New Member Resource Center

Helping Members-Elect Successfully Transition to Congress

"This was the most relevant program I attended during training week."— Senior aide for Member-elect

"It [setting up a congressional office] was so stressful but the materials you provided were invaluable and helped us focus our limited time on the most important things that needed to be done by January 3rd."— Chief of Staff for Freshman Member

 

 

Featured Resources

The Congressional Management Foundation provides a variety of resources and training to incoming Members of Congress and their staff, including:

  • What CMF Can Do For You: a summary of the services, publications, and training CMF offers for Congress
  • Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide. A 300-page manual on setting up and running a congressional office. Now in its 17th edition, Setting Course provides critical guidance for new Members and Senators and their staff.
  • 90-Day Roadmap to Setting Up A Congressional Office. A pocket-version of CMF materials for new offices including tasklists related to budgeting, technology, and hiring.
  • New Member Training Series. As part of CMF's efforts to assist New Members and their staff in their transition to Congress, we will host a series of programs for freshman staff over their first months in Congress.
  • Job Description for a Member of Congress. CMF developed a “job description” that groups Member duties into seven main functions: Representation, Legislation, Investigation/Oversight, Management, Politics, Collaboration, and Leadership. It gives Members-elect an overview of the breadth of their new job, while offering a foundation for assessing performance in the future.

Additional Resources

Setting Up The Office

Planning/Management Assistance

Hiring Staff

Constituent Communications/Technology

Official Resources

 
 
Strategy & Planning