Federal Manager's Daily Report

A little-noticed provision of the recent Defense Department

budget measure for the current fiscal year (P.L. 108-136)

requires each executive agency to conduct an annual

employee survey. Opinions vary widely on the usefulness

of such surveys–some consider them a waste of time while

others consider them a valuable means of assessing an

organization’s culture.


The most comprehensive ongoing surveys have been conducted

by the Merit Systems Protection Board, which last sent out

one in 2000 and which didn’t complete publishing the data

from that survey until late 2003. Among other findings,

that survey showed that only 47 percent of employees said

their supervisor had good management skills, only 41 percent

believed that their supervisor encouraged their career

development, and only a third thought their supervisor

promotes the best qualified person or uses fair and open

competition in promotions. The Office of Personnel

Management also periodically conducts surveys, including

one sent out in 2002 and published in 2003 that found only

43 percent of employees said they have a high opinion of

their supervisors.


Such results have led to complaints from managers that

surveys often turn into an exercise in manager-bashing, and

under the provisions of the new requirement managers again

will be in for special attention. Each agency’s survey must

include questions that are unique to that agency, in

accordance with regulations prescribed by Office of

Personnel Management. The surveys will assess leadership

and management practices and employees’ satisfaction with

their leadership, work environment, rewards and recognition,

opportunities for professional development, and their

opportunity to contribute to achieving their agency’s

mission.


OPM will issue implementing regulations later this year.


FEDweek

Publisher, Don Mace

VP of Marketing, Kevin Couch

Website: www.fedweek.com


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