Welcome to the 2009 Best Places to Work Rankings
The Best Places to Work rankings are the most comprehensive and authoritative rating and analysis of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government. The 2009 rankings are the fourth edition of this ongoing series, following the 2003, 2005 and 2007 versions.
2009 Overall Index Scores
| Rank | Agency | 2009 | 2007 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 80.7 | 76.2 | 5.90 |
| 2 | Government Accountability Office | 76.6 | 72.1 | 6.20 |
| 3 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 71.7 | 69.7 | 2.80 |
| 4 | Intelligence Community | 70.9 |  |
0.00 |
| 5 | Department of State | 69.1 | 67.9 | 1.80 |
| 6 | Environmental Protection Agency | 68.2 | 65.5 | 4.20 |
| 7 | Department of Justice | 68.0 | 69.0 | -1.40 |
| 8 | General Services Administration | 67.5 | 65.7 | 2.70 |
| 9 | Social Security Administration | 67.0 | 66.5 | 0.80 |
| 10 | Department of Commerce | 66.5 | 63.5 | 4.70 |
| (Top 10 shown, see all) | No Data
No Change |
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| Rank | Agency | 2009 | 2007 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surface Transportation Board | 80.4 | |
0.00 |
| 2 | Overseas Private Investment Corporation | 80.0 | |
0.00 |
| 3 | Congressional Budget Office | 79.4 | |
0.00 |
| 3 | Office of Management and Budget | 79.4 | 75.9 | 4.60 |
| 5 | National Science Foundation | 76.7 | 74.4 | 3.00 |
| 6 | Federal Maritime Commission | 76.6 | 59.8 | 28.00 |
| 7 | National Transportation Safety Board | 76.1 | 65.2 | 16.70 |
| 8 | Commodity Futures Trading Commission | 75.2 | 61.5 | 22.20 |
| 9 | Office of the U.S. Trade Representative | 74.2 | |
0.00 |
| 10 | Federal Trade Commission | 73.7 | 71.1 | 3.70 |
| (Top 10 shown, see all) | No Data
No Change |
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| Rank | Agency | 2009 | 2007 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environment and Natural Resources Division (DOJ) | 83.5 | 80.0 | 4.40 |
| 2 | Office of the Inspector General (OPM) | 81.3 | 77.1 | 5.50 |
| 3 | Civil Division (DOJ) | 81.1 | 74.7 | 8.50 |
| 4 | Bureau of the Public Debt (Treasury) | 78.7 | 71.8 | 9.60 |
| 4 | Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (NASA) | 78.7 | 77.8 | 1.20 |
| 6 | Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Attorneys (DOJ) | 78.2 | 73.8 | 6.00 |
| 7 | Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (Treasury) | 77.9 | 75.3 | 3.40 |
| 8 | Region 9 - San Francisco (EPA) | 77.8 | 79.7 | -2.40 |
| 9 | Tax Division (DOJ) | 77.2 | 70.6 | 9.30 |
| 10 | Region 3 - Philadelphia (EPA) | 76.5 | 67.6 | 13.20 |
| (Top 10 shown, see all) | No Data
No Change |
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Recent News
The Flow-Chart Fallacy
In an exclusive commentary for The Washington Post, Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier discusses the need to place greater focus on the quality of senior leadership rather than the structural organization of federal agencies when working to solve government's problems.
"When government fails, it typically has little to do with the way an agency is organized and almost everything to do with the performance of senior leadership at federal agencies, their ability to effectively manage the people working under them and the culture of the agencies."
Employee Satisfaction Survey Will Play Role in Budget Process
The Obama administration plans to use a biennial survey of employee satisfaction and morale to shape the 2011 budget process, according to Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The Partnership for Public Service released its fourth “Best Places to Work” survey last week. The study, started in 2003 and conducted every two years, tracks employees’ satisfaction with their agencies. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission once again is the top-rated large agency — it led the pack in 2007, as well — and the Surface Transportation Board is first among small agencies.
Orszag said he was pleased with the results from the top-ranked agencies. But he said OMB will ask poor performers to put together performance improvement plans.
The Best Places to Work rankings — the most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government — are produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation (ISPPI).
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