U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

What is the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey?
Who Participated in the Survey?
How Was the Survey Sample Designed and Selected?
How Was the Survey Administered?
Website Description

What is the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey?

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey is a tool that measures employees' perceptions of whether, and to what extent, conditions that characterize successful organizations are present in their agencies. This survey was administered for the first time in 2002 and then repeated in 2004, 2006, 2008, and most recently in February/March of 2010. The survey:

• Provides general indicators of how well the Federal Government is running its human resources management systems.
• Serves as a tool for OPM to assess individual agencies and their progress on strategic management of human capital.
• Gives senior managers critical information to answer the question: What can I do to make my agency work better?

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Who Participated in the Survey?

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey was administered to full-time, permanent employees of Departments and large agencies and the small/independent agencies that accepted an invitation to participate in the survey.

Departments/Large Agencies

• Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Department of Commerce (Commerce)
• Department of Defense (DoD)
• Department of the Army (Army)
• Department of the Navy (Navy)
• Department of the Air Force (Air Force)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• U.S. Marine Corps (Marines)
• Department of Education (Education)
• Department of Energy (Energy)
• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS, new in 2004)
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Department of the Interior (Interior)
• Department of Justice (Justice)
• Department of Labor (Labor)
• Department of State (State)
• Department of Transportation (DOT)
• Department of the Treasury (Treasury)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• United States Agency for International Development (AID)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• General Services Administration (GSA)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
• Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Social Security Administration (SSA)

Small/Independent Agencies

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
• African Development Foundation
• American Battle Monuments Commission
• Broadcasting Board of Governors
• Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
• Commission on Civil Rights
• Committee for Purchase from People who are Blind
• Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
• Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Federal Communications Commission
• Federal Election Commission
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Federal Housing Finance Agency
• Federal Labor Relations Authority
• Federal Maritime Commission
• Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
• Federal Retirement Thrift Savings Board
• Federal Trade Commission
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Inter-American Foundation
• International Boundary and Water Commission
• Marine Mammal Commission
• Merit Systems Protection Board
• National Archives and Records Administration
• National Capital Planning Commission
• National Council on Disability
• National Credit Union Administration
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Gallery of Art
• National Indian Gaming Commission
• National Labor Relations Board
• National Mediation Board
• National Transportation Safety Board
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
• Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
• Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation
• Office of U.S. Trade Representative
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
• Postal Regulatory Commission
• Railroad Retirement Board
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• Selective Service System
• Surface Transportation Board
• Trade and Development Agency
• U.S. Access Board
• U.S. International Trade Commission
• Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

These agencies comprise approximately 97 percent of the executive branch workforce.

Of the 504,609 employees receiving surveys, 263,475 completed the survey for a Governmentwide response rate of 52 percent.

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How Was the Survey Sample Designed and Selected?

OPM designed the survey to produce valid results representing Governmentwide Federal employees as well as employees in individual Federal agencies and subagencies. In addition, the sample was designed to produce results by supervisory status (non-supervisor, supervisor, and executive).

As was the case for each of the previous administrations of the survey, the 2010 survey was directed at full-time, permanent employees. This year OPM extended an invitation to all small and independent agencies, and 53 chose to participate. The survey was administered as a census to these agencies. The survey was also administered as a census to 13 larger agencies, at the agencies' request. In a census, all employees are invited to take the survey. These agencies comprise approximately 97 percent of the executive branch workforce.

Because of the differing response rates among the various demographic groups completing the survey, the data were weighted to further ensure that the results are statistically unbiased. In this way, adjustments to response rates could be made to account for over- and under-represented groups within the sample. For example, the gender, age, and agency of the respondents do not exactly reflect their actual distribution in the Federal workforce. In the case of supervisors and executives, response levels tend to be over-represented.

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How Was the Survey Administered?

• The survey was conducted electronically on the Internet, with employees notified by email of their selection for the sample.
• Paper versions of the survey were provided to a limited number of employees who did not have access to the Internet survey.
• Electronic administration facilitated the distribution, completion, and collection of the survey.
• To encourage higher response rates, OPM sent multiple follow-up letters to sample members. OPM also provided agencies with sample communications and helped them develop an internal communication plan. These efforts contributed to an overall high response rate.
• Sampled employees could email Help Center staff for assistance if they had any questions about the survey or individual survey items. They also had the option of calling a toll-free number for survey assistance.
• Of the 504,609 employees receiving surveys, 263,475 completed the survey for a Governmentwide response rate of 52 percent.

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