Objective
The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) conducts reviews of office operations for individual congressional offices. In general, the CMF office assessment will:
- assess the strengths and weaknesses of the office’s current operations;
- identify and develop corrective strategies for management problems;
- help the office clarify its goals and develop plans for achieving both short-term and long-term goals; and
- assist the office in establishing efficient systems for handling mail, casework, scheduling, projects and legislative activity.
Because each office is different, the CMF analyst will work with the Member and the Chief of Staff to tailor the assessment process to ensure that the review best addresses the unique needs of your office.
Benefits
It is beneficial for almost any organization to have an analyst from the outside periodically review its organization, operations and management practices. This is even more important for congressional offices because the constantly increasing demands placed on Members of Congress and their staffs have resulted in the need to continually improve the productivity and effectiveness of the office. Specific benefits to the office from the process can include:
- increased staff productivity through the identification and elimination of time-wasting processes or activities;
- improved service to constituents through improved processes;
- increased staff teamwork and commitment to the office; and
- reduced staff turnover rates and increased morale within the office.
Process
The CMF management review generally involves the following steps:
- Meeting with both the Member and the CoS to ensure that they understand and are comfortable with the review process and that objectives and expectations for the review are agreed upon.
- Introducing the consultant to the staff. The Member or CoS explains the purpose of the review and the consultant will discuss the review process. Staff will be asked to speak with the consultant on an individual and confidential basis about their views of the office’s operations.
- Conducting individual, confidential interviews with the Member, CoS, and the entire Washington and district or state staff.
- Augmenting the information from the staff interviews with additional data gathered from: (a)development, distribution and analysis of a written survey to all staff to measure the office strengths and weaknesses; (b)further analysis of those specific systems and practices identified as the sources of problems or inefficiencies.
- Presenting the findings to the Member and the CoS in a written report and oral briefing.
- Presenting the findings orally to staff.
- Formulating an action plan to implement the recommendations. This plan may include items such as: developing a strategic plan, reorganizing management responsibilities or staff functions, improving communication and coordination, and revamping office systems in need of improvement (e.g. budgeting, scheduling, casework, mail).
- Implementing changes and developing mechanisms for tracking progress on the implementation of these changes.
CMF Philosophy
CMF approaches every assignment without preconceived notions or any formula for how the office should do its work. There is simply no "one right way" to manage a congressional office. Practices that work in one office may be unworkable in another. Consequently, recommendations are tailored to address the specific needs of the office. They take into account the management style of the Member, the specific problems now facing the office, the present and anticipated demands confronting it, the needs of constituents, and the culture of the office -- the informal rules and values that shape how work is performed in an organization.
Cost
The cost to a House office for conducting a management review is at least $15,000, depending on the scope and depth of the work. This fee does not include travel time and expenses to the district office(s). CMF also offers a less comprehensive management review focused on certain aspects of the office that is negotiable in price; the price depends on the scope and depth of the work.
The cost to a Senate office for conducting the management review is at least $20,000, depending on the scope and depth of the work, and whether the final presentation is an oral briefing or a written, more heavily-researched report. This fee does not include travel time and expenses to the state office(s). CMF also offers a less comprehensive management review focused on certain aspects of the office that is negotiable in price; the price depends on the scope and depth of the work.
Depending on staff availability and the scope of the work, the review will be completed in 6 - 12 weeks.
Questions?
If you would like further information about this service, or would like to discuss other CMF services, please contact CMF at 202-546-0100 or through our
Web form.
CMF Credentials
Several characteristics distinguish CMF from other management groups. These include:
- We have been researching, writing and providing advice on the subject of congressional management since 1977.
- We have successfully worked with over one hundred House and Senate offices and provide management services that are tailored to the unique needs of congressional offices, including dozens of mail system assessments.
- Our fees are 50-90% less than standard management consulting fees. We recognize that congressional offices cannot afford to pay either private sector or executive branch consulting fees.
- As a non-profit organization, we are able to set our fees at a level that is within reach of congressional office budgets.
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