benets such as committee chairman-
ships, also greatly contribute to success. However, even powerful committee
chairs can and do squander their strength by failing to sufciently dene
their role in the institution and by trying to operate in too many arenas. This
approach usually leads these Members to engage in activities that dilute their
power and expose their weaknesses.
A Discussion of the Five Roles
Most of the public, and many Members and staff in Congress, tend to view
the role of Senator or Representative in rather monolithic terms: to pass bills
or make public policy. Consequently, only those Members who pass or shape
signicant legislation affecting a national issue are deemed truly effective. This
analysis may have been true earlier in U.S. history, but it is no longer accurate.
Working to get bills passed into law is the central activity of Congress, but not
the only way to be an effective Representative or Senator.
The role of “legislative insider” is the most commonly understood and
most often pursued path to power, but it is not well-suited to many Members.
Becoming a policy expert, brokering deals, building coalitions, negotiating
agreements, back-slapping, and horse-trading — the tools of legislating — are
not tools all Members are comfortable with or capable of using. Many lack the
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
128
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
intense people skills frequently required of this role: the patience, the attention
to detail, or the love of the process — the legislative wheeling and dealing on
which the legislative insiders thrive. Does this mean that these elected ofcials
will have a mediocre congressional career? Absolutely not. It means these
Members need to carve out another role in the institution for making their
mark, rather than trying to conform their skills and interests into the legislative
insider role. Of course, operating successfully in another role, in most cases,
requires keeping your hands in the legislative process so you can periodically
work in the trenches on legislation critical to your goals.
Similarly, if you personally like the legislative insider role but are
confronted with a marginal seat, you may decide that potentially being
characterized as a Washington insider carries too many political risks. Instead,
you may seek out a role that allows you to make a strong, local appeal to your
constituents. You may decide to assume the ombudsman role and focus your
attention on meeting local and state needs rather than becoming a central
player in a national debate on a major piece of legislation.
To help Members nd their t within this complex institution, CMF has
outlined all ve of the roles in detail below.
Legislative Insider
Members who succeed in the legislative insider role work effectively
through the committee process to pass legislation. They are generally
interested in making the process work and receiving national attention for
their accomplishments. Some legislative insiders are strongly motivated by
ideology. Others are not terribly ideological and seem primarily motivated
to use their formidable legislative skills to broker deals. Both types share a
pragmatic view of their work: practicing the politics of what is possible. Both
immensely enjoy playing insider legislative politics — building close ties with
their colleagues, using these personal relationships for political ends, building
coalitions, using their expertise to negotiate agreements and cutting deals
behind the scenes.
Most committee and subcommittee chairs and ranking minority Members
are legislative insiders, though the role is not limited to those who attain these
formal seats of power. It also describes Members who thrive in the insider
environment and focus on attaining more power to inuence legislation.
Legislative insiders are motivated to move up the congressional policy ladder
and become powerful committee chairs, or high-ranking Executive Branch
appointees. Examples of Members who comfortably t this role include Sen.
Rob Portman (R-OH) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).
Legislative insiders tend to have the discipline and focus required to
develop policy expertise in a few areas. They have excellent interpersonal
Legislative Insiders...
...are interested in making
the process work and
receiving national attention
for their accomplishments.
■
Party Insiders...
...are interested in
promoting the power and
ideology of their parties. ■
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 129
skills allowing them to comfortably negotiate and make deals. They are
good strategists and tacticians and enjoy the intensely political process of
passing bills. Legislative insiders primarily rely on the committee structure
and coordination with the party leadership in
exercising their power. In addition to these
vehicles, they also utilize the national press,
and alliances with special interests, to generate
support for their legislative activities.
Party Insider
Party insider denes those Members whose primary interest is to promote the
power and ideology of their parties. They include, of course, Members who
seek and serve in party leadership positions, but they may also include other
loyal soldiers who prefer to operate as team players within the party structure.
Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), David Cicilline (D-RI), and Greg Walden (R-OR)
are good models of the party insider role.
Because legislative power is primarily dened by political strength, party
insiders tend to devote extensive time not only to legislative politics, but to
electoral politics as well. They bring political skills and savvy to their work that
apply equally to both the electoral and policymaking processes — organizing,
strategizing, executing, building relationships, and communicating. They seek
out administrative and management duties that most other Members dislike or
avoid, such as counting votes, raising party funds and organizing party meet-
ings. Unlike the legislative insiders, however, they are generally less interested
in the details and long-term ramications of specic bills and amendments.
Rather, they are more focused on the big picture and achieving their party’s
desired outcome. They have excellent media and communications skills and
excel in “spinning” the party message to the press and the public.
Party insiders primarily exercise power through party leadership positions
and the party structure, or the full range of formal and informal party
assignments. However, they also seek to serve on committees that give them
broad powers to be political operators within the institution (i.e., House/Senate
Budget, House/Senate Appropriations, House Rules, House Administration/
Senate Rules and Administration, House Ways and Means/Senate Finance).
Outside of Congress, they use their party service to make their mark both
nationally and locally. They pursue their party-oriented goals by working closely
with party contributors and activists, local party
ofcials and the media. Like legislative insiders,
their career paths focus primarily on moving up
the national political ladder, either in Congress or
in appointed positions in the Executive Branch.
Ombudsmen...
...focus on creating strong
images of themselves at
home and championing local
or state interests. ■
130
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Ombudsman
Ombudsmen are Members whose primary focus is creating a strong image
of themselves and a strong record as champions for local or state interests.
They make local rather than national issues their top priority, provide high-
quality constituent services, and tend to generate a high local or state prole
through these activities. Effective ombudsmen in Congress include Sen. Joni
Ernst (R-IA), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep.
Rob Wittman (R-VA).
Ombudsmen are sometimes motivated to take on this role because
of external factors, such as a marginal seat or overwhelming constituent
expectations, which create a constant pressure to service the needs of the folks
back home. Others are motivated by personal preferences. They get greater
gratication from taking care of tangible and manageable problems of their
constituents than they do from engaging in broad and complex policy debates
that may take years to resolve. They also may be more interested in advancing
their careers within the state than within Congress. To them, becoming
governor carries more attraction than becoming a powerful committee chair.
The vehicles ombudsmen use to achieve their ends include: serving on
committees that can provide economic development funds or services to
their communities and their constituents (i.e., House/Senate Appropriations,
Agriculture, Small Business and Veterans’ Affairs; House Transportation and
Infrastructure/Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation; House Natural
Resources/Senate Energy and Natural Resources); obtaining federal grants for
their districts or states (which usually requires committing staff resources to
this end); joining regional and industry caucuses
(e.g., the Border Caucus or the Steel Caucus);
working closely with the state delegation on
local matters; working with the local or state
political parties; and getting their messages out
through the local or state media.
Statesman
Statesmen are Members who view themselves as serving in Congress to do
“what is right” for the country, rather than what is politically expedient. They
may advocate for specic legislative ends, reforming the process or protecting
the institution. Their objective is to promote what they view as good public
policy without alienating themselves from the legislative and party insiders.
Statesmen, after all, seek to rise above the political fray only when they believe
it is necessary, rather than operate as an outside critic. They understand that
they can exercise both internal and external power so long as they are not
viewed by their colleagues as being unreasonable in negotiations or using their
Statesmen...
...view themselves as
serving in Congress to do
“what is right” for the
country, rather than what is
politically expedient. ■
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 131
rhetoric to damage the insiders. As a result, statesman criticisms, while vocal,
are usually not shrill or alienating. This is in contrast to the outsiders, who
view their jobs as speaking the truth regardless of the political consequences.
Statesmen sometimes enthusiastically pursue this role because it ts the
skeptical way they view the political process and/or the principled role they
envision for their political careers. Other Members gravitate over time to this
role less by choice than by t. They don’t enjoy the legislative leveraging
surrounding them, and/or they are unsuccessful in integrating themselves into
the insider roles. Instead, they work the legislative process when it meets their
needs but also assume the role of conscience of the process. This allows them
to speak independently, and try to generate a national prole and national
attention for their views. Members who could t this role include the late Sen.
John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ),
and former Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA).
Statesmen are frequently characterized as policy “wonks” with views
that do not follow party doctrine or ideology. They have excellent oral and
written communication skills. They do not enjoy the “schmoozing” and
politicking of the legislative insiders and have little interest in controlling
party machinery or taking on the organizational tasks of the party insiders.
As demonstrated by the names listed above, statesmen can become inuential
players, even if they are not embraced by their leadership or do not spend
extensive time forming close ties with dozens of their colleagues. They use
their formidable policy knowledge and communication skills to deliver their
message through the national media. Their success in reaching a national
audience often compels their colleagues in Congress to change direction and
address their concerns.
House freshmen or sophomores usually cannot quickly assume the role of
statesmen, but junior Members can aspire to this role and lay the groundwork
for it early in their careers. Senators, on the other hand, can assume this role
more easily because of their larger prole and greater access to the press.
Not surprisingly, statesmen often operate fairly
independently of their party and pursue a career
path that could lead to being considered for
President, Vice President, a cabinet appointment,
or to taking on public policy jobs outside of
Congress that allow them to communicate their
ideas, and ideals, unencumbered by politics.
Outsider
Outsiders share many of the statesmen’s predilections and discomfort with the
legislative and political process, but they choose to express themselves more
Outsiders...
...dene themselves as
critics of the system or
advocates of a single
issue. ■
132
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
boldly. They dene themselves primarily as critics of the system or advocates
of a single issue. Consequently, rather than trying to straddle the insider and
outsider roles as do the statesmen, they accept and usually embrace being an
outsider. Their tactics frequently create resentment within the institution, as
they try to inuence policymaking by framing the debate through their public
rhetoric rather than through the regular legislative process.
Outsiders usually gravitate to the role when they recognize that they do not
have the interest or skill to assume the other roles. They tend to be impatient
with the pace, tactics and ground rules of the insiders’ game, and unwilling to
or uncomfortable with forging personal ties with their colleagues or abiding by
the ideology or wishes of their party. Outsiders are usually risk-takers who steer
away from the safe path and are interested in using their seats as a platform to
communicate their ideas, if not to make laws. The critical skill required of this
role is the ability to communicate effectively through the media. Outsiders use
op-eds, social media, relationships with reporters, and alliances with like-
minded Members and advocacy groups outside of Congress to get their message
out. They seek to dene themselves through independence from the institution,
yet utilize their seat as the source of their credibility. Some examples are Sen.
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI).
Using this role to create a successful career in Congress presents a great
many risks. Relying on media interest in what you have to say is far more
difcult than relying on good committee assignments. And the conventional
rule of thumb used to be that once you blatantly opposed party elders, you were
forever condemned to a career as an outsider. However, over the past decade,
some Members have used this role to effectively transition to an insider role.
For example, former Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA) spent his early years in
Congress as part of the “Gang of Seven,” a group of rebellious Republicans
who protested the abuses of the House Bank and Post Ofce. His position as
an outsider seemed cemented when he wore a paper bag over his head during
a oor speech to indicate his shame at the scandals. When the Republicans
took control of the House, they instituted some of the internal reforms called
for by this group of rebrands, and Nussle was given a leadership position
as chair of the Budget Committee. Later the president tapped him to become
director of the Ofce of Management and Budget. Nussle moved from
renegade to a cabinet-level position, from a clear outsider to an inside player.
More recently, former Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) made a similar transition.
The successes of Nussle, Mulvaney, and other
Members in this outsider/maverick role makes it
more attractive and somewhat less risky to Members
today than in the past. However, the dangers of
assuming this primary role are still signicant.
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 133
Balancing Major and Minor Roles
Members can choose to “major” in one of the ve roles and “minor” in
another role. This strategy allows some Members to expand their reach and
capability, and modify the political image that selecting only one role creates.
For example, a statesman who wants to command national attention to their
views, but is concerned that this national prole may create political problems
back home, may take on the secondary role of ombudsman. Similarly, a
legislative insider who spends most of their energy working within their
primary committee may decide they should also invest some time in the party
insider role, thereby supporting and building helpful ties to the party. In short,
developing the right t often requires balancing the right two roles.
Of course, not all roles are compatible, and developing your role
in Congress calls for more than choosing the one or two that are most
attractive. It requires choosing two roles that work well together. For example,
a legislative insider cannot credibly decide on occasion to assume the
outsider role and passionately criticize the institution and its leaders without
their legislative work paying a high cost. A party leader who uses the party’s
machinery to leverage desired outcomes cannot also operate as a statesman,
a Member above the political fray. An ombudsman who quietly works with
colleagues on Appropriations to obtain funding for projects in their district
cannot also spend some of their political capital as an outsider, criticizing the
system and the insiders they rely upon in their primary role.
In addition, trying to take on more than two roles — which Members
frequently do — can lead to serious problems. Members often want to remain
as exible as possible so they can respond to a wide range of options. They
assume, incorrectly, that straddling 3-5 roles actually allows Members to
effectively play musical chairs with
these different roles: shape a party
strategy one week, broker a deal
in a committee mark-up the next,
speak out boldly against their party’s
interests soon after and still work
with legislative insiders to get funding for a road project in their district when
they need it. Obviously, this perception is false.
Congress as an institution respects and trusts Members who specialize or
who take the time to develop process or substantive expertise. These Members
are rewarded with added responsibilities from the legislative and party
insiders and the goodwill of their colleagues. These rewards can be parlayed
“ Trying to take on more than two roles —
which Members frequently do — can lead to
serious problems.”
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
134
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
into increasing effectiveness or power. In contrast, Members tend to dismiss
colleagues who do not do their homework to develop expertise, yet still seek
to operate as insiders. These Members run the sizeable risk of being viewed by
their colleagues as “lightweights” or “dilettantes” and rendered ineffectual by
the institution.
Selecting Your Role
Sometimes Members consciously choose a role to pursue. More often, though,
the Member gravitates towards a role as their career progresses. In this latter
case, “selecting your role” is probably better understood as simply recognizing
which way the forces are taking you, and not standing in the way of your
progress. The process of consciously choosing your role or your “t” requires
analyzing and balancing four factors:
1. An understanding of your personal strengths and weaknesses and
how they match the activities of Congress.
2. Clarity about your mission or, broadly speaking, what you hope
to accomplish through your tenure in Congress (see Chapter 11,
“Strategic Planning,” for details on developing a mission statement).
3. Clarity about the needs of your district or state.
4. Clarity about your political circumstances (i.e., your electoral
strength, constituent expectations, future political plans, and the
general political climate).
Analyzing these factors will lead some Members to reach easy conclusions
about the role or roles that they want to pursue because their strengths and
interests coincide neatly with the needs of their district or state and their
political circumstances. For most Members, however, deciding on a role will
require balancing competing interests.
A second-term House Member, for example, wanted to pursue the
legislative insider role and was well-suited to excel in this role. However, he
recognized that his constituents may not understand or support this focus. The
Representative decided that rather than making the legislative insider role his
primary role, he would make it his secondary role. Instead, to strengthen his
base, he would make the ombudsman role his primary role for another term,
and he hoped he would be able to switch these roles in two years.
In another case, district needs and political circumstances suggested that
a freshman Member should take on the role of outsider. His very popular
predecessor t that role well and his populist constituents expected he would
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 135
assume a similar role. The Member, however, expressed concern that he may
not possess the communication skills or the temperament of his predecessor
to succeed in such an independent role. He decided to focus on the statesman
role that would allow him to speak out on issues from time to time, while
still relying on the benets of the legislative process to build a track record of
accomplishment.
In most cases, the most telling factor on this list — and the factor that
deserves the greatest attention — is understanding your strengths and
weaknesses. Socrates’ admonition to “know thyself” is as relevant to 21
st
century U.S. Members of Congress as it was to the young men he taught in
ancient Greece over two thousand years ago. Many junior Members have a
clear vision of the type of Member they would like to be. They may base this
vision on a legislative role model that they admire. The problem with this
approach is that they may not have the skills, personality or temperament to
play that role.
Coming to grips with how your personal attributes match the congres-
sional workplace is the most difcult step in this process. It may require
self-analysis that you have never done before. It may also require confront-
ing some painful realities, such as: you don’t have the intellectual bent to
play the statesman role; you don’t have the people skills to succeed in the
legislative insider role; you don’t have the political acumen or organizing
skills necessary to become an effective party insider; or you don’t have the
media skills to succeed in the outsider role. But remember, closing some
doors allows you to open others that are better suited to you.
To conduct an honest self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses, you
should not rely solely on self-judgment. Instead, seek feedback from those who
know you well. Good options to turn to are former and present colleagues, your
key staff, your spouse/partner and close friends. Better yet, get your kitchen
cabinet together and ask them what they see as your strengths and weaknesses,
and in what role or roles they think
you can excel. Do they see you
as a strong negotiator, great with
managing details, or a visionary
thinker? Are you better at analyzing
than communicating, or better at
strategizing than implementing?
The feedback you receive will help
you make choices about the roles you should play. Figure 9-1 (on the following
page) summarizes the previous discussion of the ve roles to help you and your
kitchen cabinet talk through these options.
“ Get your kitchen cabinet together and ask
them what they see as your strengths and
weaknesses, and in what role or roles they
think you can excel.”
136
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Figure 9-1
Congressional Role Selection Chart
Personal Attributes
• Enjoys working the
legislative process
• Interested in developing
legislative expertise
• Excellent people skills
• Eective negotiator and
alliance builder
Vehicles of Power
• Committee structure;
legislative process
• Coordinating with the party
leadership
• National media
• Alliances with special
interest groups
Role
Goals
• Advocating ideological
interests and/or making
the legislative process
work
• Accumulating more
legislative power;
rising up the committee
ladder
•
Inuencing the process by
inuencing debate through
rhetoric and criticism
• Advocating change or new
approaches
• Wanting to be viewed as
bold and honest, willing
to do “what is right” or
challenging the status quo
• Promoting the interests
and ideology of their party
• Attaining more power by
moving up through the
party structure
• Party leadership positions
and assignments
• Committees that
exercise inuence over
the institution and the
legislative process
• National media
• Alliances with local/state
party ocials
• Interested in big picture,
rather than details of
legislation
• Skilled at organizing and
strategizing
• Interested, skilled
in electoral politics
•
Excellent media/
communications skills
• Promoting the interests
of the district/state and
providing outstanding
constituent services
• Receiving high visibility
back home
• Committees that can
provide aid and services to
communities
• Federal grants
• Regional and industry
caucuses
• Local and/or state media
• More service-minded than
ideologically-minded
• Interested in tangible
outcomes rather than
broad policy questions
OmbudsmanStatesman
• Advocating good public
policy, doing “what is
right” vs. politically
expedient
• Wanting to be viewed as
rising above the political
fray when appropriate
• Exercising both internal
and external power
• Committee structure;
legislative process
• National media
• Alliances with legislative
and party insiders
• More interested in big
picture ideas than the
details of legislation
• Doesn’t enjoy courting
colleagues and engaging
in insider politics
• Excellent media/
communication skills
• Enjoys playing with and
framing ideas
• National media
• Joining ideologically-based
caucuses
•
Alliances with advocacy
groups
Legislative InsiderParty InsiderOutsider
• Comfortable operating
independently, rather
than as part of a team
• Doesn’t enjoy courting
colleagues and engaging
in insider politics
• Outspoken and
sometimes risk-taking
• Excellent media/
communications skills
CHAPTER NINE Dening Your Role in Congress 137
Changing Roles
What do you do if, after a couple of years, you decide you are traveling down
the wrong path? The answer is, you modify your choices. Finding the right t
in such a complex institution as Congress may take some experimentation and
ne-tuning. Assumptions about your skills, your interests, or what you nd
rewarding may prove to be incorrect. The insight you gain from these decisions
and experiences will allow you to modify your role, improve your t, and
succeed in Congress. The costliest and most common mistake is not selecting
the wrong role, but selecting none at all.
It is also possible that over time you come to realize that you have outgrown
the role or roles you previously selected. You can, of course, decide to change
roles. But, as in college, the cost of changing “majors” is far greater in your
senior year than in your sophomore year. Consequently, instead of making
major changes, Members are more inclined to make minor modications.
Generally speaking, most Members who change roles do not take on brand new
roles. Rather, they switch their major and minor roles. This is the hope of the
second term Representative discussed earlier. If he succeeds in making his seat
safe, he will focus greater attention on his legislative duties, and somewhat less
attention on his constituent service duties.
Conclusion
In this chapter, we have tried to provide both freshman and veteran Members
guidance on how to thrive within the entrepreneurial culture of Congress.
A successful career in Congress usually requires Members to seek to ll
one or two roles and recognize that they cannot successfully pursue all ve
available. Congress rewards those who specialize and who follow a path
of becoming outstanding at a few aspects of their job, rather than trying to
excel at all of them. The difcult challenge facing Members is to decide
what specialization best suits them. This task requires that Members take
the time to gure out where their skills, interests and needs match the work
requirements of Congress. Freshman Members who go through the selection
process outlined in this chapter will develop greater clarity about how to plan
and develop their careers. Veteran Members should use this analysis to check
their past choices, and if it makes sense, develop a new strategy that better
suits their needs and goals.
138
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Dening Your Role in Congress
Do...
Don’t...
•
gure out the right role for you in
Congress by analyzing and balancing:
1. your personal strengths and weaknesses
2. your mission in Congress
3. the needs of your district/state
4. your political circumstances
•
dene your role as one of the following:
1. Legislative Insider
2. Party Insider
3. Ombudsman
4. Statesman
5. O utsider
•
determine if you want to “major”
in one role and “minor” in another.
Balancing two compatible roles can lead to
increased eectiveness and power.
•
operate opportunistically without
the benet of dening your role.
Members adopting too large a range of
issues can work very hard but accomplish
little.
CHAPTER
NINE
CHAPTER TEN
The Member’s Role as
Leader of the Ofce
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The Member’s role as leader of the ofce
✩ How to create a positive ofce culture
✩ How to assess and improve your leadership style
✩ How to address common leadership problems
Most freshman Members of Congress come to their new jobs with minimal
management experience. The majority of recently elected Members, for
example, served previously as public ofcials and lawyers. While they
handled signicant responsibilities in these jobs, they were not responsible for
leading and overseeing an entire organization. Even those who’ve had previous
management experience quickly learn that Congress is a unique institution
with its own culture and unique organizational demands.
New Members tend to come to their new jobs believing that the necessary
ingredients for success in Congress are the personal talents responsible
for their past successes: political savvy, good conceptual skills, excellent
interpersonal skills, an abnormally strong work ethic, a drive to succeed, and
perseverance. Most come to realize, however, that success in Congress requires
a strong ofce operation as much as personal abilities. Consequently, it is
critical that Members learn to become effective leaders of their ofces. The
advice in this chapter is based upon years of experience during which CMF has
analyzed dozens of House and Senate personal ofces, interviewed hundreds
of personal ofce staff, and worked with dozens of Members and Chiefs of
Staff in improving the effectiveness of their ofces.
139
140
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Member as Leader
Most of the best-managed ofces in Congress follow a basic formula: The
Member is the leader of the ofce, responsible for setting the course or
direction of the ofce. The senior management staff (e.g., Chief of Staff,
Legislative Director, District or State Director) are the managers responsible
for the ofce’s day-to-day operations and for ensuring that activities supporting
the leader’s goals are effectively carried out. As the leader of your ofce, you,
the Member, will:
1. Decide where you want to go and set a direction for the ofce.
2. Articulate and “sell” this direction to the staff so that they are excited
about their jobs and have a clear understanding of how to prioritize
their work.
3. Help develop the general strategy or plan for how to achieve the goals
set out.
4. Create a productive “organizational culture” that permeates the work of
the entire ofce.
5. Make critical decisions and solve critical problems related to the
achievement of the ofce’s strategic priorities.
6. Empower the staff by delegating to them authority and responsibility to
execute the plan.
Of course, this is not the sum total of a Member’s duties, nor of the
functions to which you ought to be devoting the majority of your time. You are
also responsible for a wide range of activities that, for the most part, cannot
be delegated: learning the issues, casting votes in committee and on the oor,
meeting and negotiating with other Members and legislative interests, meeting
with constituents and attending district/state events, and speaking with local
and national reporters. However, you must recognize that you cannot escape
your ofce leadership responsibilities (though many Members try).
Members will be able to focus on these leadership responsibilities when
they delegate to the Chief of Staff and other senior management the following
management duties:
1. Implementing the ofce plans to achieve the stated goals.
2. Supervising the staff, answering the majority of daily questions, and
resolving the majority of the regular decisions and problems that arise.
3. Ensuring that the routine functions and systems of the personal ofce
are carried out effectively (i.e., mail, casework, press, scheduling).
4. Apprising the Member of the general activities of the ofce and involv-
ing the Member in the range of issues that require Member input.
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 141
For this division of responsibilities to work effectively, three essential
conditions must be met:
Members must have or develop good leadership skills. Some Members will
bring these skills to the job, while others will need to make concerted efforts to
cultivate them.
The Chief of Staff and/or the other senior management staff must have
excellent management skills. If the staff responsible for following through on
the Member’s priorities lack the requisite management skills, the Member will,
quite rightly, feel compelled to oversee much of the day-to-day operations.
A high degree of trust must exist between the Member and the Chief of
Staff. If this relationship does not work well — if the Member is not condent
that their Chief of Staff can effectively implement their plans — the Member
once again will feel compelled to take on time-consuming responsibilities that
will impair the ofce’s effectiveness.
Organizational Culture
Dening Organizational Culture
Being a truly effective leader requires more than creating a winning vision,
making wise decisions, motivating, and empowering the staff. It also requires
creating a productive organizational culture. Every organization has a culture:
A set of rules (formal and informal), values (positive or negative), practices or
norms (prescribed and implicit), and taboos that dene the organization and
the way it works. Some organizational cultures enhance the effectiveness of an
organization, while others actually
serve to undermine it. It is the leader
who determines whether the values
and behaviors practiced and rein-
forced are productive and propel the
organization forward.
Most leaders of organizations tend
to focus their energies on clarifying
and reinforcing the formal rules, the
stated principles, and the prescribed
practices. They make the mistake of assuming that the most compelling
messages are the ones they deliver directly to their staffs in writing or orally.
They fail to realize that they communicate more powerful messages to their
staffs through indirect means, such as spontaneous comments and actions.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
“Being a truly effective leader requires more
than creating a winning vision, making wise
decisions, motivating, and empowering the
staff. It also requires creating a productive
organizational culture.”
142
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Staff members are very attentive to their boss. They know that “actions
speak louder than words.” Consequently, they pay greater attention to the
daily behavior of their boss than they do to any set of written rules or formal
statements uttered at staff meetings. Over time they interpret from this range
of experiences and observations — rst individually, then collectively — the
real ground rules by which they should operate: What angers the boss? What
pleases the boss? Which work habits are valued and which are disliked? Which
issues excite the Member and which bore them? How is displeasure expressed
and appreciation shown? What personal values are important to the boss? On
what basis do they judge others? How do they treat the staff? How do they
analyze issues? How do they solve problems, cope with stress, or respond to
conict?
The answers to these and many other little-discussed questions create an
organizational culture that reects the preferences, values, and work style
of the leader. The workers then begin conforming their behavior to meet the
expectations and rewards of the culture. In this manner, organizational culture,
more than established rules, denes how people work. In addition, the culture
transmits the informal ground rules to new staff. Cultural values become self-
enforcing. This is the power of organizational culture. Once established, the
culture tends to continue to shape the behavior of the staff even if management
tries to change the way the organization functions.
The Power of Culture in Congressional Ofces
There are few organizations in which the leader has a greater opportunity to
dene the culture of their organization than in a congressional ofce. Staff
understand that they are not working for this large institution called the U.S.
Congress, but that they serve as “at-will” employees of their individual Senator
or Representative. And most congressional staff like it that way. They seek jobs
where they can work for someone in whom they believe, and with like-minded
colleagues, rather than working in large bureaucratic organizations where rank
and experience are far more important than convictions and initiative. They ex-
pect you, the Member, to have your own set of political ideals, personal values,
and professional ambitions. They view their job as understanding your psyche
— the underlying motivations of your actions or positions — so they can think
and act in accordance with your wishes.
In Congress, the Member’s political ideals, personal values, and
professional ambitions are the basis of the ofce’s culture. Your primary
leadership duty is to present your ideals and values in a way that inspires
your staff to adopt them, and motivates them to do their best work to achieve
the shared ends of the ofce. If you do this job well, you will nd that the
range of management issues facing you and your ofce will get resolved
MANAGEMENT FACT
79% of congressional
staff rated their
overall ofce culture
as very important to
their job satisfaction,
but only 41% were
very satised with this
aspect.
Source: “Life in Congress: Job
Satisfaction and Engagement
of House and Senate Staff,”
Congressional Management
Foundation and Society for
Human Resource Management
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 143
effectively without your input. Correspondingly, if you fail to create a positive
organizational culture, you will nd that hiring talented managers and
designing effective systems will not protect you from seemingly intractable
management problems.
Consequently, it is critical that Members of Congress, especially freshman
Members, take time to consciously think about the type of culture they want to
create for their ofces and how they intend to create it.
Creating a Positive, Motivating Ofce Culture
We have found through our research, training, and one-on-one work with
congressional ofces that the most productive ofces in Congress tend to have
Members who share the following overriding characteristics:
1. The Member has a clear mission and goals, about both what the ofce
should do and how it should do it, which the staff understand and admire.
2. The Member operates day-to-day, in public and private, according to
consistent personal values that the staff respect.
3. The Member treats the staff with trust and respect, clearly conveying
that they are the Member’s most important asset.
These Member practices almost always create a culture within which staff
adopt the Member’s values and work style, commit themselves to achieving
the Member’s goals, and work effectively as a team committed to common
ends and common values.
The Importance of Mission and Values
The most effective leaders, in Congress as elsewhere, are those who under-
stand that staff want more than clarity in their work; they seek meaning and
value through their work. They want to be committed to something of higher
purpose than their own job satisfaction and nancial well-being. It doesn’t
have to be global in nature or gran-
diose in scope. It just has to give
them the feeling that their work is
important and has meaning.
In a congressional ofce, the
staff will develop such a sense
of purpose when they respect the
ambitions of their boss as well
as develop a personal respect for the Member’s values. When this occurs, a
positive organizational culture will develop around the Member. Moreover,
for such a positive culture to truly ourish, the Member must actively model
the values or goals they espouse. In other words, through the power of
example, great leaders provide meaning and purpose to the work of others,
and inspire those around them to produce their best work. This holds true
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
“The most effective leaders, in Congress as
elsewhere, are those who understand that staff
want more than clarity in their work; they seek
meaning and value through their work.”
144
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
in Congress as it does in corporations, government agencies, the military,
schools, and sports teams.
In one Senate ofce, for example, an active and dynamic Member refused
to “horse-trade” on any legislative votes, believing that horse-trading, although
frequently expedient, pollutes the integrity of the policymaking process. Over
time, his steadfast compliance with this value created a devoted staff that took
great pride in doing things “above board” and “going the extra mile necessary
for winning the votes on the merits.”
A bright and energetic House Member preached the value of “innovation.”
He regularly pushed himself and his staff to look beyond the issues on the
front-burner, to “look for new ideas and create new solutions.” The ofce
was dynamic, exciting, and unusually creative in their approach to everything
from policy initiatives to ofce leave policy. The ofce was not without its
problems, but the staff loved their work and deeply admired their boss for
his intelligence, hard work, and trust in the creative intelligence of young but
talented staff.
In another House ofce, the Representative spoke passionately to her
staff about providing exceptional constituent services. She regularly spoke
of “caring for our constituents,” “treating our constituents with dignity
and respect,” and “using our considerable resources to make their lives
better if we can.” Many Members of Congress seek the political benets
of providing excellent constituent services, but this Member exhibited
genuine compassion for her constituents, even insisting on getting involved
in critical casework matters. Arguably,
calling agency ofcials on behalf of
constituents is not an optimal use of a
Member’s time. However, her advocacy
for people in need dened the ofce and
fostered tremendous staff respect for
their boss. As a result, her staff provided
unsurpassed constituent services in both
Washington and the district that aptly
reected the compassion of their boss.
In short, congressional staff will go
through re for Members they admire.
They will make signicant personal
sacrices if they believe that what they are
doing is important. Rarely will they do the
same for a boss whose values and goals
they do not respect.
CMF Democracy Awards
CMF created a distinctive
honors program – the Democracy
Awards – to recognize non-
legislative achievement and
performance in congressional
ofces and by Members of
Congress.
Categories for recognition
include Constituent Service,
Innovation and Modernization,
“Life in Congress” Workplace
Environment, Transparency
and Accountability, and
Lifetime Achievement. Learn
more about our honorees and
how your ofce can apply at
CongressFoundation.org.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 145
Creating a Culture that Values Staff
Congressional staff have to contend with very demanding working conditions:
long and unpredictable hours; little to no job security; low pay; frequent
underemployment; lack of public recognition; and cramped quarters.
Yet, top talent from our best colleges, law schools, and graduate schools
come to Washington every year seeking that “prestigious” congressional job.
Hill staff tend to be young, well-educated, inexperienced, idealistic, ambitious,
assertive, and impatient. In other words, they tend to be talented and green.
The Members who bestow a genuine sense of trust, respect, and apprecia-
tion on their staffs enjoy the incalculable benet of loyal, committed, and
motivated staffs. Unfortunately, many Members who do not do this well pay
the customary price: high job turnover, loss of ofce productivity, insufcient
institutional memory, lack of ofce continuity and teamwork, and Member
anxiety. Frequently, the Members who lead these ofces explain away these
problems with the mistaken refrain, “If only I could nd the right people.”
In the best ofces, the Members understand that loyalty is a two-way
street. It is not bought simply by providing staff with jobs they seek. It is
earned over time and regularly reinforced. In short, these leaders understand
that their staffs are their most important resource and treat them accordingly.
Specically, the best Members (and Chiefs of Staff):
Openly share information with their staffs. Discussing the challenging is-
sues facing you is the most exciting component of the job for many staffers. It
creates staff ownership in the ofce and offers great opportunities to learn the
process and how you think, and demonstrates to them that you trust them and
value their opinions.
Seek staff input whenever possible. Such behavior conveys that you value
staff ideas and analytic abilities, even from staff whose daily duties do not pri-
marily involve conceptual thinking. It also frequently leads to interesting and
worthwhile discussions that improve decision-making and let staff exercise
their problem-solving skills.
Provide regular feedback, both positive and negative, to staff. Highly moti-
vated staff want to know when they have succeeded and how they can perform
their jobs better. Through constructive, honest feedback, well-managed ofces
build staff condence, job satisfaction, and enthusiasm as well as greater
understanding of the Member’s style and preferences. Be sure to follow the
Marine Corps leadership maxim: “Praise in public, condemn in private.”
Take a personal interest in the professional development of staff. Most
personal ofce staff are young and take jobs in Congress soon after graduat-
ing from college. They seek to develop their professional skills and to clarify
their career interests.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
146
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Empower their staff. They give staff the authority to solve problems, make
decisions, take on difcult assignments, and generate their own projects or
initiatives. In this way, staff will be challenged to grow in their jobs, expand
their skills, and enhance the quality of their work. These practices let staff
know that they are responsible for the overall effectiveness of the ofce, not
just the quality of their own work.
Celebrate and reward accomplishments. Events move so quickly in
Congress that it can be difcult to take time out to celebrate and enjoy the
successes. But a small get-together, a nice note, bonus pay, lunch with a staffer,
a public acknowledgment of their work, or a personal gift are all small, but
important ways that ofces show their appreciation of valued staff. It also
helps carry staff through the more arduous and frustrating periods when they
are struggling to move legislation or to assist needy constituents.
Unproductive Ofce Cultures
Quite simply put, Members create negative or unproductive cultures by not
doing those things that create positive organizational cultures. These Members
(and Chiefs of Staff):
Fail to display clear, consistent values through action. Over time staff
will dene the ofce culture based upon their needs and their experience in
coping with the inconsistency or lack of clarity in the ofce. In one ofce, for
example, a Member insisted his staff meet deadlines but routinely failed to do
so himself. This contradictory message created problems. Staff were resentful
of a demanding and hypocritical
boss who essentially told them to
“do as I say and not as I do.” Staff
responded to their frustrations over
time by simply letting deadlines
slip. Meanwhile, the Member
tolerated this situation rather than
having to confront the staff and
face his own poor work habits. Over several years, the staff’s cynicism about
deadlines became an entrenched and unproductive cultural value that dened
the work of the ofce.
Promote mistrust of others, dishonesty or laziness. Put commitment to
personal success ahead of the public good. When confronted with these
types of leadership values, staff either learn to treat their work as a job rather
than a source of growth, conviction, or meaning in their lives, or get out. Nei-
ther option contributes to a dynamic, high quality organization.
Treat staff like expendable parts rather than valued and respected
partners. Unfortunately, too many ofces do not feel the need to invest in their
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
“There is a culture on the Hill that says that
you should be grateful to work here and if you
are unhappy there are many people waiting to
take your place.”
— House staffer
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 147
staff. This approach has many drawbacks — for the staff and for the ofce as
a whole. It will reduce staff loyalty, motivation, initiative, morale and enthu-
siasm. Turnover also affects ofce productivity and increases the workload
on the rest of the staff, not to mention the added costs and labor involved in
hiring, onboarding, and training new staff.
Members who follow any or all of these three courses essentially forfeit
the opportunity to create a positive culture and an effective ofce. Their staffers
are rarely loyal or committed to any higher purpose other than using the job as
a stepping stone to something better. The culture does not motivate staff to
work to their full potential, and the Member is frequently frustrated with the
lack of quality work they receive.
Members who fail to create healthy, productive cultures are left to
lead primarily by virtue of their position in the chain of command. But fear
of authority does not yield the same result as personal commitment to an
admired leader.
Assessing and Understanding Your Leadership Style
Why Is Your Leadership Style Important?
Part of the process of shaping your culture is understanding how you are
perceived by the people you supervise and the impact you have on them.
The better you understand your own leadership style, the more effective you
will be in dening the culture you seek. Lack of awareness of the strengths and
weaknesses of your leadership style leads to practices that underutilize ofce
strengths, demoralize staff and seriously impede ofce productivity.
Assessing and Understanding Your Leadership Style
The rst step in the process is to get some honest feedback from colleagues
who have worked with you and for you. For veteran Members that’s easy. You
have a staff of people — most of whom believe they are experts on the subject
of your strengths and weaknesses — who can provide valuable comments
about your leadership style.
