Prune Book 2017: The 40 Toughest Management Positions in Government

Turning campaign promises into working policies requires more than just political bravado. It takes great management skills. The National Academy of Public Administration has undertaken the ambitious task of identifying the 40 most difficult management positions in the federal government. Looking specifically at positions denoted as Presidentially-Appointed with Senate Confirmation (PAS) in the most recent edition of the Plum Book (2012), the Transition 2016 Steering Committee has worked to not only select positions most important to a new administration, but also to highlight the skills, traits, and qualities that are critical for success in those positions.