To Restore and Renew: A New Report on the State of the Federal Public Service

According to a groundbreaking survey of federal employees by the Brookings
Institution’s Center for Public Service, the challenges and expectations facing the public service are greater than ever. The terrorist attacks of September 11th not only reminded the nation how important the federal public service is in times of crisis, but emphasized the federal government’s crucial role in the war on terrorism.

The survey reveals a civil service that is both determined to perform this important role, and frustrated by the lack of resources to do so. While the vast majority of federal employees are proud to work for the government, and are satisfied with the level of public respect for their work, 60% report that their organization only sometimes or rarely has enough employees to perform its mission, and a third feel that they do not have access to the training necessary to perform their jobs well. Further, federal employees characterize a quarter of their peers as poor performers.

The briefing will feature a discussion of the current state of the public service, and provide comparisons between the state of the public and private sectors. The survey report, available as a special insert in the November issue of Government Executive, will be released on October 30th.