Aug 26 2008
Government Business Council (GBC), the market research division of Government Executive Media Group, this month released results of an exclusive survey conducted to gauge the current state of "green government" initiatives within the federal government. GBC surveyed federal managers regarding the level of priority given to green initiatives within federal agencies, the challenges facing federal program managers in implementing green initiatives, and the extent to which federal employees individually adopt environmentally-friendly practices.
Survey participants were selected randomly from Government Executive magazine's subscriber base of federal decision-makers. The survey was completed by 197 managers from across the entire federal government and representing all functional areas. Of the survey respondents, 84% hold grade level GS-12 or above and 82% have served in the federal government for at least 11 years.
The survey findings indicate that green government is viewed as an important federal initiative by managers, ranking ahead of efforts related to performance improvement and IT security and only slightly behind human capital and financial management. Federal managers also reported that green initiatives have received increasing prioritization within the last year.
While green government initiatives appear to be receiving increased emphasis, the study also shows that federal agencies are still in the early phase of implementation. Survey respondents reported that significant challenges hinder implementation efforts, including lack of clear executive direction, absence of dedicated oversight and lack of awareness among agency employees.
"The groundswell for green government appears to be strong and building" stated Tim Hartman, Director, Government Business Council. "Federal agencies are responding more and more aggressively by seeking best practices and solutions to help make their operations as environmentally friendly as possible."
The survey was conducted in conjunction with Government Executive magazine as part of a comprehensive review of the state of green initiatives in the federal government. The full report, including complete survey results, can be found online at http://www.GovernmentExecutive.com/gbc/greengovernment.