However, it may be difcult for you to get honest feedback from your staff
on personal and sensitive issues such as your ability to: communicate with
them, remain focused, provide feedback, make decisions, work collaboratively
or motivate them. You can’t simply ask a couple of staff members into your
ofce one evening while waiting around for votes and ask them to discuss what
they think of your leadership style and skills.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
148
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Instead, we recommend that you use condential methods that allow staff
to offer their candid views without the risk of punishment or the discomfort of
confronting you with potentially disturbing criticism. Consider:
1. Developing a survey seeking staff evaluation of your leadership
skills. Free online surveys are easy to use, allow staff to maintain
their anonymity, and automatically tabulate the results. CMF can
work with you to develop the survey so that it assesses appropriate
leadership attributes.
2. Having someone, such as a consultant or an outsider you and your
staff trust, run a condential discussion with four to six staff assessing
your leadership strengths and weaknesses. That person can then
provide you with a summary of the key issues on which there was
general consensus.
3. Attending a management or leadership training program. These in-
tensive, several-day-long programs provide feedback to the partici-
pants through analysis of a range of questionnaires you and your
staff complete on your management practices and beliefs. (Ofces
interested in conducting this feedback process can call CMF at 202-
546-0100 for advice and/or assistance.)
Freshman Members will have to be a bit more industrious to get some
quality feedback. However, there are a couple of possible approaches to explore.
First, if you served as a manager prior to your election to Congress, you can
contact your former colleagues or employees and ask for their assessment of
your management style and skills, or you could have someone make these
contacts on your behalf. Second, you can wait three to six months into your
rst term and then survey or interview your rst-term staff. The downside
to this approach is that some avoidable damage may occur in the six-month
start-up period.
Another strategy for freshmen to consider is establishing a regular monthly
meeting with your Chief of Staff or management team at the beginning of your
rst term to evaluate each other’s performance. For this approach to succeed,
you will need to overcome the previously mentioned reluctance of staff to
speak frankly on this subject at open meetings. This can be accomplished by
keeping the regular meeting schedule and by other words and actions that
demonstrate your sincerity in wanting and valuing staff feedback.
Using Feedback to Improve Your Leadership Skills
The feedback you receive should serve as a blueprint for improving your
leadership skills. The key to improving your leadership abilities is to make
sure you fully utilize your strengths and learn to overcome or neutralize your
weaknesses.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 149
Some weaknesses are quite easy to address. For example, some problems
spring from behavior of which Members are not aware but which are easy to
change. In one ofce with which CMF worked, the Member rarely praised or
criticized the staff. When this issue was raised, the Member acknowledged the
accuracy of the criticism, explained that he had not realized the importance of
such feedback, and was able to quickly begin to provide it.
However, many of the problems that will surface will take more work to
ameliorate. They may require developing new skills or changing some of your
present leadership inclinations. This can only be accomplished through concerted
effort and attention.
One of the best ways to modify your leadership practices is to enlist the
assistance of your Chief of Staff (or management team) in regularly scheduled
meetings. The feedback presented in the meetings should be as concrete as
possible. For example, “When you insisted on writing the speech yourself,
you undercut the Communications Director. It would have been better for
the ofce had you discussed your ideas for the speech and given Rachel a
chance to provide you a draft rather than taking action that was interpreted
as a demonstration of your lack of condence in her.” Such meetings create
a constructive two-way dialogue that promotes not only the skills of the
Member, but also the skills of management staff and the building of a cohesive
management team.
Finally, there may be some problems Members simply cannot or will not
correct. In these cases, CMF has found it is necessary for the ofce, specically
the Chief of Staff and the Member, to construct an alternative strategy for
containing the problem. For example, one Member realized that he was
too tough on staff, ran too tight a ship and, to make matters worse, failed
to balance criticisms with praise even when it was clearly deserving. His
staff, not surprisingly, were demoralized and hostile to their talented but
unappreciative boss. After a talk about the signicant problems his style was
causing in his ofce, he and his Chief of Staff developed a strategy. The Chief
would provide all positive and negative oral feedback to the staff, but would
also regularly ask the Member to write notes of praise to staff when appropriate.
Consequently, the Member was relieved of duties he neither performed well
nor liked to do. These changes did not make an uncomfortable manager into a
better leader; but they did make for a better organization by meeting some of
the staff’s needs and minimizing their discomfort with their boss.
In the above case the Member was fortunate to have a Chief of Staff who
had many of the skills her boss lacked. She was able to compensate for a
signicant leadership weakness of her boss. If Members recognize their
weaknesses, they can hire management staff who bring to the ofce the skills
and strengths they lack. More often than not, however, Members tend to hire
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
150
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chiefs of Staff and other key staff who share their strengths and skills rather
than compensate for their weaknesses. Part of being a good leader is
recognizing what you do well and what you do not do well and nding others
to ll the holes in the organization.
How to Address the Two Common
Leadership Problems
In this next section, we will discuss the two primary pitfalls Members of
Congress face that impede the development of highly productive ofces: the
inability to make trade-offs and the urge to micromanage.
Problems in Making the Hard Trade-offs
The most common problem CMF encounters in our work in Congress is the in-
ability of Members to set priorities and balance their reach with their resources.
Bound by campaign promises to the district/state, the needs of individual con-
stituent groups, or the desire to pursue areas of personal interest or national
concern, many Members nd it difcult to choose just a few on which to
focus their energy.
The problem is that neither Senators nor Representatives have the resources
to keep an active hand in more than a few issues. Many Members, unfortunately,
deny the limits of their energy and their resources (i.e., budget and staff). They
generate new initiatives and new ideas almost daily and do not take kindly to
staff suggestions that the ofce lacks
the resources to take on new projects.
Consequently, they overburden them-
selves and their staffs, wreak havoc on
the systems and morale of the ofce,
forfeit their leadership responsibili-
ties to make the hard trade-offs, and
nd that for all of their Herculean efforts they have accomplished very little
because they are spread so thin.
To be an effective Member and run an effective ofce, you must make
strategic choices about what you and your staff will and will not do. This
approach can frequently mean bypassing attractive press events, forgoing
issues that excite you personally, angering valued constituents, and disap-
pointing your staff. You can’t do it all any more than the federal budget
can support all the important and worthwhile needs of the country.
“The most common problem CMF encounters
in our work in Congress is the inability of
Members to set priorities and balance their
reach with their resources.”
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 151
Remember The “Vasa”: A
Lesson in Micromanagement
and Too Many Priorities
For those Members of Congress
who micromanage their ofce opera-
tions or keep adding new initiatives to
the ofce agenda — we encourage you
to consider the tale of the Vasa.
In the early 17
th
century, the new
King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus,
wanted to create the mightiest of war-
ships ever built, the “Vasa.” He hired
the best ship makers and laid before
them his grandiose portrait of his mag-
nicent vessel. Once informed of their
leader’s directions, the ship builders
went about their business and began
designing and then constructing an
amazing ship. The king took an unusual
interest in construction, examining
every detail. He directed the builders
to double the number of guns and to
change the basic engineering of the
ship to make room for articles of vanity
like statues.
Finally, the day came when the Vasa
was completed and was to set sail on
its maiden voyage. King Adolphus
stood proudly, marveling at the won-
drous creation standing before him
in the harbor. The Vasa pulled away
and red a mighty shot from its impos-
ing gun deck. But then, suddenly, the
ship began to rock back and forth. The
crew ran from side to side to try and
balance out the weight, but they could
not prevent disaster. The overweight and
imperfectly designed ship sank within
minutes.
The moral of this 17
th
century story
applied to a 21
st
century Congress?
First, hire the best staff you can, provide
them clear direction, but then let them
manage the day-to-day activities of the
ofce. Second, you cannot continually
add new priorities and new initiatives
to your agenda without making con-
scious and difcult trade-offs. If you
do, your boat won’t sail well or may
even sink — regardless of your good
intentions.
■
This process starts with clarifying
your broad long-term priorities on paper
(one page or less), then developing
specic one or two-year goals for the
ofce. With clarity of purpose, and
only through clarity of purpose, the
challenge of making difcult trade-offs
becomes easier. Specically, when you
are clear about what you are trying
to achieve — your goals — you can
quickly assess if new initiatives will
support, distract or undermine your
efforts.
It’s hard for many Members to nd
the discipline to clarify their goals and
then measure all new opportunities
against those goals. But the advantages
are profound. What your ofce does do
will be done effectively; what goals are
set will have a much better chance of
being accomplished. (For an in-depth
discussion of this topic, see Chapter
11, “Strategic Planning,” in Part III of
this book.)
The Member as Micromanager
One of the most pervasive and trou-
bling management problems facing
rst- and second-term Members
is that they spend too much time
managing day-to-day details that can
be handled by staff, and too little time
focusing on their primary responsi-
bilities. Consequently, many Members
spend an inordinate amount of their
time editing every document that leaves
the ofce regardless of its relative im-
portance, serving as the decision-maker
on virtually all ofce and policy matters,
personally overseeing the major work of
their staffs, and becoming the primary
coordinator of the ofce’s work.
152
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
These relentless management tasks simply crowd out the more
important responsibilities that only the Member can perform: setting
the direction of the ofce, creating a productive organizational culture,
studying the issues, learning legislative procedure, and meeting with other
colleagues. They also limit the time the Member can devote to the essential
legislative and representational tasks of the job (e.g., attending hearings,
developing initiatives, and meeting with key constituents).
The end result of ofces where the Member is involved in all management
aspects of the ofce is almost always an ofce that is over-managed and under-
led. The staff, and frequently the Member, are sapped of their strength to
get beyond simply reacting to the daily demands of the job. The Member
is worn down by 14-hour work days in which little of signicance is
accomplished. Over time, unless this pattern changes, the Member becomes
disillusioned and begins asking if the sacrices required by the job are worth it.
Correspondingly, the staff begin losing their commitment because they lack a
sense of purpose and ownership in their work. They cannot answer the critical
questions: What are we trying to accomplish? How are we going to make it
happen? And, what is my role in this undertaking?
Transitioning from Manager to Leader
There are a number of logical reasons why Members, especially freshman
Members, are prone to focus on the management responsibilities of the job
ahead of the leadership responsibilities. They initially lack trust in the abilities
of new staff. They feel it is important early-on to understand all of the operations
of their enterprises. Many Members understandably attribute their past profes-
sional successes to their ability to manage details effectively.
All of these reasons make sense. Freshman Members should take time to
learn and measure the capabilities of their staffs and understand the general
ofce operations. However, a major rst-term management challenge is
to delegate the day-to-day operations to management staff once these ends
have been achieved. We also are not arguing that Members should have no
involvement in overseeing the work of the ofce. Rather, Members must be
very selective about which details are worth their attention and which are
best left to staff to scrutinize. After all, the more time they spend sweating the
details, the less time they have to devote to their primary roles: national policy-
makers, representatives of their constituents, and leaders of their congressional
enterprises.
We have found that the key to making this successful transition from
manager to leader of the ofce is the quality of the Member/Chief of
Staff relationship. In ofces where the Member develops a strong sense of
trust in the Chief of Staff, the Member usually is comfortable delegating
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER TEN The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce 153
management responsibilities. The ongoing tension between the Member’s
need to ensure that their thinking and style are reected in all the work of
the ofce and their need to focus on the big picture is comfortably balanced.
In contrast, when a trusting and comfortable partnership does not exist,
Members are resistant to letting someone else make decisions or oversee the
work that leaves the ofce.
Good Member/Chief of Staff relationships are not just, however, a matter
of t. They also require a good deal of discussion and continuing negotiation
about roles and expectations: What are the Member’s management duties and
which fall to the Chief of Staff? What is the Member’s role in making personnel,
budget, or policy decisions and when can the Chief of Staff act without the
Member’s approval? Neglecting to engage in these important conversations
contributes to misunderstandings that can undermine trust on both sides.
Consequently, we recommend that Members and their Chiefs of Staff, especially
in freshman ofces, discuss their roles thoroughly at the outset and then continue
to meet regularly throughout the rst term to modify their roles. Such
discussions will allow the Member to make a comfortable and orderly transition
from manager to leader.
Conclusion
Your effectiveness in Congress will be signicantly determined by your
leadership abilities — your ability to build an organization that effectively
supports you and allows both you and your staff to produce your best work.
For virtually all Members of Congress, learning to become an excellent leader
is a difcult task that requires the development of new skills and capabilities.
Many Members, unfortunately, shy away from this challenge and instead
expect their Chiefs of Staff and other staff to create outstanding ofces on
their own. They are almost always disappointed with the results. Outstanding
organizations, in business or Congress, require effective leaders.
Regardless of the leadership or management experience you bring to your
job, you can learn to become an effective leader. Leadership, like most other
skills, requires a willingness to experiment, grow, and, most importantly,
work. It cannot be learned simply by reading good management books or
talking with wise and successful leaders. Cultivating your leadership talents
will require effort and practice. We encourage you to focus some of your
energy on this task from the beginning of your career in Congress. It will pay
immense dividends down the road in the quality of your ofce as well as the
quality of your working life in Congress.
154
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
The Member’s Role as Leader of the Ofce
CHAPTER
TEN
Do...
Don’t...
•
understand that you are the leader —
not the day-to-day manager — of your oce.
•
assess and understand your leadership
style. Request honest feedback to help
you analyze your leadership strengths and
weaknesses.
•
hire a Chief of Sta whom you can trust
to manage the oce with broad guidance you
provide. If you lack condence in your Chief of
Sta, you will feel compelled to micromanage
the oce.
•
take the time to assess the capabilities
of your sta so you can feel condent in
delegating work. This will allow you to focus
the leadership responsibilities of the oce.
•
create a positive oce culture by:
having a clear mission and goals; operating
according to personal values that will result in
sta respect; and treating sta with trust and
respect.
•
create a negative culture by:
failing to adhere to clear, consistent values;
promoting the mistrust of others; making
sta feel that they are expendable.
•
deny that every oce has resource
limitations. Members who constantly
generate new initiatives and projects without
making strategic trade-os in priorities
overburden themselves and their sta and
accomplish little for their eorts.
•
neglect the Member/Chief of Sta
relationship. To work well, this relationship
requires a good deal of discussion and
negotiation about roles and expectations.
Part III:
Managing Your
Congressional Ofce
Chapter Eleven: Strategic Planning in Your Ofce .......................157
Chapter Twelve: Budgeting and Financial Management...............177
Chapter Thirteen: A Process for Managing Staff ...........................195
Chapter Fourteen: Managing Constituent Communications ...........213
Chapter Fifteen: Strategic Scheduling .........................................235
Chapter Sixteen: Managing Ethics ...............................................263
156
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Notes a series of questions. Your unique answers can help
you make decisions about managing an ofce and a career.
Alerts you to a situation which Hill ofces have found to be
problematic. Proceed with caution and pay close attention.
Notes a concept or recommendation that CMF has determined,
through its research with congressional ofces, to be helpful.
Identies an ofce or organization which you may wish to
contact for further information on the topic.
Notes a process or steps you can use in the operations of
your ofce.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Icons Used in Setting Course
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Strategic Planning
in Your Ofce
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The value of planning
✩ The steps of the planning process
✩ Tips for conducting a planning session
Planning should be no stranger to you. To win your congressional campaign,
you developed and executed a clear plan that reected your personal strengths
and interests, the concerns of your constituents, the political climate, and the
resources available to you. In CMF’s research and consulting work, we have
found that the most successful Members are those who succeed in transferring
good election planning skills to their congressional ofces.
This chapter will help you develop a strategic plan for your ofce and enjoy
the political and managerial benets that accompany good planning.
157
158
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Value of Planning
It is natural that many elected ofcials wish to be all things to all people. De-
spite the negative connotations of this sentiment, it also harbors an admirable
quality. Elected ofcials at every level want to satisfy their audiences by serv-
ing them well. Whether the crowd is a committee room full of congressional
colleagues, a school auditorium lled with parents, past campaign contribu-
tors, county workers or a group of reporters, most Members seek some way to
satisfy the audience — to meet the needs of those who ask for assistance.
This tendency is summarized in the old political adage about government
bureaucrats and politicians. Bureaucrats, it is said, are people who hate to say
“yes.” Politicians are people who hate to say “no.” Planning, and the practice
of setting goals and priorities, is the process of learning how to strategically
say “no” — of accepting that there is no Santa Claus, no free lunch, and no
way elected ofcials can do everything they want to do in Congress.
Planning for congressional ofces is the process of establishing a sensible,
exible set of overall goals and priorities that provides purpose and direction
to the ofce. It permits the elected ofcial to be a proactive leader on issues
and service programs of choice, and be reactive when desirable, not just when
political circumstances force a reaction. This means the successful plan will
reect not only what one hopes to accomplish, but also what is to be avoided.
The benets of planning are most obvious for freshman Members, who must
address a host of critical questions in the rst few months after an election:
what committee assignments to seek; what, if any, legislative issues should
receive priority attention; how much time to spend on party or leadership
matters; how many staff to hire and whether to base them in DC or the
district/state; whether to hire a highly-skilled and well-paid Communications
Director or use those resources to get a top-notch Legislative Director; how
many district/state ofces to open and where to locate them; how much time to
spend back home and what groups deserve the most attention.
All of these freshman questions can be addressed systematically if you
rst develop a clear sense of priorities, but you can’t begin to answer them in
a coherent fashion until you’ve rst articulated a strategic plan for your ofce.
And only after you’ve communicated that strategic plan to your staff can your
ofce develop a sensible rst-year budget, legislative agenda, district/state
scheduling objectives, an annual press plan, or even ofce job descriptions,
consistent with the ofce’s overall goals.
This advice is as relevant for veteran Members as it is for Members-elect.
Congress is cluttered with ofces that have little sense of direction, and the
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 159
results are predictable. These ofces usually work very hard, but because
of inadequate planning, they do not work very smart. They tend to spend
too much time shifting priorities and pursuing non-essential objectives.
They inadequately coordinate the differing ofce functions and activities.
They are overly reactive and never have enough time to follow-up on their
own initiatives. Both the Member and the staff tend to be frustrated, if not
downright disillusioned.
CMF’s research and consulting work has shown us that the general benets
of strategic planning for all ofces are substantial. They include:
• Setting clear priorities and making thoughtful trade-offs in light of those
priorities.
• Forcing both Members and staff to look at the “big picture,” rather than
constantly making decisions on the parts.
• Allowing ofces to be proactive and forward-thinking, instead of reacting
to daily events.
• Allowing ofces to develop clear strategies for accomplishing dened
goals.
• Generating a clear sense of purpose that directs and motivates the Member
and staff.
• Creating a process for rationally allocating the ofce’s resources (i.e., the
Member and staff’s time, the ofce budget).
• Expediting decision-making by establishing clear criteria to follow.
• Improving the coordination of the full range of ofce functions
(i.e., legislation, press, scheduling, casework, projects, mail and administra-
tion).
• Reducing the potential for Member and staff frustration and burnout
by focusing the ofce’s energies on a manageable plan rather than a
potpourri of initiatives.
• Providing an instrument for measuring the overall effectiveness of the ofce.
Strategic planning forces ofces to think more analytically before setting
new goals or agreeing that last year’s activities, with minor changes, should be
pursued again in the coming year. It requires anticipation of the events that
will shape the agenda (e.g., political, economic, international, national, local),
which allows the Member and staff to analytically and logically determine how
to take advantage of opportunities and guard against the events or trends that
can impede effectiveness or threaten viability.
Veteran Members and their staffs frequently are reluctant to engage in this
type of analysis because they believe it will inhibit their ability both to react
quickly to changes in the policy and political environment and to complete
their necessary routine functions. The planning CMF recommends, however,
assumes that 70 to 80 percent of a congressional ofce’s time is spent completing
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
MANAGEMENT FACT
70% to 80% of ofce
time is spent on routine
but essential functions
and reacting to events.
160
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
the routine, but essential, ofce functions and reacting to events. How the other
20 to 30 percent is utilized becomes the essential question. If no plan is in place
for guiding this “discretionary” time, the time tends to be used ineffectively —
exploring a changing array of initiatives, continuing to simply react to events,
or staying focused on the ofce routines. The strategic planning process outlined
in this chapter will help all ofces manage discretionary time more effectively
by incorporating vision, strategy, teamwork, and discipline into the ofce.
The Planning Process
What should be included in a strategic plan? What process should you follow
in developing your plan? How can you keep the plan from becoming obsolete?
There is no one best way to answer these questions. Management literature
abounds with a seemingly endless variety of planning models. What we pres-
ent here are general planning concepts and practices that CMF has found
work effectively in congressional ofces. You should adopt or modify our
recommendations as appropriate for your ofce.
In general, a planning process should incorporate an assessment of:
1. The Member’s personal goals and interests.
2. The needs and interests of the Member’s constituents.
3. Ofce strengths and weaknesses.
4. Opportunities and threats.
These decisions are best made collectively, with the input of the Member,
staff, and — sometimes — a few people from the Member’s kitchen
cabinet. The planning process benets from the staff’s insight and expertise,
and staff members receive a sense of “ownership,” which increases their
dedication and commitment to making the plan work.
The Planning Time Frame
Most congressional ofces that conduct a formal planning process meet an-
nually to produce a one-year plan. There is, however, a compelling reason
for developing a two-year plan simply because Congress operates on a two-
year calendar. Also, staff usually take longer than a year to accomplish key
goals, such as passing legislation. Furthermore, most House Members already
plan their political activities on a two-year basis because of the election cycle.
Though the two-year horizon can make planning more difcult, the longer
time frame can also lead to broader, more creative thinking.
If you choose to develop a two-year plan, however, you must also hold
at least one interim planning session to review the plan. Congress is a
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
Additional Information
The CMF publication, Keeping
It Local: A Guide for Managing
Congressional District & State
Ofces, includes a thorough
discussion on the importance of
establishing a coordinated agenda
between the DC and district/state
ofces, and the most common
planning methods.
For more information (and
complimentary copies for
congressional ofces), visit
www.CongressFoundation.org or
contact CMF at 202-546-0100.
■
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 161
dynamic environment and, unless the
ofce modies its plan to incorporate
unexpected political changes and new
information, the plan soon will be outdated
and ignored. CMF suggests that ofces
informally review and reassess their plans
every six months.
Whatever time frame you choose,
CMF also recommends that the planning
session take place between November
and March. Doing so will allow you and
your staff both to take advantage of the
usual legislative break at this time of
year and to incorporate the entire annual
legislative cycle into your plan.
The Mission Statement
Congressional ofce planning often centers on the task of surveying the
political landscape for opportunities to serve constituent needs, meet the
Member’s political objectives and affect public policy. Though seizing such
opportunities is important, it alone does not constitute effective planning.
The plan must also reect the
Member’s values, political
ambitions and personal interests.
It should inspire, motivate and
reinforce the aspirations of the
Member or else it is unlikely to
be followed. If the Member has
no clear sense of mission, short-term objectives are less likely to contribute
to any long-term accomplishments. Productivity in diverse areas over many
years doesn’t necessarily add up to any clear sense of solid achievement.
For example, during a planning session that CMF facilitated, a third-term
House Member realized that the primary reason that he decided to run for
Congress had been neglected in his ofce’s activities during his six years
in Congress. Why? Because he had never articulated it to his staff, to his
constituents, or to his colleagues in Congress. Six years of responding to the
exigencies of the political moment had led the Member away from the central
goal, the reason he ran for Congress in the rst place. When the Member nally
told his staff what his broad mission was, the priorities and work of his staff
changed dramatically to support the mission. It also gave both the Member and
his staff a clearer sense of purpose and commitment to their work.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
“ If the Member has no clear sense of mission,
short-term objectives are less likely to
contribute to any long-term accomplishments.”
162
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Conducting an Effective Planning Session
1
The Member should not dominate the session. Almost
nothing sties creative and original thinking more than having the
boss answer all of the questions raised by the process before staff analysis
and discussion. Consequently, Members must understand that their role is
as much to listen to the ideas and analysis of staff as it is to present ideas.
2
Make the session as participatory as possible. The
planning session can be exciting and exhilarating, but it can also
be slow and arduous. Staff participation is critical to making it energized
and productive. If a large number of staff is involved, break up into small
groups to do some analysis and report those ndings back to the full group.
3
Hold the meeting outside of the congressional ofce. In
the ofce, the Member and staff will be distracted and feel like it’s busi-
ness as usual. Changing the environment helps staff approach the assign-
ment with some energy and excitement. There are limits on how the ofce
may use of
cial funds, so consult the Committee on House Administration
or the Senate Rules and Administration Committee before proceeding.
4
Give staff time to prepare. With a 1-2 day session, it must be
as productive as possible. Explain the objectives ahead of time and get
staff thinking strategically beforehand by giving them specic questions to
ponder or answer. Without adequate preparation time, it will be hard for
staff to shift gears from routine, day-to-day activities to strategically analyz
-
ing the next two years.
5
Encourage creativity and original thinking through
informality. Encourage staff and the Member to dress casually and
operate informally. Promote debate, spontaneous speaking and humor.
6
If possible, use an outside facilitator. A facilitator can
assist in shaping the planning process and ensure that issues raised are
resolved fairly and expediently. If the Chief of Staff runs the session, it can
impede its effectiveness by limiting their own participation or by giving staff
the impression that the process is rigged to gain consensus for predeter
-
mined views. One option is to rotate the facilitator role among staff so that
one per
son does not control the entire process and other staff can develop
facilitating skills. CMF, which produced this book, assists congressional of-
ces with the development and execution of strategic planning sessions.
Contact CMF at 202-546-0
100 for more information.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 163
To maximize the chances of making signicant long-term accomplishments,
we recommend that the Member kick off the planning process by preparing a
written mission statement. The mission statement should clearly dene broad
yet distinctive goals that the Member hopes to accomplish while in Congress.
Many Members, when pushed to write a mission statement, offer up such
platitudes as: “To make a difference;” “To get re-elected;” “To give my
constituents the best representation possible.” These are noble aspirations, but
they offer the staff little guidance as to what vision drives the Member (and should
drive the staff), or how this mission differs from those of virtually every other
Member of Congress.
An effective mission statement should present a broad, but concrete, vision.
The themes addressed in a mission statement can focus on broad legislative
goals, constituent service goals, or political goals. Examples of workable
mission statement themes include:
• To become a leading advocate of educational reform in Congress.
• To play a lead role in my state’s economic development.
• To get elected to the Senate in this decade.
In facilitating ofce planning processes, CMF has found that many
Members operate intuitively. The challenge of the mission statement is
getting the Member to clarify and articulate the values, ambitions, and
experiences that comprise this intuition. Discussing the following questions
should help provide some clarity:
• Why did you run for Congress? What specically did you hope to
achieve if elected?
• What would you like to be remembered for at the end of your tenure
in Congress?
• Which Members of Congress do you most respect and why?
• What is your vision of America’s future?
• What values or characteristics should dene the way your staff works and
the ofce operates?
The mission statement should embody no more than four main themes, but
preferably just one or two. The more focused the mission statement, the more
direction it provides the entire staff. If a mission statement has more than four
themes, the Member has yet to make the hard choices the process demands.
An ofce can’t successfully pursue more than a few long-term goals at any
one time without spreading its resources too thinly. A quick review of the most
effective Members of Congress should demonstrate that they developed early in
their careers a clear, long-term focus — and adhered to it steadfastly.
Finally, the mission statement does not need to be revised every year or
two. Rather, it should be used as the starting point of the planning process. The
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
164
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
planning team should then review the mission statement at the start of each
Congress to make sure it still reects the Member’s long-term vision and goals.
Usually, the mission statement needs only minor alterations. However,
sometimes a Member’s mission changes signicantly. The Member decides,
for example, that they no longer want to pursue the goal of becoming a leader
in energy policy. Instead, they want to become an inuential leader within the
party. In that case, a new mission statement needs to clearly embody this new
direction and the rationale for pursuing it.
Developing Goals
Once the ofce has a broad mission statement that spells out the Member’s
long-term vision, short-term vehicles should be developed for pursuing these
broad themes. These goals should relate directly to the mission statement
and should be concrete, realistic, meaningful and achievable. Here is an
example of how a Member’s mission statement can be used to develop
short-term goals.
Several years ago, CMF worked with a Representative to draft a mission
statement that had three themes. One of the themes was to take a prominent
and national leadership role to ensure that the budget surpluses projected for
the next decade were managed wisely. Based upon that long-term theme,
the ofce developed a one-year goal of “raising the Member’s knowledge,
visibility and credibility on the issue, locally and nationally.” During the
planning session, the ofce then brainstormed options for what the Member
and ofce could do over the next 12 months to meet this goal. The team
selected a number of DC ofce activities to pursue, including organizing
lunches with the Member and some economics and federal budget experts,
introducing legislation, commissioning a GAO study, and working to get a
seat on the Budget Committee in the next Congress. Corresponding district
activities were also developed including: conducting town hall meetings on the
topic of managing the surplus, writing an op-ed for the major daily newspaper,
and routinely advocating policies for retiring the national debt in speeches
when back home.
Staff should prepare for the goal-setting process by answering the
following questions individually, in small groups, or in one large group.
Write down the answers on large ip chart paper and then post them around
the room for easy referral.
1. What are the main themes of the Member’s mission statement?
2. What key issues is Congress likely to deal with in the next two years?
3. What possible national and international issues or trends — economic,
political, demographic, technological or scientic — might emerge in
the next two years and command congressional attention?
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 165
4. Which, if any, key issues or trends would interest the Member or would
signicantly affect constituents?
5. What issues are likely to dominate the district’s or state’s political/eco-
nomic agenda in the next two years?
6. Which district/state issues or trends might deserve special attention
from the Member or staff in the next two years?
7. Which issues do constituents currently feel most strongly about?
8. What campaign promises did the Member make that constituents now
expect to see fullled?
9. What kind of image does the Member want to project, and how should
the ofce reect this image?
10. What political problems or weaknesses should the ofce be sensitive to
in the next two years (e.g., criticism of a vote, impact of an anti-incum-
bency movement)?
Armed with all of this analysis, staffers should have a good sense of the
important factors, events and trends necessary in developing ofce goals, and
the ofce should now be ready to begin the process of dening the goals
through a brainstorming exercise. As the planning team calls out possible
goals, one of the team members writes them down immediately on a ip
chart that the whole group can see. Participants should resist the temptation to
evaluate ideas during the brainstorming session. Doing so inhibits the creative
process. Staff will be reticent to toss out ideas spontaneously if they see
their ideas being critiqued immediately.
Evaluating Potential Goals
A good brainstorming session should generate an impressive list of potential
goals. As with mission statement themes, an ofce should keep its list
of short-term goals to a minimum. CMF recommends no more than six, but
preferably only three to ve, short-term goals. Again, the purpose is to single
out the goals that are most important, most feasible and most consistent with the
ofce’s mission statement — not to make a shopping list of enticing possibili-
ties. To facilitate this goal evaluation process, the following organizational
tools may be helpful.
The rst of these is a simple device to help assess goals. Pictured in
Figure 11-1 is a grid that relates the two factors of “impact” and “ability to
achieve.” To use it, place each potential goal in the quadrant that most closely
characterizes it. The grid is most helpful when there is difculty agreeing on
how to select and rank goals.
For example, you may decide that legislation decriminalizing certain
psychedelic drugs, if passed, would reduce the prison population related
to non-violent crimes, allow for new therapeutic remedies, and provide an
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
Figure 11-1
Impact Achievability Grid
Ability to Achieve
High Low
High 1st Priority 3rd Priority
Low 2nd Priority 4th Priority
Impact
166
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
economic boom to your state. You may also decide that the chances of gaining
passage of such a bill at the federal level are extremely low. Consequently, you
would use the grid and rate it as a third priority.
However, you may believe that a solid waste disposal bill would have a
very positive impact on your state and that its likelihood of passage is good.
You may then give it rst priority status in your ofce.
Another, more precise method is to weigh potential goals against a set of
criteria. The following list of questions provides some examples an ofce
might use to develop criteria to select its goals:
1. Is the goal consistent with the Member’s overall mission?
2. What is the likelihood of achieving this goal in the next two years?
3. Does the goal interest the Member?
4. Will the goal positively or negatively affect the Member’s constituents?
5. Will accomplishing the goal provide the Member with substantial
benets?
6. What resources will be required to complete this goal?
7. Will pursuit of the goal place excessive demands on the Member’s time
or on the staff’s time?
8. Will the work involved utilize the ofce’s strengths (e.g., the skills
and expertise of the Member and staff and the Member’s committee
assignments)?
9. Can the expertise developed in pursuing the goal be applied effectively
to other future ofce goals (i.e., the reusability of information and
expertise)?
In Figure 11-2 we have simply placed these questions into a “criteria
scorecard,” providing a way to measure competing goals against a formalized
set of standards. This gure proposes generic criteria that should be modied
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 167
to reect the needs of the ofce. A particular criterion may be so important
that it is given double or triple weight, or it may become the litmus test for
further consideration of a goal. This instrument can be easily adapted to your
needs.
To use it, write each proposed goal across the top. Then, score how strongly
the goal meets each criterion on a 0 to 3 scale, with 3 being the highest
rating. To obtain each goal’s total score, add the goal’s scores for all of the
criteria. The goals can then be ranked from best to worst according to their
total scores.
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
Figure 11-2
Scorecard for Goal Evaluation
POTENTIAL GOALS
Goal Goali Goal Goal Goal Goali
Consistent with
Mission
Lik
ely to be
Achieved
F
its with Member’s
Personal Interests
C
onsistent with
Constituent Needs
Suc
cess Provides
Substantial Benets
N
ot an Excessive Drain
on Member’s Time
N
ot an Excessive Drain
on Sta’s Time
U
ses Oce’s
Strengths
De
velops Reusable
Expertise
O
ther:
Other:
Total Score:
Scorecard Ranking:
168
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Developing Action Plans
After establishing your one-year or two-year goals, the next step is to devise
action plans for accomplishing each goal. The action plan lists the specic ac-
tions and tasks that must be taken to achieve a goal. Some goals might require
just a few steps, while others might require as many as 20. To be effective, the
action plan should also list the person(s) — including the Member — respon-
sible for each task and the deadline for completing each action.
Assigning responsibilities in the action plan pulls together the staff as a team.
It also prevents task redundancy and provides an opportunity for staff to use
their specic skills and talents. Knowing the agreed-upon deadlines improves
the likelihood that staff will accomplish tasks on time and can lead to increased
accountability among the team. Without them, staff may not understand which
tasks are most important.
By formulating an action plan, an ofce gets a written document that
coordinates the activities of different staff (even those working out of separate
ofces); creates a clear strategy instead of an unrelated series of steps; and
increases Member and staff accountability by ensuring that everyone is aware of
their responsibilities and when their work should be completed.
This action-planning process also has the benet of giving the ofce
one last chance to determine whether it really makes sense to pursue a goal.
Frequently, ofces for which CMF has facilitated planning sessions revised
one of their goals at this stage. After listing the tasks necessary to achieve the
goal, they came to realize that it would be harder to achieve and/or would take
more of the Member’s and staff’s time than they had imagined. It’s much better
to discover this problem in the planning session than after six months of hard
work.
For example, while reviewing action plans, one Senate ofce discovered
an important issue: one Legislative Assistant (LA) was primarily responsible
for three of the ofce’s ve major legislative initiatives for the year. Everyone
quickly recognized that this LA would be buried by the plan. The planning team
then developed three options for dealing with this projected train wreck: drop one
of the goals and replace it with another issue, hire another LA on a short-term
basis to handle one of the three legislative initiatives, or recruit an experienced
and skilled congressional fellow to take on one of the issues with coaching from
the LA and LD. After a failed attempt to nd a suitable fellow, the ofce decided
to hire a former LA on a short-term basis to manage one of the issues.
The action plan in Figure 11-3 shows how a complex or formidable initiative
can be broken down into orderly, easy-to-follow action items and measure
progress toward the goal. Breaking large tasks into smaller ones, and putting
assigned responsibilities in writing for all to see, makes it more likely that the
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 169
Figure 11-3
Sample Goal-Oriented Action Plan
PROJECT TITLE: Improved Support for Homeless Veterans
OBJECTIVE: Introduce and pass legislation to decrease number of homeless veterans by improving
outreach and access to services, particularly housing, counseling, and job training
Actions Staers Start End Status
Responsible Date Date
1. Identify federal agencies
providing services to LA 2/1 2/15 Completed
homeless veterans
2. Meet with agency sta,
review present programs, LA, LD 2/15 3/15 In progress
discuss legislative ideas for
improving services
3. Identify/interview specialists
to discuss ideas for increasing LA 2/15 3/15
utilization of services
4. Work with Legislative LA, LD 3/15 3/25
Counsel to draft legislation
5. Identify revenue sources and LA, LD 3/26 4/4
obtain CBO cost estimates
6. Send out draft for comment LA, Mail Mgr 4/5 5/15
to interested parties in district
7. Find Senator to introduce
and push companion bill in Member, LA, LD 5/15
Senate
8. Member meets with
committee chair and sta on Member, LD, LA 5/15
bill introduction and eld
hearing
9. Finalize legislation Member, LA, LD, 6/15
Chief of Sta
10. Develop local and national Comms Dir, LD, 6/15
press strategy Chief of Sta
11. Introduce legislation Member 6/18
12. Hold eld hearing Member, DD, LA, 6/25
(see separate action plan) Chief of Sta
13. Hold mark-up at Member, LA 9/10
full committee
14. Vote bill out of committee Member 9/20
15. House oor vote Member 10/1
16. Support Senate passage Member, 10/5
(see separate action plan) LA, LD
DUE DATE: Pass House by 10/1, Senate by 10/5
170
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
whole job will be done properly and on time. The ofce should prepare an
action plan similar to this one for every signicant or long-term project the ofce
undertakes — from a large conference in the district/state to introducing a piece
of legislation. Most ofces underutilize this valuable, highly versatile planning
and monitoring tool.
This sample action plan is organized around a strategic goal. However,
many ofces organize their plans around ofce functions (e.g., legislative,
administrative, press, scheduling, constituent services). For example, the
Communications Director writes an action plan that incorporates the press
objectives developed by the planning team, while the Legislative Director
devises an action plan to meet the legislative goals.
Both goal-oriented and functionally-oriented planning are workable
so long as they are driven by agreed-upon, ofce-wide goals. What should
be avoided at all costs is structuring a planning process in which goals are
independently developed for each functional division. Such a process, while not
uncommon, encourages each staff member to determine independently what
the Member’s priorities ought to be. The result may be a press plan, devised
by the Communications Director, that pursues priorities that differ from or
compete with those set forth in the legislative plan generated by the Legislative
Director and Legislative Assistants. And both the press and legislative plans may
conict with the priorities outlined in the scheduling plan devised by the Chief of
Staff, District/State Director and Scheduler.
