Office of Management and Budget, Program Associate Director

Department/Agency: Office of Management and Budget

Position:

Program Associate Director

Human Resource Programs
General Government Programs
Natural Resource Programs
National Security Programs

Executive Schedule: Other Pay Plan

Major Responsibilities:

Oversee the development, presentation, and defense of their portion of the President’s budget and the administration’s legislative, regulatory, and management agenda
Work with departments, agencies and the Congress to enact the President’s program

Key Competencies and Preferred Qualifications:

Substantive background in and knowledge about policy, programs, and politics of the departments and agencies overseen by the Program Associate Director (e.g., health care, transportation, energy, national defense)
Knowledge of the budget, appropriations, legislative, and major management processes
Government experience, including work in a previous administration or on Capitol Hill, or senior experience in government at the state level or working with government from a position of senior responsibility in the private sector

Insight:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), an agency of roughly 450 career staff, is part of the Executive Office of the President and sits at the center of government. One of OMB’s principal roles is developing the President’s budget each year. Since the annual budget lays out not only spending priorities but also the administration’s management and legislative programs, OMB is involved in developing, implementing and defending almost everything that happens in government. To handle the scope of its mission, OMB is divided into offices that handle a major aspect of its expansive portfolio (budget, management, regulation development, legislation). The majority of OMB staff work in the budget divisions, known as Resource Management Offices, overseen by the four so-called Program Associate Directors (PADs). Each PAD focuses on a single large area of the government usually encompassing several Cabinet departments and many smaller independent agencies. Each supervises a staff of about 70 (The Clinton administration carved out a fifth PAD from the Human Resources job to oversee health policy; the two Human Resources PADs were rejoined in the Bush administration).

Former PADs, speaking with the Council for Excellence in Government about their experiences, all highlighted several keys to success in these jobs: substantive knowledge of the programs; understanding how the White House and Capitol Hill work; managing time; delegating (and delegating and delegating); trusting the staff; keeping relationships professional, not personal, and developing a thick skin. Almost to a person, the previous incumbents said their tenure convinced them that being a PAD was the best job in government, but a job for which no one really is prepared.

Substantive knowledge in the program area. Given the demands of the job, no one can walk into a PAD position and do it well without knowing something about the major program areas he or she will oversee. There is no time for on-the-job training in the complexities of the government’s health programs, for instance, or learning the ropes of the multi-billion grant and loan programs that help students afford college. Things happen too quickly at the start of an administration for someone not to be versed in at least some large part of the world he or she oversees. One PAD observed that with a new administration’s first budget proposal (due in February), “You won’t hit the ground running, you’ll hit it sprinting.” Another opined, “The job is relentless. It’s never finished. As soon as one cycle is finished, the next has begun. Actually, all of the cycles usually are occurring at the same time. Prepare for a marathon.” But perhaps most illustrative was a former PAD who handled the Natural Resources portfolio and noted, “One must be capable of dealing with a diverse range of agencies, issues, and personnel simultaneously … ranging from the farm bill to the international space station, from energy policy to nuclear weapons to flood plain management, and from drinking water regulations to trust funds for Native American tribes.” Although over time a PAD will become schooled in more programs, he or she must start with a strong base of knowledge.

Knowing how the White House and the Hill work. The White House policy councils are important allies in developing policy and advancing the administration’s agenda. Just as White House higher-ups will routinely ask at some point during meetings, “What does OMB think?” the Program Associate Deputies need to know what the leaders of the White House policy councils are thinking. Several PADs emphasized the need to engage with these staff. The same is true for the Hill committee staffs. It is crucial not only to know the key personnel, but to understand the complexities of the legislative processes. Virtually all the PADs said that knowledge of Capitol Hill and the legislative and budget process were among the most important credentials for someone coming into a PAD job.

Managing time, delegating, and working with staff. Every PAD agreed there wasn’t enough time in the day to attend to all the demands. “Everyone wants a piece of your time,” observed a current PAD. Others cited the heavy work demands and “merciless time constraints.” A Clinton-era PAD noted his surprise that nearly half his time “was dictated by “priorities unknown at the start of (the) administration.” A recent PAD had this advice for a successor: “Set a small list of priorities and stick to them. It is easy to get carried away on other things. The staff, agencies, and outside interests will try to pull you off in different directions.” This PAD added, “Delegate as much as you possibly can. You need to trust the staff, otherwise you will drown.”

OMB career staff possess a wealth of knowledge and information, a point cited again and again by the PADs. “Remember that your best asset is staff expertise,” one said. Another called “spectacular …. They’re the only people I’ve ever met who work equally diligently on behalf of Republicans and Democrats.” Limiting priorities (because unforeseen events will set new ones), delegating most issues to staff, making timely decisions (even wrong ones can be fixed), and involving yourself in issues only when necessary are keys to success.

Keep it professional. OMB staff has been called “the abominable no-men.” That sobriquet usually is reserved for the PAD who makes most key decisions and is the first line of political contact between OMB and the agencies. In this capacity, more often than not it is the PAD’s job to say, “No.” This role can strain relationships, but if done in a way that the tensions don’t become personal, the job is easier. Several PADs noted that they cultivated at least one solid relationship with a high-level political appointee at their agencies with whom they could talk frankly. “Trust is the coin of the realm,” one noted, and an open line to a “go-to” person at the agency can help develop that trust. That way, when agency proposals are rejected, at least the OMB’s reasoning will be understood. Nonetheless, there will be angry and sometimes bitter feelings in the agencies. For this, PADs need thick skins. The PADS suggested going to the agencies early on to establish relationships, searching for opportunities to do things the agencies want, and getting out into the field to see an agency’s programs in action.

Views of the job. Universally, the PADs loved their jobs despite the personal and professional strains. A PAD from the Reagan era warned: “No matter how much time one has studied a policy area or been involved outside government in that area, no one is ever adequately prepared for a PAD job. No other job in or outside government requires such a level of detailed knowledge about how a broad array of programs operates.” A Clinton-era PAD said, “You will work harder than you have ever worked in your life. But being a PAD at OMB is simply the best job in government. You sit at the pure epicenter of policy. You’re in a position to make a difference. And eventually, everything will come across your desk.” A third said, “The hours are very long. The pay is low (especially on a per-hour basis). And the job is one of the very best of the very best in government.” Finally, a current PAD offered this observation: “You will never be scared of another job.”

Key Relationships – Within the Department or Agency:

OMB Director and Deputy Director
Deputy Director for Management
Other OMB Program Associate Directors
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy
Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management
Associate Director, Office of Legislative Affairs
OMB career Deputy Associate Directors and Branch Chiefs
White House Policy Councils (e.g., National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, National Security Council) and Offices of Legislative Affairs, Congressional Affairs, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Chief of Staff
Other Executive Office of the President organizations (e.g., Council of Economic Advisors, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Council on Environmental Quality, Trade Representative)
First Lady’s Office

OMB Organization Chart

Key Relationships – Within the Government:

At least one senior political person at each major agency overseen; the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or equivalent
Key Assistant Secretaries for major program areas and the top staff office heads (e.g., budget, management) in each major agency overseen
Staff of the House and Senate Appropriations and Budget committees, and the major authorizing committees for the PAD’s program areas

Key Relationships – Outside the Government:

Think tanks addressing issue areas relevant to the PAD responsibilities
Key interest group representatives

Nomination Referred to:

Not subject to Senate confirmation.
Appointed by the Director of OMB, at the behest of the President