The U.S. Office of Personnel Management provides comprehensive federal human resources data on its site FedScope: http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/. Direct your web browser to FedScope.

1. Take several minutes to read the Data Definitions provided under the “data cube” section near the middle of the page. This background information will help you to inform you about the data that you are about to explore. Why do you think that this information is being provided?

*A variety of answers may be reported.

2. Data cubes are organized as follows:

• Employment
• Accessions
• Separations
• Employment Trend
• Diversity

Briefly describe each.

3. Under the employment cube, data are presented on a quarterly basis for 2009 forward and on an annual basis going back to 1998. Select the most recent quarter (e.g., March 2016) as well as the oldest (September 1998).

Trace the change in employment from 1998 to the most recently selected period. How have these numbers changed?

4. You will quickly notice that employment is broken down by U.S. Federal Government employment in the United States, in U.S. Territories, and foreign countries as well as by the type of agency (cabinet level, independent, etc.).

Create a simple table where you can report percentage changes in these employment figures from 1998 to the most recently selected period (see the template table in question 5 for an optional approach for organizing your findings). Have agencies—depending type and location—grown or shrunk similarly? Or, have these numbers changed at different rates?

5. Now, let’s dig a little deeper. You’ve probably figured out that by selecting any of the agency categories that you can select individual agencies and even drill down to agencies within those agencies.

Select any cabinet level agency (e.g., Department of the Interior) that is present in both the most recently selected period as well as September 2005. Then choose at least three offices or bureaus within the cabinet agency to compare across the two time periods (e.g., Office of the Inspector General). Be sure find suitable offices or bureaus before you start the data collection (next). As you know, government agencies may reorganize over time, so you’ll want to ensure that an office or bureau that existed in 2005 is still around.

For the offices or bureaus that you selected, trace changes in employment from 2005 to the current period. Has the increase or decrease in employment trended similarly? Please explain thoroughly.

Compare these figures with changes at the cabinet level as well as the federal government overall. Creating a table such as this one might be helpful for reporting your findings.