High-ranking government officials subject to increased political scrutiny as Trump promises to eradicate perceived corruption, using the phrase "all the cancer" to emphasize the allegedly problematic figures.
President Trump signed a new directive on Monday, aiming to boost political influence over Senior Executive Service (SES) members. The memo, reinforcing existing provisions of law, outlines changes in the composition of Executive Resource Boards (ERBs) and Performance Review Boards, and emphasises the importance of performance reviews for SES staff.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is responsible for selecting new members for the ERBs and the Performance Review Boards, as outlined in Trump's new memorandum. The memo requires the OPM and the Office of Management and Budget to set SES performance plans for agencies throughout government. Agency heads must use their authority to "reinvigorate" the SES and reassign the executives to ensure an alignment of their skills and knowledge with the administration's priorities.
Trump described the directive as a means to remove the "cancer" left behind by the Biden administration. However, Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, saw some positive elements in the memo, despite redundancies. Stier emphasised the importance of agency leadership ensuring the best talent is selected for the senior most career ranks and clarity about their responsibilities.
In his first term, Trump's Interior Department sought to reassign much of its Senior Executive Service workforce, which led to widespread confusion. The memo comes after allegations that the department was retaliating against employees working on issues not aligned with the Trump administration's priorities, such as climate change.
Joel Clement, a former SESer, described Trump's approach as "ham-fisted and inappropriate." A subsequent inspector general report criticised the department for its approach to reassignment of SES members. The Justice Department has already reassigned more than a dozen senior executives, according to The Washington Post.
Max Stier also highlighted the need for SESers to be held accountable for their performance. The memo reinforces the agency leadership's responsibility to hold senior executives accountable for their performance. SES staff, like all career employees, already receive performance reviews, but Stier hoped for renewed emphasis to bring about good.
The memo does not create new firing authorities, but instead focuses on SES hirings and performance reviews. Trump called for the disbanding of current Performance Review Boards and the selection of new individuals. The directive is intended to increase political influence over the SES, but its impact remains to be seen.
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