1996 NASA Agencywide Employee & Customer Satisfaction Survey Results: NASA Headquarters

Source: NASA HQ
Posted Thursday, September 12, 1996

1996 NASA Agencywide Employee & Customer Satisfaction Survey Results: NASA Headquarters

Total Response: 310

Last update 2 November 1996.

Note: The following questionnaire was distributed to NASA employees on/around 22 August 1996 as an enclosure to a letter from Acting Deputy Administrator Jack Dailey.

We have highlighted what we feel are the particularly poignant results of this survey in red.

1) To your knowledge, does NASA have formal, integrated mission and goal statements?

Yes	No
[96.0 ]	4.0]

How Familiar are you with NASA's Mission and goal statements?

Very Familiar	Familiar	Not Very Familiar	Not At All Familiar
23.2	58.6	17.5	0.7

2) To your knowledge, does your installation (or Headquarters single-letter code) have formal, integrated mission and goal statements?

Yes	No
74.7	25.3

How Familiar are you with your installation's Mission and goal statements?

Very Familiar	Familiar	Not Very Familiar	Not At All Familiar
37.8	47.3	14.4	0.5

3) To your knowledge, does your division/work unit have formal, integrated mission and goal statements?

Yes	No
56.8	43.2

How Familiar are you with your division/work unit's mission and goal statements?

Very Familiar	Familiar	Not Very Familiar	Not At All Familiar
59.0	33.7	6.6	0.6

4) How clear is it to you what your role is in achieving the goals of...

Organization	Very Clear	Pretty Clear	Not Too Clear	Not At All Clear
NASA	33.2	40.3	16.3	10.2
Your Installation (HQ Code)	42.8	30.4	16.6	10.2
Your Division/Work Unit	54.7	25.9	10.4	9.1

5) How familiar are you with the following documents?

	I've read this and I understand how it applies to my work	I've read this	I've seen this	I've heard of, but haven't seen this	I've never heard of this
NASA Strategic Plan	35.0	43.6	16.6	3.8	1.0
Installation (HQ Code) Strategic Plan	26.5	18.4	10.6	12.3	32.3
NASA Customer Service Plan	6.5	6.8	12.7	23.1	51.0
Government Performance & Results Act	13.8	13.8	16.0	28.8	27.6

6) Do you believe NASA is implementing its programs in accordance with the Strategic Plan?

Yes	No	Not Sure/Don't Know
43.3	20.2	36.5

7) How consistent does NASA operate in accordance with the following values from the strategic plan?

	Very Consistent	Somewhat Consistent	Neither Consistent Nor Inconsistent	Somewhat Inconsistent	Very Inconsistent
Our greatest strength is our workforce	4.2	13.3	7.8	27.3	47.4
We empower our employees	1.9	21.0	9.1	34.6	33.3
We encourage and reward creativity	4.6	25.1	17.9	28.0	24.4
We encourage and reward teamwork	6.5	29.3	20.2	22.8	21.2
We foster a culture built on trust	0.7	8.8	11.1	26.1	53.4
We foster a culture built upon respect	2.6	14.7	13.7	25.8	43.1
We build a team representative of America's diversity	10.5	40.5	19.9	14.4	14.7
We cooperate across organizations	3.3	28.7	17.6	30.0	20.5
We are open and honest with one another	1.3	14.9	17.5	32.7	33.7
We are open and honest with our customers	5.8	34.7	20.8	21.4	17.2
We are accountable for our performance	14.6	35.9	17.5	16.8	14.9

8) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements:

