The upcoming 2009 transition marks the first wartime presidential transition in 40 years. The next admin. will fill thousands of positions across gov¿t.; there will be a number of new faces in Congress as well. Making these transitions as seamlessly as possible is pivotal to effectively and efficiently help accomplish the fed. govt¿s. many essential missions. The Presidential Transition Act specifically identifies GAO as a source of briefings and other materials to help inform presidential appointees of the major mgmt. issues, risks, and challenges they will face. This testimony provides an overview of GAO¿s objectives for assisting the 111th Congress and the next admin. in their all-important transition efforts. Charts and tables.

The next admin. will fill thousands of positions across gov¿t.; there will be a number of new faces in Congress as well. Making these transitions as seamlessly as possible is pivotal to effectively and efficiently help accomplish the fed. govt¿s. many essential missions. The Presidential Transition Act points to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as a resource to incoming admin. The GAO is a source of briefings and other materials to help presidential appointees make the leap from campaigning to governing by informing them of the major mgmt. issues, risks, and challenges they will face. This testimony provides an overview of GAO¿s objectives for assisting the 111th Congress and the next admin. in their transition efforts.

Democratic transitions have occurred in many countries in various regions across the globe, such as Southern Europe, Latin America, Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and these nations have undergone simuntaneously political, economic and social transformations. Yet, the patterns and characteristics of transitions have varied significantly, and different modes of transition have resulted in different outcomes. This book offers cross-national comparisons of democratic transition since the turn of the twentieth century and asks what makes democracies succeed or fail. In doing so it explores the influence the mode of transition has on the longevity or durability of the democracy, by theoretically examining and quantitatively testing this relationship. The authors argue that the mode of transition directly impacts the success and failure of democracy, and suggest that cooperative transitions, where opposition groups work together with incumbent elites to peacefully transition the state, result in democracies that last longer and are associated with higher measures of democratic quality. Based on a cross-national dataset of all democratic transitioning states since 1900, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of international politics, comparative politics and democracy, and democratization studies.

Drawing on an innovative project exploring current mobility transition policies and practices in 14 countries around the world, including key institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations, this book provides a critique of current transitions, mobility and transport policies. The authors consider how our mobility futures have been imagined, what they will potentially look and feel like, what lives we might live in them and what choices we might have to make to get there.

For nonprofits leadership transitions are a time of exceptionally high risk. Here, three internationally-respected experts show how to systematically identify, introduce, support, and monitor leaders in ways that enhance rather than undermine their performance. They explain why leadership transitions are so challenging for nonprofits, and show how to replace chaos and crisis with proven, sustainable leadership transition plans. Writing for all nonprofit board members, leaders, aspiring leaders, and stakeholders, the authors demonstrate how to: Maintain organizational momentum, continuity, and credibility through the transition Find leaders who align well with your organizational values and its evolving culture Avoid fighting, rumors, accusations, and the common mistakes that derail nonprofit leadership transitions Build a sturdy bridge between departing and incoming leaders Set appropriate expectations for both boards and leaders, and guide them to complement each other successfully Plan succession and continuity for the long-term Use transitions to advance the organization’s mission

As cities in developing countries grow and become more prosperous, energy use shifts from fuelwood to fuels like charcoal, kerosene, and coal, and, ultimately, to fuels such as liquid petroleum gas, and electricity. Energy use is not usually considered as a social issue. Yet, as this book demonstrates, the movement away from traditional fuels has a strong socio-economic dimension, as poor people are the last to attain the benefits of using modern energy. The result is that health risks from the continued use of wood fuel fall most heavily on the poor, and indoor pollution from wood stoves has its greatest effect on women and children who cook and spend much more of their time indoors. Barnes, Krutilla, and Hyde provide the first worldwide assessment of the energy transition as it occurs in urban households, drawing upon data collected by the World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP). From 1984-2000, the program conducted over 25,000 household energy surveys in 45 cities spanning 12 countries and 3 continents. Additionally, GIS mapping software was used to compile a biomass database of vegetation patterns surrounding 34 cities. Using this rich set of geographic, biological, and socioeconomic data, the authors describe problems and policy options associated with each stage in the energy transition. The authors show how the poorest are most vulnerable to changes in energy markets and demonstrate how the collection of biomass fuel contributes to deforestation. Their book serves as an important contribution to development studies, and as a guide for policymakers hoping to encourage sustainable energy markets and an improved quality of life for growing urban populations.

This book explains why the fundamental structures of 20th century American healthcare have failed to keep up with American industry in terms of quality and cost. It describes how this has led to the introduction of industrial mass production concepts in American healthcare, such as Lean and Six Sigma, and how the resulting industrialization breaks

Integrating practitioner research with Buddhist philosophy, business and clinical psychology, this book provides a new perspective on leading change in organisations, supporting leaders and change professionals with insight into useful practices for today’s business environment. It identifies the unseen and overlooked complexities of the transition space, helping leaders to recognize patterns in their own leadership practices. This volume includes approaches for working at the intersection of complexity and ambiguity, and discusses how different mindsets impact behavior and outcomes which may get in the way of change agendas. It focuses on approaches for navigating the challenges of organisational transitions, while developing sustainable transition capabilities and practices A comprehensive new framework for understanding and shaping business management, Transition Leadership is a valuable resource for students and researches of business practices, work psychology, and transition and change, as well as current and future business and organizational leaders.

This is a presentation delivered to the Federal Financial Management conference in Washington, DC on March 12, 2009. Major topics of this presentation include: Financial Markets and ESystemconomic Recovery, Modernizing the U.S. Financial Regulatory , 2009 High Risk List, Financial Institutions and Markets, and Long-Term Challenges. Illustrations.