10 Ways to Get Good Advice from Federal Advisory Committees

Across the federal government, about a thousand committees governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act and an untold number of additional committees meet each year to offer advice to improve government performance. Federal leaders devote considerable effort to planning, scheduling and staffing these committees. What does it take to get the best results? Good advice is more than ceremonial consultation or reliable cheerleading for agency proposals. Good advice will: Alert leaders to issues or evidence the agency should consider. Help leaders understand how and why key stakeholders will respond to agency action. Add specialized expertise to the agency’s ongoing deliberations. Help agency staff understands and balance trade-offs. Make explicit the standards of evidence appropriate to make decisions.