March 14, 2005

1. March 14, 2005 • Strategic Scheduling • Mary Beth Cahill • Your schedules

2. Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide-Congressional Management Foundation

3. 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

4. Steps to Developing a Schedule 1. Defining Office Goals • Evaluating the Impact of Office Goals on Scheduling • Communicating Goals to Staff • Getting Your Scheduling Team in Place • Developing Your Scheduling Criteria: “The ability to say ‘no’ is key to your success…” • Strategic Review of Schedule

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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-?

11. 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