WEBVTT

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>> Hi, my name is Vince Micone.
I'm the Department of Homeland

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Security's presidential
transition officer,

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and it's a pleasure to give you
an update on some of the work

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that we've been doing
to prepare for the election

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and the transition
that will occur afterwards.

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I had an opportunity
to brief many of you

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when the secretary hosted
the senior leadership forum in May.

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We've done an awful lot since then,

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and we're ready to go
for the agency review team

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when they come in.

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So we had a couple of objectives

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that we've remained faithful to with our
presidential transition plan.

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First of all, everything
that we're doing is focused

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on entering continuity of operations

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through the transition process.

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It's been our number one goal.

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The second thing
that we're focused on

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is ensuring that the transition,

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when it does occur
beginning next week,

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happens smoothly,

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and is transparent
to both the outgoing

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and the incoming administration.

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We worked very, very closely
with our operational components,

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with our directorates in headquarters
offices at the career level,

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to make sure that
our materials are accurate,

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they're prepared,
there are spaces ready,

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and that we are ready to
welcome the new administration.

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So there are a couple of things
that we've had to do this summer

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and this fall.

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First of all, we took a look

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at our order of succession
for the department.

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We made sure that we had
career folks on there,

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and we made updates as necessary.

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The secretary will prove
that in mid-September.

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We just completed training
for all of the successors,

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to make sure that they had
a good understanding

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of what they would do in case

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they became acting officials.

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Finally, we prepared
briefing materials

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for the incoming team.

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Some of you may imagine
that there are a lot of notebooks

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that are put together
for the incoming team

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that describe every operation
we do in the department.

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We actually streamline
that based on feedback

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that we received from prior officials.

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And we have a DHS overview
and user's manual

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that's ready for the agency review team

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when they come
in next week,

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which gives a good top-line
set of information

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about what we do here
at the department.

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We've also been working
very closely in the inner agency.

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I'm a member of what's called
the Agency Transition Directors Council

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that is convened by
the White House and OMB.

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Through that council,
we're making sure

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that what we do here
at the department is consistent

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with what other federal agencies
are doing across government,

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and that we're implementing
the transition

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in a transparent way together.

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There's a lot that we do
at the Department of Homeland Security

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to support transition generally.

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Of course, we all know
the Secret Service

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is heavily involved
in protecting the candidates,

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and will protect
the president-elect

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and his or her family
after the election.

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But in addition,
FEMA is working

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very closely to plan national exercises

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with the National Security Council

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to make sure the incoming team

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is aware of how we handle
incidents as they occur.

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Finally, NPPD is working
very closely with state

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and local election officials
to provide guidance

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on cyber security
for those systems.

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So next week, we anticipate
an agency review team,

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or landing team, to come in

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from the president-elect's
transition team.

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That team will be responsible
for a number of things;

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first of all, they'll have assignments

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from the president-elect
on certain things

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that they need to look
at and review.

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They'll help build a plan
for the first hundred

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to two hundred days
of the administration

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with objectives that the president-elect
would like to see as he begins,

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or she begins, her service
as president of the United States.

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That team will also be looking
at DHS operations and programs,

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so we've focused our briefing materials

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to provide an update,

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an overview of what we do.

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Finally, we expect
that the team

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will want to take a look
at our senior career cadre of leaders

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to have an understanding
of the talents

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that we bring to the table in supporting

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the president's mission,
after the election.

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We will make sure
that we have in-person briefs;

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we won't be just having
that agency review team

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at our headquarters at the
[NAC?].

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We intend on getting them,
as I mentioned before,

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to visit our operations
in the D.C. metropolitan area,

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so that they have a sense
of what our employees

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do every single day.

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We hope to get them out to meet

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with some transportation
security officers,

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to get them to one of our ports

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of entry at one
of the airports,

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to meet with folks
who are working immigration

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and citizenship issues.

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We want to make sure
that as the team begins,

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and as they're
preparing their report

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for the president-elect,

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they have a clear understanding

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of what we do day to day
to make our homeland secure.

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So with the election next week,

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we want to encourage you
as supervisors to make sure

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that you provide an opportunity
for your employees to vote,

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if they haven't done
so in early voting processes.

