Ah, it’s that time of the decade again! As you know, every ten years states undergo a redrawing of districts that affects the make-up and boundaries of each district – and will impact your boss’ constituency in the coming Congress. In some districts the population might not be altered very much, but in others the Member’s constituency could be completely different. You may end up representing a new ethnic population or add a military post. Whatever the results may be, it is important for you and your new constituents to get to know one another so that your office can provide the best possible service. CMF has outlined five areas you should keep in mind while learning about and supporting your boss’ new constituency.
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Our friends over at the American Psychological Association recently brought to our attention a publication created by their affiliate, the California Psychological Association, entitled ''A Legislator's Guide: Communicating with Distressed Constituents.' (PDF-418 KB) The document was authored by clinical psychologist Sandra R. Harris, Ph.D. and was originally created and distributed to members of the California State Legislature. The information that it provides, however, translates well to the challenges Members of Congress and congressional staff face at the federal level when assisting constituents with casework requests, taking constituent comments over the phone, or answering constituent letters or emails.
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Strategic Scheduling
DO's...
- Do follow the six steps for developing and implementing a strategic schedule:
- define office goals.
- evaluate the impact of office goals on scheduling.
- communicate goals to staff.
- assemble the scheduling team.
- develop scheduling criteria.
- conduct a strategic review.
- Do determine roles and responsibilities for the Scheduler(s) and any other staff who are part of the scheduling team.
- Do forecast a long-range scheduling plan for either the first session or the entire upcoming term.
- Do serve more constituents by conducting a variety of proactive events in the district/state, such as: individual appointments; community or open office hours; site visits; online, in-person, or telephone town hall meetings; advisory boards; and field hearings.
- Do 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.
DON'Ts...
- Don't hire an experienced, top-notch scheduler if the Member is still going to see every invitation and decide all details.
- Don't rely on reactive scheduling, where the office simply responds to invitations or requests. Instead, actively seek and creative opportunities to achieve goals.
- Don't neglect to get feedback from event attendees. Only by knowing what went right and wrong can the office improve future scheduling trips.
- Don't overschedule. Schedulers must learn to say “no” diplomatically and take the heat because of it.
- Don't 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.
- Don't wait too long to respond to invitations which angers those who invited you, nor reply too quickly, which might result in last-minute cancellations.
- Don't ignore or avoid conflict between the Member’s family and staff. Build a cooperative relationship by setting up ground rules for the family’s involvement in scheduling and interaction with staff.
Details
Copyright 2020, Congressional Management Foundation
Paperback/Softcover: 312 pages
Publisher: Congressional Management Foundation; 17th edition (November 3, 2020)
ISBN: 978-1-930473-24-9
Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.25 inches
Pricing for Hardcopies
Price: $25.00*
Bulk Price (10+ copies): $25.00 $22.50 (10% off)
*No charge for congressional offices. Please contact us at 202-546-0100 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
if you don't have a complimentary copy in your office.
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Establishing District and State Offices
DO's...
- Do understand that setting up a district/state office is a difficult decision to reverse. Give it your full attention because closing an office in your first term can have political repercussions.
- Do weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using government vs. privately-owned space for your district/state offices. Consider location, accessibility, cost, square footage, and other factors when making your decisions.
- Do think creatively about how to best serve constituent needs. Part-time offices and mobile offices are alternatives to the traditional district/state office, and holding regular community and open office hours allows the Member to reach remote areas and constituents who might be unable to travel.
- Do make sure the first district/state office you open is adequately prepared. While it doesn’t need to be fully staffed or equipped, the office will need to handle an immediate onslaught of meetings, scheduling requests and questions about ongoing casework.
DON'Ts...
- Don't automatically decide to occupy your predecessor’s office(s). Consider how your needs and goals might necessitate a different city or a different space.
- Don't open more district/state offices 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 differences;
- strategic importance of constituent services; and
- staff hiring limitations.
- Don't make any long-term commitments without first seeking guidance and assistance from the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ State Office Operations or the Committee on House Administration and the House Administrative Counsel.
- Don't overlook the role of technology in increasing district/state effectiveness and efficiency.
Details
Copyright 2020, Congressional Management Foundation
Paperback/Softcover: 312 pages
Publisher: Congressional Management Foundation; 17th edition (November 3, 2020)
ISBN: 978-1-930473-24-9
Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.25 inches
Pricing for Hardcopies
Price: $25.00*
Bulk Price (10+ copies): $25.00 $22.50 (10% off)
*No charge for congressional offices. Please contact us at 202-546-0100 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
if you don't have a complimentary copy in your office.
Read more »
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