2023 Impact Report

Letter From the
President and Chair

Max Stier
President and CEO

Tom Bernstein
Chairman of the Board

The upcoming presidential election will be a critical proof point for our democracy and for our public institutions.

Political polarization is growing, trust in our institutions is low and attacks on the nonpartisan civil service—a hallmark of our democracy that ensures career federal employees put public needs above those of any individual president or party—are on the rise. This will also be the first election since the fraught transfer of power between Donald Trump and Joe Biden—one that will take place amid new doubts about whether the transition to a new president or a second Biden term will be peaceful. The institutions responsible for enforcing our laws, protecting our rights, and promoting our safety and security need our support to stay resilient amid these threats.

For more than 20 years, the Partnership for Public Service has provided this support to our federal government to ensure it evolves and improves to meet current challenges no matter the political environment.

We do so not by tearing government down but by building it up. Since 2001, we have worked with, and not against, federal employees, leaders and agencies to offer them constructive solutions that address evolving challenges in a fast-paced world. At a time when public servants are threatened, we work to equip them with the knowledge, skills and support networks they need to deliver results while stewarding the public’s trust. We strive to defend our government from harmful proposals that would reduce its capacity to respond to public needs, while also promoting practical ways to make the federal workforce more effective and accountable.

In 2023, our efforts continued to help our government work more effectively and lay the groundwork for a better future.

Our Center for Presidential Transition® kicked off its activities to ensure the next president is fully prepared to govern. Through our Public Service Leadership Institute®, more than 7,000 federal employees participated in training, including senior executives who implement landmark domestic legislation and those preparing to guide agency strategies around the effective use of artificial intelligence.  

Our federal internship programs and Call to Serve network, which consists of more than 1,400 higher education professionals who promote federal careers, created new pathways into public service, and our Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings offered agencies a comprehensive roadmap to improve their employees’ workplace experience, which drives better service to the public.

We also shined a national spotlight on the achievements of career civil servants through our Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals®, offered agencies research, training and a monthly forum to build their capacity to engage the public, and cultivated a community of cross-sector leaders and organizations dedicated to breaking the cycle of negativity and misinformation about government.

In this Impact Report, we highlight the results of our activities in 2023 and outline our plans for the coming year along four main strategic areas:

• Public Service Leadership
• Federal Talent
• The Public’s Commitment to Effective Government
• The Partnership’s Organizational Capacity

We are energized by the opportunities to expand our programming and make a bigger impact at this critical time. The health of our democracy depends on the ability of federal employees, leaders and agencies to deliver for the public regardless of the outcomes of partisan battles and election results. At the Partnership, we will continue to help our government meet its full potential by being constructive and not destructive, providing agencies and their more than 2 million civil servants with the tools, strategies and insights they need to succeed both now and in the future.

Our accomplishments and continued impact would not be possible without the generous support of our donors and partners, whom we thank for their generosity and commitment.

Together, we can build a better government and a stronger democracy. Join us.

Our 2023 Impact

In 2023, the Partnership helped build a better government that more effectively served the public. Watch the video below to learn more about our impact.

The Center for Presidential Transition^®

“Any serious political campaign should work with the Partnership and the Center for Presidential Transition. They are the guides you need, and they have no agenda other than making the federal government work better.”

Josh Bolten, chief of staff for President George W. Bush; Center advisory board member

“The Center for Presidential Transition is a national treasure. It is the only outfit in America focused 24/7 on transitions, and it makes transitions work.”

Ted Kaufman, co-chair of the 2020 Biden-Harris transition team; former U.S. senator; Center advisory board member

Presidential transitions—whether from one administration to another or from a first to a second term—are moments of great vulnerability for our nation, requiring the changeover of political leadership in an organization with a $6 trillion budget composed of more than 2 million full-time civilian employees. Ensuring the continuity of government during this period requires extensive planning.

Launched in 2016 and building on work that began eight years earlier, the Center for Presidential Transition® is the premier nonpartisan source of information and expertise for organizing and executing the smooth transfer of power or start of a second term.

The Center kicked off its activities last fall amid a complex election cycle, including deep political divisions, concerns about the future of our democracy and declining trust in government. The difficult 2020 transition, punctuated by the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, has also weakened public faith in the handoff of presidential power, a hallmark of American democracy.

As in past years, the Center is leveraging its role as the leading nonpartisan organization working on transitions to strengthen this crucial undertaking. This spring, the Center marked its fifth election cycle by offering tailored support to the major candidates to convene senior campaign and transition stakeholders, agency leaders and other experts to plan for the transfer of power or start of a second term.