In short, a functional planning process can encourage the development
of clear ofce goals by forcing the Member and staff to discuss and resolve
their differences .
Implementing the Plan
The culmination of all the effort described in this chapter will be a written
plan distributed to the whole ofce. The plan should summarize the ofce’s
strategy for the next two years and outline the steps that will be necessary for
that strategy to be effective. It will contain all of the elements discussed so far:
the Member’s mission statement; the supporting short-term goals and why they
were selected; and the action plan needed to accomplish each goal.
However, the planning process does not end with the distribution of
a written plan. For a plan to continue to be effective, it must be updated
and ne-tuned regularly. If not, your plan, like many others, has a good
likelihood of ending up gathering dust on a shelf. Why? Because even if the
planning process generated great ideas and enthusiasm, it’s natural for staff
to revert to an old and comfortable routine. It’s also understandable that staff
attend to the matters immediately at hand, and chronically feel they can’t afford
the time to begin the new initiatives described in the strategic plan. Thus,
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 171
along with the planning process itself must come the method of monitoring the
plan’s implementation.
Probably the biggest challenge ofces have in implementing the plan is
keeping the Member and the staff focused and regularly working on it. In
particular, ofces will almost always nd that attractive new issues and possible
initiatives arise. Too often, ofces, at the encouragement of the Member, will
begin pursuing these new issues with virtually no consideration of the impact
of this new work on the goals enthusiastically agreed upon in the strategic plan.
Consequently, the new issues slowly and methodically crowd out the old ones.
The problem is that frequently the new issues do not warrant the attention
they receive. They are not more important, more advantageous to the Member
or more achievable than the goals in the plan they replace. It’s just that there
is no management mechanism in place to ask the critical questions that ensure
ofces weigh these new ideas as critically as they did the initiatives included
in their plan. Specically, Members and staff alike need to collectively ask two
questions before embarking on any new and major initiatives:
1. Is this initiative sufciently attractive that it warrants supplanting
another strategic goal or action item in our plan?
2. If so, which goal or actions will be sacriced to make room for
working on this new initiative?
Sometimes ofces will nd that the new idea does have more merit than one
or more of the goals listed in their strategic plan. In that case, it can be substituted
for an existing goal and a new action plan should be developed. However, more
often than not, ofces will nd that when subjected to scrutiny, the exciting new
initiative of the day does not warrant the bumping of a previously established
goal.
How can ofces maintain the discipline necessary to effectively follow
through on their strategic plan? We recommend that you adopt some of the
following, simple methods.
Frequent ad hoc planning meetings. Consider organizing ad hoc meetings
to address specic problems or opportunities that arise (e.g., breaking events or
general ofce problems). The key is to convene the meeting with the appropri-
ate staff, set aside the necessary time and don’t try to squeeze problem-solving
meetings into the weekly staff meeting. The issues will be addressed more
efciently if: only those who need to participate are there; they have ample
preparation time and the necessary information to think about the problem or
opportunity; and they are not forced to reach decisions prematurely with too
little time for consideration.
If, for example, the Member wants to pursue a new initiative, then a
meeting should be scheduled that includes the Member and the relevant staff
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
172
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
affected by the initiative to evaluate its merits and consider the two questions
raised previously. Possible outcomes of such a meeting include: deciding to
include a new goal in the plan and drop an old goal; deciding not to pursue
the new idea; deciding to conduct some further preliminary research before
making a decision. Over time, such meetings will create ofce discipline and
enhance ofce follow-through while further fostering strategic thinking.
Functional meetings. Rather than trying to do most of your coordination and
oversight in a single weekly staff meeting, organize other meetings by ofce
function. For example, schedule regular (weekly, bimonthly or monthly) meet-
ings to discuss legislation, scheduling and constituent mail.
Weekly or monthly progress reports. Weekly updates from staff to the
Member and Chief of Staff or District/State Director can keep management
well-informed of the staff’s progress. To ensure this reporting does not become
simply a rundown of what staff are working on, CMF recommends that ofces
apply the following rule: require staffers to begin each update by reporting on
their progress on activities that relate directly to the ofce’s strategic plan rather
than on the most recent events. This practice reminds staff that their rst and fore-
most responsibility is to meet the plan-related activities and not just to handle
the daily, routine work and react to events. The format and process is less
important for these updates than the documenting and sharing of information
among staff. The focus should be on the outcomes — the staff’s progress —
not the updates themselves.
Monthly strategic planning meetings. Chiefs of Staff should hold all-staff
meetings at the beginning of each month to review progress on the strategic
goals. The Member should not be present at these sessions, but the Chief of
Staff must know the status of the Member’s progress prior to the meeting.
The Member, like the staff, must remain accountable to the agreed-upon goals.
The primary purpose of the meeting is to determine if the action items
listed for completion in the previous month were, in fact, completed. Such
regularly scheduled meetings clearly communicate the ofce’s commitment
to meet its goals and not simply fall into the old routines. Another important
purpose is to discuss problems staff may be having with meeting their deadlines.
The action plan may underestimate the amount of time it takes to get a piece
of legislation drafted by the Legislative Counsel’s ofce. Or maybe a staff
person became distracted by another assignment they thought deserved to
become an overriding short-term priority. These meetings are a good opportunity
to identify and discuss problems and to make the regular and necessary
adjustments required.
Quarterly senior management meetings. Similar to private-sector quarterly
board meetings, these meetings are another effective tool for reviewing progress
and maintaining coordination. The Member, Chief of Staff, District/State
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 173
Director, Legislative Director, Communications Director and any other senior
management staff should meet to review progress towards ofce goals. The
team should examine underlying assumptions of the overall ofce plan and
assess the relevance of new information or events that have transpired since the
plan was drafted to determine whether the goals warrant revision.
Individual meetings. Clear action plans and regular oversight are critical
components of an effective management system. These tools need to be rein-
forced by a management practice
of holding all staff accountable.
The Chief of Staff should make
clear that staffers who turn out
high-quality work on time will be
recognized, while staff who fail
to meet their deadlines or whose
work products are inconsistent or
substandard will not be rewarded
and may face consequences. In
too many congressional ofces,
management fails to properly acknowledge outstanding workers and address the
unacceptable work performance of others. Over time, this management failure
tends to demoralize the best performers and discourage the average or substan-
dard staff from making the effort to address their performance problems.
As discussed in greater detail in Chapter 13, “A Process for Managing Staff,”
the best practices for building an ofce culture that promotes excellence is to
engage in ongoing dialogue with all staff about their performance. Supervisors
should meet with individual staff either quarterly, monthly or weekly to
review action plans; determine if individual goals are still appropriate; the
status of goals, projects and tasks; what resources are needed to accomplish
them; and review performance issues, if any. Be clear about what is expected
of them, what they do well and where they need improvement. Then, inform
them when their work product meets or exceeds expectations and when it
falls short. Recognize outstanding work with bonus pay, raises, ofce-wide
praise and, of course, public and private words of appreciation from the boss.
Staffers who consistently do not meet deadlines should be counseled regarding
their performance and its subsequent impact on the ofce and potentially
be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) by their manager. Do
not wait until the end of the year to discuss a staffer’s performance, whether
positive or negative. Meet with the staffer regularly to review expectations and
performance, which serves both the interest of the staffer and ofce.
Timelines. Some Chiefs of Staff hang a large timeline on their walls that chart
the ofce’s goals and the primary “milestones” or timeframes when signi-
“ The Chief of Staff should make clear that
staffers who turn out high-quality work on
time will be recognized, while staff who fail to
meet their deadlines or whose work products
are inconsistent or substandard will not be
rewarded and may face consequences.”
174
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
cant actions are to be completed. Such a visual display will catch people’s
attention, let them know that their duties will not be allowed to slip through
the cracks, and create an easy reference status report on which to base further
discussion or meetings.
In short, the plan must be a living document. If the plan is regularly reviewed
and revised when necessary, it will provide a way to rationally integrate shifts
in the Member’s interests and the policy terrain. It will also keep the ofce
focused on its priorities while allowing for intelligent trade-offs based on a
strategic view of your options.
Measuring Ofce Performance
In addition to guiding ofces, plans are useful tools for evaluating your ofce’s
performance by answering the following questions:
• Did we meet the goals laid out in our plan?
• Where did we succeed, and where did we fail?
• When we succeeded, what were the variables that contributed to our suc-
cess?
• When we failed, what were the variables that contributed to our failure?
• Given this analysis, what changes should we make in our operation this
year to improve performance?
Asking these questions does more than simply make the ofce accountable.
Such evaluation also creates a process for promoting organizational growth.
The best ofces in Congress, like the best businesses, have a strong capacity
for improvement. They regularly identify and address problems. They learn
from their mistakes and they turn shortcomings into growth and success.
Through this learning process good ofces become great ofces.
A Senate ofce conducted this end-of-year review with the entire DC
staff and analyzed its successes and failures. They reached the disheartening
conclusion that even though the ofce accomplished most of its goals, they
had failed repeatedly to receive sufcient credit back home for all that they
had accomplished. This insight led the ofce to engage in a very animated,
no-fault discussion of how the ofce conducted its media outreach in the
state. Based on this analysis and out-of-the-box thinking from non-press
staff, the ofce developed more aggressive and creative strategies for raising the
Senator’s visibility and helping reporters understand the newsworthiness of
the Senator’s work. These new strategies were then incorporated in the action
plans for the coming year.
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER ELEVEN Strategic Planning in Your Ofce 175
Conclusion
Whether in your rst term or your twelfth year, your effectiveness will be
greatly enhanced by the ability to set clear goals that reect your constituent
needs and your personal interests, and to balance these goals with the national
policy and political environment in which you operate. It takes concerted effort
and can be difcult to begin. But it’s a crucial rst step toward conveying a
sense of purpose to your staff and charting a clear direction for your congres-
sional career.
176
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Strategic Planning in Your Ofce
Do...
Don’t...
•
engage in strategic planning —
especially if you’re a freshman — to set
goals and priorities for the Member and sta,
allocate resources and enable your oce to be
more proactive and eective.
•
consider developing a two-year
strategic plan, rather than just one-year, to
take advantage of the full legislative cycle and
to encourage comprehensive thinking for the
entire congressional session.
•
balance four perspectives in your
planning: the Member’s personal goals and
interests; constituent needs; oce strengths
and weakness; and opportunities and threats.
•
develop a system for evaluating
potential goals that considers the overall
oce mission, the resources needed to pursue
the goal, and the likelihood of its success.
•
monitor progress on goals through
written action plans; weekly, monthly and
quarterly meetings; and regular progress
reports.
•
hold all sta accountable by recognizing
outstanding performers and addressing the
sub-par work product of others.
•
measure oce performance at the end
of the year. Create a process and a checklist
of questions. Where did we succeed, where did
we fail, and why?
•
operate without a clearly dened
long-term vision of what the Member
seeks to accomplish in Congress.
•
write a mission statement that is
too broad or establishes too many
themes. The more focused it is, the more
direction it provides to sta.
•
hold major planning meetings in
the oce or make them too formal.
Go osite to encourage enthusiasm,
creativity and original thinking.
•
develop more than 3-5 short-term
goals. Single out what’s most important,
most feasible and most consistent with
the oce’s mission statement.
•
undertake a major project without
rst drafting a comprehensive
action plan.
Deadlines and clearly
dened responsibilities are essential
to keeping everyone accountable and
focused on the plan.
•
pursue a new initiative without
scrutinizing how it would aect
the strategic plan, goals and oce
resources. This discipline is required to
help prevent new ideas from constantly
crowding out previously agreed-upon
goals.
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
Budgeting and
Financial Management
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The strategic importance of budgeting
✩ A process for budgeting toward your goals, year after year
✩ Suggestions for establishing ofce accounting procedures
✩ Cost-saving and budgeting tips recommended by veteran ofces
A congressional ofce, like a small business, requires two things in order to
operate: (1) a mission or purpose (a reason for existing), and (2) resources to
support that mission. In Congress, you are largely responsible for developing
your mission — your reason for coming to Washington, DC — and for
deciding what you want to accomplish and contribute while here. Your
resources, on the other hand, are given to you by Congress and paid for by the
American taxpayer.
This chapter is designed to help each congressional ofce use its budget
as a strategic tool to achieve its ofce goals. The message is simple: if
spent wisely, your resources can greatly boost your chances of success and
achievement in Congress; if spent foolishly, it can lead to ineffectiveness and
even public embarrassment.
This chapter should be read by freshman ofces looking ahead to their
second year and veterans who wish to ensure their budgeting is in sync with
their priorities. (Freshman ofces should also read Chapter 3, which contains
an introduction to House and Senate budgeting rules, a discussion of the
Member’s role in budgeting, and guidance for creating a rst-year budget.)
177
178
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Strategic Importance of Budgeting
Meeting Your Goals
There are many strategic budget choices associated with running an ofce.
Each Representative has approximately $1.45 million per year for ofcial uses.
Each Senator has between $3.4 million and $5.4 million (depending upon state
population), as well as a number of smaller accounts. From these sums, the
ofce must decide:
• How many staff to hire;
• What staff positions to ll;
• How much to pay each staffer;
• How many district/state ofces to maintain;
• What technology and equipment to buy;
• How often the Member and staff will travel between the district/state
and Washington, DC;
• Whether to send any unsolicited mailings to constituents; and many,
additional smaller items.
What are the best choices? That depends upon your circumstances. No
two districts or states are the same, in geography, population or economy.
And no two Representatives or Senators are the same, whether comparing
missions, styles or strengths.
The Members who make smart budget decisions are the ones who
continually keep the big picture in mind — why they came to Congress and
what they hope to accomplish. These Members use their strategic plans as
blueprints for making budget choices. Once goals have been established, they
devote nancial resources to achieving them.
These Members tend to be the most successful. They are the ones who
become national or local leaders on an issue, subcommittee or committee
chairs, or national leaders in their party. Why? Because their ofces have
the structures in place that enable them to recognize and respond quickly to
opportunities to advance their goals.
For example, if one of your goals is to be a leader in agriculture policy,
you may want to: spend extra to hire a skilled agriculture attorney for your
Washington, DC ofce; pay to train some of your other staff in agriculture
issues; frequently send your DC-based legislative staff to your district/state
to meet with agribusiness leaders there; or subscribe to agriculture journals.
If, on the other hand, one of your goals is outreach to new constituencies
in your far-ung district or state, you may want spend funds to: open more
MANAGEMENT FACT
Annually, each House
Member is allocated
about $1.45 million
and each Senator
about $3.7 million for
ofce expenses.
Specialized Software
Both the House and
the Senate have software
specically designed to
help Member ofces create
customized budgets, monitor
expenditures, generate
reports, and produce
vouchers. Training for each
program is available from the
respective chambers.
■
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 179
district/state ofces than did your predecessor; locate a large percentage
of your staff in the district/state; travel to the district/state every available
weekend; or send targeted “outreach” emails to these groups.
One Senate staffer told us that his boss saw himself as a world statesman
and wanted to be recognized as such by the media and public. The ofce
consequently paid more for
travel, cell phone expenses and
subscriptions relating to national
and international affairs so the
Senator and staff could remain
subject matter experts. The Ofce
Manager explained the decisions
this way: “[We spend on] travel
because he wants to be everywhere, and on communications because if he
can’t be there, he wants to talk with you wherever you are.”
Your visible, nancial commitment to your goals will also pay dividends in
increased staff morale. Your staff will be especially focused when they see that
goals are not merely buzzwords for the ofce, but dene the basic choices that
you make.
Maintaining a focus on your goals also makes budget trade-offs clearer.
Expenditures in one area often mean you will need to economize in other
areas. If you buy the best computer system, you may not to be able to afford
extra Legislative Correspondents to respond rapidly to constituents. The
trade-off is clear, although the choice might not be easy. One House Chief
of Staff explained why her scally conservative boss decided to spend all of
his MRA rather than turn back part of his budget: “When you return money,
you maybe get one story in the local press. Most constituents won’t read it or
care. But constituents will care if you don’t answer their letters. The money
is better used to hire staff to respond to constituents promptly.” Perhaps
another Member would draw a different
conclusion and make a different choice.
Avoiding Problems
In some ways, your budget is a double-edged
sword. Your ofcial funds can help you
meet your legislative and representational
goals. If mismanaged, however, they can
constrain your ofce’s activities and even
lead to public embarrassment. Three budget
problems you may encounter are:
“ [We spend on] travel because he wants to be
everywhere, and on communications because
if he can’t be there, he wants to talk with you
wherever you are.”
— Senate Ofce Manager
180
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
1. Spending on the wrong things (non-priorities). Many ofces lose
sight of their goals in the rush of normal legislative business. They
often make major spending decisions (e.g., hiring a new staffer,
sending out a mass mailing to constituents) to solve short-term
problems, without considering how the decision will affect their long-
term agenda. Such decisions (e.g., hiring the wrong type of staffer),
can be difcult to undo, and take resources away from achieving the
Member’s strategic plan. The best way to avoid this problem is simply
by asking, “How does this investment affect my long-term goals?”
whenever you consider a major expenditure.
2. Overspending. There are two types of “overspending.” Members
learn fast that if an ofce overspends its ofcial allocation of funds,
the Member is personally liable for the excess expenditures. No Chief
of Staff wants to be the bearer of this bad news, and the House Finance
and Senate Disbursing Ofces can detect many potential problems
early. But there is another far more frequent type of overspending —
overspending your budget early in the year, in one category or many,
forcing the ofce to forgo items that were in the budget for later in
the year (e.g., to cancel some Member travel, eliminate an important
mailing to your constituents, or put off hiring another Legislative
Assistant). Financial planning can also help prevent this mid-year ad
hoc rearranging of priorities.
3. Media scrutiny of your expenditures. The media (and the public) have
access not only to information about your total allocations, but also to
a detailed summary of your ofce’s expenditures (twice a year in the
Senate, four times a year in the House). Many reporters and activists
will plumb the depths of your expenses for a story on your “scal
mismanagement” or “political corruption.” The media views two types
of spending as inherently suspect: (1) dealings with a Member’s family,
business associates, or campaign contributors, and (2) expenditures
that are out of line with the norms of other Members. The Member and
staff need to be aware of these considerations when authorizing major
expenditures such as district/state ofce rent, a computer system, or a
printing and mailing job. Keep the taxpayers in mind before making any
purchasing decisions.
Even small expenses can cause trouble if the public and press
deem them extravagant or symbolic of misplaced priorities. One
Ofce Manager told us of a senior state staffer who “tested out” a
new restaurant for the Senator, to the tune of a $45 tab. The Ofce
Manager brought it to the attention of the Chief of Staff, and both
decided to cut the reimbursement to the state staffer by half. They
could not justify paying that much for a meal with ofcial funds.
MANAGEMENT FACT
Members are personally
liable for excess
expenditures.
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 181
Perhaps more important, though, they reasoned that this small
expenditure, if it became public, could undermine large efforts by the
ofce to fashion an image of scal responsibility and public trust.
If you have any questions about the propriety of an expenditure,
you should use the many resources available to you. The Members’
Congressional Handbook, or the Senate Manual, provide guidelines
on what you can and cannot do with your ofcial funds. House ofces
should also consult with the Committee on House Administration, the
Ethics Committee, and the Finance Ofce. Senate ofces should consult
the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, the Ethics Committee,
and the Disbursing Ofce. Developing relationships and checking with
staff in all three ofces is highly recommended. And for questions on
the political (or management) implications of an expenditure, a veteran
Chief of Staff in a trusted ofce can also be a good resource.
Budgeting Toward Your Goals, Year After Year
Creating a rst-year congressional budget differs in one obvious way from
the second year and beyond: after the rst year, an ofce can look at its
own spending patterns to develop the budget for the following year. This
information becomes more valuable when it is used to evaluate whether a
budget truly reects an ofce’s priorities.
Consider the analogy that updating a budget is a lot like editing a speech
that you gave last year. There are two general approaches you could take. First,
you could polish the speech by asking: Are there any inaccuracies or obvious
mistakes in grammar or spelling? Can outdated references be freshened with
more recent cases? If legislative work or sponsored bills are mentioned, are
there new examples to include?
Alternatively, you could start by asking more fundamental questions:
What are the objectives of this speech? Does the speech meet those objectives?
Could the objectives be accomplished more effectively through another format
or focus (shorter/longer, more/fewer jokes, a visual demonstration rather than
a speech)? You could even start with questions about the direction of the ofce
itself: What are my ofce goals? Have they changed since last term? Does the
speech advance one or more of those goals?
Congressional budgeting offers the same two choices. Chiefs of Staff,
Administrative Directors/Ofce Managers, and other members of the nancial
team can take last year’s budget and make the obvious changes, adjusting for
ination, staff turnover, and increased/decreased allotments. Or they can take
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
182
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
the more demanding, but ultimately rewarding, route of evaluating whether
their budget spends in a way that reects their priorities. Many ofces resist
taking this route, though it has much to offer. One reason is that it takes work,
energy, analysis and time, all of which are in limited supply for busy ofces.
In addition, ofces that spent a signicant amount of time developing last
year’s budget might rationalize that there’s no need to go through it again.
Also, it is difcult to predict how much revision a budget might need. Indeed,
sometimes very little is required. After thoughtful review, an ofce might draw
the conclusion that the budget is basically sound, and only in need of minor
changes. Uncertainty and complacency encourage ofces to take the path of
least resistance without exploring the underlying assumptions of expenditures.
CMF does not advocate an annual reinvention of the wheel, but Members
and senior staff will be best served if they keep in mind the strategic potential
of a budget. Below we offer an approach to updating your current budget to
ensure that this important management exercise becomes an effective, strategic
instrument rather than a rote process. Our advice is that even though your bud-
get may not change signicantly from year to year, at the very least you should
still look at it carefully each year and ask: Have our priorities shifted this year
and, if so, how should those changes be reected in a reconceptualized budget?
Step 1: Note any changes to your strategic plan or
ofce priorities.
Starting the budget update process with your existing budget seems natural, but
you should look rst at your goals and update them if needed. Money may be
one of the most important tools you have, but it is only a tool. Your goals drive
your budget. Ask yourself: Do I want to continue to be a leader on education
policy? Is constituent outreach still a major priority? Have I passed that tax
bill I’ve been pushing for three years, and if not, should I push harder next
year or put it aside? Have I decided to run for another ofce or a congressional
leadership post? The answers to these types of questions will provide a solid
basis for allocating resources and making the required budgeting trade-offs.
Step 2: Brainstorm what resources it will take to accomplish
the revised priorities.
Be as specic as you can, and list a couple of options rather than limiting
yourself to one course of action. Be forewarned: this step might highlight
glaring inconsistencies between your goals and your budget allocations. For
example: a Member with little seniority in the House decides to concentrate
on constituent services. Fast forward a couple of terms, and she’s moving
up the committee roster and being talked about for a deputy whip post. At
the same time, Washington, DC-based legislative projects have become her
top priority. Or so her ofce says. A look at the budget shows that she’s still
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 183
spending heavily on outreach, with four fully-staffed district ofces, a mobile
ofce, two annual newsletters and ights home every weekend. Meanwhile,
two Legislative Assistant slots in DC remain vacant, perhaps for lack of funds.
She shouldn’t be surprised when the ofce can’t fully exploit legislative
opportunities. Now is the time to gure out what it will really take to become a
legislative player.
Step 3: Look at last year’s budget with an eye toward
surprises.
It is important to note not only how you intended to spend your money, but
what you actually spent it on. These are your de facto priorities. Was more or
less spent on ofce supplies, franking or salaries than originally planned? What
caused these discrepancies? What were the effects on reaching your goals?
One House Chief of Staff told us she keeps an eye on staff travel because
it’s something that can “escalate surprisingly in some years.” Similarly, Ofce
Managers have noted Senators’ travel costs can be four or ve times what was
anticipated if there was an unexpected increase in the use of charter ights. In
both cases the ofce should ask whether the costs were justied. The answers
will make travel budgets for the following year more realistic.
Step 4: Take note of rules changes and other factors that
could affect budgeting.
Here you are looking for changed circumstances that could affect how much
money and other resources you will get, and where your costs might increase.
A 10 percent increase in your allowance or skyrocketing utilities in your
district ofce would affect your budget.
Has maximum per diem or mileage reimbursement changed? This could
affect travel costs. Is your new computer system paid off, leaving only the
costs of the maintenance contract? Have postage rates increased? This could
affect your franking expenses. Is there ination in the economy generally?
Senate ofces need also to remember the effect that a cost of living
adjustment (COLA) might have on a scal year budget. If a Senator passes on
a COLA to staff, it will probably take effect in January. But since Senate ofce
budgets run on a scal year, from October through September, the ofce will
need to calculate the scal year impact of this change. A staffer’s scal year
salary will include three months at the lower salary (October–December) plus
nine months at the higher salary (January–September).
Step 5: Determine which expenses are exible and which
are longer-term commitments.
While in theory, all spending is exible, in actuality some decisions and
commitments are harder to undo than others without incurring nancial or
Follow the Rules
When setting up your
nancial procedures,
and prior to making any
purchases or commitments,
make sure you understand
the rules and regulations of
your chamber.
House staff should
consult the Members’
Congressional Handbook,
and with the staff of the
Committee on House
Administration, the Ethics
Committee, and the Finance
Ofce.
Senate staff should
consult the Senate Manual,
and staff of the Senate
Rules and Administration
Committee, the Ethics
Committee, and the
Disbursing Ofce.
■
184
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
political costs. Don’t be deterred. At this point, focus on gathering information
about the degree of exibility of your expenditures, and on the costs and
timeframe required to make changes in spending.
It may be tempting to view “routine” ofce functions such as answering
phones, conducting legislative research and answering constituent correspon-
dence as nonnegotiable “must-do’s” for every ofce. But remember, while
they need to get done, there can be a great deal of exibility in how they are
performed and by whom. The variety of ofce setups testies to that truth.
Sometimes longevity itself can produce budget pressures. One House
Chief of Staff noted the irony that keeping a good, loyal staff around for a
number of years — usually desirable — can lead to staff salaries taking up an
ever increasing percentage of your budget through COLA’s and pay raises.
Step 6: Critically review and update the major allocations
in your current budget.
So far you’ve thought about your goals and how they’ve changed, what
resources it would take to reach those goals, how actual spending differs from
intended spending, the rules changes and other factors which need to be taken
into account and what commitments you’ve made.
Now consider, “Can each major allocation in our current budget be justied
and linked to accomplishing one or more of our revised ofce goals? Are there
alternative ways to spend the money to better
accomplish those goals?”
Some of the spending changes you
might wish to make may be viewed by your
staff, constituents or other “stakeholders”
as negatively impacting their own interests.
You’ll have to consider whether the political
fallout is manageable. Maybe you can help
them see how the changes will in fact meet
their needs in ways they haven’t explored.
Or perhaps you will opt to take the hit, put it
behind you, and get on with the new vision.
Step 7: Build a new month-by-
month budget reecting
your changes.
Allocating your new budget monthly will
allow you to review it regularly as the year
progresses and determine whether your
spending to date is where you expect it to be.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 185
Some expenses will be xed items appearing each month. Others will be one-
time or seasonal expenses. Your ofce should estimate, as best it can, when an
expenditure is likely to occur.
Establishing Financial Procedures for Your Ofce
Written Ofce Policies
Once the ofce has a clear nancial plan, establish policies and procedures to
ensure that the money is spent the way it was intended, and that the nancial
regulations of the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules
and Administration Committee are met. These procedures must also promote
the scal philosophy and nancial management practices that you want. There
are numerous practical questions that must be addressed concerning how funds
are to be handled in your ofce. Your ofce manual should expressly address
these nancial matters, such as spending authority, reimbursements, out-of-
pocket expenses, and record keeping.
The particular method that your ofce uses to meet the accounting
and record keeping requirements for a congressional ofce should also
be established in writing. Although the requirements are explained in the
Member’s Handbook and Senate Manual, a variety of methods can meet these
specications. Making a considered decision is far superior to developing
accounting practices by default, something that occurs in many ofces. Often
your budgeting and nancial accounting software will guide those decisions.
The Accounting System
The budget that the nancial team has created represents what you intend to
spend and is the monitoring tool for your overall nancial plan. Tracking what
you actually spend is the practical side of the nancial management process.
By regularly comparing expenditures with budget projections and year-to-
date position, you can decide whether your ofce is about where it is expected
to be, or if it is overspending or developing a surplus. The House Finance Ofce
and Senate Disbursing Ofce will also be doing projections for you, primar-
ily in the interest of making sure you don’t overspend. Your ofce must take
responsibility for ensuring the spending is wise and in accordance with your
budget.
Following are some general guidelines to help you develop an accounting
system. The House’s Congressional Staff Academy (202-226-3800) and the
Senate Ofce of Training and Development (202-224-7628) offer classes for
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
186
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
staff who will be part of your system. House ofces may also wish to review
and follow the Congressional Staff Academy’s suggested courses outlined in the
“Financial Administrator Curriculum Guide,” available on HouseNet, the House
intranet.
Record Keeping. The House and Senate may one day make the management
of congressional budgets and nances paperless, but they aren’t there yet. The
good news is they’re getting closer. In the meantime, you will need to develop
a system for keeping track of paperwork, including vouchers and receipts.
Each chamber’s intranet offers nancial advice, forms, and (with the proper
clearances) access to your accounts, so you will need procedures for managing
electronic information too. The House Finance Ofce also offers an online
system that allows you to see up-to-date reports on your ofce’s nances.
Payment Processing. The scrutiny that congressional ofces endure is part of
day-to-day life on the Hill. You can easily avoid embarrassment by asking in
advance whether or not an expenditure will be allowed (consult the appropriate
ofces noted on the previous page). Make sure that all of your staff understand
(1) who in the ofce can approve expenditures (typically only a few members
of your nancial team), and (2) ofce rules on travel spending (e.g., per diem
amounts, reimbursement policies).
You also should be sensitive to how your allowable expenditures will
be listed in the House’s Statement of Disbursements or the Secretary of the
Senate’s Report. Ofces should learn the standard budget categories and
common expenditure language to avoid using language that may give the
“appearance of impropriety.” For example, one freshman House Member
opened a district ofce and served refreshments to constituents. He submitted
a voucher describing the expense as “new ofce celebration.” A House Finance
Ofce employee commented that it “sounded like the staff getting together for
beer and pizza.” She suggested alternative language that noted the constituent
benets of the expense and didn’t raise any unnecessary red ags.
This example also highlights the importance of establishing a good working
relationship with the Finance and Disbursing Ofces staff. In addition to
providing advice on budget categories and expenditure language, they can be
valuable resources in explaining the requirements of the system, estimating
the “turnaround time” for vouchers, suggesting ne-tuning procedures, and
resolving discrepancies.
Finally, it is important to establish a standard operating procedure for
staffers to follow when they are requesting reimbursement or submitting a bill
for payment. Staff should know in advance what supporting documentation
is required, what the deadlines for submission are, what form their requests
should take, and any other procedures they may need to follow. The Member’s
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Sharing an Ofce Financial
Specialist
Some ofces have found that
the staffer with responsibility
for the ofce nances also
tends to have other titles and
duties (e.g., Ofce Manager,
Scheduler), and that using part-
time, specialized employees
to handle the nancial
administration instead frees up
full-time staff to concentrate
on these other tasks.
Because of this, more than
100 House ofces and a
few Senate ofces take this
approach for their routine ofce
expense processing. Often one
part-time staffer will be shared
among several ofces.
Shared employees, like
staffers, have varying levels
of expertise. Many, but not all,
have extensive experience and
often have excellent contacts
in the House Finance or Senate
Disbursing Ofces. They
may also be able to suggest
spending alternatives or
creative options to stretch the
dollars a little further.
Check references when
hiring and once shared
employees are onboard,
conrm that they are
complying with the regulations
of your chamber and are ling
any necessary disclosure
forms.
■
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 187
Congressional Handbook and Senate Manual can supply the details of how to
prepare the vouchers accurately, but the nancial team must establish the ofce
routine and policy.
Reconciliation. Every month, the House Finance and Senate Disbursing
Ofces will send your ofce a nancial statement to help ensure that your
numbers match the ofcial numbers. Both chambers’ intranets also post
the status of vouchers overnight so that you could reconcile daily if you
wanted to. Your ofce will have to decide how often to perform the task of
reconciliation.
The monthly statements will have a
detailed listing of expenditures made the
prior month, sorted by category, expen-
ditures to date, and balance available.
Vouchers that arrive at the Finance or
Disbursing Ofce too late in the month
to be processed in time for inclusion
on the current month’s statement will
obviously not appear that month.
The statements have also begun to
include funds that have been committed,
but have not yet been paid (i.e., district
rent, payroll, franking, etc.). Keep in
mind that the forecasting on these state-
ments is limited, and is not a substitute
for your own budget projections and
planning. For example, these monthly
statements would not reect that your
ofce is planning a series of town halls
in August, and that you expect your
expenditures on travel and communica-
tions to increase that month.
Auditing. A number of audits are built
into the congressional system. For
example, the House Finance Ofce
processes each voucher under the
guidance of the Committee on House
Administration. In the Senate, the
Disbursing Ofce and the Committee on
Rules and Administration ensure each
voucher meets that chamber’s regulations.
188
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Your nancial team could also create a system that provides for periodic
checks on your ofce accounting system to ensure that all regulations are
being met, your nancial wishes are being respected, and the system is not
being abused by the record keeper or any other staff member. Some guidelines
for conducting your internal audit are:
1. Have someone other than the record keeper perform it.
2. Do not announce in advance when you are going to conduct the audit
(the best way to get a true picture of the system).
3. Perform it at a time of month that would not interfere with your normal
voucher and payroll processing.
4. Look only at a random sample of transactions (e.g., audit every 20
th
transaction).
5. Do not give the perception that the audit is any reection of the
record keeper’s work. It is a good business practice to audit the books,
regardless of the experience of your record keeper.
Monthly Financial Review
Drafting a budget is one thing; sticking to it is another, and requires the
dedicated efforts of the Member, Chief of Staff, and the Administrative
Director/Ofce Manager. But like all plans, budgets are living documents.
They can only support your efforts if they are subjected to an ongoing
evaluation process. If prepared correctly, they will provide the necessary
exibility to respond to changes in priorities, workload, or political climate.
To maximize this feature, a nancial plan needs to be reviewed regularly,
and may need to be adjusted to keep pace with the roller coaster nature
of constituents’ concerns. Periodic review will also ensure that you have
stayed within your allowances and that resources are available to meet
new challenges. We recommend that you conduct such a nancial review
monthly.
Earlier in this chapter we emphasized the importance of re-examining your
goals and strategies as part of your annual budgeting process. Now we are fur-
ther urging you to compare your goals and your spending activities regularly
throughout the year. In this way, you will be able to determine whether your
strategies and goals are being achieved. Regular nancial review provides an
opportunity to decide if the staff needs to devote more energy towards meeting
that goal or whether another priority has superseded it.
Your nancial team can determine when this review should be conducted.
Requests for new expenditures or funding for projects to address new or
existing goals can be discussed during these sessions. The Member should be
advised of any major variances between the projected nancial position and
the actual position. Incorporate options for adjustments into your nancial
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 189
plans. Revise the plan and the budget as necessary over the year, keeping
accurate records of the changes and the decisions underlying them. These
records will prove valuable when producing next year’s budget.
Tips for House and Senate Ofces
Your staff can adopt cost-saving measures and prudent nancial policies to
maximize your limited resources, and allow your ofce greater exibility in
matching your resources to your goals. We compiled the following tips from
congressional ofces, but always make sure your actions fall within House or
Senate regulations. The applicability of any given suggestion in this section
will depend largely on the style, mission, goals, and systems of each ofce.
Equipment, Supplies, and Services
• Weigh the expense of leasing against the possible early obsolescence of
purchased equipment.
• House ofces are not required to buy maintenance contracts for their com-
puter system or other equipment, but they should weigh the cost savings of
forgoing a contract against potentially large repair costs in the future. Con-
versely, weigh the cost of repairing equipment (parts and labor) against
the cost of replacing it.
• Consider how much down time is acceptable to your ofce before it hap-
pens. If the answer is none, you may want a higher level of maintenance
and support or to keep a back-up on hand, such as an extra computer.
• Select technology and services that will best meet staff needs and skills.
The most advanced tools are a waste of money if they are unused. If you
lack staff expertise, invest in training or consider canceling the service.
• Design your work spaces to minimize duplicate equipment (i.e., share
printers) and design the work day to allow the maximum use of comput-
ers (i.e., have interns work different shifts and share workstations).
• Ask the House and Senate technical support ofces to conduct a free
technology consultation before purchasing a new computer system, or
upgrading the equipment you have.
• Have staff keep a list of potential end-of-year purchases to review and
evaluate against your goals for the next year. Consider “paying down”
equipment payment plans or purchasing frequently used ofce supplies in
bulk with unexpended ofce funds.
• Regularly maintain your ofce’s constituent database. You will save your-
self time if it contains standardized addresses and no duplicate records.
• In the House, develop a good working relationship with CAO First Call.
190
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Set aside money for an end-of-year ofce move in DC (after the election).
One House ofce suggests a minimum of $5,000.
• In the House, buy stationery in small quantities. There is little cost advan-
tage to large orders. Ofce relocations and committee reassignments are
common, so you may need to update letterhead and business cards more
often than anticipated.
• Regularly organize your supply closet and gather extra supplies from staff
desks — you might be surprised at how much you have on hand.
• Centralize the purchasing of ofce supplies and/or purchase in bulk (if
you know you will use it).
• In the Senate, try to use the Senator’s main account rather than the Eco-
nomic Allocation Fund (EAF) for computer equipment purchases in the
rst few years of the term. Save these funds for later years when other
ofce expenses put pressure on the main account.
Communications
• Respond to all incoming constituent mail with email when possible.
• Take every opportunity to gather constituent email addresses. The more
you communicate electronically, the more time and money you save.
• Franking-approved emails are considerably less expensive than direct
mail and have the potential to reach more constituents.
• Only respond to mail that originates in your district/state and refer non-
constituent mail to the proper Member.
• Desktop publishing software can produce a newsletter for most needs,
provided one of your staffers knows how to use it.
• Always obtain several bids on print jobs.
• Postal patron mailings cost less per recipient than other types of outreach
mailings and also avoid the cost of entering and maintaining extensive
mailing lists. However, postal patrons sacrice personalization and may
be a less attractive option for urban areas with multi-unit housing, as
opposed to single-unit dwellings.
• Obtain accurate postal patron counts from the Postal Service, which
could save thousands of dollars in unnecessary printing costs.
