Supporting Global Lessons for Effective Executive Transitions

NDI Publishes Global Guide on Smooth Transitions Across Political Contexts

An executive transition signals an important moment in any democracy -- the shift of one leader to the next. Ensuring transitions are peaceful and smooth matters for democracy and development. Occurring at a time when nations and their leaders are tested, a transition’s success is crucial to the government’s ability to deliver on citizen needs and maintain national security despite shifts in leadership. 

Leadership transitions can occur through a variety of circumstances across different political contexts. Presidential systems often experience transitions following months of campaigning and preparations, whereas a snap election in a parliamentary system can result in executives having just days or weeks to prepare for a leadership shift. In some contexts, transitions are mandated following a peace negotiation; in others, a transition may take several months to unfold following the development of a coalition agreement between political parties. 

Drawing on successful transition processes from around the world, NDI recently collaborated with a set of transition experts to develop “Global Lessons on Managing Executive Transitions” to provide guidance on smooth transitions in parliamentary, presidential, and post-conflict contexts. The guide also includes brief sections on coalition and semi-presidential transitions. As learned through academic research and global experiences of those who have supported transitions across different political systems, the manual shows that an effective leadership handover is typically contingent on several common themes:

• Legal frameworks that codify transition timelines, funding, and processes; 

• preparedness and strategic planning by executives and their leadership teams before and into their first months after assuming office; 

• effective communications infrastructure and strategy within government and externally; and 

• strong executive office development supported by a robust, nonpartisan civil service and trained political experts who are equipped to support the leader’s ability to turn ideas quickly into action.

This guide aims to provide a centralized resource that outlines experiences by transition actors who have been directly involved in leadership transitions globally. Specifically, it provides operation tools and guidance, based on models used in practice, to facilitate smooth processes globally. Key themes outlined in each section include:

• Transition circumstances that are common under each political structure

• Elements of strong legal frameworks codifying transitions

• Actions and players involved in pre- and post-election, and post-inaugural transition stages

• Roles and responsibilities of the civil service

• Areas of focus for both incoming and outgoing leaders and executive staff in transition

• Tools for effective executive office development, including sample organograms, and workflow plans

• Information on navigating the first 100 days

• Information on political appointments and vetting candidates

• Descriptions and responsibility profiles of key executive leadership staff

• Best practices for both internal and external communications infrastructure and strategy, and working with the press

• Inter-agency and inter-governmental branch coordination and workflow

• Best practices for maintaining integrity in a transition, including guidance on assets tracking and working with civil service to uphold ethical guidelines for political appointments

• Guidance on handling national security and sharing classified information in a transition, in addition to crisis management and managing unexpected events during a transition

• Best practices for cooperation and coordination between outgoing and incoming teams

• Guidance for strategic planning, vision-setting, and prioritization for new leaders

• Work with international actors or assistance partners in a transition

• Work with civil society in a transition

The guide includes references to operational tools and resources that have been used by transition actors across global contexts, in addition to anecdotal examples of transition experiences and circumstances across global political systems and circumstances. It is also formatted for online users to be able to click between major sections and topics across each of the major sections -- parliamentary, presidential, post-conflict. 

Global research and experience shows that successful transitions allow outgoing leaders to solidify their legacy, and provide new leaders with the tools that ensure the government delivers on citizen priorities quickly and effectively following a handover. This is especially vital if the transition follows a significant shift in party, rulership, or political system. NDI’s work over the last two decades has focused on assistance to transition actors and executive leadership to support a smooth process from before an election all the way through a leader’s first few months in office. NDI has also provided assistance to transition actors on the development of legal frameworks that codify smooth transitions by outlining timelines, resources, ethics mandates, cooperative agreements, and the role of the civil service. Additionally, NDI supports a central website resource center with guidance designed for different actors in outgoing and incoming governments as they experience transition, in addition to a dedicated transition community of practice, a network of global peers -- current and former leaders, political and civil service staff, civil society organizations, and academics -- who are committed to sharing their experiences to improve smooth processes everywhere.

Smooth leadership transitions are pivotal in the consolidation or maintenance of democracy. NDI remains committed to working with global partners across different political systems and contexts to improve transition processes. 

• For more information on NDI’s executive transitions programming, please listen to a recent podcast sponsored by the Center for International Private Enterprise featuring a conversation with NDI staff on the transitions program. 

• For interest in joining a growing transition community of practice, information on NDI’s transition programs or the global guide, please visit transitionsofpower.org, or contact Frieda Arenos, NDI Program Director for executive transitions at [email protected]. 

Author: Frieda Arenos, Program Director, NDI Democratic Governance

NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.