Ground Rules for the Fenty Transition

D.C. Democratic mayoral nominee Adrian Fenty is wise not to put off transition planning until after the Nov. 7 general election. With Democratic voter registration outnumbering Republican 285,486 to 30,560 (Statehood Green: 5,044), Fenty is all but certain to be the new mayor of the District of Columbia. Next to winning in November, the efficient transfer of authority from Mayor Anthony Williams to a Fenty administration should be the top priority.

That said, Fenty has spent the past 15 months campaigning nonstop. He would be wise to wait until he catches his breath before making any hard-and-fast decisions on the shape and staffing of his administration. A moment's thought is not a moment wasted, especially when snap decisions are often so hard to undo.

There are a few informal rules of the game -- gleaned from the writings and musings of some wise old heads -- that Fenty ought to bear in mind as he thinks about the kind of administration he wants to present to the city after taking the oath of office.

Rule One: Adrian Fenty, smart and energetic though he may be, cannot be a one-man transition team. Clearly it's up to him to articulate his priorities and dictate how he wants to govern. Making that happen, however, is another matter.

Fenty needs a team of seasoned folks who know their way around the city and the D.C. government. Of course, final decisions will rest with him. But advice from those who know the ropes -- and where the minefields are inside and outside the government -- will make Fenty's decision making, if not problem-free, then at least better informed.

Rule Two: The people who helped Adrian Fenty get elected aren't necessarily best suited to helping him govern. That's a downer, especially for loyalists who woke early each day and stayed up late each night working their tails off to help their candidate win.

Truth is, skills best suited for the campaign trail aren't necessarily transferable to top D.C. government positions. Forcing round pegs into square holes makes for a poor fit. What's more, there may be holdover talent in the Williams administration worth keeping. The job of identifying, recruiting and vetting talent should be handled by Fenty and the most mature, prudent and savvy people in his camp.

Rule Three: The women and men tapped to put together the structure and staffing of a Fenty administration should not be interested in government jobs themselves. They should be trusted by Fenty and known for their dedication to the city. People with political agendas need not apply. Bottom line: Anyone on the team that works on staffing issues should already have a job or, better yet, should neither need nor want one.

Rule Four: Work with the outgoing Williams administration. Yes, Williams supported Linda Cropp for mayor. But that's no reason to ignore him and his top officials. They know things about the government's operation that the incoming administration needs to know.

Fenty, as a two-term council member, has a valuable perspective on the District government. But it doesn't come close to a view of government from inside the administration. Now that the courtesy meeting between Fenty and Williams is out of the way, there should be formal follow-ups between the transition staff and administration officials to identify the policy, program and budget issues likely to confront Fenty when he takes office. What's more, it's essential that Fenty understand how current and planned city programs match up with his own priorities. A transition team can help sort that out.

Rule Five: Use the coming weeks to establish personal relationships around the city. These meetings need not be formal, highly publicized affairs, but they should open direct lines of communication for Fenty and his administration.

Likely D.C. Council chairman Vincent Gray should be at the top of Fenty's list. Along with Fenty, Gray has made education his top priority. If the two are on the same page, it can only be a plus. If, however, Marion Barry becomes the council's education committee chairman -- a job he wants and expects to get -- it could have a major bearing on Fenty's agenda and, more important, on the school system. Gray has said that he has not made a commitment to Barry or any other council member on chairman nominations or committee assignments. That's a relief.

The organization of the council is the chairman's prerogative, but Fenty ought to know how Gray's thinking correlates with his own plans. The same applies to Ward 2's Jack Evans, who wants to continue as the council's finance committee chairman. Evans was an acerbic critic of Fenty, as was at-large Republican council member Carol Schwartz, who left no ear unbent with her fault-finding. As one observer noted, Schwartz's distaste for Fenty was so great that she ignored the Republican mayoral candidate on the ballot and endorsed Democrat Cropp for mayor.

How Gray deals with Evans and Schwartz could affect Fenty's ability to make progress on his agenda.

Base-touching by Fenty with the city's business and labor communities and on Capitol Hill is also important, to let them get to know the person behind the name.

Finally, Fenty shouldn't let the transition or the office he's about to inherit wall him off from the people who put him where he is. Fenty's political astuteness lies with his sensitivity to people and his understanding of their needs. That has allowed him to connect with voters and they with him. It is his strength and the secret of his success. He loses that at his peril.

Now the trick is to make all of this come together by inauguration day in January.

kingc@washpost.com