GAO Survey on Interagency Rotational Assignments Intended to Improve National Security Collaboration

U.S. Government Accountability Office

  Congress has asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to identify policies and practices that contribute to effective interagency rotational assignment programs as part of a Congressional effort to better understand the role that such programs can play in helping to improve national security collaboration. As part of this effort, GAO will be surveying personnel who participated in one of three categories of interagency rotational assignment programs during fiscal year 2009: (1) Army Intermediate Level Education Interagency Fellowship, (2) Department of State (State) POLAD, or (3) other State sponsored interagency rotational assignments. (State does not consider the third category to be a formal program. Therefore, for the questions below that refer to a "program," please respond based on your experiences with your interagency assignment). You were selected to complete this survey because you participated in one of these interagency rotational assignments in fiscal year 2009. The purpose of the survey is to gain the participant perspective on the effectiveness of these programs or types of assignments in improving interagency collaboration, as well as how these programs have incorporated key policies and practices. In addition, GAO will be surveying supervisors to gain their perspectives on these matters.

Your responses will provide critical information that will help GAO inform the Congress as it considers a variety of mechanisms for improving collaboration among agencies and personnel with national security responsibilities. We will not release individually identifiable data outside of GAO, unless compelled by law or requested by the Congress. While the results of the survey will generally be provided in summary form in our report, individual answers may be discussed, but they will not include any information that could be used to identify individual respondents.

We ask that you complete this survey within 10 days of receiving it. This survey is divided into eleven short sections and should take about 30 minutes to complete. This survey does not need to be completed in one sitting. Your responses can be saved and accessed at a later date. To learn more about completing the questionnaire, printing your responses, and whom to contact if you have questions, click here for help. If you are unsure of how to respond to a question, please contact us for assistance.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

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This section of the survey covers some basic information about you and your agency or organization (referred to as "agency" throughout this survey).

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1.  In which of the following interagency rotation programs did you participate in fiscal year 2009?
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  All of the following questions will pertain to your experience participating in the program you selected in the preceding question.
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2.  A home agency is the agency where you are normally employed, sometimes referred to as the sending agency. Which of the following was your home agency at the time you began this interagency rotational assignment?
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2a.  If other agency, please specify:
 
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3.  A host agency is the agency where you are temporarily assigned, sometimes referred to as the gaining agency. Which of the following was/is your host agency for this interagency rotational assignment?
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3a.  If other agency, please specify:
 
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4.  What was your rank or pay grade at the time you began your interagency rotational assignment?
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4a.  If other rank or pay grade, please specify:
 
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5.  Under which personnel system were you employed at the time you began your interagency rotational assignment?
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5a.  If other personnel system, please specify:
 
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6.  How long was your interagency rotational assignment? For those who have not yet completed assignments, please indicate the total scheduled length of your current assignment.
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7.  Have you been promoted since completing your interagency rotational assignment?
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This section of the survey asks about outcomes of your interagency rotational assignment.

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8.  In your view, how effective, if at all, is the interagency rotational assignment program in achieving each of the following outcomes?
(select one circle per question)
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Very effective
Somewhat effective
Not at all effective
No opinion
8a.  Helping you to develop a better understanding of how the host agency operates
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8b.  Helping you to develop your ability to consider complex national security issues from a broad-based, interagency perspective
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8c.  Helping you to develop interagency professional relationships and networks that will be useful in carrying out your home agency's national security responsibilities
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8d.  Helping you to develop the skills necessary to lead in an interagency environment
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8e.  Improving your ability to collaborate with personnel in other agencies with national security responsibilities
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9.  How effective, if at all, is the interagency rotational assignment program in contributing to improved collaboration among agencies with national security responsibilities?
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10.  Please use the space below if you would like to describe any other outcomes of the interagency rotational assignment program.
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This section of the survey asks about information you received on the interagency rotational assignment program.

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11.  Are you aware of any efforts to market or publicize the interagency rotational assignment program?
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12.  Do you think those efforts were adequate?
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13.  Were you provided with written guidance or other materials intended to prepare you for your interagency rotational assignment?
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14.  Did you take part in an orientation or training intended to prepare you for your interagency rotational assignment?
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  If you answered "no" or "don't know" to both questions 13 and 14,
click here to skip to question 17
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15.  If yes to either question 13 or 14, was the training and/or written materials you received sufficient for you to understand each of the following aspects of the interagency rotational assignment?
(select one circle per question)
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Yes, the information I received was sufficient
No, the information I received was not sufficient
I did not receive information on this topic (though it would have been useful)
I did not receive information on this topic (and did not need it)
15a.  The goals of the interagency rotational assignment program
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15b.  The process for selecting participants
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15c.  The process for assigning participants to an interagency rotational assignment
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15d.  The process for appraising your performance during the interagency rotational assignment
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15e.  The process for transitioning you back to your home agency or next assignment
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15f.  Information about the host agency mission and organization
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15g.  How to optimize your experience during the interagency assignment
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16.  Please use the space below if you would like to describe any other useful information that you received on the interagency rotational assignment program.
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17.  Please use the space below if you would like to describe any information that you did not receive but that would have been useful.
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This section of the survey asks about your decision to participate in the interagency rotational assignment program.

