Transition Memorandum

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov/
February 27, 2008

In Reply Refer To:
6100 (170) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 03/07/2008
Instruction Memorandum No. 2008-084
Expires: 09/30/2009

To: All Washington Office and Field Office Officials

From: Director, National Landscape Conservation System

Subject: Transition Memorandum

Purpose: Federal agencies are increasingly recognizing the need for adequate transitions between leaders assuming responsibility for working directly with the public and partners. Today, communities of place and interest, local governments and other groups are increasingly convening and facilitating collaborative efforts which directly involve BLM. Good transition management between the agency leader these groups have been working with, and the leader they will now rely on, is especially important. Our ability to solve natural resource related problems over the long run depends on the quality of long-term relationships between agencies and other organizations. Often, what makes collaboration work is a combination of formal and informal working agreements and commitments between various participants. The purpose of the “Transition Memo” is to help communicate these agreements and commitments, not only between the departing leader and the new leader, but also the staff and superiors in the agency that will continue to support such cooperative efforts in the interim and into the future. Even the process of writing or finalizing this memorandum, will emphasize the importance of, and pass along a better understanding of the relationships and cooperative efforts you have helped develop, so they can continue to grow and evolve.

Program Area: National Landscape Conservation System

Policy/Action: The establishment of transition memo between outgoing managers and their replacement.

Timeframe: As soon as a manager learns of their transfer to a new position.

Budget Impact: None

Background: The Executive Order on Cooperative Conservation stressed that Department of the Interior agencies should work closely with communities on issues that impact them. One of the most common themes from communities from the White House Conference to the Secretaries Listening Sessions was the movement of managers and the resulting lose of commitment to ongoing collaborative efforts. This transition memorandum concept has been vetted with a number of community groups who believe this will help maintain some continuity as managers’ move to new positions.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None

Coordination: The “Transition Memo” was developed by the Collaborative Action Team (CAT). The CAT was created to serve as a consultative group on collaboration, operating strategically to influence issues of collaborative capacity across Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and the communities they serve. The goal of the group is to work collaboratively to find solutions that facilitate collaboration across ownerships to improve land management activities. Non-Governmental Organizations (i.e., National Forest Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, & National Network Forest Practitioners, Pinchot Institute for Conservation, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, Sonoran Institute, Conservation Study Institute, and the Association of Partners for Public Lands.) lead this high-level strategic effort focused on nonprofit organizations and community groups in consultation with the Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The “Transition Memo” was the consensus choice of CAT as its first priority based feedback from these organizations and the communities they work with. The US Forest Service has already begun implementation.

Contact: Rich Whitley, BLM National Community Stewardship and Adaptive Management Coordinator (541) 261-6218 or Elena Daly, Director, National Landscape Conservation System (202) 208-3216

Signed by: Authenticated by:
Patrick Gubbins Robert M. Williams
Acting, Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
National Landscape Conservation System

1 Attachment
1 - Transition Memo Template (2 pp)