Overview
Title
Comment Request for Review of a Revised Information Collection: Organizational Surveys
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Office of Personnel Management wants to continue using surveys to see how well different government offices are working and how leaders are doing, but they need special permission because it might take some time and effort from people to fill them out. Some people are asking if these surveys are useful enough to be worth the effort and if they might be a bit too long or hard to understand.
Summary AI
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plans to ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review their request for continuing approval of Organizational Surveys, which gather data on Federal agency and program performance, climate, and leadership. The surveys include various types like Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys, Exit Surveys, and New Leaders Onboarding Assessments. Public comments are invited on aspects like the necessity and public burden of these surveys. The request pertains to a collection that covers about 78,780 respondents with an average completion time of about 10.62 minutes each.
Abstract
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a currently approved collection, Organizational Surveys. OPM is requesting approval of Organizational Assessment Surveys, OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys, Exit Surveys, New Leaders Onboarding Assessments, New Employee Surveys, Training Needs Assessment Surveys, and custom Program Evaluation surveys as a part of this collection. Approval of the organizational surveys is necessary to collect information on Federal agency and program performance, climate, engagement, and leadership effectiveness.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The document in question is a notice from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regarding a proposal to continue using a series of Organizational Surveys. This effort requires approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the surveys seek to collect data on the performance, climate, engagement, and leadership within Federal agencies. The surveys include Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys, Exit Surveys, and New Leaders Onboarding Assessments, among others.
General Summary
The OPM is requesting public comments on whether these surveys are necessary, how burdensome they might be for respondents, and ways to reduce that burden using technology. The surveys seek to gather the opinions of approximately 78,780 respondents, with an estimated response time of just over 10 minutes per survey. The intent is to utilize this data to enhance the effectiveness of Federal agency operations.
Significant Issues or Concerns
Several issues stand out in this proposal. Firstly, the explanation of the necessity and utility of the surveys is somewhat surface-level, potentially raising questions about whether the data collected justifies the potential expense and time commitment. The wide array of surveys, each with numerous items, might lead to complexity that could overwhelm respondents, resulting in what is known as "respondent fatigue."
Furthermore, the document estimates a completion time per respondent of 10.62 minutes for surveys that may include up to 100 items. This estimation seems rather optimistic and could underestimate the actual time required, leading to an inaccurate calculation of the total burden hours. Finally, while customization of surveys is anticipated, there is little clarity on how this customization impacts the overall burden and utility of the survey data.
Impact on the Public
For the broader public, particularly those within Federal agencies and associated contractors, the surveys represent a means of providing feedback on working conditions and organizational effectiveness. While this can have a positive impact by highlighting areas for improvement, the complexity and potential length of these surveys might discourage complete and thoughtful responses, potentially limiting the usefulness of the data collected.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Federal employees and government contractors will most directly experience the impact of these surveys. If executed well, the surveys could provide valuable insights that lead to improvements in workplace climate and organizational efficiency. However, if respondents find the surveys too burdensome or too numerous, the feedback may not accurately reflect their experiences.
In summary, while the intent behind the document is to ensure that Federal agencies continue to evaluate and improve their functions through employee feedback, the execution of this will need to carefully balance thorough data collection with respect for respondents' time and effort. Without detailed plans on the customization impact and the full utilization of the data, the surveys may face criticism and resistance.
Issues
• The document's explanation of the necessity and utility of the surveys could be more detailed to justify the spending involved.
• The broad range of surveys and number of items in each could be seen as overly complex or burdensome, possibly leading to respondent fatigue.
• The estimated time per respondent of 10.62 minutes for surveys with up to 100 items may be underestimated, potentially affecting the accuracy of the total burden hours calculation.
• The explanation of how customization of surveys (up to 200 items for Program Evaluation surveys) affects the public burden and survey utility isn't clear.
• The statement that 'Non-Federal respondents will almost never receive more than one of these surveys' is somewhat vague and could be clarified for better understanding of survey reach and repetition.
• There is no detailed explanation of how the data collected will specifically improve agency performance and effectiveness, which could be perceived as an oversight given the significant number of respondents and total burden hours.