• Consider substitutes to mass mailings for constituent outreach. Inserts in
your local newspaper, radio spots, email, or posting information on your
website can be cheaper than large mailings (though may still be subject to
franking rules).
• Reduce the annual cost of outreach communications by replacing printed
proactive pieces with telephone town hall meetings.
• Hold telephone town hall meetings to keep constituents informed on a
regular basis (and while the Member is in DC), rather than in-person
town halls.
Cutback Management
For several years,
House and Senate ofces
experienced reduced or
stagnant ofce budgets,
resulting in a greater need
to explore innovative and
cost-saving strategies.
To assist ofces, CMF
conducted research with
senior staff and published a
report with comprehensive
recommendations that
remain relevant for
today’s congressional
environment. This report
and related materials are
available for download at
CongressFoundation.org.
■
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 191
Telecommunications
• Telephone bills are a month behind so be sure to set aside money for the
last month of the year.
• Conference calling and video conferencing may reduce the number of
trips a Member must make to the district/state.
• Always check for special government rates when installing or purchasing
new products or services.
• Check into alternative and cheaper calling plans for your ofce cell
phones.
• Assess your plans and bills for inefciencies such as unused phone lines
or devices.
Travel
• Consider longer and less frequent Member trips to the district/state.
• Always check for government discount rates for air travel, car rental, and
lodging; often the savings can be substantial. (In some cases, though, the
excursion rate is even cheaper.)
• Use airline frequent yer programs to accumulate credits toward future
ofcial travel.
• Staff who volunteer to stay with family or friends in the district/state can
save the ofce hotel room costs.
• For district/state travel, a single long-term car lease may be cheaper than
repeatedly renting cars every time the Member or staff need to travel.
• House ofces that are considering leasing a vehicle should discuss
options with the Committee on House Administration and the House
Administrative Counsel.
• In some cases, a daily car rental with
unlimited miles may be less expensive
than reimbursing staff for mileage in their
own cars.
• Careful coordination of trips and events
will reduce the amount of mileage
expense that must be reimbursed.
• Establish a maximum per diem meal
allowance for staff on ofcial travel.
Publications and Subscriptions
• Monitor subscriptions for duplication,
value, and use. Consider online
subscriptions whenever possible.
• Use the CRS reading room for periodicals.
Personnel
• Use part-time employees as appropriate.
192
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Hire fewer employees overall. This allows you to pay top-notch staff
higher salaries and still reduce overall salary expenses.
• Shared employees can provide more expertise and be more cost-effective
than hiring a permanent staffer.
• Since the House is on a legislative year, not a calendar year, don’t forget
to set aside funds for January 1 and 2.
• If you have leadership or committee funds, use those resources to
complement rather than duplicate the strengths and weaknesses of your
personal ofce.
District Ofces (for House Ofces)
• Moving a district ofce can cost a signicant amount, so be sure to set
aside enough money to cover all relocation costs.
• Sharing space with state and local ofcials can save rent and supply costs.
State Ofces (for Senate Ofces)
• Give careful consideration to your equipment and furniture needs. In par-
ticular, discuss your options in detail with GSA so you make informed,
wise decisions and don’t incur unnecessary or unexpected costs.
• If you want cable TV, the Senate Sergeant at Arms will pay for this ser-
vice if written into your lease. However, if it is not part of the lease, your
ofce will be responsible for payment out of your budget. Contact the
Sergeant at Arms’ State Ofce Operations (202-228-STAT) for details.
Conclusion
Every Member of Congress can, and indeed will, spend ofcial resources
with or without a formal budget. Members will: employ staff; run district/state
ofces; buy equipment, furniture and ofce supplies; visit their district/state;
and correspond with their constituents. But ofces that budget wisely make
spending choices that not only keep their ofces functioning, but that also
contribute to achieving their ofce goals.
These Members allocate their resources strategically, and track their
outlays during the year to catch troubling spending patterns before they have a
negative impact. When they prepare next year’s budget, these Members do not
simply update and tweak current spending, but they examine the underlying
rationale for it, asking themselves whether circumstances or ofce priorities
have changed, and whether spending priorities should change as well. These
are the Members who substantially increase their chances of having successful
congressional careers.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER TWELVE Budgeting and Financial Management 193
Do...
Don’t...
•
use your strategic plan as a blueprint
for making budget choices. Make nancial
decisions and allocate resources with your
strategic goals in mind.
•
follow the seven-step approach to
updating your budget:
1. note any changes to your strategic plan.
2. brainstorm to identify what resources it will
take to accomplish priorities.
3. analyze how you actually spent last year’s
budget.
4. note any rule changes aecting the budget.
5. identify expenses that are exible or long-
term commitments.
6. review and justify major allocations in your
current budget.
7. create a new month-by-month budget.
•
make sure you understand the rules
and regulations of your chamber.
Review the requisite materials and contact the
appropriate institutional sta when setting up
your nancial procedures and prior to making
any purchases or commitments.
•
succumb to common budgeting
pitfalls by: spending on non-priorities;
overspending; spending taxpayer’s money
in a way that invites media scrutiny.
•
overlook the importance of
developing an accounting system to
track what you actually spend. The House
and Senate oer classes to help sta
develop this system.
•
fail to write down established
budget policies and procedures.
Your oce policy manual should address
spending authority, reimbursements,
out-of-pocket expenditures and record
keeping.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Budgeting and Financial Management
CHAPTER
TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A Process for
Managing Staff
This Chapter Includes...
✩ Why a performance management system makes sense for
congressional ofces
✩ Five steps towards an effective performance management system
✩ Handling staff with different needs
✩ Evaluating your system
Of all the skills required for running a congressional ofce, managing staff has
proven to be the biggest challenge for most. When staff are not well-managed,
this leads to inefcient operations, missed opportunities, added stress, and
debilitating rates of employee turnover. At its worst, poor staff management
could lead to a lawsuit under the Congressional Accountability Act.
One Chief of Staff claims that he can spend ve minutes in a congressional
ofce and be able to determine how many terms the Member has served by the
order within the ofce and the condence with which the staff goes about their
business. He listens for the sustained hum of a staff focused on action, in contrast
to the intermittent sirens of a staff rushing to the latest emergency.
Naturally, it takes time for a freshman ofce to smooth out its operation,
put policies in place, and let the staff grow their “sea legs.” But some ofces
continue to operate like a freshman ofce year after year, taking a toll on both
Member and staff. The reason frequently lies in a lack of a system or process
for managing staff. Unfortunately, the blame often lies with the Member and/
or Chief of Staff who confuses frenzied activity with accomplishment, and who
views high turnover as an acceptable cost of doing business.
This chapter will lay out a coherent process for managing all the staff in your
ofce. If you follow this process, you will nd that, in short order, staff productiv-
ity and morale will improve, as will the overall effectiveness of your ofce.
195
196
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Rationale for a Performance Management System
Have you ever seen someone doing something right, waited to mention it and
then not done so? Have you ever seen a staffer doing something wrong, but not
taken the time to give them guidance on how to correct it? And then, did you
wait until the situation deteriorated so that when they did a small task wrong,
you ambushed them with criticism?
This is the antithesis of performance management.
A performance management system is an annual, ongoing process for
continually improving the performance of your staff. It is built on some
very simple notions that rarely get practiced on the Hill. First, staff should
understand precisely what is expected of them — clarity of purpose. Second,
staff progress should be monitored throughout the year to help them meet
ofce expectations. Where necessary, senior management should work
collaboratively with staff to help them achieve their goals. Third, staff should
be held accountable for achieving the goals established at the start of the year.
Finally, staff who meet or exceed expectations should be recognized, and
senior management should gure out how to best address the performance of
staff who fall short of their goals.
In other words, performance management is based on the premise that by
investing wholeheartedly in the development of staff, managers can create
more productive, effective and loyal employees and build a better ofce. It’s
true that this approach requires discipline and takes time, but research suggests
it also pays large dividends to organizations that employ it.
In contrast to this process, most Hill ofces use a much more haphazard
approach to managing staff. Managers tend to intervene only when performance
problems arise. Little is done
proactively to reduce staff performance
problems, to help turn good staff into
great staff, or to ensure that great staff
don’t become bored and look for new
growth opportunities elsewhere.
Some ofces employ elements
of the performance management
process, such as conducting staff
performance evaluations or developing
job descriptions, but lack a sustained
commitment to “growing” better staff.
Consequently, the results tend to be
Aspects of a
Model Performance
Management System
• Staff should understand what is
expected of them.
• Staff progress should be
monitored throughout the year.
• Staff should be accountable for
achieving goals.
• Staff who meet or exceed
expectations should be rewarded;
senior management must address
how to deal with staff who fall
short of expectations.
■
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 197
minimal. Employing all of the steps of a performance management process
may seem far too labor-intensive to most managers in Congress. However,
this proactive process will take far less time than many ofces spend on the
range of personnel problems that routinely crop up throughout the year, such
as dealing with under-performing or disenchanted staff, or with high turnover.
Implementing a Performance Management System
Figure 13-1 shows the ve steps of a performance management system. It’s
a circular process and, for the best results, should be conducted annually for
each staffer. This section will explore each step in-depth.
Step 1: Establish performance goals for each staff person.
The rst step in establishing a performance management system requires each
manager to sit down with each staff person they supervise to set goals and
expectations for the year. People perform best when they understand what is
expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated. All too often,
congressional ofces are reluctant to take the time to clarify what is expected
of staff individually.
Some Hill managers argue that setting goals is too conning and rigid for a
uid workplace; others think it is unnecessary because, for the most part, staff
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
Figure 13-1
Five Steps of Performance Management
STEP 1:
ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE
GOALS FOR EACH STAFFER
STEP 2:
MONITOR PROGRESS
AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK
THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR
STEP 5:
RECOGNIZE HIGH
PERFORMING STAFF
STEP 4:
FOLLOW UP TO PREPARE
EACH STAFFER FOR
UPCOMING YEAR
STEP 3:
CONDUCT FORMAL
EVALUATIONS
198
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
know what their priorities are, and where they
should be focusing their energies. Both argu-
ments are easily rebutted. First, individual
staff goals, like overall ofce goals, can be
modied during the year should ofce priori-
ties, or the duties of the staff person, change.
Second, CMF’s experience in working with
many House and Senate ofces annually is
that staffers often do not understand what
their priorities should be. The result is a
workforce that lacks direction, and workers
who tend to work very hard but who do not
improve their skills as quickly as they should.
Some staff, for example, may not rec-
ognize that their writing skills, which were
well-suited for college, are not up to par for
the demanding congressional environment.
Some may ignore the hints and comments of
their supervisors, or pass off heavy editing
as the obsessive tendencies of the Member.
Clarifying that a Communication Director’s
writing skills do not meet the requirements
of the job, and that they must “learn to write
more crisply, so press releases require less
editing and op-eds get published more often,”
is more likely to yield improvements.
Similarly, you may have an industrious
LA who devotes a lot of time to an issue, and
makes passing legislation on that issue a top priority. Yet, the issue shows up
nowhere in the ofce’s strategic plan. A meeting with the LD that establishes,
in writing, the goals for that LA will help them understand what exactly is
expected and how performance will be evaluated.
An excellent starting place for this goal-setting process is developing
job descriptions. Committing in writing both primary and secondary re-
sponsibilities will help the staff and their supervisors understand individual
responsibilities and determine annual performance goals. In addition, it is
very important that these individual goals reect the overall strategic goals
of the ofce. Consequently, a staffer and their supervisor should also review
the ofce’s strategic plan and determine which goals require that staffer’s
involvement, and what specically they should be doing to accomplish these
goals.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
Congressional
Accountability Act
Though House and Senate
staff are “at-will” employees,
they are still guaranteed
certain protections under
the Congressional Account
-
ability Act (CAA), which was
reformed in 2019. Member
s of
Congress and staff responsible
for managing personnel should
familiarize themselves with
the 13 civil rights, labor, and
workplace safety and health
laws applicable to the Legisla
-
tive Branch.
The CAA also created
the Ofce of Congressional
Workplace Rights (formerly the
Ofce of Compliance), which
educates congressional ofces
and employees about their
rights and responsibilities and
investigates alleged violations.
More information is available
at www.ocwr.gov.
The Ofce of House Employ
-
ment Counsel (202-225-7075)
and the Senate Chief Counsel
for Employment (202-224-5424)
provide legal guidance on per
-
sonnel policies and practices
and represent employers in
litigation arising under CAA.
■
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 199
Staff performance goals can also address an individual’s personal goals.
For example, a State Director may choose to focus on becoming a better
public speaker; a Legislative Assistant may want to learn negotiations skills;
or a Scheduler may want to take a course on event planning. All performance
goals should be viewed by staff as reasonable and attainable. The purpose of
this exercise is neither to create undue staff anxiety, nor force staff to become
overachieving workaholics.
Regardless of how these goals and expectations are established, they should
be in writing so both staff and supervisors can refer to them throughout the
year. The staff must understand that these goals will be the basis for how they
are judged and recognized during the year and at the year-end.
Step 2: Monitor progress and provide feedback on staff
performance throughout the year.
After setting the goals and expectations for each staff person, it is important to
determine how best to support that person in meeting their goals. At a mini-
mum, managers should monitor staff progress periodically throughout the year.
For staff who remain focused, this may simply mean regularly asking how
their work is going or checking in with them over lunch. When staff have a
tendency to lose sight of their goals, this may mean meeting weekly to review
progress, or having those staff develop action plans outlining, step-by-step, how
they intend to accomplish their goals. Even well-intentioned, highly motivated
staff can lose sight of their goals, especially when they take on too much work.
Feedback is the act of evaluating performance with the intention of
inuencing an employee’s behavior. Feedback can be positive or negative.
Acknowledging good performance and letting staff know when they have
met ofce expectations is as important as critiquing performance. The key
to effective feedback is to provide it soon after an activity is completed, in
an objective manner that clearly identies the specic behavior you seek to
reinforce or improve. The closer the feedback is given to when the activity or
behavior occurred, the more likely the staffer will incorporate the feedback
into their performance.
All too often, managers assume that someone given clear critique of their
performance will be able to improve it. In some cases, this assumption is not
accurate, and staff need additional specic guidance in how to improve. The
job of the manager is to then gure out why someone is failing to success-
fully incorporate feedback into their work, and to help that person do so.
When staff lack the skills or knowledge necessary to improve, sending them
to training programs to improve their skills is an option. Other professional
development options include having them read relevant materials or
reviewing memos or speeches that exhibit the kind of work product sought.
MANAGEMENT FACT
The Ofce of the House
Employment Counsel and
the Senate Chief Coun-
sel for Employment are
available to assist with the
performance management
process, including devel-
oping job descriptions and
evaluation forms.
Establishing a Trusting
Relationship with Staff
• Be honest and sincere; don’t
seek to manipulate.
• Be fair, evenhanded and
consistent.
• Do the things you say you will
do.
• Really listen to your staff.
• Ask your staff for input; if
you don’t incorporate their
suggestions, explain your
reasoning.
• When you disagree with staff,
explain your reasoning.
■
200
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
A more labor-intensive, but often more successful approach is to provide the
staff person with one-on-one coaching. That is, someone works with the staff
person on a regular basis to address a problem or support a skill enhancement
effort. Coaching is appropriate when a manager decides that the staff person
needs ongoing guidance to improve, or to improve more quickly, and feedback
by itself will be insufcient. A coach may be the supervisor or someone
designated by the supervisor.
Coaches therefore need to determine what is needed of them to help staff
improve. Do they need to teach skills such as how to manage time better or
how to write more clearly? Are there specic behaviors they should focus on
through their coaching? Once the rationale for coaching is clear, the coach
works with the staff on an ongoing basis to bring about the desired change.
Coaching may require a series of ad hoc meetings over several weeks or regularly
scheduled meetings lasting for a year or more.
The rst challenge managers face in providing useful feedback
or coaching is to develop trust between them and the staff they supervise.
Staff must be condent that their supervisors are committed to helping them
grow and ourish in their jobs. If they do not have this condence — i.e.,
if they suspect that their supervisor doesn’t really care about their growth, or
is interested in taking credit for staff successes — they are unlikely to enter
into a constructive coaching process. In a trusting relationship, staff will feel
comfortable admitting that they need to improve a skill or change an attitude.
They will be able to candidly discuss the anxieties they feel when asked to
change their behavior. If this type of frank discussion cannot take place,
neither feedback nor coaching is likely to succeed.
While this monitoring, feedback,
training and coaching work can happen
on an informal basis, managers should
not forget to record these activities in
a personnel le. It is only fair to make
sure there is some record that reects
the staffer’s overall performance over
the course of the year. This data about
how well a staff person did or did not
do in pursuing performance goals, or
responding to feedback and coaching,
is critical in determining performance
goals for next year and salary increases.
Alternatively, documentation is vital
should you need to take steps to improve
performance or begin disciplinary action.
MANAGEMENT FACT
70% of congressional
staff rated “com-
munication between
employees and senior
management” as very
important to their job
satisfaction, but only
22% were very satis-
ed with this aspect.
Source: “Life in Congress: Job
Satisfaction and Engagement
of House and Senate Staff,”
Congressional Management
Foundation and Society for
Human Resource Management
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 201
Step 3: Conduct formal staff evaluations.
Formal evaluations are typically conducted once or twice a year. Most con-
gressional ofces conduct them in December or January, when there is time to
engage in thoughtful discussions, and when ofces are focusing on goals for
the new year. These performance reviews are what most people think of when
thinking of performance management, but they are most valuable if conducted
in conjunction with, not in lieu of, Steps 1 and 2 of this ve-step system.
Evaluations require preparation on the parts of both supervisors and the staff
they oversee. The following process should help managers prepare for reviews:
1. Require staffers to review their own performance goals and ll
out a job appraisal form, so they’re prepared for the review. Staff
should be asked to submit written self-evaluations (see Figure 13-2)
to their supervisors a few days before evaluation meetings are held. In
these self-appraisals, staff should address specic questions regarding
how well they’ve met their goals. These job appraisals can then form
the basis for an open exchange between supervisor and staff during the
evaluation sessions.
2. Decide who is the best person(s) to deliver the evaluation. Usually,
the staffer’s supervisor should handle the review process. But if senior
managers (such as the Chief of Staff or District/State Director) have
views to share, they should also be included. Alternatively, the supervi-
sor can interview other managers about their views of the staffer’s per-
formance, and incorporate those views in the evaluation. The Member
can make a brief appearance to reinforce the evaluation of outstanding
staff, but they should not sit through the whole review, nor conduct it,
unless the staffer is principally supervised by the Member (e.g., Chief
of Staff, District/State Director).
3. Review the written self-evaluations. Carefully reviewing the self-
evaluation will help managers determine where they agree and disagree
with staff perceptions. They should write down reactions and questions to
raise and discuss in the meeting.
4. Review documentation in the staffer’s personnel le. As discussed
in Step 2, supervisors should be keeping a record of the staff’s perfor-
mance throughout the year to ensure the performance review is not just
a product of recent memory. Based on these notes, supervisors can then
develop other questions or issues they wish to raise.
5. Choose your core message. What are the key points the staffer
should take away from the meeting? The more messages included in
the session, the more difcult it is to ensure you are understood. A core
message for a star performer could sound like this: “You have met or
exceeded all of your goals and are doing a fabulous job. How can we
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
202
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
make sure you are challenged and fullled in your job in the coming
year?” Whereas, a core message for an underperforming Mail Manager
might be: “You’ve shown growth in how you’re handling our incom-
ing mail volume this year. One area, however, where we should discuss
improvement is being more proactive during recess periods, so we can
take advantage of responding to backlogs during that time. How can I
help you tackle this problem more successfully this year?”
6. Generate examples that support your core message. Even the
brightest staffer is not telepathic. Clear examples from the course of
the year or the review period will provide a more precise understanding
of achievements or shortcomings. If a Chief of Staff offers a vague
comment such as, “You need to coordinate more with the district
ofce,” without spelling out exactly what that coordination entails, the
staffer will be less likely to act on this recommendation. Additionally,
such a vague comment is open to the staffer’s interpretation of what
“more coordination” means. Examples are the best tools managers have
to help staff understand why change is necessary and in their interests.
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
Figure 13-2
Sample Sta Self-Evaluation Form
1. What were your performance goals for the past year?
2. How successful were you in meeting each of these goals?
3. What obstacles or problems hindered your success in meeting these goals?
4. What could you have done better over the past year to meet or come closer to your
performance goals?
5. What could the oce have done better to support your eorts to meet these priorities?
6. Beyond these individual goal-related activities, what else did you do this year to help the
oce achieve its goals?
7. What actions did you take that go beyond the expectations of your job?
8. What ideas or projects did you propose and/or initiate over the past year?
9. What were your greatest disappointments or sources of dissatisfaction over the past year?
10. What are your weaknesses, or in what areas would you like to improve or develop over
the coming year?
11. What support do you need from this oce (the Member, Chief of Sta, other sta, or
other resources) to assist you in improving your performance in these areas?
12. How can this oce promote your overall professional development in the coming year?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 203
The principal purpose of the evaluation session is to help staff improve
performance in the future, not simply review the past. Everything, from the
topics selected to the tone of the meeting, should support that forward-looking
goal. If there is a climate of trust and regular staff feedback throughout the year,
the review will be like a checkup and
should take only 30-45 minutes. If
there has been little or no feedback
throughout the year, the performance
evaluation will be more like a
complete physical, taking a couple of
hours. Since staff should have been
receiving feedback all along, the
review should not hold any surprises.
An evaluation that surprises staff is
an indication of a failure to provide
adequate feedback and coaching throughout the year. It means that managers
have deprived staff of valuable information that could have helped them perform
better during the year.
To begin, the manager should set a positive tone for a discussion and state
the purpose and structure of the meeting. Ask the staffer where they want to
begin and let them do much of the work. This review should be an opportunity
to nurture their growth and learning, not a chance for the manager to demand
or dictate change. It should be a dialogue, not a top-down lecture. Let the
staff person grapple with the hard questions, such as why they did not meet
performance goals. The manager should facilitate useful discussion, clearly
state the core message, and focus constructively on how to use this review
to improve performance in the future. For underperforming staff, the manager
might identify areas of weakness, explore factors that might be inhibiting the
staffer’s productivity, and discuss ways the staffer might improve in these
areas. For the solid and star performers, the manager might identify their
strengths, cite specic contributions they have made to the ofce, express
appreciation for their efforts and encourage staff to continue to leverage their
strengths for successful outcomes.
The session should end with the manager repeating their core message and
developing an understanding on the next steps for the coming months. For
star performers who want to expand their skills and responsibilities, ideas on
development opportunities and new duties should be discussed. If the employee
is not meeting expectations, the manager needs to discuss why and how the
employee should improve. The manager should draft a Performance
Improvement Plan (PIP) that describes the specic steps the staffer will take
to remedy the problems identied, as well as the steps the ofce will take to
“ The principal purpose of the evaluation
session is to help staff improve
performance in the future, not simply
review the past. Everything, from the
topics selected to the tone of the meeting,
should support that forward-looking goal.”
204
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
How to Run Successful Staff Performance
Meetings
1
Focus on performance, not personality. Discuss what has or
has not been accomplished, and use specic examples whenever possible
to support your points.
2
Listen carefully and patiently. Staff may have data or
perceptions that you did not consider, which could reshape your
assessment of their performance.
3
Strive for insight, not indictment. Work to solve problems,
rather than focusing on assigning blame.
4
Strive for understanding, not agreement. When there is
disagreement, it is important to recognize that one goal of these sessions is
for staff and their supervisor(s) to reach an understanding of each other’s point of
view. However, it is not necessary for staff to agree with the assessments of their
supervisor(s) in order to improve performance.
5
Focus on staff development, not staff discipline. The goal
is to improve performance in the future, not to punish past transgressions.
6
Start with low-risk items and build towards more
difcult issues. If you can get agreement on the smaller items rst, it
mak
es it easier to tackle the larger problems later.
7
Clearly state your core message. Make sure that employees
walk out of the meetings with an unambiguous picture of how their work
is seen and what they should work on in the future to impro
ve their performance
and contribution to the Member/ofce.
8
Thank the staff for their time and candor. These meetings
can be difcult and a source of anxiety for staff. Make sure you thank
staff for their efforts.
9
Promptly write up a meeting summary for the le. Record
what was discussed and agreed to. These memos will form the basis
of future performance goals and activities and serve as important legal
documents in cases of termination.
10
Evaluate the session and your performance. Conducting
these sessions requires skill and practice and the best way to improve
them is to take a few minutes to evaluate, in writing, the meetings you lead: what
went well; what did not; and what you would do differently.
■
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 205
assist the employee in their efforts. A PIP should include performance goals,
how the supervisor will measure progress, and dates for formally assessing
progress (i.e., weekly, monthly).
In cases where an employee’s performance jeopardizes their employment,
they must clearly be told what must be done to improve performance or face
termination. They must also be told, however, that the supervisor and the
ofce are committed to helping them improve, so dismissal can be avoided.
Staff, especially underachieving staff, need to know the score and be given a
fair chance to improve their work. By and large, ring an employee should
be an ofce’s last resort and an action taken only after other remedies
have proven unsuccessful. This is both a good management practice and
a prudent legal practice. Ofces that re staff without ample warning run a
greater risk that charges will be led against them for unfair treatment.
There is one forbidden subject during this discussion — money. Obviously,
most ofces link pay to ofce performance. However, if staff believe that an
objective of the meeting is to determine how large a salary increase or what
level of bonus pay they should receive, they will, understandably, be reluctant to
reect openly on how they can improve. Instead, they will probably focus on how
they can make the best case for the most money. Consequently, ofces must
de-link these meetings from actual compensation decisions. Ofces can do this
by making it clear that salary and bonus decisions will be made weeks, if not
months, after the session. They could even decide and announce compensation
decisions before the staff evaluation meetings.
Step 4: Follow through on the evaluation and prepare for the
upcoming year.
After the session, managers need to make sure that the process that has been
initiated does not get placed on the backburner and forgotten. No task is more
important to managers than devoting time to improving staff performance and
enhancing their contribution to the ofce. Supervisors and staff should develop
specic written products as a follow-up to the performance evaluation session
within a few days to a few weeks after the meeting. If the follow-through steps
are not in writing, they are far less likely to occur.
Staff who received good or great evaluations should be asked to draft a
new set of performance goals for the coming year. Those who received poor
evaluations should be given a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) by their
manager.
In both cases, managers should ensure that these documents are consistent
with what was discussed at the evaluation meeting. In some cases, a short follow-
up meeting may be necessary to clarify, or even renegotiate, goals, timelines, or
the actions expected from staff or the ofce.
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
206
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Step 5: Recognize high-performing staff.
Just as under-performing staff need to be made aware of how they are falling
short, good and great staff who meet or exceed the ofce’s expectations need to
be made aware that the caliber of their work is recognized and appreciated. CMF
recommends that ofces reward staff who achieve their goals through a combi-
nation of monetary (i.e., salary increases and bonuses) and non-monetary means.
In an effective performance management system, pay is tied to performance.
The staff who best achieve their established performance goals are most
highly compensated. Ideally, ofces should use a combination of both
permanent salary increases and bonus pay (or temporary salary increases).
Salary increases are generally more appreciated, but frequently ofces make
salary decisions at the end of the year. This means that it is often months before
a staffer is rewarded monetarily for outstanding work. A one-time bonus,
made soon after a project is completed, is a far more effective staff motivator and
morale builder than a payment made later. In addition, bonus payments, given
throughout the year or at the end of the year, afford managers greater budgetary
exibility. Salary increases are automatically built into the baseline budget in
subsequent years, while bonuses will not impact the following years’ budgets.
Non-monetary rewards for high-performing staff might include providing
opportunities to work more closely with the Member; expanding their job
responsibilities or providing more development opportunities; or providing
time off or a more exible work schedule. Congressional ofces too often
neglect these non-monetary rewards and the value staff place upon them.
The non-monetary rewards can be discussed and selected in a job evaluation
session because they are part of the “next steps.” But, as we mentioned earlier,
money should never be discussed during the performance review.
Handling Staff with Different Needs
All ofces face very real constraints on the amount of time they can devote to
managing and developing staff. The central question is, if an ofce invests in
a comprehensive, year-round manner in staff development, will the benets
outweigh the costs? Will the dividend of better thinking, better writing, greater
staff focus, increased productivity and improved ofce morale justify the time
required of the managers and staff? CMF believes the return far exceeds the
investment.
Nevertheless, managers need to recognize that the question of how much
time they devote to this process and, specically, how much time a manager
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 207
decides to devote to each staffer they supervise is an important question to
consider. Performance management ensures that all employees experience
all ve steps of the process, but some staff get more attention than others.
Managers must decide where their limited time is most protably spent, and
which staff development strategies provide the greatest benet to the Member
and the ofce.
For example, in an ofce where media coverage is of paramount importance
to the Member, devoting considerable time and resources to quickly turning an
inexperienced, but promising, Communications Director into an outstanding
performer makes a great deal of sense. In contrast, devoting the same amount
of attention in an ofce that does not see the media as critical to their success
would be imprudent. Most managers make the mistake of devoting the most
time to their weakest employees or the sub-par performers, and tend to ignore
the solid and star performers. Avoid this mistake. Performance management is
primarily a staff development, not a remedial, process.
What follows is a discussion of how managers can adapt the performance
management tools outlined above to develop staffers at different levels.
Motivating Star Performers
Star performers are an ofce’s best producers. They are usually integral to the
ofce’s success. At a minimum, tell these stars through formal and informal
feedback how valuable they are, and how much they are appreciated. Your main
challenge in working with your stars is to keep them motivated and committed
to their jobs and the ofce. How will you do this? Work jointly with these
staff to develop strategies for keeping them happy and enthusiastic about their
work. Talented, hard-working, driven people tend to get bored easily. Some
key questions to consider in developing a strategy include:
• What rewards do you believe will be most appreciated by the staffer?
This question should be part of a discussion with the staff person. If the
answer is more money, make sure they get a signicant raise and/or
bonus, not just slightly more money than everyone else receives. If it is
spending more time with the Member, schedule some lunches with the
boss on slow days.
• What aspects of the job could a star employee improve upon, or how
could they better capitalize on their strengths? Jointly devise a develop-
ment plan that may include training, coaching, attending conferences, etc.
that might promote further skill development.
• What do they like to do and do well? How can your ofce make greater
use of these skills and abilities?
• Do you have a career path for your highest achievers? Future plans for
these staffers could include added responsibilities, the development of
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
208
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
new skills, or an understanding that the ofce will promote a star LA to
LD when the LD leaves.
Working with Solid Performers
In some ways these people are the backbone of your staff. Typically they work
hard, are good at what they do and enjoy what they are doing. Day in and day
out they are reliable and turn out solid work. Since they do not require a great
deal of attention, what strategy makes sense with these staff? Generally, the
best strategy is to help them improve incrementally. However, sometimes a
manager may realize that an inexperienced, but talented, staff person is capable
of elevating their game and becoming a star performer. These staff probably
deserve some extra management attention to fully tap their capabilities. To
improve the performance of your solid performers:
• Tell them how well they are doing. Give them plenty of positive feed-
back.
• Ask them to take on more work in the areas at which they excel.
• See if they are interested in growing and trying to develop new skills to
enhance their work for the ofce.
• Help them become better learners, to grow faster in improving their pres-
ent skills and knowledge, and acquiring new skills.
Addressing the Problems of Sub-Par Performers
Sub-par performers are those staff, usually a small minority in congressional
ofces, who are falling short of ofce expectations. These staff present
very real problems to Member ofces: inadequate work products; drain
on managers responsible for managing and editing their work, and on
other staff asked to pick up the slack; Member frustration; and declining
staff morale if they perceive the problems of the sub-par staffers going
unattended.
So what should good managers do to address these problems? When a
supervisor notices performance issues with an employee, it is important to
use a consistent and straightforward process that may include the following
components.
Observation. Look for patterns or changes in the employee’s productivity or
behavior, such as attendance, performance, behavioral and physical changes.
Questions you may want to answer include:
• Do they understand their goals and what is expected of them?
• Are they oundering due to a lack of coaching and guidance on how to
achieve their goals?
• Do they lack skills which can be learned, or do they lack skills or abilities
required for their jobs that cannot be easily taught?
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 209
Documentation. Maintain consistent documentation of the employee’s
performance, both positive and negative, to provide an objective view of their
performance and evidence as to how it has declined. Document factually and
dene the specics of the performance problem without judgment. Describe
the problem, but do not evaluate it.
Consultation. If the supervisor suspects that the decline in performance is
because of an outside personal issue, they may wish to contact their chamber’s
employee assistance service. These ofces can help managers prepare for a
performance intervention meeting with the employee, explain their resources
available to employees and discuss how to make a performance-based referral
to the employee assistance service. The House Ofce of Employee Assistance
is available at 202-225-2400 and the Senate Employee Assistance Program is
at 202-224-3902.
Performance intervention. The supervisor should approach the problem
through the ofce’s existing performance management procedures, including
the formal staff evaluation and providing ongoing feedback to staff. In this
discussion, the supervisor should clearly dene the process for improvement,
expectations for ongoing performance and a timeframe for improvement, as
well as the consequences if the employee fails to improve. As discussed ear-
lier, the manager should draft a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for the
employee that includes this information and creates a vision for the staffer of
what it would look like if they were to successfully perform their jobs. After
the discussion, the supervisor must document details of any immediate or
future actions, and monitor them to ensure the employee stays on track.
When the employee’s performance is possibly impacted by an outside
personal issue, the discussion must constructively confront the performance
problem. It must also provide an avenue for effectively intervening in the
outside issue without actually discussing the specic personal problem.
The goal is to provide a deliberate and proactive process that enables the
supervisor to help an employee recognize and address poor job performance
and to access the appropriate resources to assist in improvement.
For example, a supervisor might say, “I’ve noticed a distinct change in
your performance over the past six weeks. Since you are a valuable part of our
staff, I want to do everything I can to assist you in getting your performance
back to the level that you’ve performed in the past. In addition to discussing
a plan to help us both stay focused on correcting these performance issues, I
want to also make sure that you are aware of the resources at your disposal,
should there be anything of a personal nature contributing to these recent
performance difculties. The Senate Employee Assistance Program/House
Ofce of Employee Assistance offer condential services for staff. Here’s
the contact number for their ofce, should you want to discuss anything with
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
210
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
them. If they can assist you with anything that will support you in getting
your performance back on track, they are an appropriate resource to help.
That way, you and I can keep our focus on your performance itself.”
Referral. If the employee’s performance does not improve after taking these
corrective measures, a referral to the chamber’s employee assistance service
might be appropriate. This should be conveyed as an additional performance
management tool to help the employee deal with a performance issue, not as a
disciplinary action.
A referral to the employee assistance service can be formal or informal.
An informal referral might be appropriate when an employee informs the
supervisor of a personal problem, but there is no impact on the employee’s
job performance thus far. A formal referral is more appropriate when the
employee’s personal or behavioral problem, or mental health or addiction
issue, directly surfaces on the job and a pattern of deteriorating performance
is apparent, or when previous attempts by the supervisor to correct the
employee’s performance have had no corrective or lasting results. In either
case, the supervisor should emphasize the condential nature of the service
and encourage the use of the service to help the employee address problems
and improve performance.
Follow-up. Finally, the supervisor must ensure the corrective actions are
being taken. With a formal referral to the employee assistance service, the
supervisor should follow up with the employee and the service to assure that
they are continuing to make use of the resources available to support their
performance on-the-job.
Evaluating Your System
As the Chief of Staff or simply a manager in the ofce, you are responsible
for making sure that this staff management process achieves the desired
results. It will be difcult to launch a awless system. Supervisors will need
time to improve their coaching and feedback skills. The staff self-assessment
form may need some rening. Staff may initially be resistant to developing
annual performance goals. Therefore, it is necessary that ofces periodically
take the time to evaluate how well the system is working and what can be
improved, and then to use this data to ne-tune their process.
Ofces can take a number of approaches to evaluate their systems. The
views of the staff can be elicited on a private, one-on-one basis. Either the
Chief of Staff or, alternatively, a trustworthy staff person (without the man-
ager present) can lead a discussion about what the staff like and dislike about
Additional Resources for
Managing Staff
CMF offers many additional
resources for managing staff,
including several research
reports as part of our “Life in
Congress” project with SHRM,
the Society for Human Resource
Management, as well as sample
forms and templates. These
resources include:
• Congressional Benets and
Personnel Practices Study
• Workex Toolkit for
Congress
• Sample Job Descriptions
• Sample Performance Review
Forms
Visit our website at
CongressFoundation.org to
access these reports and
download the templates for
your ofce use.
■
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Process for Managing Staff 211
the process. Staff can also anonymously
answer a short survey on how well the pro-
cess has served the ofce. A less subjective
approach would be to look at a number of
ofce performance indicators. For example,
what percent of the goals set by staff were
actually attained this year and how did it
compare to last year’s percentage? Has the
ofce become more successful in achieving
its strategic goals? Is staff turnover declin-
ing? Is the ofce retaining its “best and
brightest” staff? Is management addressing
a declining number of personnel problems
or rings?
When properly used, a performance
management system is a very powerful
tool for improving organizational
effectiveness. You need to make sure you
adapt this process intelligently to your
ofce culture and then get the kinks out of
the system. Initially, ofces should devote
time to evaluating the rst round of job evaluations, or drafting development
plans at the end of the year. Thereafter, ofces can simply issue a survey
once a year, or ask a group of staff to assess the system and recommend
modications every couple of years.
Conclusion
Virtually all Members of Congress want staff who are focused on what is
important, highly motivated, and loyal, and who stay with the ofce for a long
time. They want managers who will take the time to turn inexperienced but
promising staff into valued assets. And they want clear lines of accountability
they can trust. This chapter provides ofces a process for managing staff
that will create this type of staff and ofce. The ve-step performance
management process we discussed will allow ofces to grow talent rather than
leaving that to chance. Any of these steps taken individually should improve
staff and ofce performance to some degree. But, incorporating all ve of
these steps into an annual process should provide a huge payoff to those ofces
willing to do so.
212
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
A Process for Managing Staff
Do...
Don’t...
•
reap the benets of improved sta
performance and work product by
following the ve-step performance
management system:
1. establish performance goals for each sta
person.
2. monitor progress and provide feedback on
sta performance throughout the year.
3. conduct formal sta evaluations.
4. follow through on the evaluations and
prepare for the upcoming year.
5. recognize high-performing sta.
•
develop a core message for each
employee. Addressing too many issues in
the performance review will dilute your key
points and reduce understanding of the most
important goals.
