The Partnership for Public Service has released its annual rankings for the most innovative agencies in government for large, medium and small agencies.
The study examined innovation in government from the perspective of employees, identified agencies that excel and approaches that foster creativity in the workplace. The scores are based on federal employees’ answers to questions in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
According to the study summary:
A handful of federal agencies are focused on helping their workforces innovate. These agencies are developing innovative cultures by rewarding creativity, by providing forums for employees to share and test new ideas, by encouraging responsible risk-taking and by bringing in outside talent for rotational assignments to infuse new ideas into the workplace. Government-wide employee survey data, however, suggests that much more needs to be done to foster innovation at many federal organizations.
So which agencies ranked highest? The top five large, medium and small agencies are listed below.
Large Agencies
| Rank | Agency | Score (2014) | Score (2013) | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 76.7 | 76.0 | 0.7 |
| 2 | Department of State | 65.9 | 65.4 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Department of Commerce | 63.9 | 63.5 | 0.4 |
| 4 | Department of Health and Human Services | 63.5 | 62.7 | 0.8 |
| 5 | Department of the Air Force | 61.8 | 61.2 | 0.6 |
Mid-Sized Agencies
| Rank | Agency | Score (2014) | Score (2013) | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Trade Commission | 69.4 | 69.8 | -0.4 |
| 2 | Nuclear Regulatory Commission | 66.9 | 67.2 | -0.3 |
| 3 | Federal deposit Insurance Corporation (tie) | 66.1 | 65.6 | 0.5 |
| 3 | National Science Foundation (tie) | 66.1 | 66.8 | -0.7 |
| 5 | National Credit Union Administration | 65.3 | 62.6 | 2.7 |
Small Agencies
| Rank | Agency | Score (2014) | Score (2013) | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surface Transportation Board | 82.3 | 83.9 | -1.6 |
| 2 | Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service | 79.0 | 74.2 | 4.8 |
| 3 | Peace Corps | 76.5 | 74.3 | 2.2 |
| 4 | Office of Management and Budget | 73.4 | 66.8 | 6.6 |
| 5 | Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board | 72.2 | 70.2 | 2.0 |