Other critical current activities include:

• Releasing new resources for presidential candidates, their teams and incumbent administrations to ensure that our next president is prepared to govern
• Helping career agency officials prepare critical information for incoming senior leaders
• Preparing political appointees to succeed
• Informing and championing transition reforms
• Shining a national spotlight on important transition issues

A major focus of the Center’s efforts this year will also be on second-term planning. Consumed with the day-to-day demands of office and campaigning, presidents tend to view a second term as a continuation of the first and have rarely invested the requisite time and energy needed to lay the groundwork for a successful fifth year.

However, the start of a second term often comes with high leadership turnover and other challenges, making it difficult for presidents to achieve early policy wins and improve government performance.

Recognizing second-term planning as an underappreciated opportunity for administrations to attain these goals, the Center will release a new guide that offers a blueprint for reelected presidents to develop and execute a second-term agenda, fill critical talent gaps in the political and career workforce, and improve the implementation of key public services and programs.

To learn more and view all our guides visit presidentialtransition.org.

“The Center is a great repository of nonpartisan data and information on what a transition must do, what previous transitions did and what the laws say.”

Cecilia Muñoz, director of domestic and economic policy for the 2020 Biden-Harris Transition Team

“It was a tremendous service that the Center did because we were able to speak in a thoughtful and collaborative way with people who had done [a transition] before. It would inspire Americans to see opposing campaigns and administrations working together.”

Mike Leavitt, chairman of the Romney transition team; former governor of Utah; Center advisory board member

Fixing the Senate-Confirmation Process

The Partnership sheds light on—and is a leading advocate for reforming—our broken Senate-confirmation process.

We continue to produce a steady stream of research on this topic, including analysis showing the Senate today devotes more votes on nominations than ever before, leaving less time to debate and pass legislation. This research is expanding our outreach on Capitol Hill and to other outside stakeholders while helping us grow a community of those passionate about reducing roadblocks for well-qualified individuals who want to serve their country. 

In addition, our Political Appointee Tracker, launched with The Washington Post, is the only real-time source for political appointments data and holds the Biden administration and Senate accountable for nominating and confirming key political appointees.

The Public Service Leadership Institute®

The Public Service Leadership Institute® is the preeminent source of public service leadership programs, policies and perspectives. It develops government leaders, promotes a single standard of federal leadership through the Public Service Leadership Model, and amplifies the importance of public service leadership by publishing research, issuing commentary and convening leaders across sectors.

Learn more

7,000+

Federal employees reached

96%

Agreed their training made them a better leader

Supporting Senior Leaders

In 2023, the Institute worked with more than 1,200 senior leaders, who are members of the Senior Executive Service and political appointees, and hosted 11 retreats with Cabinet-level secretaries or assistant secretaries and their teams from the departments of Transportation, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.

We also facilitated retreats for IRS leaders as they worked to implement once-in-a-generation funding from the Inflation Reduction Act meant to transform the agency’s customer and tax enforcement services.

Becoming a Leader in AI

Our work with senior executives includes training on the effective and ethical use of artificial intelligence in government.

In 2019, we created the AI Federal Leadership Program to help federal leaders responsibly apply artificial intelligence to achieve their agencies’ mission. Since 2019, this program has reached more than 550 senior federal leaders across 50 agencies in more than 30 states.

“The course helped me understand, at an executive level, how AI works and the key principles to consider when using it in my program areas.”

Eric Stein, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Global Information Services; former AI Federal Leadership Program participant

Building Critical Connections

To support our strategic goal of developing public service leaders, the Partnership regularly convenes more than a dozen roundtables and communities for federal executives—including deputy secretaries, general counsels, public affairs officers, chief diversity officers, customer experience leads, assistant secretaries for administration and management, innovation and human resources leaders, and others—to collaborate with their peers, share ideas and solve problems.

In 2024, we also launched the Responsible AI Roundtable Series, which convenes leaders from across government to share best practices around the effective and responsible use of AI to deliver better federal services.

580+

Federal leaders convened

100+

Agencies represented

More than 75%

Participants implemented what they learned

Creating pathways into government

With support from Schmidt Futures, we piloted and built the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program, which placed more than 400 paid interns at the General Services Administration, the Small Business Administration and the departments of Commerce, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development in 2022 and 2023.

The program continues in 2024 thanks to collaborations with several agencies as well as university, foundation and individual partners.

“Prior to the Future Leaders Program, I might have jumped into the private sector upon graduation, but because of my experience, I am starting my career in the federal government.”

Ranita Opoku-Sarfo, HR specialist, Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation

“My participation in the Future Leaders Program put me on a trajectory to a career in public service.”

Gil Huerta, cybersecurity analyst and IT specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

“I participated in the Future Leaders Program at the Department of Commerce to work at the nexus of business operations and public policy, and my experiences fostered within me an unwavering commitment to public service.”

Aamer Uddin, international trade specialist, Department of Commerce

Navigating the federal hiring process

Our Call to Serve network includes more than 1,400 college and university professionals who promote federal opportunities to students.