•
adapt the performance management
tools to develop sta at dierent
levels. Such a strategy keeps star performers
motivated, helps solid performers improve,
and addresses the problems of sub-par
performers.
•
use a consistent and straightforward
process to manage an employee’s
performance problem. Focus on ways
to objectively identify issues and help the
employee improve.
•
wait until an employee’s
performance deteriorates to address
the problem. Set expectations early in
their tenure.
•
assess the employee’s performance
without rst gaining their input. Use
job appraisal or performance review forms
to allow the employee to create an initial
self-evaluation.
•
use the formal performance
evaluation as opportunity to indict
sta. Strive for understanding instead.
•
discuss money in performance
reviews. The purpose is to reect on past
performance and identify areas for future
improvement, not make the case for a
bonus or salary increase.
•
overlook the value of non-monetary
rewards for high-performing sta,
which also serve as a motivator and
morale booster.
•
devote the most management
time to the weakest employee while
ignoring the solid and star performers.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Managing Constituent
Communications
This Chapter Includes...
✩ The growth of constituent communications, particularly email
✩ Determining the priority of constituent mail and outreach mail
✩ How to establish constituent mail policies
✩ CMF Mail System, which incorporates the best practices of other
Hill ofces
✩ Strategies to address common mail issues and improve the processing
of email
One of the omnipresent facts of congressional life is hearing from constituents
by letter, telephone, email, and social media. For many Americans, writing to
Congress is as essential to democracy as voting. It is a way of expressing their
ideas of what their government should be doing — and a Member of Congress
would do well to pay attention, no matter what other demands are placed on
your time.
For two decades, CMF has been working to improve communications
between citizens and Members of Congress. While the Internet has made it
easier to contact Congress, technological developments have been so rapid that
neither the senders nor the receivers have learned to use these tools in ways
that facilitate truly effective communications. Through CMF’s Partnership
for a More Perfect Union, the Communicating with Congress and Congress
3.0 Projects, and management engagements with individual House and Senate
ofces, we have identied best practices to help you manage constituent
communications effectively and efciently so you can then focus on the many
other duties of a congressional ofce.
Note: This chapter uses the terms “email” and “postal mail” to distinguish
between electronic and paper communications. It uses the terms “mail,”
“correspondence,” or “communications” to refer to both types.
213
214
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Growth of Constituent Communications
The growth of communications to Capitol Hill has a number of causes. The
obvious ease with which constituents can email encouraged its rapid growth.
Environmental factors spurring volume include interest groups both in Wash-
ington, DC and at home growing increasingly sophisticated in motivating
constituents to write. In addition, when there’s a new administration or a new
majority in Congress, a whole new set of initiatives receives attention, thereby
generating more mail. “Hot button” issues can also move constituents who
haven’t written in years — if ever — to hit send.
In 1911 — the year the number of representatives in the House was set
at 435 — the population of congressional districts averaged around 210,000
people. Today the average has more than tripled to more than 710,000. A CMF
nationwide survey of citizens regarding their perceptions of their interactions
with Members of Congress revealed that 44 percent of Americans surveyed
had contacted their U.S. Senator or Representative in the last ve years.
All of this leaves a House or Senate ofce at a crossroads. Answering
postal mail had many ofces stretched thin before email burst upon the scene.
Now they have to nd a way to eke out additional resources to respond to this
ever-growing volume. Being unable to manage communication ows may
mean that the Member misses an opportunity to communicate effectively with
constituents, especially emailers.
How Email Has Changed Expectations
To respond effectively, ofces must understand how email has changed
constituent expectations. Congressional ofces have traditionally prided
themselves on their capability to provide a well-researched reply on letterhead
with the Member’s inked signature responding to a constituent’s thoughtful
letter. This modus operandi has served Members well for most of the past
century. But emailers have changed the nature of constituent communications
to such an extent that ofces need to rethink how to be responsive.
Emailers are writing more on impulse than postal mailers because the
medium of the Internet enables them to. However, most of them are committed
to their issues and fully expect that their message will be considered seriously.
Emailers expect a prompt reply and in a culture that wants its responses fast
and short, not long and loquacious, ofces should seek to meet this constituent
expectation.
While the majority of ofces respond to email with email, most have
only adapted to the method of delivery, not their content or approach. Rather
CMF Research on Member-Constituent Engagement
Since the advent of the Internet, citizen engagement has been dramatically
transformed. Associations, nonprots, and companies have virtually unlimited
capacity to bombard Congress with messages. This volume has overwhelmed
Capitol Hill, which has seen its own staff shrink more than 15 percent in the last
few decades.
CMF has documented the decline of identical mass email campaigns as
effective advocacy, yet they remain the dominant strategy used by the advocacy
community. Simultaneously, CMF has concluded that the practices, strategies,
and language primarily used by Congress to respond to these mass email
campaigns often disappoint or even anger constituents. This is the denition of
a broken communications system.
To lay the foundation for the future of Member-constituent engagement, CMF
is publishing a series of reports in 2020-2021. These research reports and their
resulting guidance can be found on CongressFoundation.org:
• “The Future of Citizen Engagement: Coronavirus, Congress, and
Constituent Communications” (published in August 2020) — Based on
research with senior House and Senate staffers, this report explores how
Members of Congress and staff engaged with citizens while navigating the
constraints posed by COVID-19, and offers examples of how Congress can
substantively connect with constituents using modern technology against
the backdrop of a global pandemic.
• Improve Your Mail Operations — As this research proceeds, we also
are updating our guidance on constituent communications in the “Ofce
Toolkit” section of our website. This toolkit offers easy-to-implement
suggestions meant to help ofces reduce their overall workload, increase
trust and satisfaction among constituents, and make the Member happier
with the mail operation.
■
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 215
than being more succinct and linking to additional information, as would be
expected in an email, ofces still send several pages of what they think the
constituent should hear. This ignores constituents’ needs and expectations. It
also misses an opportunity to integrate your communications effort and direct
constituents to your website, e-newsletter, or social media. Options for being
more proactive in your communications are briey discussed below.
Importance of Being Proactive
Managing constituent communications means more than just answering
the mail. In fact, sending a mail reply should be the last option in keeping
your constituents informed on the issues that matter to them. Instead, you
should use a proactive strategy that reduces the volume of incoming mail,
offers superior customer service and frees up staff for other duties. Such a
communications plan should include:
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
216
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• A comprehensive and user-friendly website that provides answers on
the hot topics most important to your constituents and allows them to
self-serve their information needs. To learn more about website strate-
gies, how to build an effective congressional site, and the best websites in
Congress, visit CongressFoundation.org.
• Real-time, genuine communication through social media tools, such as
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. We do not suggest that you use every
social media tool out there, but that you strategically consider which
platforms (out of dozens) would work best for your ofce. In determining
your approach to social media, consider: the Member’s goals, comfort
level and personality; the staff’s ability to support social media; and the
needs and interests of your audience(s).
• A regular (weekly, biweekly or monthly) e-newsletter that keeps
constituents informed of timely issues and your legislative work, not just
press releases. Many ofces also engage constituents through topic-
specic newsletters, such as a quarterly update on environmental issues.
• An ability to satisfy many constituent inquiries at the point of contact
when they call in. This tactic includes ensuring that those who answer
the telephone have access to the ofce’s library of approved responses,
are provided with scripted talking points on “hot” or high-volume issues
(especially when the callers agree with your position), and are familiar
with the information on your website so they can answer a constituent’s
question while on the phone.
If you only view mail as something to react to, you will become a content
provider instead of legislating, doing constituent outreach, nurturing district/
state projects to completion and generally meeting the larger needs of your
constituents.
Assessing the Priority of Mail in Your Ofce
As we emphasize throughout Setting Course, operating effectively in
Congress is a balancing act that requires trade-offs. There is no Member who
is great at everything — every issue, every press opportunity, every legislative
effort, every speech, every piece of mail. As with budgeting and personnel
issues, your decisions about mail should be guided by your strategic plan.
It is counterproductive to assign mail a high priority and then fail to
provide the equipment and staff resources to run a top-quality mail operation.
And a good mail program will take resources: Member’s time, staff’s time,
a computer system with the latest mail management software. Ask yourself:
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 217
What won’t you be able to do or buy because you’ve made mail a priority?
Are the resources better spent another way? Maybe the mail is exactly where
you should invest your time, energy, and money, but only if you’ve made this
decision strategically and with your goals in mind.
In assessing the priority of mail, you should think not only about incoming
constituent mail, but also outreach mail (addressed in the last section of this
chapter). Most Members consider three broad criteria in determining their
approach to mail:
View of representative government. Some Members feel it is important to
establish and carry on an effective dialogue with their constituents. Under this
perspective, the people who sent you to DC should be an integral part of your
work. You should respond to their questions, provide information they may not
have requested, and actively seek their advice. Other Members believe they
have been sent to represent the district/state as they see best. They will listen
to their constituents’ views and explain their positions, but feel that an active
outreach mail program would tap resources that could be put to better use for
the district/state.
Denition of your job. Some Members view their job as one that requires
them to be an ombudsman for constituents, cutting through red tape, provid-
ing casework services, and facilitating the acquisition of federal grants. Others
view their job as legislating. All Members do both, but the emphasis can vary
dramatically, affecting the amount of resources devoted to mail.
Electoral situation. Some Members are from politically marginal districts/
states. They may be to the left or the right of their constituents’ leanings.
These Members often nd that they need to be highly responsive to commu-
nications from their constituents, who may not be certain that their interests
are being represented. Other Members’ future electoral prospects are more
evident. They may be ideologically close to their constituents or a known
entity that the district/state has come to trust. They may choose to be highly
responsive to constituent communications but nd that it is not critical to
their continued careers in Congress.
Whatever priority you give the mail, it needs to be reected in the way you
manage your ofce. Otherwise, the conicting signals sent to your staff and
your constituents may hinder your efforts on mail and other priorities and,
ultimately, reduce your effectiveness as a Member. Frequently, Members say
one thing about mail and mean another. For example, you tell staff that you
want all mail responded to within two weeks despite the fact that mail regularly
sits in your own inbox waiting for your approval well beyond that target
turnaround time. Staffers are good at sensing what you mean and following
your lead.
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
218
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Members also tend to talk about mail as a higher priority than they are
actually willing to commit resources to. You will frequently hear Members say
to Legislative Assistants (LAs) or Communications Directors: “Great job on
corralling those votes for that amendment,” or “Terric coverage of that speech
back home.” However, it is less likely for a Member who ostensibly regards
mail as a top priority to say, “Great, you answered 300 letters this week!”
Be honest with yourself and your staff about the mail. Having too many top
priorities means it is unlikely you will achieve any of them because your
resources will be spread too thin.
Once you are clear where mail ts within your priorities, communicate
this perspective clearly and directly to staffers. Like most things, it is easier
to establish priorities, standards, and accountability from the beginning than
it is to regain control when the mail backlog has reached 60, 90, or even 120
days (and, unfortunately, such backups frequently occur on the Hill).
Establishing Mail Policies
Using proactive strategies effectively should help reduce the volume of
incoming mail, but you cannot stop its ow. You can, however, control how
you will respond. When establishing your ofce’s mail policies, consider:
The purpose of responding. What do constituents really want when they
contact their Member? That they have been heard, and that you are listening
to them. Focus on connecting with constituents, not on persuading them to
change their opinion or defending your position. Approach your constituent
communications as an opportunity to build relationships with those who contact
you, as opposed to providing lengthy and highly detailed policy statements.
Quality of replies. Can you respond in one page? Can you feel responsive
enough with a short “thank you for your views”? Do you need to draft both pro
and con letters? In our “on demand” society, most constituents would rather
receive a one-page letter promptly than wait six to eight weeks for a long,
detailed letter. We recommend writing shorter responses that focus on your
views and actions, and then link to existing content such as: YouTube videos
of the Member speaking; weekly explanations of votes on major bills on your
website; or issue statements on Facebook.
Desired turnaround. Will you attempt to respond within two weeks of
receiving each message? Perhaps four weeks will satisfy you? In CMF’s
experience, many Members promote a particular turnaround goal and
are shocked to nd many messages go unanswered for three months, six
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 219
months, or even longer. For most ofces, acceptable and achievable average
turnaround goals are less than one week for constituent mail answered with
pre-approved form letters and two to four weeks for mail requiring that new
text be drafted and approved.
Which mail you will answer. You can reduce the mail load by deciding
to answer only certain letters. Most Members answer only those from their
districts or states. What about petitions? How about a batch of letters from
school children? Will they get the same attention as other letters? Which
categories of mail should be answered in the DC ofce and which in the
district/state ofce? How will phone calls be handled? How should you handle
constituents who contact you multiple times through multiple methods? (We
have recommendations later in this chapter.)
Degree of Member involvement. Your involvement may have a positive effect
on quality, but it may dramatically increase turnaround times. In addition,
extensive involvement in the mail may distract you from the functions only
a Member can perform. In CMF’s experience, many freshmen feel a moral
obligation to personally see and answer every letter and review each for
legislative accuracy, tone, and grammar. This sentiment is easy to understand,
but is simply not pragmatic. A major staff complaint is that a Member’s desk
can eventually become a “black hole” for letters awaiting approval as that
Member becomes busier with other congressional duties. It is a better use
of your time to get involved only at critical times, such as determining the
response for a particularly sensitive issue or high priority topic, and leave the
proofreading to others.
Involvement of the communications staff. In most ofces, legislative staff
oversee constituent correspondence while communications staff handle media
and outreach. However, by coordinating these teams, the ofce can develop
common messages and talking points that, once approved, can be repurposed
for a variety of uses: responses to constituents, phone campaigns, the website
and social media, and so on. This ensures consistency (in tone, language,
and position) and reduces drafting and approval time. It can also help ensure
responses to constituents are high-value and not too detailed. A few ofces have
even changed their organizational chart to make the Communications Director
— instead of the Legislative Director — oversee all aspects of constituent
correspondence.
Correspondence format standards. Establish a sensible letter length: one
page is usually sufcient and if responding via email, even shorter is preferred.
Use a consistent, standard salutation and closing. Create a standard layout
(indentation, spacing, margins, etc.) and adhere to it. In addition, the speed of
your replies can be increased if you develop a clear and replicable formula for
crafting responses to various types of constituent letters. Responses discussing
220
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
specic legislation might include a brief status update on the legislation and
whether the Member is a cosponsor while responses on general issues might
include one or two examples of legislative action the Member has taken in those
areas. The goal is to develop reusable templates to the greatest extent possible.
CMF Model Mail System
Developing a systematic approach to congressional mail is essential. If your
ofce has only one function governed by strict standard operating procedures,
it should be the mail. The diverse nature of Congress assures that every ofce’s
mail system will be slightly different, but there are some basic concepts that
can serve as a model:
1. Timeliness is of the utmost importance to constituents. In our ex-
perience, a quick response matters most to your constituents; far more
complaints are lodged regarding the length of time it took to receive
a reply than the actual content of the response. Seriously consider
eliminating any steps in your system that do not directly contribute to
responsiveness or accuracy.
2. Establish a goal of answering 85 percent of the mail with form
responses. Some new Members feel they are somehow cheating
constituents if they send them form letters. Consider, however, that if
your response is sufcient for one person, then it is good enough for
others. With House Members representing 710,000 people on average
and state populations varying widely, it would not be possible to
answer every letter with an original response.
The other 15 percent represents mail on new issues. Write the
responses more general in nature so they can be used again, without
alteration, the next time a message is received on that subject. In other
words, every response is a potential form response. This practice
saves enormous amounts of time for both those writing text and those
approving the text. Thereafter, all responses on that subject can be
answered by the Mail Manager without needing further attention from
a legislative staffer, until new developments occur on that issue.
3. The system should be as simple as possible. It should minimize
detours and duplications, with mail passing through as few hands as
possible. This principle must be strenuously applied at four key points:
• Never write a new response when an existing one will do. It
makes no sense to write two — or 10 or 20 — unique responses to
constituents who ask nearly identical questions.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 221
• Always route any constituent message for which a pre-approved
response exists directly to a single staffer who can produce responses
without further review by additional staff. These replies can often be
sent within a day or two of receipt of the constituent contact.
• Limit the number of people involved in approving new text to one
or two. Quality control is important, but so is timeliness. The more
people involved, the longer the process. Therefore, it is important
to clarify why each reviewer in the system is reading the mail;
are they editing for political sensitivity, content, grammar, or VIP
personalization? Don’t waste staff resources by asking multiple
staffers to all be looking for the same things. Obviously, the most
efcient system would have only one person reviewing the mail who
is well-versed in all of the above.
• Automate email processing as much as possible. It is imperative that
your ofce learn and take advantage of the full functionality of your
Correspondence Management System (CMS)/ Constituent Services
System (CSS) software. Mail lter functions and rules can automati-
cally sort email before a staffer opens a message.
4. Correspondence backlogs are an ofce problem, not an individual
staffer’s problem. Establish turnaround goals for each point of the
process. For example, LAs may be allowed ve days to research and
draft responses for mail that cannot be answered with existing form
letters. However, if an LA is swamped with moving a hot piece of
legislation through committee,
the rest of the ofce should
help answer their assigned mail.
Why? Because it is the Member’s
reputation at stake, not the LA’s.
Most House and Senate ofces
have LCs whose primary job is to handle the mail. These ofces
do not have as many problems with other priorities taking over and
delaying the mail because they have a dedicated resource to manage
the mail. It is important to note here, however, that gone are the days
when one staffer — heroic as they may be — is able to manage the
entire mail process alone. At the very minimum, there will need to
be reviewers that approve outgoing responses, but ofces that want
a functioning mail process will need to bring in other resources to
help various aspects of the mail. Finally, every ofce must develop
contingency plans for how they will deal with surges in volume.
“ Correspondence backlogs are an ofce
problem, not an individual staffer’s
problem.”
222
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
How the Model Mail System Works
The CMF Mail System (Figure 14-1) is a two-track affair that permits the
mature ofce to answer 85 percent of its mail with pre-approved form letters
in less than one week. The remaining 15 percent is assigned to a Legislative
Correspondent (LC) or LA and usually can be answered in one to two weeks,
depending upon the priority the ofce assigns to mail, the amount of research
required, and whether unusual events are generating higher than average mail
volume.
The Mail Manager is the hub of this system. The person performing this
duty is essentially the trafc cop who keeps the system functioning. The
individual serving as Mail Manager may serve dual roles, particularly in House
ofces. They could be a Legislative Correspondent, the Systems Administrator
or perhaps the Staff Assistant. Senate ofces may have an exclusive Mail
Manager or Correspondence Director. The Member and the Chief of Staff must
ensure that this staffer has the ability and the authority to make the system
work.
Mail Managers — ideally a combination of Systems Administrator
expertise and LA/LC experience — are given the clout to monitor and enforce
the mailow process. They are asked to think, analyze, and make decisions.
They are, in short, in a position of both responsibility and authority. A good
Mail Manager takes a tremendous load off the Member and the rest of the staff.
The mail management function can also be performed by a group with
a team leader (the Mail Manager, Legislative Director, or Communications
Director). In this scenario, there is a higher degree of teamwork and strict
group accountability for the turnaround times and mail quality. This
collaborative model is recommended for the Senate, where more coordination
between the technical and administrative staff and the LCs is needed to get the
mail out the door.
LAs and LCs love the CMF system. Why? Because all the mail that already
has a form response (85 percent in a mature ofce) bypasses them. It goes
to the Mail Manager, and then out the door. LAs and LCs need only keep
their response texts current and accurate. They act on only 15 percent of the
total mail volume, enabling them to focus on drafting better and more timely
responses, rather than on managing the mail.
CMF Mail System Flow Chart
Step 1: Sort & Log. Staff and possibly interns sort and log incoming
constituent messages. To give ofces an accurate accounting of their mail
program, all communications should be put into the ofce’s CMS/CSS
system within 24 to 48 hours of receipt. You will nd that a large volume
of mail comes in so rapidly that neglecting to stay on top of this input can
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
MANAGEMENT FACT
Model ofces answer
85% of constituent
communications
with form responses.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 223
cause mail to pile up quickly. Great care should be taken by the data entry
staff to ensure that names, addresses, and constituent views are put into the
system carefully and consistently. An incorrect prex or marking someone
as being in support of a bill rather than in opposition can prove to be very
embarrassing when that constituent receives a response. This is less of a
problem for email, because in most cases the original text can be easily
accessed.
At this point the ofce should ensure that each communication
entered into the database receives the appropriate issue/topic and
afliation/personal codes, both of which help to ensure that messages
and constituents are tracked in your database effectively:
• Issue/Topic Codes. Correctly assigning the issue/topic codes
allows very specic issues to be grouped together under broad
topics, such as grouping letters about air quality standards and
recycling under the larger topic of “environment.” This coding
ensures the proper routing to the appropriate staffer in the ofce,
and allows the ofce to report on the broad issue areas that interest
your constituents the most.
• Afliation/Personal Codes. Ofces often track the interests of
certain subsets of their constituencies through the strategic use of
afliation/personal codes. For instance, if you would like to hold
a town hall meeting in your district/state (or host a telephone town
hall in DC) on education reform, you can tag the records of con-
stituents that identify themselves as teachers. Then, when it comes
time for the event, you have a ready-made invite list.
Step 2: Determine Track. Mail that requires a response is then divided into
two tracks: pre-approved form track (“fast track”) and the “original draft
track.” Fast track mail is the incoming mail that the ofce already has a
prepared and approved response available in the letter library. Original
draft track mail is the mail that does not have an approved response
and requires new text to be written. At this point the ofce should also
identify and handle separately any messages from district/state VIPs or
those that are personal enough in nature that the sender should not receive
a prepared form letter response.
Step 3a: Fast Track – Assign Response. Fast track mail is assigned
the appropriate pre-approved response letter and properly batched for
printing or emailing. As you can see, it is called the fast track for a
reason. With diligence, an established ofce with an up-to-date letter
library can — and should — respond to approximately 85 percent of their
mail within just a few days of receiving the incoming message. (Fast
Track Mail bypasses Steps 4 – 6)
MANAGEMENT FACT
All CMS/CSS
packages can be set
up to assign email
coming in through the
web form directly to
LCs, saving a step in
the sorting process.
224
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Step 3b: Original Draft Track – Assign Staff. Constituent mail that
requires new language is batched with similar responses and assigned to
the appropriate Legislative Correspondent (LC) or Legislative Assistant
(LA).
Step 4: Research & Draft Response. The LC or LA researches and writes
the rst draft responses. Obviously, great care should be taken to ensure
that all responses are consistent with your legislative record and conform
to the standards set by the ofce.
Step 5: Edit & Review. Completed drafts are submitted for proong,
alterations, and editing. The proong team often consists of various
combinations of the LA, the LD, the Chief of Staff, and/or the Member. It
is easier and more efcient if proong is done electronically, rather than
on paper, especially if the draft needs little editing. Just be sure sufcient
safeguards are in place to prevent the marked up draft from being sent to
constituents by mistake. However, if the draft is by a new staffer or a less
procient writer, it might be more appropriate to edit the draft on paper.
Step 6: Approval. Once the letter is approved, it should be activated
in the letter library and regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains
accurate and up-to-date.
Step 7a: Send Email. The approved drafts (for the original draft track)
or the pre-assigned letters (for the fast track) are then sent by the Mail
Manager to constituents via email. Hundreds of emails can be sent
within a matter of moments, which saves on postage, printing, and staff
labor. For this reason, it is important to embrace email as a preferred
response method whenever you have an email address on le. Prior to
sending a batch of emails, scan them to ensure there are no mistakes or
other formatting problems. (Email bypasses Step 8)
Step 7b: Print Postal Mail. If a postal reply is being sent, print your
letters double-sided to save the ofce the additional costs associated
with printing and folding. Prior to printing a batch of letters, scan them
to ensure there are no mistakes or other formatting problems.
Step 8: Fold, Stuff, and Send Postal Mail. For postal mail, the nal
production steps of folding and stufng are completed and the letters
are mailed. For folding large quantities of mail, you may want to buy a
folding machine for the ofce or use an outside vendor; otherwise, the
work can be done in the ofce with the help of interns. Senate ofces
can have large quantities of letters printed, folded and mailed off-site by
the Senate Sergeant at Arms.
Figure 14-1
CMF Mail System Flow Chart
Mail
In
Assign Sta
Research & Draft
Response
Sort & Log Into
CMS/CSS
Determine
Track
Assign Response
Send
Email
ORIGINAL DRAFT
TRACK
FAST TRACK
1
2
3a
3b
4
Edit and Review
5
Approval
6
Print
Postal Mail
7b
7a
Send
Email
7a
Fold,
Stu,
and
Send
Postal
Mail
8
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 225
226
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Keys to CMF Mail System: Coding and Logging
Coding and Naming Standards
It is essential to establish easy-to-use codes and standard letter naming
conventions within your CMS/CSS. A letter name/code is the name assigned
to pre-approved form responses stored in the ofce’s letter library. An issue/
topic code indicates the general issue a constituent is interested in. Your Mail
Manager or letter-writing staff can develop a system tailored to your ofce
needs. Anyone creating codes or letter names should know the agreed-upon
format and adhere to it.
Any hierarchical coding scheme will do, as long as it lets you establish
major subject areas and differentiate within them as issues arise. It is best to
use an intuitive system that allows staff members to easily identify codes when
they read them without having to look up an explanation of the code. The more
complex the system, the harder it is to maintain continuity with new staff.
Confusing codes also usually discourage staff from using existing form letters.
Staff who cannot identify an existing letter from its text code will draft a new
letter — and assign it a new code! The second letter will have to be approved,
wasting valuable time. Even worse, now you have two letters on the same
subject with different text codes. Eventually, your computer will be clogged
with letters no one can identify or use, and you risk sending constituents
outdated letters or multiple messages.
One of the worst uses of staff time is to spend an inordinate amount of time
looking for pre-approved text in the letter library, or worse still, recreating the
wheel by writing text that already exists in another letter but cannot be found.
Here is an example of a letter naming format that works for many ofces,
given that each letter in the library should already be tagged with the broader
issue code (e.g., “Science and Technology”): Net Neutrality - S. 682 - Save the
Internet Act of 2019 - April 2019.
If all letters utilized such a format (or something similar), you would be
able to search by the keyword(s) at the beginning, the bill number, or keywords
from the short title. The date reference helps ensure that staff don’t send
out old text. Non-bill-specic letters could keep the keyword(s) and a date
reference, but contain a more general statement like “Join the Congressional
Internet Caucus.”
Logging and Tracking
Having the Mail Manager log incoming constituent communication into the
system enables you to generate mail status reports to track the movement of mail
through your ofce. These reports can tell you the volume of mail you receive on
a given subject, the type of contact (i.e., email, postal mail, phone call), and the
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 227
number of form letters/original responses sent out. Mail status reports can also
quantify how much mail is answered in how many days and the volume of the
current backlog, which will ensure staff accountability.
Without this accountability, turnaround times will suffer and a backlog
can quickly develop. A good tracking system produces a mail report that will
raise red ags so problems can be xed before your constituents notice. The
report will reect if any LA/LC is lagging, who produces the most mail, and
how long constituents wait to receive a form letter or an original response.
Proper logging also allows you to consolidate constituent information into
one record and ultimately provide better constituent services. The constituent
record typically contains: name, address, email; contact history; issue/topic
codes; letters sent in response; and possibly an afliation/personal code (e.g.,
DR for doctor, VIP, etc.).
Addressing Common Mail Issues
Following are common issues that ofces face when trying to manage their
constituent mail, along with solutions we have identied through our work.
Issue: Mail volume is so high that we accumulate a backlog.
Establish a backlog alert. It is the responsibility of the Mail Manager to deter-
mine when a problem exists. When an LA/LC gures out they will not meet
the turnaround deadline, they should consult with the Mail Manager who must
work with the Chief of Staff and/or the Legislative Director to determine a plan
for resolving the backlog.
Options include: assigning it to another LA/LC; delaying the response until
the original staffer is free the next week; or asking the entire staff to stay late
one night and help. Some ofces utilize a “Mail Zero Day,” with the goal of
having no pending mail at the end of the day. The Mail Zero Day approach
can also be used on a regular basis to prevent backlogs and instill a sense of
teamwork among the staff. It is important that everyone knows that mail is an
ofce-wide responsibility, and backlogs are not just an individual’s problem.
It’s not the staffer who will be voted out of ofce by dissatised constituents.
The key to the backlog alert is to invest your Mail Manager with enough
clout to prevent your LAs and LCs from abusing it as an easy way to avoid
mail. The rst time an LC’s or LA’s backlog reaches critical proportions,
pinpoint the cause. Was it other priorities, heavier-than-usual mail on a
controversial issue, a larger workload than other staffers, or other issues more
228
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
complex and time-consuming to write about? Were they ill or on vacation? If
the staffer was diverted to other higher priorities, or bedridden, the back-up
plan is implemented. Otherwise, perhaps the staffer’s workload needs to
be re-examined and redistributed to less burdened colleagues. If a backlog
regularly occurs for more than one staffer, the ofce should reassess its entire
mail process to determine the cause for delay.
Issue: Keeping form letters updated so we don’t send old
information.
The integrity of the mail system suffers if LAs/LCs do not keep an eye on up-
dating pre-approved letters. It is embarrassing if a Member is telling a constitu-
ent in a letter that an issue is “under consideration” when it was voted on the
week before.
Establish a system for reviewing form letters. The Mail Manager can make
inquiries about what changes need to be made to reect the previous week’s
oor action or pass around a list of questions about currently approved texts
for LA/LC review after the weekly staff meeting. Another approach: the
Mail Manager could check the date a form letter was rst produced and if it
was months ago, or if he knows there was action on the bill, he could ask the
relevant LA if the letter needs updating before he generates a large volume
of outgoing letters. Of course, the bill numbers and references to “this year”
in all form letters must be changed every year and at the beginning of a new
Congress. One approach is to inactivate all form letters at the end of each
Congress, reactivating each one only after it has been revised and veried as
up-to-date.
Issue: Preventing the Member from becoming a logjam or
getting overinvolved in the mail operation.
When a Member says, “Mail is the most important thing in my ofce, and I
want one-week turnaround,” he makes a commitment to the staff to review
mail quickly. When a Member regularly fails to approve mail in a timely
manner, he signals to staff that what he says and what he really means are two
different things.
Ways to solve this problem are for the Member to: take seriously the
commitment he makes to the staff; allow staff to schedule mail-review
“appointments”; rethink the priority of speedy mail turnaround; or gracefully
recuse himself from the process to keep the turnaround time reasonable. Since
only 15 percent of the mail should require new drafts in a mature ofce (with
the other 85 percent already in the system and approved), the amount of mail
requiring approval at any given time should be relatively small.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 229
Issue: Handling VIPs so the Member can personalize their
responses.
A list of VIPs should be developed, tracked within the CMS/CSS, and periodi-
cally updated. Code VIPs in the database so this information is readily avail-
able to any staff member who accesses the constituent record. It is not uncom-
mon for new staff to take many months to learn the VIPs in a district or state
and this enables them to learn as they go. Many times District/State Directors
or other outreach staff can be invaluable in identifying constituents who should
be tracked in some additional way. In fact, when appropriate and useful, you
should use your CMS/CSS to “ag” a constituent name with additional aflia-
tion or interest codes (such as occupation, interest group associations, etc.).
Issue: Managing “frequent yers” or “pen pals” who write
multiple times.
If they are writing on the same issue and there has been no change or legisla-
tive action since you responded, either close out the inquiry or resend your
message (it is possible they didn’t receive it or see it the rst time). Calling to
let them know there has been no change instead of writing is also an option.
If they are responding to your ofce’s answer (“ping-ponging”), it should be
closed out unless a clarication needs to be made. If they contact you multiple
times but on multiple issues, respond to them every third or fourth time they
write, choosing which issues you respond to. Focus on responding to the issues
that have pre-approved text ready.
Issue: Looking for additional strategies to save time and/or
improve constituent satisfaction.
Through our research with staff and constituents, CMF has identied ways to
both lighten the workload and improve constituent satisfaction. Consider:
• Eliminating pro/con letters. Many ofces write two separate letters
for each issue: one for those who oppose and one for those who support
their view. Doing so creates additional work for staff and risks sending
someone the wrong letter. If your boss has taken a position, simply state
it and their reasoning in a matter-of-fact tone. No need to persuade or be
defensive. If your boss has not taken a position, simply connect to the
issue and constituents in a different way.
• Creating higher value, but fewer, responses. Instead of creating a
separate message for each individual campaign, group them together
by broad policy areas (e.g., changes to the tax code, protecting natural
resources, regulatory reform). Then craft a high-quality response on that
topic with links to the Representative’s/Senator’s position and action
taken to support it.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
230
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Answering difcult mail with a phone call. Some messages might be
on obscure or particularly complex issues. Others are “one-offs” — mail
that isn’t part of a larger campaign or tied to specic legislation. Instead
of drafting a written reply, authorize and train staff to respond with phone
calls. It will save time in the mail process and also make constituents feel
that their issue or opinion really matters since you are taking the time to
call them and personally interact with them.
Improving the Processing of Email
The CMF Mail System can streamline in-ofce handling of email to a great
extent. Further improvements can come from your choice and use of constituent
database software, how you set up your web form, responding via email, and
determining your correspondence policies.
Choosing and Getting Trained on Your Constituent Database
Software
Your choice of CMS/CSS package is important. If set up and used properly, this
software can help you more quickly log-in, code and respond to email. Before
you choose to invest in any CMS/CSS, ask the vendor for references and talk
with several ofces that use the software to determine how well it can work for
you. (More advice on making technology purchases can be found in Chapter 6.)
These technologies are sophisticated and customized to the congressional envi-
ronment. To take advantage of their full functionality, we strongly recommend
that all staff who are part of the mail process be formally trained on the system.
Setting Up Your Web Form
A web-based email form is the most effective and efcient option for ofces
receiving email. Nearly every House and Senate ofce uses web forms, due
to their many advantages. It ensures you get the information you need from
constituents, and it helps automate data entry. In addition, the form can help
lter out non-constituents so you don’t have to sift through every message.
Most Members choose to only respond to those they represent.
The web form can be accompanied by a pull-down menu of issues/topics
and checkboxes that offer additional options such as “Subscribe me to your
e-newsletter list,” or “Just wanted the Member to know my thoughts — no
response necessary.” Also, through your CMS/CSS package, the constituent’s
communication can be automatically logged into the database.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 231
Answering Via Email
Most ofces respond in kind to communications coming from their
constituents. That is, if a constituent sends an email, the ofce responds
electronically. If the constituent sends a postal letter, the ofce will print
and send a paper response. However, more and more ofces are choosing
to respond via email if they have an email address on le, regardless of the
incoming method. Not only does this save the ofce money on printing and
franking, but it also results in a speedier response to the constituent.
Creating and Posting Correspondence Policies
Taking the time to communicate your policies and your approach to constituent
mail on your website benets not only your constituents, but also your staff.
Constituents will know what to expect, and staff will have a reference point as
to the Member’s vision and goals for constituent mail.
If your policy is not to respond to mail that originates outside your district/
state, or to messages that contain profane language, then clarify that in your
correspondence policies. If it is your goal to respond to every communication,
give constituents an idea of the volume of mail that the ofce receives and
why it could take some time to receive a response. You should also explain to
constituents that postal mail may be delayed by security screening procedures,
and through which method(s) you prefer to receive communications.
Proactive Outreach Mail
Members who wish to send unsolicited mail have a variety of choices in
targeting techniques and production methods. They may use postal patron
mailings, e-newsletters, town hall meeting invites, telephone town hall calls,
questionnaires, or generic or personalized letters. A number of issues must be
considered, however, in deciding whether to develop an outreach mail program.
The Outreach Mail Debate
Opponents of congressional outreach mail argue that unsolicited communica-
tions are an unfair advantage of incumbency. Some believe that it amounts to
a taxpayer-funded subsidy for Members’ re-election efforts. Critics point out
that the levels of unsolicited mass mailings increase dramatically in election
years and diminish in off years. They also argue that the content of outreach
mail is focused primarily on the Member’s accomplishments and only tangen-
tially on policy issues — undermining the idea that this mail contributes to
public discussion.
MANAGEMENT FACT
Consumer studies
show that people who
send an email to
a business expect a
reply within 12-24
hours.
Conduct a Constituent
Satisfaction Survey
Often a constituent’s
interaction with a congressional
ofce ends after the ofce
replies, but how do constituents
view these responses and what
is their overall satisfaction with
their Member?
By inviting feedback after an
interaction, ofces can nd out
what inuences constituents’
satisfaction. Moreover, marketing
research suggests that the act
of asking for feedback, in itself,
improves satisfaction.
While it may seem daunting
to collect additional data for
staff to sift through, CMF
has identied ways to use
constituent satisfaction surveys
to better your relationship with
constituents.
Visit our “Ofce Toolkit” on
CongressFoundation.org to
access our latest research on
this topic and templates for
surveying on constituent service
and on casework.
■
232
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Proponents of outreach mail argue that two-way communication is an
essential part of democracy and that the quality of representation is directly
related to the contribution of the represented. Supporters maintain that
questionnaires and town hall meeting notices encourage participation in the
democratic process. Congressional outreach updates constituents on federal
actions that affect them — in some cases news that the media doesn’t detail
due to time and space constraints. Moreover, proponents of outreach mail
argue that constituents are entitled to know what a Member considers their
priorities as well as their position on issues. If constituents disagree, it provides
them an opportunity to tell the Member.
Many Members believe it is important to communicate, unltered by the
media, their own message to constituents. One Chief of Staff asked why the
newspaper only printed bad news about his boss, to which the editor replied,
“It is the Congressman’s job to do the things he is paid to do, so that’s not
news.” Readers, he said, do not want general government stories unless they
contain some element of scandal or controversy.
Outreach mail programs have long
been political issues because informa-
tion about Members’ mailing practices
is readily available online. Both Capitol
Hill and local newspapers have pub-
lished articles ranking Members from
highest to lowest in terms of franked
mail spending. If you decide to conduct
an aggressive outreach mail program,
you must be prepared to defend your
position. Justiably or not, it may
become an issue.
Other Outreach Mail Issues
Members who believe that outreach ef-
forts are a vital part of their representa-
tional functions need to decide how much
of the ofce’s resources to devote to this
goal. Depending upon the method used,
costs might include the Member’s time,
staff time, constituent list purchases,
design and production, and franking. The
ofce should have a written plan that re-
lates each mailing to the ofce’s strategic
plan and justies the resources.