	Agree Completely	Agree Somewhat	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree Somewhat	Disagree Completely
I am optimistic about NASA's future	9.6	30.4	7.7	31.0	21.4
Agency senior management can be expected to do the right thing	2.6	18.2	11.5	37.5	30.4
Once a decision is made, management communicates the results and rationale to employees	2.2	17.6	15.1	38.8	26.3
Innovation in NASA is appreciated and supported	6.1	32.9	23.3	21.1	16.6
There is a willingness to accept responsibility for failure	1.6	24.1	20.6	30.2	23.5
NASA centers work effectively together to accomplish NASA's mission	1.9	17.4	19.3	37.0	24.4
Trust is the norm across work units	1.0	15.3	21.3	36.6	25.8
Trust is the norm within work units	7.4	41.2	17.7	19.6	14.1
Employees can say what is right without fear of reprimand from management	3.8	13.8	16.3	29.5	36.5
I feel free to speak my mind	16.6	22.0	12.5	25.2	23.6

9) On average, what percentage of your time do you spend on work involving NASA's external customers?

0-25%	26-50%	51-75%	76-100%
47.9	24.3	17.6	10.2

10) On average, how frequently do you interact with external customers?

Daily	Weekly	Monthly	Less than once a Month	Never
34.7	28.7	16.2	16.2	4.1

11) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements: My organization is open to new ideas and best practices from:

	Agree Completely	Agree Somewhat	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Disagree Somewhat	Disagree Completely
Other organizations within my installation	25.2	40.3	18.8	12.3	6.1
Other installations	22.0	40.8	18.8	12.3	6.1
Headquarters	23.8	40.7	19.9	5.9	6.6
Other government agencies	17.1	38.4	26.8	11.6	6.1
The space and aeronautics community	18.7	39.7	27.5	9.5	4.6
Outside the space and aeronautics community	14.9	33.1	37.3	8.8	5.8

12) On average, what percentage of your time do you spend on work involving NASA's internal customers?

0-25%	26-50%	51-75%	76-100%
10.9	27.5	26.2	35.5

13) On average, how frequently do you interact with internal customers?

Daily	Weekly	Monthly	Less than once a Month	Never
86.3	12.1	1.6	0.0	0.0

14) Does your division/work unit set customer service standards?

Yes	No	Don't Know
44.7	47.9	7.4

If yes, does your division/work unit measure output against the established customer service standards?

Yes	No	Don't Know
70.7	15.0	14.3

15) Does your division/work unit collect customer satisfaction data?

Yes	No (Skip to question 17)	Don't Know (Skip to question 17)
49.7	42.0	8.3

If yes, what methods does your division/work unit use to gather these data from its customers? (Mark all that apply.)

Informal phone calls/visits	80.6
Formal meetings	56.8
Written surveys/questionnaires	58.7
Phone surveys	9.7
Focus groups	20.0
Advisory groups/subcommittees	47.1
Customer response cards	23.9
Integrated product work teams	21.3
Other	21.3
Don't know	0.6

16) Are the customer satisfaction data collected by your division/work unit used to improve its products/services?

Yes	No	Don't Know	Does not Apply
90.9	2.6	11.0	6.5

17) How confident are you that your division/work unit is fully satisfying its customers?

Very Confident	Confident	Not very confident	Not at all confident	Don't Know
11.5	54.8	19.9	5.4	8.3

18) Are there NASA employees or activities who deliver products or services to you for use in your work (i.e., you are their customer)?

Yes	No
97.4	2.6

If yes, how satisfied are you with the services and products you receive as a customer? Mark Not Applicable for those services you do not receive, and indicate your satisfaction with those you do receive.

	Not Applicable Do not Receive	Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
Financial data/management	[ - ]	25.1	46.8	16.9	11.3
Training products/programs	[ - ]	35.6	51.6	11.0	1.8
Legal assistance	[ - ]	52.1	36.5	8.2	3.2
Basic supplies/services	[ - ]	36.7	49.6	9.4	4.3
Personnel administration services	[ - ]	29.3	47.8	16.7	6.3
Payroll administration	[ - ]	54.6	38.7	4.8	1.8
Computer software/hardware support services	[ - ]	38.1	41.5	13.5	6.9
Procurement support	[ - ]	26.7	46.7	17.11	9.5
Public affairs support	[ - ]	42.9	38.7	15.2	3.1
Security services	[ - ]	48.8	39.8	8.7	2.8
Technical support services	[ - ]	31.3	59.7	5.7	3.3

19) Have you been asked to provide feedback to your work unit's suppliers concerning your satisfaction with the services/products they supply you?

