Introduction
Closing a congressional office can be a “nightmare,” recall top Hill aides who have learned the hard way. Or, it can be a relatively smooth transition for the Member and staff. To make this undertaking easier for everyone involved, CMF sought the advice of numerous current and former Hill staffers who have closed congressional offices. The following report contains their collective wisdom and provides basic management techniques for making this undertaking easier for all involved.
Because there are several reasons a congressional office might be closing, as well as several different time frames in which to complete the job, a single set of suggestions will not fully meet the needs of every office. Getting notice from your boss that s/he is retiring nine months out is different from losing a bitterly contested general election. So you will need to tailor the following strategies and techniques to the unique circumstances of your office.
This report covers the following:
- Basic Planning Techniques
- Key Issues in Closing an Office
- Managing Staff in Transition
- Helpful Hints from Congressional Staff
- Additional Resources
Our first recommendation, however, is that you collect the wealth of information that is available from a number of internal sources, such as the Committee on House Administration, the House Committee on Ethics, the House Office of History and Preservation, the Congressional Research Service, the Secretary of the Senate, the Senate Sergeant at Arms, the Senate Historical Office, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, and the Senate’s Closing a Senate Office Handbook.
All of these resources, plus some others, are listed iat the end of this report. Whereas these sources tell you in detail what must be done, our objective is to suggest how to accomplish those tasks more easily and efficiently.
Additional Information
Download this management brief: 
Closing a Congressional Office (417 KB)
14 pages
Copyright by the Congressional Management Foundation