MANAGEMENT FACT
Both the House and
Senate have “blackout
periods” prior to
elections, prohibiting
the sending of
unsolicited mass
communications.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Managing Constituent Communications 233
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
In developing and implementing an outreach program, your ofce will
collect a treasure trove of information about your constituents. It is absolutely
illegal to use any information from your ofce, including your database,
for anything other than ofcial business. Once data is on your computer or
becomes part of your ofce operations in any other way, you cannot lend it
out, transfer it to your campaign, or use it for any other purposes.
Finally, ofces must educate themselves on the various House and Senate
rules governing unsolicited mail, including email. Violations can result in
Ethics Committee investigations, nancial penalties, and, of course, tons of
bad press, so Members should require that staff be aware of and follow the
rules.
In election years, for example, Members of both the House and Senate enter
into a blackout period (90 days for the House; 60 days for the Senate) before
their primaries and the general election when they are prohibited from sending
unsolicited mass mailings. Ofces, however, are allowed to send e-newsletters
to people who have opted-in for the service. Senators also face a ceiling each
scal year on the amount they can spend on franking for mass mailings.
For detailed information and manuals on the rules, House staff should
contact the Franking Commission (Democrats: 202-225-9337; Republicans:
202-226-0647) and the Committee on House Administration (Democrats: 202-
225-2061; Republicans: 202-225-8281). Senate staff should contact the Ethics
Committee (202-224-2981) and the Committee on Rules and Administration
(202-224-6352) for guidance.
Conclusion
It’s no exaggeration to say your success in Congress is greatly inuenced by
the decisions you make concerning constituent correspondence. It’s likely to
consume the largest percentage of ofce resources, and is a major link to your
constituents. How you manage, prioritize, and above all, answer the mail is up
to you, but these decisions will reverberate throughout your ofce and impact
everything else you do. The dominance of email has only increased the dif-
culty in being responsive, and social media communications tools present new
and as yet unresolved issues of their own.
The CMF Mail System and other advice presented in this chapter can go a
long way towards assisting ofces in meeting these challenges and providing
constituents with timely, accurate and informative responses. At the same time,
ofces will maximize their resources and be in a better position to address
their many other responsibilities.
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
Do...
Don’t...
•
be proactive to reduce the volume
of incoming constituent mail.
Keep constituents informed through a
comprehensive and user-friendly website and
regular email and social media updates.
•
assess the priority of mail in your oce.
It is counterproductive to assign mail a high
priority and then fail to devote the resources to
answer it appropriately.
•
adopt the CMF Mail System, which enables
an oce to answer 85% of mail with pre-
approved form letters in about one week.
•
recognize that timeliness is of the
utmost importance to constituents. A
prompt one-page response is more desirable
than a longer, more detailed response received
several weeks later.
•
treat mail backlogs as an oce problem,
not an individual staer’s problem. It
is the Member’s reputation at stake, not the
sta’s.
•
adhere to a consistent and timely
process for the logging and coding of
constituent interactions. Such a scheme
will enable you to better track and respond to
the needs of constituents.
•
respond via email. More and more oces
are replying to any constituent message
(regardless of incoming method) with email if
they have an email address on le.
•
ignore the expectations of
constituents. Email has made people
expect a faster reply and shorter
responses.
•
discount the concerns of emailers.
Most of them are just as committed to
their issues as traditional postal writers.
•
view mail as simply something to
react to. If you do, you will become a
content provider instead of legislating,
conducting outreach and district/state
projects, and meeting the larger needs of
constituents.
•
fail to establish clear mail
policies. Consider: the purpose of
responding; the quality of replies; desired
turnaround; which mail to answer;
Member involvement; the involvement
of communications sta; and standard
formats.
•
allow the Member to slow the mail
approval process.
When the Member
regularly functions as a mail logjam, they
must rethink the priority of speedy mail
turnaround, or come up with a strategy to
approve mail more quickly.
•
violate House and Senate rules
governing mass communications
and email — both solicited and
unsolicited — which can result in Ethics
Committee investigations, nancial
penalties, and harmful press coverage.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Managing Constituent Communications
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
234
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Strategic Scheduling
This Chapter Includes...
✩ How to develop and implement a strategic schedule
✩ Ideas for proactive scheduling in the district/state
✩ Managing the Member’s DC schedule
✩ Suggestions for addressing common scheduling problems
A Member’s time will face almost limitless demands. The grueling campaign
schedule can quickly become a distant, vaguely pleasurable memory when
compared to a schedule in ofce. The campaign schedule, while inhumane
in the extreme, had two benets probably not appreciated at the time. It was
compressed into a relatively short, endurable timeframe, and the candidate
had a great deal of control over what was done and when it was done. By
contrast, unless Members lose or retire, there is now no end in sight. And they
have lost control over a large portion of their time: up to 70 percent will now
be determined by others. As a result, Members might nd that their schedule
controls them, when they wants to be in control of their schedule.
It is possible to avoid this unhappy state of affairs. One can rise above the
day-to-day minutiae commonly included in the term “scheduling” by instead
practicing strategic scheduling. This means creating a focused framework for
the scheduling process that reects an ofce’s strategic plan. This will ensure
that strategic goals drive the schedule. A strategic scheduling process will
preserve your ofce’s sanity, which is especially needed by freshmen in the
tough rst term.
There will always be challenges in scheduling. But an ofce can reduce
these challenges if the Member commits to a strategic scheduling method early
in the term and sets up a process and framework to support it. And while it is
easier to adopt a strategic scheduling framework when the Member has a
clean slate, it is certainly possible for veteran ofces to modify their scheduling
practices if they wish to do so.
235
236
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Note: Although this chapter discusses scheduling/events from primarily an
in-person perspective, the strategic guidance and framework still applies to
virtual/online events, such as video calls with individuals or organizations in
the district/state and virtual site visits.
Strategic Scheduling Dened
Think of your time in ofce as a trip. Not a short jaunt, but a major cross-
country trip. Going, say, from Washington, DC to Fresno, CA. And you are
not going on the road alone. This is a bus trip, and you are the driver.
Unfortunately, the tour company did not plan the trip well. They also failed
to advertise it accurately, so the passengers on the bus all have their own ideas
about both where they want to go and how to get there.
To complicate matters, you don’t have all the maps you need. Some of your
passengers know the best way through Kansas (you sure don’t) and two of them
(but you don’t know which two) are the only ones who know how to cross the
Rockies. If you let them have their way, you’ll drive through all contiguous
48 states, stop at every tourist attraction within 40 miles of the highway, and
ultimately visit everyone’s second cousin twice removed. You might, eventu-
ally, get to Fresno, but how likely is that? And at what cost to you and the bus?
Remember, you’re driving, and you are the one who wants to get to Fresno.
How are you going to do this?
What does this parable teach about your ofce? If you’re following our advice
so far, you will soon have your goals in place (i.e., Fresno). But the people on
the bus with you are all those folks — constituents, interest groups, local
government ofcials, colleagues, committee chairs, lobbyists, staff, spouses
and families — who have ideas about how you should spend your time. Some
of them have the keys to your success (i.e., the map for Kansas). One or more
may have make-or-break status (i.e., the path through the Rockies). You have to
keep them happy, and you need them with you. But you can’t lose sight of Fresno.
You are going to develop a system for getting their input, weighing it against
your goals, taking advantage of opportunities where they exist and creating
them where they don’t. You are going to have to develop a strategic itinerary,
which is a lot like strategic scheduling.
So what is strategic scheduling? Simply put, it is knowing where you want
to go (even approximately), and using your time wisely to get there. If your
budget is your strategic plan put to numbers, then your schedule is your strategic
plan set forth in dates, times and locations.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 237
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
Strategic scheduling is proactive. You don’t just respond to requests: you
decide where you need to go, who you need to see, and who needs to see you.
It is goal oriented: you don’t spend a minute more than necessary on those
activities that aren’t going to help you reach your goals. It is creative: your
district/state trips aren’t an endless stream of disconnected events that you
attend at the request of others, but are a seamless expression of your strategic
plan. It is inclusive: the schedule is created not by you alone, nor by your
Scheduler, but by a group that works to ensure that everyone’s views are heard,
that needs are balanced, and that all bases are covered.
Six Steps to Developing and Implementing
a Strategic Schedule
Step 1: Dene ofce goals.
The foundation of strategic scheduling is a focus on, and adherence to, goal
achievement. The importance of setting goals and various methods for devel-
oping them are discussed thoroughly in Chapter 11. Very little in the strategic
scheduling model will work if there is not a clear sense of the ofce’s priorities
for the term.
Step 2: Evaluate the impact of ofce goals on scheduling.
An ofce’s strategic plan will be translated into action through the schedule.
Thus, the planning team should evaluate the impact that each of the goals will
have on scheduling. This evaluation can provide answers to key scheduling
questions, such as:
• How much time will be spent in the district or state?
• What specic times will be spent in the district or state?
• What type of events will the ofce create?
• What type of requests will get priority?
• What level of attention will be given to certain groups?
• What activities are “musts” either weekly, monthly, or yearly?
Some goals are stated explicitly in scheduling terms. A goal like “Increase
favorability ratings in East Riverside by 20 percent” has obvious implications
for the district schedule. The Member will probably be in East Riverside
quite a bit, in addition to spending time playing a visible role on issues of
importance to East Riversidians.
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
238
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Other goals will need a little more translation. The impact on the schedule
of a goal like “Introduce and obtain passage of Amusement Park Deregulation
Act” is less clear. It may require time for hearings, time spent touring
amusement parks or time working on behalf of causes beneting children to
soften the Member’s image and deect charges of endangering children for
prot.
Step 3: Communicate goals to staff.
It sounds obvious, but it is not always clear. The ofce’s goals cannot be trans-
lated into action unless staff understands them. How the Member’s schedule is
put together is critical to achieving their goals, and communicating these goals
to staff will be critical in how the schedule is put together. CMF recommends
that staff be involved with developing the ofce goals, but if they are not, the
goals should be presented to staff in detail. Staff need to understand not only
what the Member’s goals are, but how the ofce intends to achieve them.
This can be done through face-to-face meetings or written plans or memos. A
common understanding and shared sense of mission will allow staff to work
together in building the schedule and will vastly reduce internal staff conict
over scheduling matters.
Step 4: Assemble the scheduling team.
A good strategic scheduling system is inclusive, and a key element of that
system is the scheduling team. The team should be comprised of those people
who have input into the Member’s schedule, for whatever reason: they have
specialized knowledge or key insights (Communications Director, Field
Representative); they have functional responsibility (Scheduler); or maybe just
because they have creative minds.
Teams will vary across ofces in
size and composition. Senate ofces
tend to have larger teams, simply
because they have greater functional
and geographical specialization, and
one or two staffers are not going to have
the whole picture or the understanding
necessary to develop a good schedule.
Ofces that do not use a scheduling
team often divide the Member’s available time and parcel it out to different
staff members to schedule individually. The District/State Director is
responsible for the weekend in the hometown, a Field Representative for a day
in a far-reaching county and the Scheduler gets two hours on Friday afternoon
for ofce visitors, etc. This approach inevitably results in a choppy schedule
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
“ Ofces that do not use a scheduling team
often divide the Member’s available time
among different staff members to schedule
individually, resulting in a choppy schedule
that lacks focus and cohesion.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 239
that lacks focus and cohesion, and does not create collaborative support for the
ofce’s goals.
CMF strongly recommends the team approach, but not that all scheduling
decisions be made by committee. The scheduling team will have input
into the schedule — making suggestions for activities, working as a group
to create events and keeping each other apprised of events on the horizon
that will require the Member’s (and their) attention. Decisions on routine
scheduling matters will be made by the Scheduler, with appropriate (and
agreed upon) input from the Member and/or Chief of Staff.
According to CMF’s research, the majority of House and Senate ofces use
a scheduling team, customized to their ofce’s needs and personnel. Ofces
have an endless variety of team congurations to choose from. In fact, House
and Senate ofces that responded to a recent CMF survey reported more than
15 different stafng congurations. There is no one correct structure or team
composition. Regardless of conguration, the key is to dene and agree on the
roles of each person involved. Some possible team members, and suggested
roles, are offered here:
• Member. The Member must decide what level of involvement they
wish to have in setting the schedule. Weigh the time the Member will
spend tinkering with the schedule against other pressing political and
legislative demands. Ideally, the Member should develop enough trust in
staff to allow them to make most scheduling decisions. Giving staff this
responsibility is much easier when there are clear strategic goals to work
toward.
• Member’s Family. The family might want a voice in setting the schedule
and the team must accommodate their input. In some cases, a spouse or
partner might have knowledge of the district and its key issues that is
unmatched by staff. In other cases, a spouse/partner may want input on
only a limited scope of decisions, or may only require early notication,
not input into decision-making. (See pages 256-257 for suggestions on
how to determine the family’s involvement and reduce conict with staff.)
• Scheduler. The Scheduler is ultimately responsible for the schedule. They
must supply information about events as needed, provide a contact person
for each scheduled event, develop the nal schedule, respond to requests,
and communicate with staff.
The amount of decision-making authority granted to Schedulers varies
widely, depending upon their level of experience and the level of trust and
comfort in their relations with the Member. Some Schedulers serve as the
nal arbiter on all matters of scheduling, while others readily defer critical
scheduling decisions to others. Ultimately, a single individual should have
240
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
the authority to add and remove events from the schedule. The Scheduler
is uniquely situated to weigh all of the competing options and priorities.
(See pages 257-258 for a discussion of this role.)
• District/State Director. The District/State Director is often considered
the Member’s overall “point person” in the district or state. As such, they
should obviously be involved in shaping the district/state schedule, but
might also have key information that would be helpful in developing the
DC schedule. The DD/SD’s familiarity with various constituent groups
and key contacts can help a Scheduler decide which of the competing
groups should be placed on the Member’s schedule and which could be
seen by staff.
• Field Representative. Field Representatives are often the rst to know
about an issue or organization that deserves the Member’s time. They
should have input into the scheduling process, either directly or through
the District/State Director. For ofces in which Field Representatives
cover specic regions, it may be best to alternate their participation on the
scheduling team, so over time the entire district/state is taken into account.
• Communications Director/Press Secretary. Press staff are usually a
vital component of the scheduling team. If media coverage is desired, it
is always easier to build that in when an event is being formed than to try,
perhaps unsuccessfully, to graft it on at the end. The Communications
Director/Press Secretary is the most reliable assessor of what the media
will cover and what type of coverage to expect.
• Legislative Director. The LD usually has input into the DC schedule, as
they know where the Member needs to spend time to achieve the ofce’s
legislative goals, but the LD could also be helpful in crafting the district/
state schedule by connecting the Member’s legislative priorities to out-
reach and events.
• Chief of Staff. As the staff person with the “big picture” perspective,
the Chief of Staff can ensure that the schedule is a model of balanced,
focused, seamless continuity.
• Others not on the “team.” On an as-needed basis, some ofces rely
on input from political consultants, local government leaders, interest
group leaders, and/or trusted advisors from the community. These folks
are not a part of the regular decision-making team, but their suggestions
are routinely solicited. It is not necessary or advisable to include these
advisors in every meeting for several reasons: rst, there are ethical
limitations; second, they will have divided loyalties and their own agendas;
and nally, because you don’t want them to usurp the role of the staff.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 241
Step 5: Develop scheduling criteria.
Once the team is in place, the ofce needs to determine how that team is
going to make decisions and how they are going to identify and create
opportunities to advance the Member’s agenda and strategic goals. The
best way to create this framework is to use the ofce’s strategic plan and
the Member’s personal preferences to develop criteria that will be used both
to create events and, more importantly, to respond to scheduling requests.
Ofces that use a clear set of scheduling criteria make faster, better, and more
consistent decisions, with fewer conicts.
Criteria are critical to an ofce’s success in their “reactive” strategic
scheduling. More than with proactive scheduling, it is easy to get distracted
from the strategic goals when you are responding to invitations. It is tempting
for many scheduling teams to oil the
squeakiest wheel; for the Member
to accept interesting, exciting or fun
invitations that do not advance goals;
or to attend others’ events rather than
dedicate the time and resources to
create your own. Having a framework in place will not remove these problems,
but it should signicantly alleviate them. For example, it allows staff to make
preliminary judgments and immediately classify individual requests as they
come in to the ofce as a “yes,” a “no” or a “maybe.”
Following is a list of questions an ofce can use to help determine what
sort of criteria would be suitable. Using the answers to these questions as a
starting point, an ofce can develop criteria for scheduling that reect the
strategic plan. It can then use these criteria to proactively identify and schedule
promising opportunities, or to react to invitations already received.
• What are the ofce’s short-term and long-term goals? Where and how
does the Member need to spend time to achieve them? What outreach
strategies has the ofce developed to meet these goals in the district/
state?
• With what individuals or groups could the ofce work closely to pursue
outreach strategies and advance goals? How can the ofce best work with
these individuals and groups?
• What are the regions of the district or state to which the Member must
devote signicant time? What kinds of events are appropriate for and
work well in these areas?
• How important is media coverage? How likely is the ofce to get any
media coverage and will it be positive?
• What is the Member’s personal style? Is the Member better with scripted
events or informal gatherings? With large or small groups?
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
“Ofces that use a clear set of scheduling
criteria make faster, better, and more
consistent decisions, with fewer conicts.”
242
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• What personal preferences or activities of the Member must be
considered (e.g., hates going to bed late, dislikes ying more than once a
day, insists on jogging daily)?
• Are there certain times that should be blocked out strictly for the
Member’s family (e.g., late Saturday evenings or Sundays)?
It is, of course, imperative that the Scheduler have the ability to com-
municate “no” in a way that does not alienate constituents. It is important
to be selective in scheduling, but the ofce obviously cannot afford to have
constituents feel they have been treated carelessly. The Scheduler does not
expect to be loved — part of the job is telling constituents something they do
not want to hear — but the way in which the message is communicated can be
the difference between disappointed understanding and outright anger on the
other end of the phone.
Step 6: Conduct a strategic review.
Strategic scheduling works because it keeps your eyes on the prize. To
maximize its benet, an ofce must regularly evaluate three things: rst, that
the ofce really did keep its focus; second, that keeping the focus got the ofce
where you thought it would; and third, that the original destination is still the
desired destination.
By evaluating where and how the Member spent their time, the ofce can
tell whether scheduling decisions support the Member’s goals. This “scheduling
audit” will help keep the ofce on track and ensure that problems in the
scheduling process are corrected before they have a chance to fester and grow.
1. Compile and analyze a comprehensive report of district/state
meetings broken down into several categories: subject (education,
labor, foreign affairs, etc.); type of group (business organization, civic
club, individual constituent, etc.); type of event (press conference, town
meeting, etc.); locale (city, county, etc.); or any other breakdown that
might be useful. This step is easy to complete if you have developed a
good coding system for your computer’s scheduling program.
2. Compare this tally against the ofce’s strategic plan. Determine
whether the allocation of the Member’s time was consistent with the
ofce’s goals and outreach strategies. You should be able to analyze
trends and discuss progress — or lack of progress — towards the stated
goals.
3. Decide whether changes are needed in the scheduling process to
ensure that staff time is allocated more strategically. An ofce
might change the composition of the scheduling team, revise the
scheduling criteria or target certain groups or areas in the coming year.
P
R
O
C
E
S
S
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 243
District/State Trips
An ofce will quickly nd that proactive scheduling is both more important
and more achievable in the district/state than in Washington, DC. In DC, a
solid percentage of the Member’s time (70 percent or more) will be occupied
by “must-dos” — votes, committee mark-ups, caucus meetings, staff meetings,
etc. In the district or state, on the other hand, the ofce will have much more
opportunity to schedule proactive events. The goal for trips back home must
therefore be as proactive as possible. Doing so requires that the ofce:
• Develop a long-range scheduling plan — for either the rst session
or the entire upcoming term. (A draft should be ready by the end of
January each year.)
• Create events that either carry out a particular theme, target a
specic constituency, or take the Member to a certain geographic
region.
• Accept selected invitations to build the remainder of the schedule
around, generally one or two for which signicant advance notice is
needed.
• Review pending requests, especially those with exible dates, and
accept those that suit the Member’s strategic plan and travel pattern
(e.g., civic groups that have placed an open invitation to meet with
them). This le will probably wear thin with review. It’s best to
group requests by city or county to make it easier to t them into
the travel plan when needed.
The specic events in which the Member participates range in complexity
from an individual appointment to creating a high-visibility public forum with
guest experts, media coverage, and a large audience. Some types of proactive
scheduling to consider include:
• Individual appointments. Plenty of people would like to spend some
individual quality time with the Member and one of the simplest ways to
accommodate that need is by scheduling regular ofce hours in the dis-
trict/state ofce. It is convenient for the Member and for staff, and if done
strategically, can ensure that the Member is meeting with the right people
and gleaning the information needed for legislative activity or projects.
However, individual appointments can become time-consuming and usu-
ally provide little visibility in the community at large.
• Community or open ofce hours. These events differ from individual
appointments in that the Member usually travels to a public place to
meet with constituents, rather than host scheduled appointments in the
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
244
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
ofce. A similar option employed by a few Members is to operate or
lease a “mobile ofce” that also allows the Member and staff to travel
to constituents in various parts of the district or state. When considering
these approaches, one difference is that mobile ofces have additional
maintenance and operational costs that must be factored into an ofce’s
decision-making.
When run effectively, these types of ofce hours can be an effective
use of the Member’s time because they can greet, chat and take photos
with constituents, who get the opportunity to seek assistance and get
one-on-one face time with the Member, even if it is limited. These events
not only increase visibility and encourage a proactive mindset, they also
enable the Member to serve remote areas and reach constituents who may
be unable to travel.
• In-person town hall meetings. The most traditional form of Member–
constituent interaction is in-person town halls. Though some may
question their effectiveness, many Representatives and Senators
conduct these types of meetings
one to six times a year. Town halls
can accommodate a large number
of people and usually result in
media coverage, though at times the
Member’s message may be secondary
to the strong opinions of a few
attendees. Nonetheless, in-person town meetings provide an open, direct
and unltered dialogue between citizens and their elected ofcials.
• Telephone town hall meetings. Telephone town halls invite constituents,
through automated calls, to participate in a live conference call with the
Member at a set date and time. During these large-scale interactions,
thousands of constituents may be on the line with the Member and can
ask questions on a particular topic or a wide range of issues, depending
on how the event is structured.
These calls: allow the Member to reach a large number of constituents
in a relatively short timeframe (the calls typically last 30–60 minutes);
require less logistical prep than in-person meetings; and allow the Mem-
ber to conduct district/state outreach while in DC. Citizens participate
from their homes, usually resulting in a greater participation rate than an
in-person event.
A criticism of these calls is that they can be seen as too much of a
contrived political event, so staff should be careful with their moderation
of the questions asked. As part of the Congress 3.0 project, CMF tested
novel methods designed to improve constituents’ satisfaction with
“ Ofces can serve more constituents by
engaging in non-traditional events such
as community ofce hours, telephone
town halls, and online town halls.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 245
telephone town halls. Our research
found that constituents were more
likely to consider telephone town
halls to be good for Member-
constituent communication after
participating in one. We also found
that telephone town halls increased
general approval and trust of
the Member, and constituents
who opted into a session were
more likely to be civic-minded,
supporters of the Member, and
to feel that interactions between
citizens and representatives were
very valuable.
• Online town hall meetings.
Similar in concept to telephone
town halls, these online sessions allow constituents to interact with
Members from the convenience of their home or workplace. Using a
computer, constituents are able to see and hear the Member respond in
real-time to questions they submit online.
CMF also conducted research on the effectiveness of these events and,
much like telephone town halls, found distinct benets to engaging with
constituents in this way. First, constituents like the sessions and nd them
to be valuable uses of their time (95 percent of CMF’s participants said
they would like to participate in similar events in the future). Second,
ofces can reach a large number of constituents, as well as a more diverse
and representative sample of the opinions in their states and districts.
Finally, if conducted using best practices, online town halls can be a valu-
able tool to hear from constituents, have them learn from the Member and
each other, and further engage them in the democratic process.
• Site visits. Sometimes whom the Member sees is not as important as
where the Member is seen. Visiting certain sites (factories, child care cen-
ters, schools, transportation hubs, wildlife preserves, etc.) can help gain
information and support needed to reach a goal. And sometimes informa-
tion or support is not needed — simply being seen taking an interest in a
particular area is sufcient.
• Task forces/advisory boards. More often than not, the Member’s goals
will not be achieved by the ofce alone, but by working in concert with
other interested parties. Ofces that make effective use of task forces and
advisory boards identify and draw upon the strengths and expertise of-
21st Century Town Halls
CMF believes there is a need
for a more deliberative and civil
dialogue between citizens and
elected ofcials. Our research on the
effects of online town hall meetings
and telephone town hall meetings
between Members of Congress
and constituents shows that this
dialogue is possible.
In before and after surveys,
constituents were more likely to
view the Representative favorably
after they had participated in such a
session.
For guidance on how to improve
your sessions with constituents, visit
the “Ofce Toolkit” on our website at
CongressFoundation.org.
■
246
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
fered by third parties. These participants are usually eager to offer assis-
tance, ideas and solutions, especially when it relates to a priority issue of
theirs. Taking time to form and work with task forces or advisory boards
might make some goals more achievable. Even if it does not, it certainly
gives the Member visibility and leadership on an issue, which can some-
times be almost as benecial as actually achieving the goal itself.
• Roundtables, conferences, eld hearings. These top-of-the-line events
are complex to plan and execute and often involve many people outside
the ofce (and thus outside its control) but offer high visibility. Events
such as visits by Cabinet secretaries, eld hearings arranged through the
Member’s committees, and informational or problem-solving workshops
could spotlight an issue, highlight a problem, or explain recent legislative
changes. Focusing on a specic need and incorporating the expertise of
others can make these events a highly effective means to promoting and
achieving the Member’s goals.
• Press/visibility. Obviously, the Member needs not only to do good, but to
be seen doing good. District/state staff and media-savvy press staff will
constantly be looking for good “photo opportunities.” It may sometimes
serve the Member’s goals to appear at press visibility events created by
others, but the ofce is likely to nd the need to create its own events as
well. Consider televised events, site visits, individual chats with reporters,
and photos of meetings with award-winning constituents, along with the
more common stand-up press conferences. Keep in mind that if events are
viewed as all style and no substance, it could backre and cause negative
publicity for the Member.
For proactive scheduling to succeed, proper communication and coordination
among staff and other key players are essential. In this regard they should:
• Hold weekly scheduling meetings.
• Seek input from appropriate staff and other advisors.
• Maintain regular communication with upcoming meeting/event hosts.
• Keep good records of conversations, decisions, and conrmations.
• Apprise all staff of the complete schedule at all times.
While our goal thus far has been to get the Member and the ofce to focus
on “the big picture,” district/state trips also involve a great deal of logistical
planning, coordination and follow-up, perhaps more so than DC events. It’s
often not enough to be proactive just in selecting the right events in the right
places at the right times. The Member and staff also need to anticipate
what will make the event a success. These needs might be content-driven,
such as preparing brieng materials. Other needs might be logistical, such as
determining which staff will accompany the Member, arranging lodging, and
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 247
making sure related materials (i.e., plaques to be awarded) arrive on time.
Still others involve taking steps to multiply an event’s impact, such as ensuring
that the Communications Director, who’s undoubtedly been involved much
of the way, has all the information needed to properly attend to press matters.
Follow-up is also important. After the event or the weekend, talk to staff
who attended. If possible, seek the views of friends in attendance for candid
Figure 15-1
Model Speech/Event Evaluation Form
As your Member of Congress, it is important to me to provide you with the best representation that
I can. This evaluation will allow me to understand your needs better and to improve my ability to
meet your expectations. Please complete and return this form to me at the address listed below.
Event & date ________________________________________________________________________
Your name _________________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________
City, state & zip ______________________________________________________________________
Email address _______________________________________________________________________
Would you like to sign up for my email newsletter? __ Yes __ No __ Want more information
1. Did I address the subject(s) you expected or hoped to hear about?
Yes _____
No _____
If not, what subject(s) did you want to hear about:
2. Please rate the length of my speech.
Too long < 1 2 3 4 5 > Too short
3. Please rate the level of detail in my speech.
Too much detail < 1 2 3 4 5 > Not enough detail
4. Please rate the amount of time devoted to questions-and-answers.
Too much time < 1 2 3 4 5 > Not enough time
5. How many times have you heard me speak in the past year?
6. What was your main reason for attending this event?
Please return to:
(Member’s Name)
(Member’s Address)
Thank you!
248
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
assessments of what worked and what didn’t. Only by knowing what went
right and wrong can the ofce improve future trips. Distributing an evaluation
form (see Figure 15-1) to constituents at district/state events is another
valuable way of getting good feedback (as is telling constituents that you
value their input).
The Weeks in Washington, DC
Scheduling a Member’s time in Washington, DC presents a far different
set of challenges than planning district/state trips. While there may be fewer
logistical concerns, the vagaries of the oor schedule means less control over a
Member’s schedule.
Maintaining control over a Member’s DC schedule requires three key
elements: the creation of a schedule for a typical legislative week; weekly
scheduling meetings; and the availability of schedule information for staff.
A Typical Schedule
Most weeks in DC, while chaotic, are somewhat uniform. Certain things hap-
pen fairly regularly:
• In the Senate, hearings are usually in the morning from Tuesday
through Thursday, although many committees hold hearings in the
afternoon.
• The House is typically voting Monday night through Thursday afternoon,
or Tuesday night through Friday afternoon. Mornings are reserved for
committee activities, with oor votes occurring in the afternoon and early
evening.
• In both chambers, you can count on regularly-scheduled party caucus
or conference meetings.
• As recess weeks or the end of session draws near, you can also be assured
that exceptions to the regular schedule will be made, with plenty of late
nights and, in some cases, even weekend sessions held to conclude House
and Senate business.
With this as your framework, the ofce can create a schedule that sets
blocks of time for predictable activities that require the Member’s time daily
or weekly — press availability, ofce visits, committee hearings, staff meet-
ings, meals and exercise, evening activities, and even oor time (one-minute
or special order speeches in the House, Morning Business in the Senate).
Members of the majority party may also have commitments to be the presid-
ing ofcer in the chamber for a couple hours per week.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 249
Using this schedule as a template, the Scheduler will plug in obligations
as information becomes available. They will get hearing notices, either directly
from the committee or through the legislative staff. They will consult with the
LA, LD or Chief of Staff to determine which committee activities the Member
will likely want — or need — to attend. Using the ofce criteria as their
guide, and getting input from other staff, the Scheduler will respond to requests
from constituent groups and lobbyists for appointments, tting them into the
schedule in designated time blocks.
Each meeting or hearing will be coded to reect the relative importance
placed on each, especially if there are multiple events at the same time,
which there often are. Some the Member will attend; some might be “drop-
bys” with staff acting as backup; and some may go on the schedule as
“FYIs,” which the Member needs to know are happening, but probably will
not attend.
The Scheduler will also notify appropriate staff of each commitment
relative to their areas of responsibility, so they can provide the Member with any
information needed before the meeting.
Of course, this sounds like an orderly and predictable routine — so what’s
all the fuss about? Well, often as not, events will occur that could not have
been anticipated. No one knows (or if they do, they’re not telling) what is
going to happen tomorrow. Events have a way of taking shape just outside
your peripheral vision. Next thing you know, they dart out in the road smack
dab in front of you.
It is these events — those which are not part of a typical week’s schedule
— that are the true test of your strategic scheduling method. Press conferences
on breaking news, participation in oor debates, shifts in committee
schedules that bring the Member’s amendments up two weeks early, calls from
party leadership for oor speeches on their issue-of-the-week — these are the
events that will throw your schedule out the window. They will also offer a
scheduling team the opportunity
to shine. The scheduling team
will need to respond quickly, yet
nonetheless strategically to these
unanticipated events.
While votes are expected during a typical week, when they actually occur
can cause the Member to miss appointments and create a domino effect
on the rest of the day. In these moments, a great Scheduler will have the
creativity and exibility to get the schedule back on track by coming up with
alternative arrangements for meetings or by reshufing the calendar.
“ A great Scheduler will have the creativity and
exibility to get the schedule back on track.”
250
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Weekly Scheduling Meetings
Washington, DC staff should meet weekly to discuss the upcoming week or
weeks. In many ofces this meeting takes place on Friday, after the Member is
headed home, or rst thing Monday, before the Member’s return. This meeting
should focus on key strategic questions including: What is our top priority for
the week? What is on the schedule this week that directly relates to meeting
our goals? What is likely to go wrong and what are our contingency plans?
For more assistance, see Chapter Four’s “Conducting Effective Meetings.”
At this meeting the team should discuss those activities that are not
routine. Sometimes, you will know in advance what will be on the oor next
week or when your amendment will come up (more likely in the Senate than
the House), or what the Administration will be doing that you will be involved
in (one way or another). Giving these activities special attention in the weekly
scheduling meeting will help them go more smoothly.
Often, however, staff will need to decide whether the Member should
participate in events for which you’ve had no advance notice whatsoever.
Indeed the frequency of such events convinces some ofces that setting goals,
planning, and holding weekly meetings is futile. On the contrary, it is precisely
because of this unpredictability that these planning activities are valuable. If
the ofce has goals, staff will be better able to sort out which late-breaking
activities merit your attention and which do not. Because you have a plan, you
can determine which activities will likely accomplish something, and which
will simply get the ofce off course. And because the staff has weekly meetings,
they are more likely to have a shared understanding of what is truly important
and what is secondary, making the inevitable schedule shufing smoother and
less time-consuming.
This meeting must be efciently run — tightly focused, with an agenda and
time limits for discussion items. As the congressional schedule heats up, some
ofces may nd this weekly meeting schedule hard to adhere to, but every
effort should be made to do so. It is precisely when things are ying fast and
furious that you most need to keep your focus. If the meetings must be shortened,
curtail their length and scope, but not their frequency. This short, structured,
tightly focused meeting will do more to keep an ofce on track than any other
method it could employ.
Availability of Schedule Information
An important key to effectively implementing strategic scheduling and mini-
mizing breakdowns in communication is providing all staff in all ofces with
access to the Member’s schedule. CMF has found much higher levels of staff
cooperation and coordination in ofces where all staff have access and are
expected to review the daily and weekly schedule.
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 251
Most House and Senate ofces use Outlook or the ofce’s constituent
database to schedule — the easiest ways to facilitate this practice because they
store the current schedule in one easily accessible place. In an environment
where schedules are constantly changing, an online schedule will:
• Save time on the part of the Scheduler;
• Provide DC and district/state staff with access to the latest information;
and
• Store, retrieve and organize data, allowing the ofce to assess progress
towards its strategic goals.
For example, it is possible for the ofce to tally the locations and topics
of meetings to determine if the Member’s time is being spent wisely. This
type of reporting is more difcult and complex to do if an ofce is using
multiple programs or less collaborative methods. For these reasons, ofces
should consider streamlining their scheduling processes — or at least
ensure they are coding information consistently for the strategic review
recommended earlier. The benets to the entire staff of doing so usually far
outweigh the advantages to using an outdated or cumbersome system.
Addressing Common Problems
Even if an ofce is using a strategic approach, scheduling presents a number of
difculties. Some of these are unavoidable, such as an erratic congressional
calendar. Below are a number of common scheduling problems that ofces
face. The key to successful scheduling is identifying those problems that are
avoidable and learning to cope with those that are not. Some suggestions for
doing so are offered below.
Problem: Excessive travel time.
Excessive travel time in the district/state is usually due to a large or oddly-
shaped district/state, unpredictable trafc, pressing commitments at opposite
ends of the district/state, or a lack of commercial transportation between main
cities. The most the ofce can hope for is to make extra travel time semi-pro-
ductive. Make sure the Member has plenty of reading material — for starters,
information that will be useful on the trip. In addition to a brieng book, staff
can compile other information of interest about the communities being visited
— pending grant or casework requests, recent correspondence from VIPs, and
clips from the local paper. This is also a good time to go through all the pesky
items from the bottom of the Member’s inbox. Of course, staff will need
252
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
to develop mechanisms to ensure that the Member’s travel briefcase does not
become the “black hole” into which all important information vanishes.
Consider also ways that technology can help put that time to good use.
Traveling with smartphones, laptops, iPads, and e-book readers can allow the
Member to catch up on phone calls, emails, news articles, etc. Additionally,
if there are long distances to cover, seriously consider using a driver. Balance
your ofce’s desire not to look “imperial” against the Member’s need to
prepare, mentally and physically, for the next event. The Member can work
while the driver worries about trafc, and they can trade places just before the
next stop if necessary.
The Member might also consider using travel time for personal business,
such as listening to audiobooks, calling the family or writing thank you
notes. These activities are hard enough to t into the congressional schedule,
and sometimes the Member will need a break from the stress to be a normal
person. Frankly, catching up on sleep is a very good use of travel time.
Problem: Overscheduling.
Though there are other causes, overscheduling is largely a problem of being
unable to say “no.” If both the Member and the Scheduler have difculty turn-
ing down requests — for fear of alienating current or potential support, or
for other reasons — then overscheduling is inevitable. The Member must learn
to tell requestors, “I’ll check on it and get back to you,” then pass the request
on to the Scheduler, who becomes the “fall guy” if the invitation is declined.
Schedulers must learn to say “no” diplomatically and be the ones to take the
heat because of it. It’s part of the job.
The Member will derail this process if they aid and abet those groups
who will try anything to get around the Scheduler to secure the Member’s
participation at an event. And the Member certainly cannot get in the habit of
accepting invitations and neglecting to inform the staff.
One option to reduce overscheduling in DC is to host constituent breakfasts.
Common in the Senate and increasing in popularity in the House, these one-
hour meetings are an effective use of the Member’s time because they offer
an opportunity to greet, chat and take photos with constituents who might not
otherwise t into the schedule. For the same reasons, hosting open community/
mobile ofce hours is an option to reduce overscheduling in the district/state.
Problem: Missing district/state events because of an erratic
congressional schedule or because many local groups want
to see the Member on a weekday.
Your ofce can’t control the congressional schedule. The Member’s schedule
should anticipate the possibility of the House or Senate remaining in session
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 253
later than planned on Thursdays and Fridays. Staff must make it clear to local
organizations that want to see the Member on Friday that they might have
to cancel at the last minute. In general, staff should attempt to restrict Friday
events to those that can be canceled or postponed.
In addition, be creative about responding to requests that conict with the
congressional schedule. A family or staff member or a trusted local ofcial can
be a good surrogate to offer or have on call should the Member have to cancel
on a moment’s notice. Other alternatives include sending video greetings,
teleconferencing and video conferencing.
Problem: Member unwilling to commit or slow to make
decisions.