No	Yes, but only rarely	Yes, occasionally	Yes, frequently	Yes, too often
32.4	26.9	29.8	10.3	0.6

20) Listed below are potential barriers that may prevent your work unit from providing the best in customer service. For each item, indicate how much of a problem this is for your work unit in performing its job.

	Not a problem	A Minor Problem	A Major Problem
Lack of skilled personnel	43.6	33.7	22.8
Lack of financial resources	37.9	28.4	8.0
Lack of physical resources	63.6	28.4	8.0
Inflexible management	40.7	37.5	21.8
Inconsistent management	27.0	37.0	36.0
Lack of staff involvement in decision making	35.7	36.0	28.3
Unreasonable customer demands	49.5	41.8	8.7
Lack of day-to-day employee recognition	44.6	34.6	20.8
Overly bureaucratic laws, systems, and practices	26.3	45.2	28.5
Lack of information from management officials	22.8	47.1	30.1
Over dependence on contractors	73.0	16.7	10.3
Lack of teamwork within organizational units	41.9	40.6	17.6
Lack of teamwork among organizational units	23.5	50.8	25.7
Lack of control over suppliers	71.4	23.2	5.5
Limited opportunities for education & training	64.5	25.9	9.6
Inability to market programs and/or services	65.9	27.6	6.5
Organizational instability	14.7	30.7	54.6
Lack of customer satisfaction data	57.7	32.1	10.3
Lack of customer service standards	57.4	31.0	11.6
Lack of time	24.7	44.6	30.8

Questions 21 and 22 are concerned with your current work environment; these follow-up on previous internal surveys.

21) How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your current work environment?

	Very Satisfied	Somewhat Satisfied	Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied	Somewhat Dissatisfied	Very Dissatisfied
Amount of paperwork	8.9	20.8	30.4	29.1	10.9
Opportunities for advancement	10.9	9.3	19.9	24.4	35.6
Job fulfillment/challenge	28.5	25.6	9.9	20.8	15.1
Recognition	20.8	26.5	14.4	20.1	18.2
Use of your skills on the job	30.4	31.0	7.0	17.3	14.4
Amount of independence	44.1	28.1	11.8	9.3	6.7
Fairness of evaluation/ promotion system	23.0	21.4	13.1	14.4	28.1
Feedback on your work	25.6	29.7	17.3	14.4	28.1
Physical work environment	37.7	31.9	12.5	11.5	6.4
Coworkers	38.1	39.4	14.4	5.4	2.6
Morale	3.9	15.8	10.9	28.3	41.2
Salary	23.6	35.1	17.6	15.3	8.3
Benefits (e.g., health, retirement)	39.1	34.3	16.3	8.7	1.6
Focus on customers	24.3	32.9	30.7	8.3	3.8
Your direct supervisor	41.9	25.2	10.5	12.8	9.6
Installation management	10.0	22.8	19.6	23.2	24.4
Communications within work unit	21.1	33.5	15.7	17.9	11.8
Communications within the Agency	4.2	16.9	16.6	32.9	29.4

22) Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements.

	Agree completely	Agree somewhat	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Disagree Somewhat	Disagree Completely
The members of my division/work unit have sufficient clarity about what is expected of them	29.9	39.5	8.0	15.0	7.6
My managers actively seek innovative ideas	26.8	31.5	10.5	18.8	12.4
Recognition and awards are nice, but the real reward is the work itself	20.8	32.3	19.2	16.9	10.9
NASA employees are treated fairly and equitably	5.4	18.5	16.6	33.5	25.6
Supervisors and managers take time to discuss career planning with their people	4.5	20.8	13.8	27.2	33.7
I am proud to work for NASA	47.8	29.6	10.8	7.6	4.1
People outside NASA have an accurate view of what the Agency is all about	3.2	19.1	17.5	40.4	19.7
NASA management communicates a consistent and clear strategic direction	2.9	16.0	14.7	32.6	33.9
The members of my division/work unit understand how their efforts fit into the Agency's cascading Strategic Plan	9.9	28.8	20.8	26.2	14.4

23) Of which occupational group are you a member?

