Agency Information Collection Request: Annual Employee Survey (3206-NEW)

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) invites the public and Federal agencies to comment on its new Annual Employee Survey (AES) information collection request (ICR). The AES includes survey items previously administered through the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and fulfills statutory and regulatory employee-survey requirements.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 179 (Thursday, September 17, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 179 (Thursday, September 17, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 58921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19042]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Agency Information Collection Request: Annual Employee Survey 
(3206-NEW)

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: 30-Day notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) invites the public 
and Federal agencies to comment on its new Annual Employee Survey (AES) 
information collection request (ICR). The AES includes survey items 
previously administered through the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey 
(FEVS) and fulfills statutory and regulatory employee-survey 
requirements.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until October 19, 
2026. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this 
particular information collection request by selecting ``Office of 
Personnel Management'' under ``Currently Under Review,'' then check 
``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Employee Viewpoint Survey Team, 
Attention: Makisha Brown, via electronic mail to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#21647772614e514c0f464e57"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ecbd8ddcee1fee3a0e9e1f8">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or via 
telephone at (202) 606-1800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2), OPM is soliciting comments for this 
collection. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

Background

    Section 1128 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2004 (Pub. L. 108-136, 5 U.S.C. 7101 note) requires executive 
agencies to conduct an annual employee survey and directs OPM to issue 
regulations prescribing the survey questions that must appear on all 
agency surveys to allow for comparison across agencies. The survey is 
the instrument through which agencies meet the statutory requirement to 
assess (1) leadership and management practices that contribute to 
agency performance and (2) employee satisfaction with leadership 
policies and practices, the work environment, rewards and recognition 
for professional accomplishment and personal contributions to achieving 
the organizational mission, opportunity for professional development 
and growth, and opportunity to contribute to achieving the 
organizational mission. OPM implemented this requirement through 
regulations at 5 CFR part 250, subpart C, to provide comparable 
governmentwide data and centrally administered the annual survey, the 
Annual Employee Survey (formerly Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey 
(FEVS)), on behalf of agencies. Agencies participating in the AES 
satisfy the annual employee survey requirement by including the 
prescribed core survey questions, while retaining limited flexibility 
to add agency-specific items consistent with OPM guidance.
    In a proposed rule (91 FR 40435) issued July 2, 2026, OPM proposed 
to reduce the number of prescribed annual employee survey questions 
from 16 to 10, retaining the most probative items to better serve 
workforce planning needs. In addition, OPM would no longer centrally 
administer the survey on behalf of agencies. Instead, each agency would 
administer the survey to its employees. The survey consists of Likert-
type, mark-one, and mark-all-that-apply items. The information 
collection consists of the responses provided by the employees who 
complete the survey. The OPM survey will be available to agencies as a 
common form. An agency would submit the resulting data for the 
prescribed questions to OPM and OMB once per year to enable 
governmentwide comparison. Should agencies add questions to the common 
form, agencies would be responsible for their own collections separate 
from the OPM common form and would need to seek their own OMB control 
number.

Analysis

    Agency: Office of Personnel Management.
    Title: Annual Employee Survey (AES).
    OMB Number: 3206-NEW.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Federal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,990.
    Estimated Time per Respondent: 5 minutes.
    Total Burden Hours: 166 hours.

Alexys Stanley,
Federal Register Liaison.
[FR Doc. 2026-19042 Filed 9-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P


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