The Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Every year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducts the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. One of your areas of expertise is appraisal and evaluation, and as such, you have been invited (in your capacity as Director of Personnel Administration for Organization X) to be on a popular podcast to discuss in what ways, if any, this yearly research could be more effective across the board. The inspiration for the podcast and the prompt comes from a drop in response rates for the 2018 survey. In 2018, the percentage of federal workers who responded to the survey came in at almost five percentage points lower than those who responded to the prior year’s survey. The most concerning part of this drop are it happened on the heels of a push from OPM to improve response rates by moving from a survey sample to a census.
The podcast host emailed you as a courtesy, with the following prompt for the show:
“As you know, if an employer waited until evaluation time to start thinking about an employee’s performance, the employee would be in for a weak evaluation. So, based on your expertise in the field of public service, in what ways (if any) could the OPM’s survey be approached in a way that makes it a bit more realistic and reliable?”
Review the survey in this week’s resources and formulate your response using survey data, the course readings, and any additional outside sources you find pertinent to the topic. You may also include personal experience in your response. Remember to cite your sources.
If you are new to podcasting, the information below might be helpful to you.
• Remember, a podcast is a digital media file and may include some audio files, which is what you will create.
• Write out your script for the podcast to both time it and to ensure you have included the required content.
• Begin your podcast by providing relevant information and establishing a clear purpose that engages the listener.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the topic using relevant, quality details that go beyond the obvious.
• Focus on your topic.
• Be sure to include details from your experience on the topic along with your researched information.
Make sure there is a brief conclusion that connects the information in the podcast.
Use Capture Space to record your podcast. Instructions for using Capture Space are included in the Course Resources module.
Podcasts are evaluated based on the following information: 1) how well the introduction sets the scene; 2) clarity, accuracy, and relevance of content; 3) whether the conclusion provided a clear summary of the main points; 4) the structure and flow of the podcast, and 5) technical sound quality (volume and clarity). Creativity is also considered.
Support your podcast with at least three scholarly or professional resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.
Length: 10-15 minutes. Be sure to submit a reference page including a link to your podcast. Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic
Sample Solution
The US federal government’s independent Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is in charge of overseeing the US civilian workforce. For federal government employees, retirees, and their dependents, the agency manages federal human resources policy, oversight, and assistance as well as healthcare (FEHB), life insurance (FEGLI), and retirement benefits (CSRS/FERS, but not TSP). A director who is chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate leads OPM. On March 18, 2020, Dale Cabaniss abruptly resigned, and Michael Rigas was named acting head of the Office of Personnel Management. Rigas was also named as the Office of Management and Budget’s acting deputy director for management on March 25, 2020. [3] December 2020