Getting Members to respond promptly to invitations can be a real challenge for
the typical Scheduler. If the problem is slowness on the Member’s part, the
Chief of Staff, District/State Director, or Scheduler can point out the negative
consequences of delaying a decision. Waiting to commit until merely days
before events will reduce your opportunities to play a key role in good events.
Also, the quality of staff brieng materials will decline in proportion to the
limited prep time. Opportunities missed due to late responses, or the anger of
groups or individuals desiring the Member’s presence are some of the conse-
quences the ofce will face.
On the other hand, it may be equally damaging to respond to outside
pressures and accept invitations prematurely. This can result in last-minute
cancellations, angering the inviting group and annoying staff.
The ofce must strike a balance. For every request, there’s an appropriate
time for the denitive response from your ofce. It varies according to the
type of event and according to the schedule. Good communication between
the ofce and the requestor, as well as the combined political judgment of the
Member and staff, will help a Scheduler develop a sense of proper timing for
each unique set of circumstances.
Problem: Member overinvolvement in the scheduling
“minutiae.”
Members often learn that they are overinvolved in scheduling decisions only
when their staff tells them they are and that they need to butt out. If the ofce
or the Member suspects the Member is spending too much time on scheduling
decisions, we recommend you work towards a management-by-exception ar-
rangement. That is, once the Member is comfortable with the scheduling system
and staff, the Member should give them the authority to make all routine schedul-
ing decisions. The Member then gets involved in scheduling only when staff are
unsure of the proper decision. Initially, staff could refer about one-third of the
Figure 15-2
Sample Event Scheduling Form
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Name/description of event: ____________________________________________________________
Event sponsor: _______________________________________________________________________
Event date: _____________ Event time: _____________ Event duration: _____________
Event location: _______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor contact name: ________________________________________________________________
Sponsor contact phone, fax and/or email: ________________________________________________
Description of requested Member participation (if speech, give length and topic; if activity, give
details): _____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
E
stimated number of attendees: ________________________________________________________
Other VIPs attending: _________________________________________________________________
Requested RSVP deadline: _____________
Other info: __________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
A
CTION TAKEN
Conrmed _____________ Regretted _____________ Date: _____________
If Conrmed
Lodging (if needed):
__________________________________________________________________
Driving directions:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
E
MERGENCY CONTACTS
BEFORE EVENT DATE
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Phone, fax and/or email: _______________________________________________________________
ON EVENT DATE
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Cell phone, fax and/or email: ___________________________________________________________
Advance prep. needed (i.e., background brieng, talking
points, speech, press release):
__________________________________________________________
Assigned to: _________________________________________________________________________
Date due: ___________________________________________________________________________
Additional materials to bring
(i.e., award to be presented, generic outreach materials):
____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
S
ta attending: ______________________________________________________________________
Other info: __________________________________________________________________________
254
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 255
decisions to the Member. But over time, the ofce should become so condent
with this arrangement that the Member makes fewer than one-tenth of the deci-
sions. The Member’s involvement is the exception, rather than the rule.
Problem: Scheduler provides inaccurate information.
Schedulers hate to send bosses to events ill-prepared, to say nothing of how
much their bosses hate it when they do. This happens either because the
Scheduler didn’t ask enough of the right questions or because the requestor
didn’t describe the event thoroughly enough. Amazingly, the latter is
sometimes deliberate. One Scheduler sent his boss to what was billed as
an “informal meeting” with “a few members” of a local organization. The
Member was on the opposite side of the group’s main concern. When the
Member arrived, more than 100 people (plus press) were present. During
what became a “protest rally,” the group unfurled a banner with a statement
that would commit the Member to vote with them on that issue, and demand-
ed he sign it. The Scheduler commented, “It’s surprising how many groups
have tried this approach. I’ve become very wary of groups that won’t specify
the number of people attending.”
It is a Scheduler’s job to ask questions and get details (see Figure 15-2).
If certain information hasn’t been divulged, they should call others who’ll be
attending to get the necessary answers, and follow up with a letter or email
outlining their understanding of the event.
Problem: Scheduler does not obtain complete information.
Many groups want the Member to do “visual” things, but neglect to tell the
ofce beforehand. Members get asked to toss the baseball on opening day, ride
an elephant in a parade, even serve as a dunk-tank victim for charity.
If anything goes wrong, it’s usually the Scheduler who’s accountable.
Therefore, a Scheduler should do what good journalists do: get more
information than necessary and edit out the nonessential details. A new
Scheduler should develop a checklist of questions to which they can refer during
conversations with requestors. These questions should try to gather the most
specic and detailed information possible to prevent surprises.
Problem: Scheduler difculty judging which events will be
most worthwhile, inability to work with other staff in a team
environment, inadequate coordination between DC and
district/state staffs.
These are actually problems with judgment. If your ofce has done a good job
dening its goals and priorities, it is simply a matter of time and education
for the Scheduler to learn to accurately assess the worthiness of invitations.
256
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
They will become educated through working on a team with other staff and
listening to their perspectives. A wise Scheduler will: keep abreast of both
district/state and DC happenings, even if they are not responsible for both
schedules; talk frequently with district/state staff, particularly those in the
eld, in addition to reading the daily newspaper clips; learn legislative proce-
dure to assess the oor schedule; and develop good contacts on committees
and with outside organizations. A Scheduler who has developed their judg-
ment in this fashion will have little difculty working in a team environment,
and will seek the advice and input of staff when necessary.
Problem: Member’s family demands on time or problems
arising from spousal/partner input.
Many Members are hesitant to address these thorny issues. Conicts between
staff and family, particularly between Schedulers and spouses/partners, are bad
news for everyone involved. And, for the most part, this conict is inevitable.
If the Member fears to tread here, the ofce is likely to experience
increasingly dissatised Schedulers, resulting in more frequent turnover, and
frustrated Chiefs of Staff as well. The
Member is not likely to go through a
series of spouses, of course, but the
family will be unhappy unless these
issues are dealt with.
The key to a cooperative and happy
relationship between a Scheduler and
the Member’s family is the negotiation
of clear limits and responsibilities for both. Among the issues to be addressed
are the input a spouse or partner will have in the Member’s schedule, the
guidelines for notifying the family about the schedule, and the amount of
sacrosanct “family time.” Use the tips in the next section to resolve them now.
Scheduling Issues Faced by Members
Especially for the Member: Family
Problems between the Member’s spouse/partner/family and staff are most
likely to become apparent around the schedule. This is understandable: both
sides are in competition for a precious resource — the Member’s time. To staff,
the more time you spend on business the better. Your family, for their part, want
only some reasonable facsimile of a normal life.
“ The key to a cooperative and happy
relationship between a Scheduler and
the Member’s family is the negotiation of
clear limits and responsibilities for both.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 257
Minimizing this conict is only possible if you deal with it. Addressing the
following issues up-front will create a framework for family/staff interaction
that reduces conict and tension.
1. Clarify the roles and outline procedures for family input. If the
family’s role is left vague, confusion and frustration will ensue. The
types of questions to address are: Does the family get veto authority
over scheduling decisions, or only the opportunity to raise concerns?
Should the family review all invitations at the front end of the
process or be consulted only on specic matters? Family input into
the process is often more crucial to district/state scheduling as this cuts
into the most precious family time — weekends and congressional
recesses.
2. Foster a comfortable relationship between the Scheduler and the
family. The Scheduler should communicate with the family often. The
Scheduler, not the Member, Chief of Staff, or District/State Director,
knows the schedule best and is in the best position to provide accurate
information. At a minimum, the family should receive the schedule as
soon as it’s available with enough time for staff to answer their ques-
tions or address their concerns.
3. Block out important dates and family events. Some Schedulers mark
all family birthday and anniversary dates in the Member’s calendar each
year, just as any other event would be noted. All scheduling requests are
then discussed in the context of those family occasions. Schedulers
should also ask the family to notify the ofce of other events as soon as
possible, such as vacations, parent–teacher conferences, etc.
4. Establish clear limits on the family’s claim to the Scheduler’s
services. Inappropriate and unethical family demands on staff are most
likely to come to the Scheduler, who must be supported in attempts to
deect them. At the same time, some Schedulers make inappropriate
offers of assistance to spouses/partners — because they view their jobs
as “making life easier for the Member.”
How To Pick the Right Scheduler
The Scheduler is not only critical to the functioning of the scheduling team;
they are critical to the Member’s general health and well-being. The Member
needs to trust this person immeasurably, so it’s critical to hire or train the right
person for the job.
So what do you look for in a Scheduler? In many cases, the same thing you
look for in other staff — intelligence, political sensibilities, commitment. You
want someone with a keenly honed ethical sense, someone who can tell if
you’re being invited to partake in an allowable event, and perhaps what the
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
258
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
public and press might say about it. Additionally, scheduling requires incredible
organization and a true love for managing details. “Big picture” thinkers and
non-task-oriented people fail in this job.
It is also important to assess just how much decision-making authority you
will be comfortable parting with. Realistically, it only makes sense to hire (and
pay for) an experienced, politically savvy, top-notch Scheduler if you are
able to stand not seeing every invitation and deciding which seat you want on
the plane. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.
In addition to scheduling duties, the Scheduler position in your ofce might
have additional job responsibilities. In many House ofces, the Scheduler
serves as the Executive Assistant or Ofce Manager, and would thus need to
have the skills or aptitude to carry out those duties as well.
Finally, the most important factors are personality and temperament. You
want someone you can get along with, but someone who is strong, creative,
and exible enough to keep the Member and the schedule on track. This type
of person, no matter how bright, enthusiastic, and hard-working, must be able
to tolerate the parameters of working as a congressional scheduler.
Who Does District/State Scheduling?
Having stated the importance of a “single point person” for scheduling, that role
may be lled by two people with separate responsibilities — one for DC and
one for the district/state. Almost all Senate ofces have two Schedulers,
while House ofces are split more evenly. Ofces should consider a num-
ber of factors when deciding where to base the district/state Scheduler, such
as how often the Member goes home. As Figure 15-3 shows, 83 percent of
Representatives and 65 percent of Senators spend 30 or more weekends in the
district or state each year. If the Member is home every weekend and every re-
cess week, this makes a bigger scheduling workload than a once a month trip,
and would argue for a separate district/state-based Scheduler.
Another factor to consider is the distance of the district or state from DC. If
it is three time zones away, making last minute schedule changes from DC is
going to be a challenge, so a district/state-based Scheduler would work better.
Finally, what are constituents used to? Having someone available locally can
be seen as advantageous, but so can getting to deal directly with DC. Do not
unwittingly deprive constituents of something they perceive as having value.
Other advantages and disadvantages to both locations should be consid-
ered when making this decision. Having district/state scheduling done in DC
provides the Scheduler and Member with immediate access to each other. It
can lessen confusion and tension between DC and district/state staff, and can
simply be more efcient.
50%
61%
15%
22%
15%
7%
15%
1%
Figure 15-3
How Often Members Go Home
more
than 40
30 to 40
20 to 30
10 to 20
fewer
than 10
5%
8%
Weekends Per Year Spent in the District/State
Senators
Representatives
Source: Keeping It Local: A Guide for Managing Congressional District & State Oces, Congressional
Management Foundation.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 259
On the other hand, having scheduling done out of the district/state demon-
strates roots in the community. It allows the Scheduler to visit event sites to
assess their appropriateness. The Scheduler can form better relationships with
constituents because they can meet with people instead of just talking to them
on the phone. Additionally, the district/state-based Scheduler will have a much
better understanding of the local geography and travel time between com-
munities, and appear more accessible to constituents than would a DC-based
counterpart. However, the district/state-based Scheduler might feel isolated
from the decision-making center, and communication breakdowns are more
likely on scheduling matters between the ofces.
Keep in mind that, for House ofces, the Scheduler position tends to in-
clude other duties. In DC, the Scheduler may also serve as the Ofce Manager
or Executive Assistant. If this is the case, they may not have the capacity to
schedule for the district as well and a separate position should be lled. In the
district/state ofce, this person may also serve as the District/State Director,
Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker or Field Representative.
Members should exercise great care in hiring and in deciding which ofce
— DC or district/state — to locate the person responsible for district/state
scheduling. All too frequently, this decision is made after-the-fact, and is
C
A
U
T
I
O
N
260
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
based on personnel. If the DC Scheduler is from the district/state and knows it
well, they are more likely to be assigned district/state scheduling. Conversely,
if the District/State Director has a staff person with whom they are really
comfortable, then scheduling back home is more likely to be district- or state-
based. An ofce’s stafng situation may mesh perfectly with an objective
assessment of its needs. But an ofce is better served in the long run if this
decision is based on objective factors rst, and then staff hired that can work
within the conguration chosen.
Conclusion
An effective schedule will simultaneously achieve the Member’s strategic
goals, provide variety, satisfy constituent demands, accentuate the Member’s
strengths, protect the Member’s personal and family needs, and effectively
utilize travel time. Amazingly, this is not asking the impossible. A strate-
gic scheduling system will do an excellent job of balancing these diverse
demands.
A strategic scheduling system will help the Member use time to the best
advantage because it is goal-focused. It will provide variety and accentuate
the Member’s strengths because it is proactive and creative. It will not drag
the Member to an endless series of other people’s events — the Member will
participate in events that the ofce created to help achieve strategic goals. This
satises multiple demands because it is an inclusive process — everyone has a
place at the table and a voice in the decision-making.
The Member’s commitment is critical to the success of this system. The
Member must remain focused on goals and priorities — or at least allow the
staff to keep them focused. The Member must let staff make decisions freely
within the established framework. The scheduling team must be able to work
together as a well-oiled, high-performance machine.
Like any good ofce system, the scheduling system can and must evolve.
Revisions might occur because of changes in staff or priorities, or because the
ofce wants to experiment with something new.
No scheduling system will ever be perfect, largely because of the environ-
ment within which congressional ofces operate. But the goal should not be
perfection — it should be effectiveness. The effectiveness of a scheduling
system will be evidenced by a Member who is busy yet unhurried, highly
visible but not without privacy, focused yet able to accommodate a wide range
of constituencies.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Strategic Scheduling 261
Figure 15-4
Sample Event Preparation Request Form
(Given to Staer by Scheduler, copy to Legislative Director or Chief of Sta)
TO: Staer
FROM: Scheduler
If you need additional assistance, let the Scheduler know as soon as possible!
Date: ______________________________________________________________________________
Name/description of event: ___________________________________________________________
Event sponsor: ______________________________________________________________________
Other VIPs attending event: ___________________________________________________________
Event date: ________________ Event time: ________________
Event Location: _____________________________________________________________________
Other info: _________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
D
escription of requested Member participation at event: __________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
T
ype of advance preparation needed (i.e., background brieng,
talking points, speech, award presentation, press release):
_________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
T
opics: ____________________________________________________________________________
Time Limits: ________________________________________________________________________
Other info: _________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
D
ate due: ________________
Submitted to: ______________________________________________________________________
262
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Strategic Scheduling
Do...
Don’t...
•
follow the six steps for developing and
implementing a strategic schedule:
1. dene oce goals.
2. evaluate the impact of oce goals on
scheduling.
3. communicate goals to sta.
4. assemble the scheduling team.
5. develop scheduling criteria.
6. conduct a strategic review.
•
determine roles and responsibilities for
the Scheduler(s) and any other sta who
are part of the scheduling team.
•
forecast a long-range scheduling
plan for either the rst session or the entire
upcoming term.
•
serve more constituents by conducting
a variety of proactive events in
the district/state, such as: individual
appointments; community or open oce
hours; site visits; online, in-person, or
telephone town hall meetings; advisory
boards; and eld hearings.
•
consider the Member’s travel schedule,
the distance from DC to the district/
state, and any additional job duties,
before hiring and deciding where to locate
the person responsible for district/state
scheduling.
•
hire an experienced, top-notch
scheduler if the Member is still going to
see every invitation and decide all details.
•
rely on reactive scheduling, where
the oce simply responds to
invitations or requests. Instead,
actively seek and creative opportunities to
achieve goals.
•
neglect to get feedback from event
attendees. Only by knowing what went
right and wrong can the oce improve
future scheduling trips.
•
overschedule. Schedulers must learn to
say “no” diplomatically and take the heat
because of it.
•
ignore the Member’s needs for
“down time” or reading time. While
Member’s schedules are necessarily busy,
they do not have to always keep pace with
a hectic campaign-like schedule.
•
wait too long to respond to
invitations which angers those who
invited you, nor reply too quickly, which
might result in last-minute cancellations.
•
ignore or avoid conict between
the Member’s family and sta. Build
a cooperative relationship by setting up
ground rules for the family’s involvement
in scheduling and interaction with sta.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Managing Ethics
This Chapter Includes...
✩ Coping with the changed ethics environment
✩ Guidelines for managing ethics in congressional ofces
✩ The top areas of ethical risk
This chapter does not discuss the rules of the House or the Senate, or how to
interpret them. It is essential that you carefully study those rules, meet with the
ethics committee staff to verify your understanding of them, send your staff to
mandatory training, and ensure that you and your staff are in compliance. We
assume that you behave in an ethical manner, that you will continue to do so,
and that you wish to be perceived as behaving ethically.
Instead, we propose that ethics can, and should, be managed, just like any
other important aspect of your ofce. This chapter outlines why you should
manage ethics in your ofce and how to do so.
Note: For specic guidance on the rules of your chamber, contact the House
Committee on Ethics (202-225-7103) or the Senate Select Committee on Ethics
(202-224-2981).
263
C
O
N
T
A
C
T
264
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
The Changed Ethics Environment
In 2007, House and Senate leadership moved quickly to pass legislation to
more closely police their own conduct and that of lobbyists. Both chambers
approved rules further limiting the acceptance of gifts and travel, mandating
ethics training for all staff, and imposing new disclosures on negotiations for
future employment. That environment and ethics regime will continue to be the
starting point for the current Congress as well.
The lobbyist community is plagued by the specter of Jack Abramoff,
convicted of crimes related to trading favors for policy considerations.
Individual lobbyists — not just their organizations — are required to make
detailed, quarterly reports on their contacts with the Hill.
Regardless of whether you believe the rules go too far or not far enough,
this rising level of scrutiny and expectation suggests that the dangers of getting
into ethical hot water are increasing. For this reason, congressional ofces
need to acknowledge this reality and take an active approach to managing
ethical decision-making.
The House and Senate rules give individual Members a certain degree of
latitude and require them to use their best judgment. For example, it is well
within the rules for a Member to contact an executive agency on behalf of a
constituent. Staff members do this type of “casework” all the time. But how
does assisting a constituent who is a contributor differ ethically from assisting
one who is not? Does this automatically create an “appearance of impropriety”
that should preclude a Member’s intervention?
Because these gray area issues are the most troublesome and the most
common issues facing congressional ofces, this chapter focuses on how to
manage them. More specically, this chapter operates from the assumption that
you and your staff will face ethical questions almost daily and that everyone
must be capable of weighing ethical issues in order to manage ethics in your
ofce with the same care you manage your legislative agenda, district/state
schedule, outreach mail, or local press strategy.
The key to operating in today’s environment is recognizing that the public
increasingly sees itself as the arbiter of ethics matters when it comes to
Members of Congress and their staff. And the public now has unprecedented
access to information that was either unavailable or difcult to obtain even
a decade ago. Many nancial disclosures are available online, and watchdog
groups and reporters are making sure the data is easily accessible. Add to
this mix a highly competitive media industry pressed by the 24-hour news
cycle, talk radio shows, the proliferation of blogs, and the instantaneous and
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Managing Ethics 265
viral spreading of information through text messaging, video clips, and social
networking sites, and you have an environment where a story can quickly be
taken out of your hands.
What starts today as a question about your campaign nances is tomorrow
a lengthy story detailing your personal, campaign, and ofcial nancial
practices. Within a week, you could face an endless ood of negative publicity
in which your side of the story is a mere trickle. It is far easier today for
unsubstantiated allegations of
ethical improprieties of public
ofcials to enter the public
domain rapidly and become a
topic of national discussion.
Therefore, the House Committee
on Ethics, the Senate Select
Committee on Ethics, and the
Ofce of Congressional Ethics
are not the driving force in the public debate on ethics in Congress. The
courtroom or the ethics committee hearing rooms are no longer the only
venues for the Member to justify their actions — talk radio, cable TV, and the
Internet are often the nal arbiter.
This increased public interest can be ascribed to a number of factors,
including:
• The public is increasingly interested in judging its public ofcials by
their “character.” Ethically questionable or unacceptable behavior in
today’s political environment calls into question an ofceholder’s or a
candidate’s moral tness to hold public ofce.
• This public interest in the “character” of politicians has encouraged
candidates for ofce — challengers as well as incumbents — to raise
ethical questions more readily, because playing the ethics card has
become such a politically effective tactic.
• The public has decreasing faith in Congress’ ability to police itself.
• The spate of ethics stories over the past two decades has heightened
the public’s sensitivity to ethics matters, increased its cynicism towards
elected ofcials, and expanded its appetite for public scandals.
A common defense against charges of ethical wrongdoing traditionally
was, “but I broke no law, violated no rule.” This claim is not only ineffective,
but non-responsive. The Member is not accused of breaking the law or
violating a rule, but of behaving unethically. The working denition of ethics
that prevailed in Congress for many years — anything that doesn’t violate
a House or Senate rule or break a federal criminal statute is ethical — is no
“ The courtroom or the ethics committee
hearing rooms are no longer the only venues
for the Member to justify their actions — talk
radio, cable TV, and the Internet are often
the nal arbiter.”
266
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
longer acceptable in today’s environment. The public now wants — if not
demands — that its public ofcials be “innocent,” not just “not guilty.”
Unfortunately, the rising public standard for the ethical behavior of politicians
is not precise. But it doesn’t really matter. Your burden today, whether you
like it or not, is to ensure that your behavior cannot be reasonably construed as
improper. The very fact that questions about the appearance of a particular action
are reported means that you have failed the public’s “smell test.” You are guilty
of the “appearance of impropriety” and will have to suffer the consequences.
Coping with the Changed Environment
Recognizing that a different environment exists is the rst step in effectively
coping and adapting to the new standards. The next step is developing a meth-
od of managing ethics preemptively to minimize the risk of having to confront
an unintended ethical crisis.
Managing ethics is critical because the political consequences of making
ethical mistakes in the present environment are so severe. They are also much
greater than the consequences of failing to effectively manage other areas of
your ofce operations because, once damaged, your reputation cannot easily
be xed. Unable to get your constituents a timely response to their inquiries?
You can x that. Make a budget miscalculation that means your ofce has
a budget shortfall? There is a x. Cross your committee chair on their pet
project? It will take effort, but that can probably be xed as well. But one
ethical miscalculation, one lapse, one oversight by you or your staff, and you
will pay a hefty price — possibly your seat in Congress.
As one Member told us, “My reputation, my image, is all I have. It is my
‘product,’ so to speak. What I have to sell. I have built it up with years of
careful, thoughtful actions, and of course we spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars to ‘sell’ it to my constituents every two years. I cannot afford to allow a
miscalculation on my part or a mistake by a staff member to destroy it.”
Most ofces spend a substantial amount of effort developing and implement-
ing checks against other lapses that carry far less severe consequences. A typical
ofce, for example, will devote several hours each week to double-checking
responses to constituent letters or email. Typographical errors or misstatements
of the Member’s position are certainly embarrassing, but are unlikely to lead to
public exposure, a loss of public condence, or potential electoral defeat.
As with errors in constituent correspondence, the likelihood of an unintended
ethics breach can be either high or low. An ofce that never proofreads letters
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Managing Ethics 267
runs a high risk of typographical errors. Similarly, an ofce that does not give
adequate attention to managing ethics runs a high risk of an ethical lapse.
Because Members can do little to control the cost of an unintended ethical lapse,
they should make a concerted effort to minimize the risk of such an occurrence.
Efforts to reduce the likelihood of ethical breaches should be given at least as
much attention as those made to reduce the likelihood of low-cost errors such as
typographical mistakes.
The following discussion provides guidelines that you should consider to
reduce the risk of ethical breaches in your ofce. Incorporating the suggested
methods into your ofce’s operations will provide a workable framework for
managing ethics in your ofce.
Guidelines for Managing Ethics in
Congressional Ofces
Recognize that there is a difference between not violating rules and be-
ing ethical. The House and Senate ethics rules are purposely drafted to give
Members a good deal of latitude. Too often these rules are mistakenly viewed
as a “fence” — any behavior that does not breach the fence is ethical, while
anything beyond is forbidden. A better metaphor is to think of the rules as
the eroding edge of a cliff you never want to approach. Going over the edge
of the cliff is clearly disastrous, but walking near the edge is also dangerous
and unwise. House and Senate rules are not the exclusive guidelines by which
Members must conduct themselves. Members are ultimately responsible to
their constituents, the public, and to the institution itself.
Most importantly, Members are responsible for guarding the “public trust,”
an oft-cited (but not thoroughly discussed) principle that holding public ofce
requires ofcials to protect the public’s trust in the integrity of the ofceholder
and governmental institutions as a whole. Our system of representative
government is based upon this principle.
Recommendation: The best way to preserve the “public trust” and
steer clear of ethical controversy is for Members and staff to know what
the rules are and to examine every ethics rule with an eye towards
understanding its underlying principle. These principles are basic
and fundamental. The most common principles on which the House and
Senate ethics rules are based are:
• Represent all constituents equally. Show no special favor for
political, nancial, or personal reasons.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
268
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Do not use your public position for private gain.
• Do not use public funds or facilities for private or political purposes.
• Do not use your position to exert undue inuence.
• Avoid actions that create an appearance of impropriety.
If you begin discussing ethical matters by identifying the underlying prin-
ciples, you are more likely to arrive at a course of action which will keep
you out of trouble and comply with good ethical judgment.
Recommendation: Use the ethics committee as a resource, before you
get in trouble. Both the House and Senate committees have staff who
will talk through an ethical matter with you or your staff on a condential
basis. They will not only cite the relevant rules and laws, but also will help
you undertake an ethical analysis that identies the principles underlying
the rules. Further, the committees will give written opinions in advance in
appropriate situations.
Don’t assume that smart, honest people will always make correct ethical
judgments. Most ethical judgments rest on an individual’s ability to weigh com-
peting values. For example, casework requires balancing concerns for constituent
needs with the need to respect the integrity of an agency’s administrative process.
Honest, well-intentioned Constituent Services Representatives will occasionally
disagree on how to balance these competing concerns. One staffer may place
a much higher value on meeting a constituent’s individual need, while another
believes that maintaining the integrity of the process is of paramount concern.
Additionally, decisions with ethical consequences will be made daily by
your staff, and very often without your input. As discussed earlier, because the
cost of an unintended ethical lapse is so high, it is not acceptable for different
staff in your ofce to handle similar ethical questions differently. Staff actions
reect on the Member and should consistently represent their ethical precepts,
not the staff member’s.
Recommendation: Develop clear written policies for how staff are to
handle common ethical issues. The process of creating these policies
should begin soon after you are sworn in and they will require constant
updating. At a minimum, your written policies should contain specic
guidelines for dealing with the situations described on the next page.
These areas are identied by senior staff as those most routinely con-
fronted by ofces and those with competing claims that are most difcult
to resolve. Additionally, the policy should contain a broad statement of the
Member’s general ethical philosophy and values.
Recognize that the Member sets the ethical tone in the ofce. The way the
Member balances competing ethical (and political) concerns will tend to set the
pattern of behavior for the rest of the staff. If the Member and Chief of Staff
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
The Top Five Areas of Ethical Risk
Chiefs of Staff have identied the following areas as the trickiest places to
negotiate. They should be addressed in your written ofce policy:
1
Inappropriate behavior. Though rare, Members of Congress
sometimes exercise poor judgment involving friends, money, and
relationships. Staff walk a ne line when questioning a Member’s behavior, but
those questions must be raised. Staff not only have ethical responsibilities to
the Member; their oath is to the Congress, constituents, and the public.
2
Balancing ofcial duties with campaign/political work.
Congress is a political environment and the political and ofcial interests
of an ofce will overlap. How much these activities can overlap before your
behavior is deemed unethical is an area that you need to carefully manage.
3
Meals and travel. It may appear that the rules give you all the
protection you need by spelling out exactly what you can accept and
from whom. But the more you read, the more confused you may get. Meals,
receptions, and travel have long been considered staples of political life, but
these old standbys offer plenty of opportunities for missteps.
4
Handling family members and campaign contributors.
Any action involving the Member’s family or campaign contributors
is inherently questionable. Both the Member and staff must be careful
that their actions are not seen as providing special access or preferential
treatment. Some ofces shield policy and casework staff from knowing who
the Member’s contributors are, believing that ignorance is the best defense.
Others want staff to be familiar with these names so staff can be assured their
actions raise no questions of impropriety.
5
Constituent services. Assisting with problems constituents have
with federal agencies is a routine part of your duties. How far you can go
on their behalf before you begin to exercise “undue inuence” is a gray area.
■
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Managing Ethics 269
choose to “cut corners” when they nd themselves between a political rock
and an ethical hard place, they must expect that staff will see that behavior as
condoning the violation or stretching of the rules.
Recommendation: Consciously set a high ethical tone that conveys
that the end does not justify the means. Communicate with your staff
directly about difcult ethical situations you face and how you intend to
resolve them. There is enormous impact in telling staff that you are not
willing to take an action that is politically advantageous in the short run
but ethically questionable. There is no clearer way to convey your ethical
standards.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
270
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Recognize the reluctance of staff to raise issues and question decisions on
ethical grounds. This is unquestionably the most difcult, but probably the
most crucial, factor in effectively managing ethics in your ofce. Congres-
sional staff are at-will employees and not likely to comfortably question the
Member on any grounds, much less on such a sensitive ground as ethical judg-
ment. And Members are frequently uncomfortable or even offended when their
decisions are questioned by staff.
Recommendation: Create policies and practices that give staff license
to raise ethical questions with other staff, with the Chief of Staff, and
with the Member. Ofces should establish the practice of routinely and
openly airing ethical questions or concerns — among staff, between the
staff and the Chief of Staff, and between the staff and the Member. Each
ofce is required to designate an Ethics Certication Ofcer to report on
compliance with mandatory training requirements. Ofces also should
establish whether that staffer will be the only designated contact with the
ethics panel or whether all staff or a certain group of staff can contact the
committee.
Ethics issues should also be routinely addressed in ofce-wide meet-
ings, both in DC and in the district or state. These meetings must provide
not only a mechanism or framework for raising ethical issues, but also a
way of demonstrating that the ofce is willing to discuss these issues and
reward staff for raising them. Such mechanisms might include:
• Having the Chief of Staff keep a list of difcult ethical issues staff
have raised and discussing a few of these issues at staff meetings
every few months so that other staff have the benet of conducting
ethical analyses.
• The Chief of Staff and other management routinely asking staff if
decisions they are recommending present any ethical concerns that
need to be addressed.
• Ofce policy informing staff that it is their collective responsibility
to ensure that the ofce does not overlook ethical issues, and that it is
their duty to raise any ethical concerns they have with the decisions of
other staff, the Chief of Staff, or the Member.
• Circulating or emailing articles relating to ethics for staff review and
routinely selecting a few for discussion in staff meetings.
• Including an “ethical considerations” component in staff decision
memos.
• Having the Chief of Staff or Member not answer every ethics inquiry
from staff, but occasionally asking a few staff to hash it out and
submit a recommendation on how to handle the matter.
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Managing Ethics 271
This process of questioning decisions also provides the Member with checks
in the process to ensure they are not overlooking ethical considerations.
Members need to be protected not only from staff errors in judgment, but from
their own as well. You should not have to bear the entire weight of analyzing the
ethical dimensions of all of your daily decisions.
Recognize that good ethics frequently conict with the politically expe-
dient and balancing the two is a complex, sometimes time-consuming,
process. One main reason ofces nd themselves in a quandary over ethical
matters is simply that there is frequently a high-voltage tension between the
politically expedient and the ethical.
For example, the rules say your congressional staff can’t assist your
re-election efforts during business hours, but they can help out on their own
time. Certainly politically savvy and talented staff would be a great help
to the campaign, and you get the benet of not having to pay them out of
campaign funds. But how might it look to the voters, or the local newspaper,
having publicly funded staffers stufng your fundraising envelopes, delivering
campaign signs or driving voters to the polls on Election Day? Are these
actions a violation of the rules? No. Can they be viewed as unethical or
become the basis of a critical news story? Of course.
Recommendation: Ofces should teach and model analytic processes
that incorporate ethical considerations into the normal decision-
making process. Congressional staff and Members are far more
experienced and skilled at conducting political analyses than ethical
analyses. They need coaching to ensure that ethical concerns are properly
considered in policy and political decisions. The questions below can be
used to incorporate ethical considerations into the decision-making process:
1. What are the relevant House or Senate rules that are applicable to
this issue?
2. What are the ethical principles underlying these rules?
3. What is the politically advantageous course of action?
4. From an ethical perspective, what is the correct course of action?
5. What is the source of tension inherent in this situation?
6. What are the options available to us?
7. What are the likely consequences of these options?
8. Which of these options could not be effectively defended if they
became public?
9. Of the defensible options, which best balances our political and
ethical interests?
I
D
E
A
I
I
I
I
I
I
272
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Conclusion
The ethical environment that exists today signicantly increases the likelihood
that ethically questionable practices will be made visible to an unforgiving
public. This environment necessitates that congressional ofces carefully
manage ethics rather than trust the judgment of a few individuals at the top to
make wise choices.
Behaving ethically in Congress requires much more than simply abiding by
the rules. It is a complex undertaking that frequently requires balancing specic
political needs with general ethical principles. It demands development of a
system within your ofce for agging potential problems, vetting them before
they become an issue, and executing a well thought out plan to avoid them.
While it’s still essential for all staff to be familiar with the written rules,
so that potential violations can be avoided, that is no longer enough. A model
of ethical behavior, and a system within your ofce to manage that behavior,
must be followed to live up to the public’s higher standards. We believe that
developing and following such a system will not only minimize costly ethical
blunders by you and your staff but will promote the public’s condence in you
and your ofce.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Managing Ethics 273
Do...
Don’t...
•
understand that some actions fall
into the “gray area” of ethics — the gap
between being in technical compliance with
the rules and meeting the public’s and media’s
expectations for public ocials.
•
reduce the likelihood of ethical breaches
by developing clear written policies on how
sta should handle common ethical issues.
•
recognize that the Member sets the
ethical tone in the oce. The way the
Member balances competing ethical and
political concerns will set an example for the
sta’s behavior.
•
examine every ethics rule with an eye to
understanding its underlying principle.
Knowing these basic, fundamental principles
will help you navigate situations as they arise.
•
be aware of the ve areas where you
may be at greatest risk of a breach of
ethics:
1. inappropriate behavior.
2. balancing ocial duties with campaign and
political work.
3. meals and travel.
4. handling family members and campaign
contributors.
5. the extent to which you can assist
constituents with problems they are having
with federal agencies.
•
ignore new and higher standards
for ethical behavior. If you are guilty
of only the “appearance of impropriety,”
there can be an outcry from the public and
media.
•
assume that smart, honest people
will always make correct ethical
judgments. Most ethical judgments
rest on an individual’s ability to weigh
competing values.
•
forget to check with the ethics
committees early and often with
any questions. Committee sta can
discuss the relevant rules, laws and
underlying ethical principles with you on a
condential basis.
Chapter Summary
The DO’s and DON’Ts of
Managing Ethics
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Index
Index 277
A
Abramoff, Jack, 264
Accounting software, 85, 179
Accounting systems, 185–188
Action plans, 168–170
Active Directory, Microsoft, 83
Administrative Counsel, 99, 106, 111, 191
Administrative Director, 33, 35, 37, 42, 48,
50, 52, 69, 92, 181, 188
Adolphus, King Gustavus, 151
Advisory boards, 245–246
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
Committee (Senate), 22
Agriculture Committee (House), 21
Airline Congressional Desks, 35
Amash, Rep. Justin, 132
American Enterprise Institute, 15
American Library Association, viii
Americans with Disabilities Act, 105
Appropriations Committee
House, 21, 24, 119, 129, 130, 133
Senate, 21, 22, 24, 129, 130, 133
Archivist (Senate), 95
Armed Services Committee
House, 21
Senate, 21, 22
Audits, 187–188
B
Background checks, 79
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee (Senate), 22
Beyer, Rep. Don, 130
Bonuses, 205, 206, 207
Browsers, web, 84
Budget Committee
House, 20, 21, 132
Senate, 22
Budgeting, 8, 27–45
allocations, 28–32, 35–41, 178
contingencies and, 38
cost-saving advice and, 189–192
development of, 33–41
expense information in, 33–35
goals and, 32, 40–41, 178–184
importance of, 178–181
media scrutiny of expenditures, 180–
181, 232
Member’s role in, 32–33
month-by-month, 41–42
non-priority spending, 180
overspending, 28, 180
by Representatives, 28–30, 35–39,
42– 43, 178
revising budget, 181–184
rule changes and, 183
by Senators, 28–29, 30–32, 40–41,
42– 44, 178
software for, 85, 179
worksheet for, 39, 40
Bustos, Rep. Cheri, 129
C
Campaign contributors, ethics and, 269
Capitol Police. See U.S. Capitol Police
(USCP)
Casework, 67, 68, 69, 100, 104, 144, 232,
269, 296
Caseworker, 37
Casework Supervisor, 37
Caucus(es). See Congressional Member
Organizations (CMOs)
Cell phones, 191
Center for Effective Lawmaking, 69–70,
124
Centralized management structure, 49–51,
54
Chairs, committee, 22–23
Index
278
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Chief Administrative Ofcer, Ofce of the
(House), 35, 83, 91–92, 106, 109, 190.