Engineering: includes professional engineering positions engaged in aerospace research, technical program management, development, operations, professional engineering support, mathematics support, computer science and related work.	21.9
Scientific: includes professional scientific positions engaged in aerospace research, technical program management, development and operations, including professional physical science and mathematics support and related work.	3.9
Life Science Support: includes life science professional positions such as medical officers and other positions performing professional work in psychology, the biological sciences, and professions that support the science of medicine such as nursing and medical technology.	1.0
Technical Support: includes scientific and engineering aides, technicians, photographers, illustrators, quality assurance specialists, etc.	1.9
Secretarial/Clerical/Non-professional Administrative: includes secretarial, clerical and administrative support positions.	8.7
Professional Administrative: includes professional/management positions in areas such as financial management, procurement, personnel, security, administration, law, public affairs, etc.	62.6
Wage System: includes trade, craft, and general labor positions.	0.0

24) In column one, please indicate the NASA strategic enterprise or strategic function with which your work is most associated (check only one). In column two, mark all of those enterprises or functions with which your work is associated (mark all that apply).

This is the enterprise/ function with which my work is...	...most associated	...also associated
Aeronautics Enterprise	8.2	58.3
Space Technology Enterprise	7.5	71.9
Scientific Research Enterprise	7.8	66.1
Human Exploration & Development of Space Enterprise	19.6	56.6
Mission to Planet Earth Enterprise	5.3	64.9
Space Communications Function	2.5	57.9
Human Resources Function	21.4	42.1
Physical Resources Function	15.3	36.0
I don't know	12.5	8.3

25) Do you directly supervise other employees?

Yes	No
37.4	62.6

26) Please indicate your age range.

Less than 25	25-34	35-44	45-54	55-64	65 or older
0.3	5.4	24.3	48.2	20.8	1.0

27) What is your highest level of education?

Less than high school	0.0
High school diploma	4.2
Some college, no degree	10.3
Associates (2-year) degree	3.8
Bachelor's (4-year) degree	12.2
Post-Bachelor's courses, no graduate degree	17.0
Master's degree	40.4
Doctorate	12.2

28) How long have you worked for NASA?

Less than 1 year	0.0
1-5 years	15.3
6-10 years	27.2
11-15 years	13.7
16-20 years	15.0
21-25 years	11.8
26-30 years	7.7
More than 30 years	9.3

29) At which center or installation do you work?

Ames Research Center	[ - ]
Dryden Flight Research Center	[ - ]
Goddard Space Flight Center	[ - ]
Headquarters	100.0
Johnson Space Center	[ - ]
KennedySpace Center	[ - ]
Langley Research Center	[ - ]
Lewis Research Center	[ - ]
Marshall Space Flight Center	[ - ]
Stennis Space Center	[ - ]

30) Please indicate your current grade level.

Wage grade	0.0
GS1 - GS4	0.0
GS5 - GS8	5.8
GS9 - GS12	9.9
GS13 - GS15	58.3
SES or equivalent	26.0

31) Are you a graduate of any of the following programs?
(Check all that you have completed.)

MEP/MIP	38.9
SEP	10.8
PM/APM	9.2
PDP	7.6
Center sponsored administrative/clerical training	6.7
Center sponsored management training	19.7
Continual improvement training	29.6
Customer Service Training	8.9

32) If you could make one change, major or minor, to NASA's current structure, programs, operations, etc. that you think would be most beneficial to the Agency in terms of delivering products and services to its customers, what would that be?

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