March 14, 2005

• Strategic Scheduling

• Mary Beth Cahill

• Your schedules

Setting Course: A Congressional Management

Guide-Congressional Management Foundation

Strategic Scheduling

“Creating a focused framework for the scheduling process that reflects the office’s strategic plan.”

• Proactive: decide where to go rather than responding where to go

• Goal oriented

• Creative

• Inclusive

Steps to Developing a Schedule

1. Defining Office Goals2. Evaluating the Impact of Office Goals on

Scheduling3. Communicating Goals to Staff4. Getting Your Scheduling Team in Place5. Developing Your Scheduling Criteria:

“The ability to say ‘no’ is key to your success…”

6. Strategic Review of Schedule

District Trips

• Develop a long-range scheduling plan

• Create events

• Accept selected invitations around which the remainder of the schedule will be built

• Review pending requests

Washington Schedule

• Fewer logistical concerns (eg: driving to and from events)

• Floor schedule dictates members schedule = less control for office

• Typical events– Tuesday through Thursday schedule

predictable– Party caucuses and conference meetings– Late nights, weekend sessions, votes

Common Problems• Excessive travel time because of district

shape/size• Overscheduling• Missing events in the district because of an

erratic Congressional schedule• Member unwilling to commit or slow to make

decisions• Member over-involvement in scheduling• Member’s family demands time• Scheduler problems: can’t judge importance,

inadequate coordination between offices• Scheduler provides inaccurate information• Scheduler does not obtain complete information

Family Issues

• Clarify the roles and outline procedures for family input

• Comfortable relationship between scheduler and family is a MUST

• Encourage family to work with scheduler• Have family give adequate notice to scheduler• Establish clear limits on spouse’s claim to

Scheduler• Spouse’s agenda is different than the Member’s

District Scheduling

• Washington Scheduler and District Scheduler is an option

• Consider how often member will be in district

• Advantages and Disadvantages to each set up

• EVENT DESCRIPTION TIME• March 13, Sunday• MORNING• "This Week in Cambridge" Radio interview, Capital City   8-8:30• Gotham City 10K Fire starting gun for race   8-8:15• Rally for Divestiture At Cambridge Tech - remarks only 8-9:00• Convocation, Cambridge Tech Five minute speech to students 10-11:00• Boyne Natural Resources Trust Pie-eating contest, NRT Fundraiser 9-11:00• Republican Caucus Brunch At the Capitol Building, DC 9-11:00• AFTERNOON• Girl Scouts Bloodmobile Give blood; Boyne businesses sponsor 12-3:00• Boyne County Fair Judge livestock; farm groups sponsor 1-3:00• House Demo-Rep Softball Annual Congressional game, DC 2-4:00• Gotham High vs. Central High school game; give halftime award 1-3:00• Chinese Arts Fair Displays and lunch in Gotham City 2-6:00• EVENING• Friends of Trent Lott Political dinner (est. 250 people), DC 7:30-?• Midland Co. Town Meeting Agenda includes school – Midland 7-9:00• Reception for James Baker Hosted by William Buckley, Capital City 6-8:00• Daughters of the American Rev. Dinner (est. 150 people) Gotham 7:30-?• Local 239 (Mill workers) Dinner (est. 200 people) Gotham 7-?

Credits

• Presentation based on: Congressional Management Foundation, Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide. (Washington: Congressional Management Foundation 2004), Chapter 15, pp. 239-263.

• Image on Cover from: Congressional Management Foundation, http://www.cmfweb.org Accessed 2/19/2005