See also House Information Resources
(HIR)
Administrative Counsel, 99, 106, 111,
191
First Call Customer Service Center
(House), 72, 109, 189
Chief Counsel for Employment (Senate),
63, 73, 198, 199
Chief of Staff
compensation for, 37
hiring, 70
responsibilities of, 33, 49–53, 68–69, 70,
73, 140 –141, 240
Cicilline, Rep. David, 129
Civility in Congress, 121–122
CM F. See Congressional Management
Foundation
CMS/CSS software, 81, 83, 84, 87, 93, 221
c
oding and logging, 221–229
providers for, 83, 92
selection of, 230
training on, 97
Combined Airlines Ticket Ofces
(CATO), 35
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee (Senate), 22
Committee assignments, 17–26
advice for choosing and pursuing,
23–25
importance of, 7–8, 18
process for obtaining, 18–22
steps in, 18–20
Committee on Committees, 19
Committees. See also Committee
assignments; specic committees
categories of, 20–21, 22
chairs of, 22–23
House, 19, 20, 21
party ratios on, 18–19
ranking members of, 22–23
Senate, 19, 20–21, 22
sizes of, 19
Communicating with Congress Project,
91, 213, 291, 292, 296
Communications Director, 219, 222
compensation for, 37
responsibilities of, 69
on scheduling team, 240
Communication with constituents, 213–
234. See also Email; Mail
cost-savings considerations for, 190, 230
ideas for improving, 227–229
Mail System (CMF), 220–227
plan for, 215–216
policies for mail, 218–220, 231
priorities in handling, 216–218
promptness in, 218, 229
telephone calls, 66, 216, 230
town hall meetings, 244–245
volume of, 214–216
Communication with staff, 55–60. See
also Meetings, staff
design of system for, 58–60
enforcement of policies, 60
feedback as, 145, 148
of goals, 238
input from staff, 145
methods of, 56–58
objectives of, 57
planning and, 171–174
sharing information with, 145
staff meetings, 59
written policy about, 60
Compensation. See Salaries
Computers, 82. See also Tech nology,
ofce
Conference calls, 191
Congress. See also House of
Representatives; Senate
culture of, 115–123
Congress 3.0 Project, 213, 244, 296
Congressional Accountability Act (CAA)
of 1995, 73, 77, 198
Congressional Benets and Personnel
Practices Study, 211, 291, 295
Congressional Black Caucus, 118
Congressional Ethics, Ofce of, 265
Congressional Management Foundation
(CMF). See also Mail System (CMF)
90-Day Roadmap to Setting Up a
Congressional Ofce, 14
Communicating with Congress Project,
91, 213, 291, 292, 296
Congress 3.0 Project, 213, 244, 296
Index 279
Congressional Benets and Personnel
Practices Study, 211, 291, 295
Democracy Awards, 144, 295
Job Description for a Member of
Congress, 125
Keeping It Local: A Guide for
Managing Congressional District/
State Ofces, viii, 100, 161, 259,
291, 292, 295
Life in Congress: Job Satisfaction and
Engagement of House and Senate
Staff, 142, 200, 292
Ofce Toolkit, 91, 213, 215, 232, 245,
296
Partnership For A More Perfect Union,
91, 213, 291, 296
recommendations, 10, 33, 53, 68, 70,
160, 161, 165, 172, 206, 229, 239
resources from, 14, 35, 75, 91, 100,
125, 161, 191, 211, 215, 232, 245,
295–296
services from, 14, 148, 162, 295
The Future of Citizen Engagement:
Coronavirus, Congress, and
Constituent Communications, 91,
215
training by, 14, 295
Workex Toolkit for Congress, 211, 291,
295
Congressional Member Organizations
(CMOs), 117
Congressional Research Service (CRS),
13, 15, 28, 36, 37, 75, 117, 191, 292
Congressional Services Representatives,
106. See also General Services
Administration (GSA)
Congressional Staff Academy (House), 97,
185, 186
Congressional Staff Associations, 92
Congressional Workplace Rights, Ofce
of (OCWR), 73, 198
Constituents. See also Communication
with constituents
accessibility of ofces to, 103
expectations of, 103
satisfaction survey, 232
services for, 103, 269
Constituent Services Representatives, 37,
68, 69
Constituent Services Systems (CSS). See
CMS/CSS software
Constituent Services Systems (CSS)
funds, 31
Core staff, 12–13
compensation for, 37
functions for, 66–70
goals and, 70–71
hiring, 9, 64–70
House, 68
Senate, 69
Correspondence Management Systems
(CMS). See CMS/CSS software
Cost of living adjustments (COLA), 183
Counsel, 37
Covey, Stephen, 4, 5, 27
Culture of Congress, 115–123
civility in, 121–122
new members and, 120–121
partisanship and, 121–122
party ratios and, 118–119
scheduling, 117
Culture of ofce. See Organizational
culture
D
DeLauro, Rep. Rosa, 128
Demo Center (Senate), 93
Democracy Awards (CMF), 144, 295
Democratic Party
House committee restrictions, 20, 21
Senate committee restrictions, 20–21
steering committees, 19
Disbursing Ofce (Senate), 28, 29, 32, 43,
45, 180, 181, 184, 185, 186, 187
District, travel to
budgeting for, 37, 42, 183
cost-saving advice for, 191
frequency of, 259
scheduling during visit, 243–248
time use during, 251–252
District Director
compensation for, 37
responsibilities of, 33, 51–53, 54, 68,
140
on scheduling team, 240
District ofces
accessibility to constituents of, 103
280
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
cost of, 43
equipment for, 82, 83, 96, 109–111
in federal buildings, 106–107
furniture for, 109–111
importance of, 100–101
lease for, 99, 106, 111
location of, 104–108
maintenance of, 106
mobile, 107–108, 244
number of, 43, 101–104
ofce hours, 243–244
opening rst ofce, 108–109
parking availability at, 105
part-time, 102
in predecessor’s ofces, 106
in private buildings, 106–107
relocation of, 192
rent for, 36, 106
resources available for, 100
safety of, 105–106
scheduling by, 243–248, 258–260
setting up, 9, 99–112
shared space with other ofcials, 192
size of, 105
staff for, 37, 96, 103–104, 105
telecommunications for, 36
utilities for, 36
visibility of, 101, 104
E
Eckart, Rep. Dennis, 120
Economic Allocation Fund (EAF), 30, 43,
86, 92, 190
Education and Labor Committee (House),
21
Email
answering, 96, 190, 215, 231
blackout periods, 232, 233
expectations of, 214–215
management of, 84, 90, 227–230
newsletters, 216
outreach, 231–233
policies for, 218–219
priorities for, 216–218
software for, 84
unsolicited, 231–233
volume of, 214
Web-based email form, 230
Emergency Management, Ofce of
(House), 95
Emergency planning and preparedness,
13, 89, 95
Employee Assistance, Ofce of (House),
209, 210
Employee Assistance Program (Senate),
209, 210
Employee background checks, 79
Employee benets, 29, 35, 211, 291
Energy and Natural Resources Committee
(Senate), 22
Energy & Commerce Committee (House),
21, 24
Environment and Public Works
Committee (Senate), 22
Equipment. See Technology, ofce
Ernst, Sen. Joni, 130
Ethics, 263–273
analysis process for, 271
environment for, 264–267
mail and, 233
media scrutiny of, 265
risk areas, 269
rules violations compared, 267–268
of staff, 268–269, 270–271
technology use and, 94
Ethics Certication Ofcer, 270
Ethics Committee
House, 20, 21, 94, 102, 181, 184, 263,
265, 268
Senate, 22, 31, 94, 181, 184, 233, 263,
265, 268
Evaluations, staff
conducting, 201–205
money discussion during, 205
preparation for, 201, 204
self-evaluations, 201, 202
Exchange, Microsoft, 84
Executive Assistant, 37, 258, 259
Expenses, ofce, 34–35
F
Family of Member, 7
ethical concerns and, 269
scheduling input from, 239, 256–257
Field Representative, 37, 68, 69, 240
Index 281
File servers, 82
Finance Committee (Senate), 21, 22, 24,
129
Finance Ofce (House), 28, 43, 45, 180,
181, 184, 185, 186, 187
Financial management. See also
Budgeting
accounting system, 85, 185–188
auditing, 187–188
cost-saving advice, 189–192
monthly nancial review, 188–189
payment processing, 186–187
policies for, written, 185
procedures for, 67, 185–189
reconciliation, 187
record keeping, 67, 186
team for, 32–33, 67–69
Financial Services Committee (House), 21
First Branch Tech, Science and Data
cohort, 92
First Call Customer Service Center
(House), 72, 109, 189
Foreign Affairs Committee (House), 21
Foreign Relations Committee (Senate),
21, 22
Franked mail (Franking), 30, 34, 35, 38,
39, 40, 44, 190, 232
Franking Commission (House), 233
Functional structure, 52–53, 54
Furniture, ofce, 29, 31, 109–111, 192
G
General Services Administration (GSA),
106, 107, 109, 110, 192
Congressional Services Representatives,
106
furniture restoration by, 110
lease rate set by, 31, 107
Gifts, 269
Goals
budgeting and, 32, 40–41, 178–179,
181–185
communication of, to staff, 238
core staff and, 70–71
decisions and, 10–11
development of, 10–11, 164–165
evaluation of, 165–167
importance of, 143–144
performance, 197–199
scheduling and, 237–238
technology and, 87
Gottheimer, Rep. Josh, 131
Grijalva, Rep. Raúl, 130
H
Handheld devices, 84, 89, 252
Harvard Kennedy School Institute of
Politics, 15
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee (Senate), 22
Heritage Foundation, 15
The Hill, 122
Hiring staff, 9, 63–80
comparing candidates, 77–78
core staff, 64–70
goals and, 70–71
interviews in, 73–74, 76–77, 78, 79
job analyses and, 75–76
job functions and, 66–70
process for, 73–79
recruiting, 72
reference checking, 79
staff involvement in, 78
tests in, 77–78
History and Preservation, Ofce of
(House), 95
Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee (Senate), 22
Homeland Security Committee (House),
21
Home State Furniture and Furnishings
allowance, 31
House Administration Committee, 14, 20,
21, 129
advice from, 28, 91, 109, 112, 162, 181,
184, 185, 191, 233
audit by, 187–188
MRA calculations by, 30
remote access rules, 95–96
technology use rules, 94–96
telecommuting rules, 95–96
House Chiefs of Staff Association, 14
House Employment Counsel, Ofce of,
63, 73, 198, 199
House Information Resources (HIR), 83
advice from, 38
282
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
equipment standards of, 86
services provided by, 35, 94
Technical Support Representatives, 83,
86, 91
HouseNet, 83, 84, 186
House of Representatives
Combined Airlines Ticket Ofce, 35
committees of, 19, 20, 21. See also
specic committees
Congressional Staff Academy, 97, 185,
186
Finance Ofce, 28, 43, 45, 180, 181,
184, 185, 186, 187
First Call Customer Service Center, 72,
109, 189
Franking Commission, 233
funds authorization year for, 29
House Employment Counsel, Ofce of,
63, 73, 198, 199
House Paid Internship Program, 29
Ofce of Chief Administrative Ofcer
(CAO), 35, 83, 91–92, 106, 109, 190
Ofce of Emergency Management
(OEM), 95
Ofce of Employee Assistance, 209,
210
Ofce of History and Preservation, 95
schedule for, 248
I
Important tasks, 5, 6
Indian Affairs Committee (Senate), 22
Information technology (IT). See
Technology, ofce
In-person town hall meetings, 244
Institute of Politics, 15
Intelligence Committee
House, 20, 21
Senate, 22
Interns, 29, 67
Interviews, job, 73–74, 76–79
Intranet(s), 28, 84–85, 91, 186
J
Job analysis, 75–77
Job Description for a Member of
Congress, 125
Job descriptions, 75, 125, 198
Joint Economic Committee, 21, 22
Joint Library Committee, 21, 22
Joint Printing Committee, 21, 22
Joint Taxation Committee, 21, 22
Judiciary Committee
House, 21
Senate, 22
K
Keeping It Local: A Guide for Managing
Congressional District/State Ofces,
viii, 100, 161, 259, 291, 292, 295
L
Law Enforcement Coordinator (LEC)
program (House), 105
Leadership in ofce, 139–154
delegation of duties, 12–13
Member’s role, 140–141
organizational culture and, 124, 141–
147
over-managing, 151–152
priority setting and, 150–151
style of, 147–150
Legislative Assistant, 37, 68, 69, 78, 168
Legislative Branch Capacity Working
Group, 124
Legislative Correspondent, 37, 69
Legislative Director, 37, 140, 240
Legislative insiders, 128–129, 136
LegiStorm, 35
Library of Congress, 117
Congressional Research Service (CRS),
13, 15, 28, 36, 37, 75, 117, 191, 292
Life in Congress: Job Satisfaction and
Engagement of House and Senate
Staff, 142, 200, 292
“Life in Congress” Project, viii, 211, 291,
295
“Life in Congress” Workplace
Environment Democracy Award, 144
M
Mail. See also Email; Mail System (CMF)
answering, 66, 190, 215, 218–219, 230
blackout periods, 232, 233
budgeting for, 37, 38, 39, 40, 44
Index 283
ethical considerations, 233
format standards for, 219
Member involvement in answering, 219,
228
outreach, 190, 215–216, 231–233
policies for, 218–219
priorities of, 216–218
unsolicited, 231–233
volume of, 214
Mail Manager, 222–227
Mail System (CMF), 220–227
backlogs, 221, 227–228
coding, 222–223, 224–226
email and, 230–231
fast track, 221, 223
ow chart, 225
logging mail, 222–227
Member logjam, 228
original draft track, 221, 223
process for, 221–224
sorting mail, 222–223
updating form letters, 228
VIPs and, 229
Maintenance providers, 83
Management of ofce, 195–212. See also
Performance management system
delegating, 12–13
motivating staff, 207–208
responsibility for, 140 –141
structures for, 8–9, 48–54
McCain, Sen. John, 131
Media
ethics, scrutiny of, 265
expenditures, scrutiny of, 180–181, 232
relationship with, 67
visibility and, 246
Meetings, staff, 59
planning, 162, 171–173
scheduling, 250
staff evaluation, 204
Member Binder, 56
Members’ Congressional Handbook, 28,
181, 184, 185, 186 –187
Members of Congress
budgeting decisions by, 32–33
leadership of, 140–141
mail answered by, 219
personal responsibility for nances, 28,
180
roles for, 125–138
scheduling involvement by, 239, 253–
255
travel frequency, 258, 259
Members’ Representational Allowance
(MRA), 29–30, 34, 39, 43, 86, 108, 110,
179
Microsoft software
Active Directory, 83
Exchange, 84
Outlook, 84, 251
Mission. See Goals
Mission statement, 161–164
Mobile ofces, 107–108, 244
N
National Taxpayers Union (NTU), 35
Natural Resources Committee (House), 21
Networks, 82
New Democrat Coalition, 118
Newsletters, 190, 216, 233
Nussle, Rep. Jim, 132
O
Occupational Safety and Health Act, 105
Ofce Coordinators, 83, 92
Ofce Emergency Coordinator (OEC), 95
Ofce Manager, 33, 35, 37, 42–44, 69,
258, 259
Ofce of Chief Administrative Ofcer
(House), 35, 83, 91–92, 106, 109, 190
Ofce of Congressional Ethics, 265
Ofce of Congressional Workplace Rights
(OCWR), 73, 198
Ofce of Emergency Management
(House), 95
Ofce of Employee Assistance (House),
209, 210
Ofce of History and Preservation
(House), 95
Ofce of House Employment Counsel, 63,
73, 198, 199
Ofce of Security and Emergency
Preparedness (OSEP) (Senate), 95
Ofce of Training and Development
(Senate), 97, 185
284
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Ofce Toolkit (CMF), 91, 213, 215, 232,
245, 296
Ofces. See also District ofces;
Representative’s ofces; Senator’s
ofces; Staff, ofce; State ofces;
Technology, ofce; Washington ofce
communication within, 8–9, 55–60
culture of, 141–147
expenses of, 34–35
management of, 8–9, 48–54, 195–212
mobile, 107–108, 244
moving, 67
Ofce supplies, 30, 31, 38, 189, 190
Ofcially related expenses, 31
Ofcial Personnel and Ofce Expense
Account, Senator’s, 29, 30, 40, 43, 86,
190
Ombudsmen, 130, 136
O’Neill, Speaker Tip, 99
Online town hall meetings, 245
Organizational culture, 141–147
dening, 141–142
positive culture, 143–146
staff appreciation and, 144–146
unproductive, 146 –147
values and, 143–144
Organizational meetings, 14–15
Orientation meetings, 13–15
Outlook, Microsoft, 84, 251
Outsiders, 131–132, 136
Oversight and Reform Committee
(House), 21
P
Partisanship, 121–122
Partnership for a More Perfect Union
(CMF), 213, 291, 296
Party committees, 19
Party insiders, 129, 136
Party ratios, 118 –119
Payment processing, 186–187
Performance Improvement Plan (PIP),
173, 203–205, 209
Performance management system
coaching in, 200
staff, development of, 206–210
elements of, 196
evaluating systems, 210 –211
feedback in, 199, 200
implementing, 197–206
monetary awards, 205, 206, 207
monitoring staff in, 199–200
non-monetary awards, 206, 207
performance goals in, 197–199
reasons for, 196–197
rewarding high performers, 206
staff evaluations, 201–205
Personnel. See Staff, ofce
Placement Ofce (Senate), 72
Planning, 157–176
action plan development, 168–170
benets of, 158–160
evaluating goals, 165–167
goal development, 164–165
implementing plan, 170–174
length of plan, 160–161
measuring performance, 174
mission statement and, 161–164
process for, 160–174
session for, 162
Police. See U.S. Capitol Police
POPVOX, 92
Portman, Sen. Rob, 128
Postal mail. See Mail
Press. See Media
Press Secretary. See also Communications
Director
compensation for, 37
on scheduling team, 240
Printers, 83–84
Printing expenses, 31, 37–38, 190
Progressive Caucus, 118, 119
ProPublica, 35
Publications, 191
R
Ranking members, committee, 22–23
Reconciliation, 187
Record keeping, 186
Reed, Sen. Jack, 131
Reichert, Rep. Dave, 131
Remote access, 81, 82, 89, 95–96
Report of the Secretary of the Senate, 34,
40, 186
Index 285
Representatives. See Members of
Congress
Representatives, House of. See House of
Representatives
Representative’s ofces. See also District
ofces; Staff, ofce; Washington ofce
allotment for, 29, 178
budgeting for, 28–30, 35–39, 42–43
budgeting software for, 85, 179
budget worksheet, 39
communication with staff in, 55–60
management structures for, 48–54
staff for, 66–68, 69, 105
technology for, 82–85, 109–111
Republican Party
House committee restrictions, 20,
22–23
Senate committee restrictions, 20–21,
22–23
steering committees, 19
Republican Study Committee, 118
Rigell, Rep. Scott, 120
Role in ofce. See Leadership in ofce
Roles in Congress, 125–138
changing, 137
importance of, 126–127
major, 133–134
minor, 133–134
selecting, 134–136
types of, 126, 127–132
Rules and Administration Committee
(Senate), 22, 129
advice from, 28, 91, 162, 181, 184, 185,
233
audits by, 187–188
remote access rules, 95–96
technology use rules, 94–96
telecommuting rules, 95–96
Rules Committee (House), 20, 21, 129
S
Salaries
allocation for, 36, 37, 39, 40
average, 37
bonuses for, 206, 207, 208
cost of living adjustments to, 183
raises in, 205, 206
Sanders, Sen. Bernie, 132
Scheduler
characteristics of, 257–258
compensation for, 37
judgment of, 255–256
relationship with family, 256–257
responsibilities of, 68, 69, 248–249,
252, 255, 258–259
on scheduling team, 239–240
Scheduling, 67, 235–262
accurate information in, 255
Congressional schedule and, 117,
252–253
criteria for, 241–242
development of schedule, 237–242
in district, 243–248, 258–259
evaluation of, 242
Event Preparation Request Form,
sample, 261
Event Scheduling Form, sample, 254
family conicts and, 256–257
exibility in, 117
goals and, 237–238
long-range plan for, 243
Member over-involvement in, 253–255
overscheduling, 252
problems with, 251–256
promptness in commitments and, 253
software for, 84
Speech/Event Evaluation Form, sample,
247
in state, 243–248, 258–259
strategic, 235, 236–237
team for, 238–240
travel time and, 251–252
in Washington, DC, 248–251
weekly meetings about, 250
Schumer, Sen. Charles, 18
Science, Space, and Technology
Committee (House), 21
Secretary of the Senate’s Report, 34, 40,
186
Security and Emergency Preparedness,
Ofce of (OSEP) (Senate), 95
Select Ethics Committee (Senate), 22, 31,
94, 181, 184, 233, 263, 265, 268
Select Intelligence Committee
House, 20, 21
Senate, 22
Senate. See also Sergeant at Arms (SAA)
286
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
Archivist, 95
Chief Counsel for Employment, 63, 73,
198, 199
Combined Airlines Ticket Ofce, 35
committees of, 19, 20–21, 22. See also
specic committees
Disbursing Ofce, 28, 29, 32, 43, 45,
180, 181, 184, 185, 186, 187
Employee Assistance Program, 209, 210
funds authorization year for, 29
Ofce of Security and Emergency
Preparedness (OSEP), 95
Ofce of Training and Development,
97, 185
Placement Ofce, 72
schedule for, 248
Senate Intern Compensation Fund, 29
State Ofce Operations, 99, 105, 106,
109, 110, 111, 112, 192
Technology Catalog, 92
Senate Handbook, 28
Senate Manual, 28, 181, 184, 185, 186
Senators. See Members of Congress
Senator’s Account, 29, 30, 40, 43, 86, 190
Senator’s Allowance, 30–31
Senator’s ofces. See also Staff, ofce;
State ofces; Washington ofce
allotment for, 29–31, 178
budgeting for, 28–29, 30–31, 40–41,
42–44
budgeting software for, 85, 179
budget worksheet, 40
communication with staff in, 55–60
management structures for, 48–54
moving, 67
scheduling by, 243–248
services for, 31
staff for, 66–69, 105
technology for, 30, 31, 43, 82–85, 95–
96, 189–192
Sergeant at Arms (SAA), 83, 99, 105, 106,
108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 224
Demo Center, 93
equipment standards of, 86
services provided by, 31, 35, 94, 224
State Ofce Operations, 99, 105, 106,
109, 110, 111, 112, 192
Technology Representative (TR), 83, 86,
87, 88, 89, 91, 93, 97
Sergeant at Arms (House), 105
Servers, le, 82
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective
People, 4
Shared employee, 36, 67, 68, 103, 187, 192
Site visits, 245
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Committee (Senate), 22
Small Business Committee (House), 21
Social media, 85, 96, 132, 213, 215, 216,
219, 233
Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM), viii, 142, 200, 211
Software. See specic types of software
Special Aging Committee (Senate), 22
Spouse/partner of Member, 7, 14, 239,
256–257
Staff, ofce. See also Communication
with staff; Hiring staff; Performance
management system; Salaries; specic
job titles
appreciation of, 144 –146
associations, 92
computers for, 82
core, 9, 12–13, 64–70
district ofce, 36, 37, 97, 103–104, 105
employee benets for, 29, 35, 211, 291
empowered, 146
ethical judgments of, 267–271
functions of, 66–70
high performers, 206, 207–208
job descriptions for, 198
motivating, 206–209
number of, 67, 103–104, 105
part-time, 192
poor performers, 208–210
professional development of, 145,
206–210
recruiting, 72
self-evaluation by, 201, 202
shared, 36, 67, 68, 103, 187, 192
state ofce, 37, 97, 104, 105
training of, 97, 199–200
transition period, during, 64–66
trust relationship with, 200
turnover rates for, 65–66, 146–147
Staff Assistant, 37, 68, 69
Standards of Ofcial Conduct Committee
(House). See Ethics Committee
Index 287
State, travel to
budgeting for, 40, 41, 43, 183
cost-saving advice for, 191
frequency of, 258–259
scheduling during visit, 243–248
State Director, 100, 106
compensation for, 37
responsibilities of, 33, 35, 48–49, 51–52,
69, 140
on scheduling team, 240
Statement of Disbursements of the House,
34–35, 186
State Ofce Operations (SAA), 99, 105,
106, 109, 110, 111, 112, 192
State ofces
accessibility to constituents of, 103
equipment for, 96, 109–111
in federal buildings, 106–107
furniture for, 109–111
importance of, 100–101
lease for, 99, 106, 111
location of, 104–107
maintenance of, 106
mobile, 107–108, 244
number of, 101–104
ofce hours, 243–244
opening rst ofce, 108–109
parking availability at, 105
in predecessor’s ofces, 106
in private buildings, 106–107
resources available for, 100
safety of, 105
scheduling by, 243–248, 258–260
setting up, 9, 99–112
size of, 105
staff for, 37, 97, 103–104, 105
visibility of, 101, 104
Statesmen, 130–131, 136
Steering committees, 19
Student Loan Repayment Program
(SLRP), 29
Subscriptions, 191
Supplies, ofce, 30, 31, 38, 189, 190
Survey, constituent satisfaction, 232
Systems Administrator
responsibilities of, 67, 68, 69, 94, 95
training of, 96–97
System Consultants, 83
Szekely, Deborah, vii-viii
T
Task forces, 245–246
Technical Support Representative (TSR),
83, 86, 87, 88, 91, 93, 97
Technology, ofce, 9, 81–98
budgeting for, 38, 43, 88
compatibility of, 93
Congressional system for, 82–85
cost-saving advice for, 189–190
for district ofces, 96, 109–110, 111
emergency procedures for, 95
ethics and, 94
le management, 95
installation of, 93
inventory of, 90–91
maintenance of, 37, 67, 94, 95
policies for usage, 94–96
portable, 84, 89, 251–252
purchasing decision, 87–88, 90–93,
110 –111, 189–190
Representatives’ ofces, 82–85, 109–
111, 189–190
resources for, 91–92
security of, 89–90, 94–95
Senators’ ofces, 31, 43, 82–85, 189–
190
for state ofces, 96, 109–111
training staff for, 96–97
upgrading, 85–87, 95
Technology Catalog, 92
Technology Representative (TR), 83, 86,
87, 88, 89, 91, 93, 97
Telecommunications
answering phones, 66, 216
cell phones, 191
cost-saving ideas for, 191
long-distance service, 31
Telecommuting, 89, 95–96
Telephone town hall meetings, 36, 39, 190,
223, 231, 244–245, 296
Town hall meetings, 190, 223, 231, 244–
245, 296
Training and Development, Ofce of
(Senate), 97, 185
Transition period, 3–16
critical tasks during, 6–10
guiding principles during, 10–13
organizational meetings during, 14
orientation meetings during, 13–15
288
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
priority setting during, 4–6
staff during, 64–66
Transition team, 12–13
Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee (House), 21
Travel
budgeting for, 36, 40, 41, 43, 183
cost-saving advice for, 191
ethics and, 269
frequency of, 258, 259
time use during, 251–252
U
University of Maryland, 124
University of Virginia, 124
Urgent tasks, 5, 6
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), 79
V
Vanderbilt University, 124
Vasa, 151
Veterans’ Affairs Committee
House, 21
Senate, 22
Video conferencing, 85, 87, 88, 91, 191,
253
Virtual Machine Infrastructure (VMI), 82
Virtual private networks (VPNs), 82
Visitors, greeting, 66
Vouchers, 28, 67, 85, 179, 186–188
W
Walden, Rep. Greg, 129
Washington/District Parity Structure,
51–52, 54
Washington, DC ofce, 29
moving, 67
scheduling by, 248–251
staff for, 37
Washington Post, 121
Ways and Means Committee (House),
21, 24
Web browsers, 84
Websites, 88–89, 91, 96, 103, 190, 216,
231, 234
Webster, 28, 84
Wittman, Rep. Rob, 130
Workex Toolkit for Congress, 211, 291,
295
Authors
and
About CMF
291
Authors
Nicole Folk Cooper, CMF’s Director of Research and Publications,
supervised the revision and production of the last seven editions
(111
th
–117
th
Congresses) of Setting Course, including the editing of all
chapters. She is the editor and project manager of its companion guide
for new Members and Senators, the 90-Day Roadmap to Setting Up a
Congressional Ofce (all six editions). In her role she also has served as
editor and project manager of Keeping It Local: A Guide for Managing
Congressional District & State Ofces; the Congressional Intern
Handbook: A Guide for Interns and Newcomers to Capitol Hill; and The
Insider’s Guide to Research on Capitol Hill. During her tenure, Nicole
has co-authored or contributed to several reports on technology and
communications, including those published as part of CMF’s Partnership
for a More Perfect Union, the Communicating with Congress Project,
and the Gold Mouse Awards. Currently, she is the project manager for the
Life in Congress research series that reports on the employee engagement,
job satisfaction, and work-life of congressional staff and Members. She
directed the research for and authored its latest releases, the Congressional
Benets and Personnel Practices Study and the Workex Toolkit for
Congress, a combination of advice and research from several organizations
that is designed to help educate congressional managers and employees
about exibility in the workplace. Prior to joining CMF, Nicole worked for
a Member of Congress and for a CMS/CSS vendor to House and Senate
ofces.
Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF, updated Chapter 16, “Managing
Ethics,” and previously served as project manager of the 108
th
and 109
th
Congress editions of Setting Course. He also leads CMF’s Partnership
for a More Perfect Union initiative, and is active in the Communicating
with Congress Project, including co-authoring the reports, Citizen-
Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power of Constituent Engagement,
#SocialCongress 2015, and How Capitol Hill is Coping with the Surge in
Citizen Advocacy. Brad has taught journalism and public communications
courses at American University, and is the author of Media Relations
Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprots and Congress, now
292
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
in its second edition, and Citizen’s Handbook to Inuencing Elected
Ofcials, both by TheCapitol.Net; “Best Practices in Online Advocacy
for Associations, Nonprots, and Corporations,” a chapter in Routledge
Handbook of Political Management; and articles on communications and
advocacy. Brad worked in House and Senate ofces for 13 years, serving
as Press Secretary, Legislative Director, and Chief of Staff.
Kathy Goldschmidt, Director of Strategic Initiatives, wrote Chapter 6,
“Selecting and Utilizing Technology.” She also co-authored chapters
in Keeping It Local: A Guide for Managing Congressional District &
State Ofces, and co-authored Online Town Hall Meetings: Exploring
Democracy in the 21
st
Century and Life in Congress: Job Satisfaction
and Engagement of House and Senate Staff. Kathy has been involved
with CMF’s Communicating with Congress Project for several years,
serving as co-author of Citizen-Centric Advocacy: The Untapped Power
of Constituent Engagement, #SocialCongress 2015, How the Internet
Has Changed Citizen Engagement and How Capitol Hill is Coping with
the Surge in Citizen Advocacy. She was the visionary behind CMF’s
research on congressional use of technology, websites, and social media.
Most recently, Kathy authored State of the Congress: Staff Perspectives
on Institutional Capacity in the House and Senate, and co-authored the
Job Description for a Member of Congress and The Future of Citizen
Engagement: Coronavirus, Congress, and Constituent Communications.
Prior to CMF, Kathy worked in a House ofce for two years.
Michael Patruznick, CMF’s former Director of Research, co-authored Chapter
8, “Understanding the Culture of Congress: An Insider’s Guide,” and
Chapter 5, “Hiring Your Core Staff.” Michael worked in a House ofce for
four years and as a congressional producer for C-SPAN.
Chester B. Rogers, Professor Emeritus of political science at Western Michigan
University, wrote Chapter 1, “Navigating the First 60 Days: November
and December.” Chet was a House AA for two years and has conducted
extensive research on freshman Members and their transition to Congress.
Judith Schneider, former Specialist on the Congress at the Congressional
Research Service, wrote Chapter 2, “Selecting Committee Assignments,”
co-authored Chapter 8, “Understanding the Culture of Congress: An
Insider’s Guide,” and contributed to Chapter 1, “Navigating the First
60 Days: November and December,” and Chapter 9, “Dening Your
Role in Congress.” Judy retired from CRS in the 116th Congress after
more than 40 years of exceptional public service. During her tenure,
she authored more than 100 papers on congressional operations. She
Authors 293
also is the co-author of the Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and
Comprehensive Guide to Congress by TheCapitol.Net, now in its sixth
edition. The Stennis Center for Public Service Leadership selected her as
a Fellow for the 108th Congress, where she worked with other fellows to
strengthen and improve the institution. In 2004, Judy received the Women
in Government Relations Distinguished Member Award and in 2015, the
organization created the Judy Schneider Fellowship in recognition of her
decades of service mentoring thousands of women through her “Direct
Connect to Congress” series. In 2018, she became rst recipient of the
Congressional Management Foundation’s Democracy Award for Lifetime
Achievement for congressional staff, recognizing her four decades of
service to the institution and Members of Congress.
Craig Schultz, CMF’s former Director of Research, wrote Chapter 3,
“Creating a First-Year Budget,” and Chapter 12, “Budgeting and
Financial Management.”
Laura D. Scott, Management Consultant with CMF and the University of
Maryland, was the primary author of Chapter 15, “Strategic Scheduling,”
and the co-author of Chapter 16, “Managing Ethics.” Laura continues to
provide ofce consultation services to dozens of congressional ofces.
Previously she worked in a Senate ofce for eight years.
Richard Shapiro, former CMF Executive Director, wrote Chapter 4,
“Creating a Management Structure and a System for Communicating
with the Member,” Chapter 7, “Establishing District and State Ofces,”
Chapter 9, “Dening Your Role in Congress,” Chapter 10, “The Member’s
Role as Leader of the Ofce,” Chapter 11, “Strategic Planning in Your
Ofce,” and Chapter 13, “A Process for Managing Staff. He co-authored
Chapter 16, “Managing Ethics,” and contributed to several other chapters.
During his 18 years at CMF, Rick also authored several publications,
including: Frontline Management: A Guide for Congressional District/
State Ofces; Working in Congress: The Staff Perspective; 1990 U.S.
House of Representatives Employment Practices: A Study of Staff Salary,
Tenure and Demographics. Rick continues to provide management
consulting services to House and Senate ofces, having engaged with
more than 100 ofces during his CMF tenure. He also held senior staff
positions in both the House and Senate.
295
About the
Congressional Management
Foundation
Founded in 1977, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is
a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprot. CMF’s mission is to build trust and
effectiveness in Congress. We do this by enhancing the performance of the
institution, legislators and their staffs through research-based education and
training, and by strengthening the bridge and understanding between Congress
and the People it serves.
Improving Congressional Operations
CMF works internally with Member ofces, committees, leadership, and
institutional ofces in the House and Senate to foster improved management
practices. From interns to Chiefs of Staff to Members themselves, CMF
provides services, training, and publications adapted to the unique
congressional environment. Our resources include:
• Management Books and Guidance — In addition to this signature
guidebook, Setting Course, CMF also publishes Keeping It Local: A
Guide to Managing Congressional District & State Ofces, the only
comprehensive guide for district/state staff. Through our “Life in
Congress” project, we have also produced several reports focusing on
Congress as a workplace, including the Congressional Benets and
Personnel Practices Study and the Workex Toolkit for Congress. These
books and others are provided to congressional ofces free of charge.
• Staff Training and Professional Development — We conduct in-person
programs and webinars for senior managers in the House and Senate on a
range of management topics. We also offer orientation programming for
the aides of Members-elect. More than 1,100 staff from more than 300
congressional ofces participate in the training programs CMF conducts
annually.
• Democracy Awards — CMF created this distinctive honors program to
recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional
ofces and by Members of Congress. Democracy Awards honor
achievements in Constituent Service, Innovation and Modernization,
“Life in Congress” Workplace Environment, Transparency and
Accountability, and Lifetime Achievement.
296
✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
SETTING COURSE
• Customized Management Services — Since 2000, CMF has conducted
more than 500 strategic planning or other engagements such as
teambuilding and executive coaching with Members of Congress and
their staffs. We work with individual ofces on a strictly condential
basis to examine and improve internal operations, communications, and
teamwork.
• Manuals, Forms, Worksheets, and Checklists — We provide many
resources and templates that congressional staff can download and adapt
for ofce use, such as sample job descriptions, sample performance
review forms, an event planning checklist, scheduling request form, and
several casework and constituent service manuals.
Enhancing Citizen Engagement
CMF’s Partnership for a More Perfect Union is dedicated to enhancing citizen
engagement and improving communication between citizens and Congress.
Based on CMF’s research with House and Senate staff, the Partnership
provides guidance to constituents and advocacy groups on how to best
communicate with Capitol Hill. In addition to the Partnership, CMF has
several ongoing programs designed to enhance citizen engagement. These
projects include:
• Communicating with Congress Project — This project addresses the
challenges and frustration felt by both citizens and congressional ofces
due to the changes brought about by online communications. Through
this project, CMF has conducted multiple surveys of congressional staff
and published several reports.
• Congress 3.0 — Through a grant from Democracy Fund, CMF facilitated
innovative experiments with House and Senate ofces to improve their
operational effectiveness, enhance their citizen engagement practices, and
benchmark Congress-wide attitudes and activities. The resulting guidance
was published in an “Ofce Toolkit,” available on our website.
• 21st Century Town Hall Meetings — CMF’s research on the effects
of online town halls showed that a more deliberative and civil dialogue
is possible between citizens and elected ofcials. The Congress 3.0
Project continued this work by conducting research on telephone town
halls, which resulted in guidance on how to improve these sessions for
constituents. In 2020, CMF collaborated with elected ofcials, public
health experts, and academics to hold bipartisan virtual town halls on the
coronavirus.
For more information, contact CMF at 202-546-0100
or visit www.CongressFoundation.org.
SETTING
COURSE
A CONGRESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
EDITION FOR THE
117 t h
CONGRESS
SETTING COURSE
117t h
CONGRESS
SETTING COURSE, n
ow in its 17
th
edition for the 117
th
Congress, is a
comprehensive guide to managing a congressional ofce. Part I is for Members-elect
and freshman ofces, focusing on the tasks that are most critical to a successful
transition to Congress and setting up a new ofce. Part II focuses on dening the
Member’s role — in the ofce and in Congress. Part III provides guidance to both
freshman and veteran Members and staff on managing ofce operations.
Setting
Course
is the signature publication of the Congressional Management Foundation
and has been funded by grants from:
A CONGRESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT GUIDE
“The best thing a new Member and his or her staff can do is to sit
down and read Setting Course cover to cover. It’s a book that has
stood the test of time.”
—House Chief of Staff
“Setting Course is written as if you were having a conversation
with someone who has been on Capitol Hill for 50 years and knows
how things work.”
—Senate Ofce Manager
Deborah
Szekely
THE CONGRESSIONAL MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION (CMF)
is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprot whose mission is to build
trust and effectiveness in Congress. We do this by enhancing the
performance of the institution, legislators and their staffs through
research-based education and training, and by strengthening the
bridge between Congress and the People it serves. Since 1977 CMF
has worked internally with Member, committee, leadership, and institutional ofces in the House
and Senate to identify and disseminate best practices for management, workplace environment,
communications, and constituent services. CMF also is the leading researcher and trainer on citizen
engagement, educating thousands of individuals and facilitating better understanding, relationships,
and communications with Congress.
CongressFoundation.org
sponsored by
SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
AMerICAn LIbrAry AssoCIATIon
DEBORAH SZEKELY