FederalDaily.com > Satisfaction with Federal Government Is Up

FederalDaily - December 19, 2006

Satisfaction with Federal Government Is Up

Satisfaction with the federal government has hit an eight-year high, says the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report—used by government managers to gauge how well the workforce is meeting the needs of the public. After a slight decline in 2005, the overall score improved 1.4 percent to 72.3 out of 100 on the index's scale. ACSI research cites increased efficiency and easier access to government services as the main factors contributing to more satisfaction. Although the federal government is at its highest score ever, it still lags behind the private sector, which improved to an overall 74.4 rating the last time it was measured in November. The U.S. Mint scored well, earning a rating of 87.4, which ties it with such high-profile e-retailers as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, said the Dec. 15 report. Not surprisingly, the perennially poor-scoring IRS scored low, receiving an Individual Paper Tax Filers score of 51. ACSI, produced by the University of Michigan, is a national, cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction used by the federal government since 1999. Also released was the ACSI e-Government Satisfaction Index, which measures satisfaction with nearly 100 different federal government Web sites. The ACSI e-Gov Index stood at 73.9, identical to one year ago.

CBP ‘One Face’ Handcuffs Ag Mission

In the wake of a bleak assessment of staff morale within the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) border protection unit, a labor union said the government needs to rethink its “one face” program, which consolidates disparate workforce elements. A recent analysis by the Government Accountability Office of the working experiences of former Agriculture Department (USDA) specialists—who were rolled into the DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) unit after 9/11—shows a significant portion are discontented. The analysis indicates that a government effort to consolidate multiple skills and experiences into a single front-line border security position—called the ‘One Face at the Border’ initiative—isn’t working, said the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) on Dec. 15. “NTEU has said all along that the misguided and subsequently mismanaged initiative is causing serious and unnecessary problems,” said NTEU President Colleen Kelley. Worth noting, overall only 6 percent of those interviewed expressed satisfaction with their jobs, while 29 percent believe that the agriculture mission under CBP is in decline. To see more, go to: www.CBPunion.org

AFGE Wins Reversal of FLRA Firing Decision

In what could have a broad impact, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has reversed a Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) ruling upholding the Air Force’s firing of employees enrolled in a drug rehabilitation program at Arizona’s David-Monthan Air Force Base. The circuit court ruled on an appeal filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). The union argued that the FLRA decision ignored a negotiated agreement by which the Air Force agreed to retain employees on duty or approved leave status while they received drug treatment. AFGE said the decision represents the rejection of an FLRA attempt to set a new precedent making unfair labor practice complaints unavailable—a development that the union said has significance for the entire federal workforce. “We’re pleased that the Circuit saw through this sham and stopped the FLRA dead in its tracks in its attempt to roll back a precedent that protects AFGE councils and locals” said AFGE President John Gage. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=688