In 2023, our Public Service Roadshow delivered on-campus training to students, faculty and advisors on how to navigate the federal hiring process, targeting communities that lack access to federal opportunities, rural areas and minority-serving institutions.

We also launched the Federal Advisor Certificate Program, which helps university career services staff become experts in the federal hiring process and better understand the wide range of government career opportunities. More than 250 professionals enrolled in the program in 2023.

“Prior to becoming a certified federal advisor, I felt overwhelmed by the whole federal hiring process. Now, I gained expertise with the systems and agencies to advise students and help them explore the exciting and rich opportunities offered by the federal government.”

Helene Bumbalo, associate director of graduate professional development, Virginia Commonwealth University

Improving the Employee Experience

In partnership with Boston Consulting Group, we released our 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings, the most comprehensive insight into employee engagement and satisfaction in the federal workplace. 

For nearly two decades, the rankings have been an invaluable tool for agencies to improve their organizational health, which drives better service to the public. The 2023 rankings include 532 federal agencies and agency subcomponents, the most in the history of Best Places to Work.  

The Washington Post also published a special preview of the rankings that features the top 10 federal workplaces in four categories: large, midsize and small agencies, and agency subcomponents. The preview included companion pieces in the Post’s business section on how to find federal jobs and internships, the presidential transition process and more, bringing the rankings—and the critical issue of employee engagement and satisfaction in government—to a national audience.   

On May 20, 2024, we released the full rankings during our annual awards breakfast, which featured remarks by numerous government executives. Visit bestplacestowork.org to learn more.  

Fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility

Michael McAfee, president and CEO of PolicyLink, at the Partnership’s first Federal Racial Equity Summit, which convened cross-sector leaders to discuss how organizations can advance racial equity in the U.S.

In 2023, the Partnership delivered more than 80 DEIA training sessions to federal agencies, including the departments of State, Labor, and Health and Human Services.

Promoting the achievements of public servants

On Oct. 17, we hosted the 22nd annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals® at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Co-anchor of CNN News Central Kate Bolduan emceed the program, which featured numerous celebrity videos and welcomed nearly 400 guests, including agency leaders, members of Congress and the media, and others from the public, private and social sectors.

This year’s winners were chosen from more than 300 nominations and 27 individual and team finalists representing 23 federal agencies across 15 states. The gala was broadcast in December on the local PBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., and promoted on CBS News and ABC’s “The View.” Cox Media has also made the 2023 Sammies available on its Yurview platform, a channel available to Cox subscribers in more than two dozen markets worldwide, and streaming service.

Since 2001, the Service to America Medals have honored more than 760 public servants.

Our 2023 Spirit of Service Award went to Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent and former anchor and managing editor of the “PBS Newshour” (right). The award recognizes an individual working outside government who contributes significantly to the public good. Sally Buzbee (left), executive editor of The Washington Post, interviewed Woodruff.

“The Sammies mitigate the negative image that many people have about public servants, and awaken folks to the breadth and depth of the work of federal employees.”

Carolyn Hightower, 2023 Sammies finalist; deputy director, Office on Trafficking in Persons, Administration for Children and Families

Implementing major federal investments

Our Major Federal Investments Community convenes government leaders who administer large-scale funding provided by the American Rescue Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act.

Participants gain the strategies, knowledge and connections to effectively implement critical programs in energy resilience, public health, technological innovation, infrastructure and more for communities across the country.

Cultivating champions of rebuilding trust

In partnership with our media partner, Axios, we hosted our first annual Trust Summit to examine how agencies are working to improve public perceptions of government and to discuss opportunities for leaders from philanthropy, entertainment, the media, and the public and private sectors to rebuild trust in our federal institutions. More than 240 attendees joined the event, which featured keynote remarks from IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

In June 2024, our second annual Trust Summit explored the importance of a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service to our democracy. Featured guests included Rep. Derek Kilmer from Washington state, bestselling author Michael Lewis, columnists from The Washington Post and several noted business leaders.

Our culture statement

• We are a purpose-driven, people-centric and fast-paced organization that performs at a high level and carefully stewards our resources.

• We value diverse perspectives, backgrounds and capabilities, treat each other with respect at all times, are collaborative and results-oriented, and are passionate about building a better government and a stronger democracy.

• We are a community that has fun, celebrates our successes, is curious, innovates and learns from our mistakes, and consistently seeks to improve as a means of increasing our impact.

• We take collective responsibility for creating, shaping and fostering the environment we want for our community.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

To pursue meaningful change for both the federal government and the millions of public servants who comprise it, we strive to uphold the nonpartisan values of fairness and equity—values rooted in our representative democracy—and engage in social discourse about how we can achieve equity in both our society and in our federal institutions.