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18.  How important, if at all, was each of the following factors in contributing to your decision to participate in the interagency rotational assignment program?
(select one circle per question)
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Very important
Somewhat important
Not important
Don't know
18a.  Opportunity to develop my ability to work in an interagency environment
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18b.  Opportunity to improve my chances for promotion
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18c.  My agency's leadership looks favorably on interagency rotational assignments
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18d.  Opportunity to work in a new and different environment
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18e.  Opportunity to help host agency achieve national security goals
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19.  Please use the space below if you would like to provide any other factors that were important to your decision to participate in the interagency rotational assignment that were not indicated.
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This section of the survey asks about perceptions--at your home agency--of interagency rotational assignments.

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20.  Do you agree or disagree with the following statements as they apply to your home agency?
(select one circle per statement)
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Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
No response
20a.  Leadership at my home agency has indicated that interagency rotational assignments are valuable
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20b.  Participants are recognized and rewarded through the performance appraisal system at my home agency
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20c.  Participants are publicly recognized and rewarded (for example, through announcements, awards, etc.) at my home agency
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20d.  Participating in interagency rotational assignments improves promotion prospects at my home agency
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20e.  At my home agency, participants are assigned to desirable positions or responsibilities after completing interagency rotational assignments
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21.  Do you agree or disagree with the following statements as they apply to your home agency?
(select one circle per statement)
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Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Somewhat disagree
Strongly disagree
No response
21a.  The performance appraisal system at my home agency does not adequately reward performance at another agency
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21b.  Assignments at other agencies may diminish promotion prospects at my home agency
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21c.  At my home agency, participants are assigned to undesirable positions or responsibilities after completing an assignment at another agency
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21d.  Costs associated with interagency rotational assignments, such as housing or relocation, are borne by the participant
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21e.  Interagency rotational assignments cause temporary workforce gaps at my home agency that are difficult to fill
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21f.  High-performing personnel may not come back to my home agency after the assignment at another agency
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21g.  Costs associated with interagency rotational assignments, such as training and travel, are difficult for my home agency to fund
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This section of the survey asks about the match between your knowledge, skills, and experience and your position at the host agency. For those who have not yet completed your interagency rotational assignment, please indicate your opinion as of now.

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22.  How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the following aspects of your interagency rotational assignment?
(select one circle per question)
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Very satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
No response
22a.  The match between your abilities and the interagency rotational assignment
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22b.  The opportunities provided by the interagency rotational assignment to develop your ability to work in an interagency environment
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22c.  The opportunities provided by your interagency rotational assignment to make a meaningful contribution to achieving host agency mission and goals
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This section of the survey asks questions about how your performance was appraised during your interagency rotational assignment.

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23.  Were assignment-specific goals and expectations for the interagency rotational assignment communicated to you?
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24.  Have you received a performance appraisal (at either your home or your host agency) that covers any of the time period you spent in the interagency rotational assignment?
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25.  Was your performance while on the interagency rotational assignment included in your formal appraisal?
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2. (click here to skip to question 27)
3. (click here to skip to question 27)
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26.  If your performance during the interagency rotational assignment was included in your formal performance appraisal, was it given sufficient merit?
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This section of the survey asks questions on any contact you had with your home agency during your interagency rotational assignment. For those who have not yet completed your interagency rotational assignment, please indicate your opinion as of now.

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27.  Did you maintain contact with your home agency at any time while you were on rotational assignment to discuss any of the following topics?
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Yes
No
Don't know
27a.  Your performance appraisal
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27b.  Your transition to a new assignment or return to your home agency
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27c.  How to share the knowledge, skills, and abilities you gained on rotation with others at your home agency
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28.  Please use the space below if you would like to convey any other topics on which you maintained contact with your home agency at any time while you were on the interagency rotational assignment.
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This section of the survey asks about your experience after completing your interagency rotational assignment.

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29.  Have you completed your interagency rotational assignment?
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30.  How satisfied, if at all, were you with your transition back to your home agency or next assignment?
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31.  How effectively, if at all, did the position that you were assigned to (after completing the interagency rotational assignment) make use of your newly acquired experience?
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32.  Did your home agency or next assignment apply your newly acquired experience in any of the following ways?
(select one circle per question)
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Yes
No
Don't know
32a.  I was assigned to a position in which I could apply the experience I gained
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32b.  I was assigned to an interagency working group or team in which I could apply the experience I gained
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32c.  I was asked to share information I gained through presentations or written materials with my colleagues or leadership
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33.  Please use the space below if you would like to convey how the experience you gained during your interagency rotational assignment was applied in any other way.
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This section of the survey asks about any evaluation of the interagency rotational assignment program in which you may have participated.

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34.  Did you have an opportunity to complete an evaluation or provide feedback on the interagency rotational assignment program in some formal way?
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3. (click here to skip to question 37)
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35.  How effective, if at all, was the evaluation tool or feedback mechanism in collecting your opinions on the interagency rotational assignment program?
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36.  Please use the space below if you would like to convey how the evaluation tool or feedback was or was not effective.
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37.  Please use the space below if there is anything else you would like to tell us about the effectiveness of the interagency rotational assignment program.
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38.  This completes our survey. Are you ready to submit your final completed survey to GAO?

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  You may view and print your completed survey by clicking on the Summary link in the menu to the left.
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