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Do it consistent,
obvious with OPM guidance

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that we've shared
with everyone,

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but make sure that you
provide an opportunity

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for your employees
to get out and vote.

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Next, I want to
introduce Dan Blair.

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Dan is the president

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and CEO of the National
Academy of Public Administration.

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That good government
group has been working

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on preparing transition issues

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themselves for
the incoming administration.

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Dan is a former
political appointee,

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so he'll be able to talk
about his experiences

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going through the transition,

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and will share a few tips
that you can be prepared for

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when you meet your new leadership.

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>> I think that one
of the hardest challenges

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about taking on one
of these appointments is,

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when you come in on
your first day

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and determine what's real
and not real.

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You're going to be inundated,

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the proverbial drinking
from the fire hose.

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And you need to be
prepared to understand

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what needs to be addressed that day,

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or what can be put off
and addressed that week,

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that following month,
maybe in six months.

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And that's where you're going
to rely upon your career

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executives to help you.

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One of the key things
to look at are GAO reports;

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what has the department
been scrutinized for by GAO?

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What GAO reports are we expecting
to be produced in the future,

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and what are those issue areas

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that will affect
the agency or department?

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You also need to look at IG reports,

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because I think one of
the most effective ways

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of managing
in a department

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and being successful
in a department

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is having a good working relationship

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with your Inspector General.

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Also look at past hearings
that the Congress has had,

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in which executives

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and appointees from the department

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have served as witnesses,

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because I think that will give you
the items of interest

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that your oversight

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and appropriating committees
will want to focus

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on during your tenure as well.

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I think you've been doing
an excellent job so far.

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We've seen that with
transition planning,

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that departments and agencies

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have taken this
very seriously,

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and that as in the past 20 years ago,

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you didn't have this kind
of preparation taking place.

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The preparation
was taking place

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between the date
of the election

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and the date of the inauguration.

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Fortunately,
Congress has acted

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and provided funding.

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We have transition teams in place,

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and also the executive

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has taken a strong
leadership role in

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making sure that the departments
and agencies are prepared

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for this really
momentous shift to power

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between one individual
to another individual,

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in terms of the presidency.

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Most of the career
senior leaders

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have been through this before,

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and they know the routine.

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But I would urge them
not to make any presumptions,

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and especially on the fact

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that this has been
a very heated campaign,

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lots of campaign rhetoric.

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And campaigning and governing

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are two distinctly
different things.

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And so I would take
a deep breath

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and listen to what these
new political leaders

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will have to be saying

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when they come into
your department or agency.

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They're going to have to rely
upon the career federal workforce

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in order to get their job
done.

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And they should
understand that.

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So building that relationship,

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building that level
of trust will take time,

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but I think that the first day
when you first meet them,

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you make sure that they understand

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that you are there to help them
be successful in their job.

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Well, I think some of
the burning platforms

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that the next administration
will have to address will be budget,

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Congress has to come back this fall
in a lame duck session

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and pass a budget.

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Will it do so for all
departments or agencies,

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or will it do it on piecemeal fashion,

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or will it do a continuing resolution

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and punt until next
February or March

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for a new administration to address?

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I think those are going
to be some critical issues.

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The other critical issues

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I believe that a new administration

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will be facing will be
a burning platform

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of how to effectively recruit,

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retain our workforce.

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Our workforce will be --

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is an aging workforce.

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We've had issues with
bringing in millennials,

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and now Generation Z as well.

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And how are we going to recruit
the talent that we need?

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And do we have the systems
in place in order to do that?

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The next administration will have
to address these issues.

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We also see other areas

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that the administration
will focus on.

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One of the areas is the
evidence-based decision-making area.

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Currently, Congress
has developed

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a commission approach to this,

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and they've housed it
at the Census Bureau.

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And that commission
will be reporting back

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in about a year now

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on how to better utilize
the reams of data

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that we have out there in order
to do program evaluation,

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and to move forward
with effectively

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helping the programs
that are working,

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examining programs
that aren't working and why,

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and better delivering
on the goods and services

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to the American people.