Preparing for transition: strategic considerations for the Business Transformation Agency

Abstract

The Center for Defense Management Reform prepared this report in response to several areas of inquiry raised by the Business Transformation Agency (BTA) including the process of presidental transitions, the government business reform trajectory, and DoD and presidential candidate perspectives on business transformation/BTA. We drew from academic publications, public documents, published candidate perspectives, and interviews with 30 key DoD personnel in our research. The benefits of this study include a solid review of presidential transitions, a view of the projected areas of future reform, insights into the positions of the candidates, and perspectives on business transformation and BTA from those most likely to be targeted by the transition team of the next administration. The limitations of the study are that the reform focus and candidate perspectives will change and evolve, and the findings cannot be generalized to all of DoD. The report covers three main sections: the presidential transition process, the reform trajectory, and DoD/candidates' perspectives on business transformation. The report concludes with a summary of recommendations.