Quick Hits

*** Starting this week, the federal government will take the temperature of the federal workforce. Feds will get the chance to respond to the 2019 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey in two waves. The first wave begins this week, and each agency's survey will remain open for six weeks and will be open to "every eligible employee," said acting Office of Personnel Management Director Margaret Weichert in a reminder to agency heads.

As agencies are preparing to conduct the survey, Weichert also asked their leaders to share past survey results, as well as to provide official time for feds to complete the survey to help boost participation rates. She also stressed the importance of agency heads' showing employees "how you support the survey."

After several consecutive years of improved scores, the 2018 FEVS results showed stagnation at many agencies, particularly civilian ones. However, more employees responded and were offered the chance to respond than in previous surveys. Results of the 2019 survey will start being rolled out in August.

*** Accenture opened its new Digital Studio in downtown Washington, D.C. to reporters on May 13, to showcase its new 20,000 square foot space that combines data scientists, developers and others who are tasked with supplying digital and design expertise to federal clients. The studio was created in 2016 after Accenture's acquisition of Fjord and its leaders also include veterans of the startup Agilex, which Accenture acquired in 2015. Ira Entis, a managing director in Accenture's federal practice, told FCW that the Digital Studio was increasingly seeking out – and winning -- opportunities that required demos or design challenges rather than traditional statements of work.

*** Also, a special note for our readers in industry: Washington Technology's June 7 Power Training -- a daylong professional development course on Mastering Stakeholder Engagement -- is filling up fast. Click here to learn more and register.