Survey on the Future of Government Service

A new survey conducted in a study by Vanderbilt University with support by the Volcker Alliance reveals a third of federal executives feel that the workforce lacks the skills to get the job done and underperforming employees can rarely be dismissed. Federal executives report difficulty recruiting and retaining the best employees. Furthermore, merit is often not sufficiently incorporated into promotions and, especially, dismissals. Survey results also reveal substantial variation among agencies; some agencies have a high capacity workforce while others struggle to successfully accomplish their core tasks.