DEOCS: Survey says … Published June 15, 2015 By Heidi Hunt 45th Space Wing Public Affairs PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- It's not every day that people are given an opportunity to provide unedited feedback to leadership. But, by taking the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute's Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) survey, available June 15-30, Team Patrick-Cape has a chance to express their opinion, which helps provide an overall assessment of their units. The purpose of the survey allows commanders to proactively assess organizational climate dimensions that could impact the overall health of their organization, according to the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). "This annual survey provides a wonderful opportunity for Team Patrick-Cape to offer suggestions for improvements," said Ronald Gonzales, 45th Equal Opportunity director and wing level survey administrator. "It also allows Airmen to capture positive or negative behavior to improve the mission." The survey is designed to anonymously assess perceptions of organizational effectiveness, equal opportunity, equal employment opportunity, fair treatment, and sexual assault prevention and response, according to DOD. The survey also includes factors including: favoritism, diversity management, organizational processes, intention to stay, help-seeking behaviors, exhaustion (burnout), demeaning behaviors and hazing. The Air Force implemented the survey in January 2014, replacing the Unit Climate Assessment, and bringing the Air Force in line with all other components of the Department of Defense. Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno, 45th Space Wing commander, encourages Team Patrick-Cape to provide honest feedback. "Feedback begins with you," she said. "By taking the time to provide honest feedback, we all are better able to evaluate our wing, put meaningful fixes in place, and ensure we are all moving in the right direction." The voluntary survey does not collect or use personally identifiable information. Therefore, the information collected is not subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, according to deocs.net. Participants will be asked to provide their demographic information such as rank, grade, race, and sex; however, this information will be used for statistical analysis only. No attempt will be made to identify participants. The results of the survey benefit units by giving everyone an equal chance to tell the commander what they think of the unit in regards to four primary areas which are Military Equal Opportunity, Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, and Organizational Effectiveness, according to Gonzales. Because a person's responses are anonymous, there is no way to save answers - if a person starts the survey and logs out before finishing, they will have to start back from the beginning, according to DEOMI. Members will be allowed to include comments which appear, unedited, in the final report. If a person chooses to identify him or herself in these comments, that information will stay; otherwise, comments are in no way matched to a person's other answers, comments, or demographics. The passwords to access the survey are randomly generated by computer and not traceable back to the individual, according to DEOMI. This helps ensure anonymity. Additional instructions will be sent June 15. The survey contains approximately 85 questions and participants should allow themselves approximately 30 minutes to complete it. Ten locally developed questions have also been tailored specifically toward Team Patrick-Cape and you have the opportunity to provide written comments, according to Gonzales. The survey can be accessed from any device with internet capability: government computer, personal computer, tablet, and public domain computers (library, internet café, etc.). For more information about the DEOCS, contact the 45th Space Wing Equal Opportunity director at (321) 494-6333. Related Sites: DEOMI.org DEOCS.net