Building the Enterprise - Booz Allen Hamilton

cross-agency goal leaders have managedto make progress even thoughthey have other major responsibilitiesand no staff support. We can’tchange the fact that some enterprisegoal leaders will have other jobs, butthey can be allocated staff to overseeand coordinate the portfolio, includingsenior career executives to serveas their deputies. Without staff support,goal leaders will be at themercy of the programs they oversee.That said, we do not advocate theallocation of new staff resources tosupport goal leaders. Rather, staffwould be drawn from the managementof the portfolio’s constituentprograms.These levers notwithstanding,enterprise goal leaders still willneed to build consensus among theagency and program executives intheir portfolios, as well as other keystakeholders, on common objectives,strategies, performance and outcomemetrics. HUD and DOE tookthat approach in 2009, agreeing onhow they would jointly coordinatethe use of stimulus funding to improveenergy efficiency of existinghomes. That agreement was documentedin a written memorandumof understanding signed by the twoCabinet secretaries, with each department’srole, responsibilitiesand obligations spelled out in detail.Agreeing on mutual expectations, aswell as setting ground rules for makingand enforcing decisions and resolvingdisputes, preempts conflictand makes interagency collaborationfar more likely. As one federalofficial said, it is critical to set up asystem to “communicate, coordinateand compromise.” •STRATEGY 4DEVELOP CAREER ENTERPRISEEXECUTIVES TO LEAD CROSS-CUTTING MISSIONS AND FUNCTIONSThe successful federal enterprisecannot depend on just Cabinet andsub-Cabinet appointees to lead it.To be sure, we expect that the presidentwill appoint his most trustedCabinet secretaries and sub-Cabinetofficials to lead presidential prioritiesincluded in the enterprise performanceplan. However, there areonly so many of those appointees togo around. If the concept of enterpriseis ever to get to scale, career“Senior career executivesmust be developed with anenterprise perspective andthe ability to demonstrate theenterprise leadership skills.”executives will have to be utilized.Some may be called upon to serveas the day-to-day deputies of Cabinet-levelgoal leaders, whose officialresponsibilities preclude full-timefocus. Other career executives maybe asked to do even more, taking directcharge of cross-cutting missionareas and support functions.Are today’s career executivesup to it? Enterprise executives, withinteragency experience and government-widefocus, are exactly whathad been envisioned when the federalSenior Executive Service (SES)was created 35 years ago. However,that vision has never become a reality.With few exceptions, today’ssenior executives are agency-centricin experience and orientation, as organizationallystovepiped as the governmentthey serve. Most have remainedin the same agency for theirentire careers, promoted for theirtechnical skills and never movedacross or out of that organization tobroaden their experience or expertise.The result: Few are equipped tolead the enterprise.This must change if the conceptof enterprise is to succeed. Seniorcareer executives must be developedwith an enterprise perspectiveand the ability to demonstrate theenterprise leadership skills enumeratedearlier. This development mustbegin before senior executive statusis awarded. The intelligence agenciesoffer an example. Following thetragedy of 9/11 and revelations aboutthe lack of communication amongthe intelligence agencies, the communitynow requires all executivecandidates to complete one or moreinteragency assignments of at least ayear in duration, as well as specifictraining in interagency leadershipbefore they can be promoted to se-14 PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE | BOOZ ALLEN HAMILTON