Appendix A-17: President's Commission on White House Fellows

FY 2000 Performance Report
Goal & Performance Indicators Checklist

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WHF Goal 1 -- M

A broad range of qualified applicants are attracted to the fellowship program in order to spread the benefits of this leadership development and public service opportunity to remarkable men and women of all backgrounds and professions throughout the U.S.

M Statistical profiles of applicants and fellows.

Data on the gender of applicants was not available for all years.

M Quality of applicant pool. [Critical indicator]

This is the critical indicator because the success of the program is dependent upon maintaining a high level applicants from which the Fellows are selected.

In FY 2000, an enhanced two-year outreach plan was created in conjunction with the White House Fellows Alumni Association that included massive efforts to involve former Fellows, who we know are the best recruiters for the program, and that launched the use of an updated Website complete with a video about the program and a downloadable application form. We learned quickly, however, from the alumni network that many potential applicants were deterred by the uncertainty of the upcoming presidential transition and that many others were unwilling to take a year away from their jobs or their prospects in such a good economy with so much opportunity. The latter concern was particularly true among minority populations. While the number of applications was roughly the same as the year before, the expectation is that much of the recruitment groundwork laid in FY 2000 will reap benefits in FY 2001 when outreach efforts will be redoubled after the presidential election. Despite the continued low number of applicants, we are still recruiting high-quality candidates who continue to receive high marks on paper and in personal interviews.

WHF Goal 2 -- M

The selection process is efficient and fair.

M Meet the schedule for each phase of selection, as follows:


• select 84-120 regional finalists by mid-March
• interview regional finalists and select finalists by May 3
• conduct final selection June 3-6
• submit Commission’s recommendations to the President by June 7

The system for alumni reading of applications encouraged more than 50% of all alumni to volunteer to participate, thus achieving the goal of increasing alumni involvement in the program and relieving workload pressure on program staff.

Citizens who served as regional interviewers were more closely involved in the program and responded well to encouragement to participate in outreach activities.

Because of streamlined administrative systems, upgraded computer systems and greater use of electronic communication both internally and externally, it was easier to integrate the selection process with outreach tactics. By using a calendar-based checklist of tasks to improve efficiency in the implementation of the selection, placement, and education of Fellows, more time was available for outreach.

WHF Goal 3 -- M

The management of the fellowship program can be replicated by new staff in anticipation of a change in administration.

M Program runs smoothly and meets deadlines.

In FY 2000, we added two career staff members to help shepherd the program through the change of administrations and to manage the smooth functioning of the program office in the future.

M Fellows are selected and placed in FY 2000 as efficiently and effectively as in FY 1999.

In FY 2000, the placement opportunities for Fellows remained high and competitive, which is a strong measure of the quality of Fellows being selected for the program. Because this class of Fellows would serve during a presidential transition, we were concerned that work assignment opportunities would be affected, with agencies being unwilling to take on a responsibility they felt they could not follow for the full term of the fellowship. Instead, agencies understood the value of having a Fellow in place through the transition period as someone who could help transfer information and explain processes to the incoming officials. We had more requests for Fellows than expected. We see this as a clear measure of the recognition by departments and agencies of the long-term value of the fellowship program.

The updated White House Fellows Program Manual continues to be used by departments and agencies that are assigned a White House Fellow as an effective management and communication tool. The number of agencies requesting Fellows each year is a measure of the usefulness of the work of White House Fellows. Monitoring of program alumni determines the effectiveness of the program in producing future leaders.