Awards Nominations

Overview
The General Services Administration (GSA) Network Services Awards Program was created in 1993 by the Interagency Management Council (IMC) to recognize individuals and groups who, through their use of Federal Acquisition Services (FAS), Office of Integrated Technology Service (ITS) contracts, have improved the quality, management, and/or cost effectiveness of telecommunication services for their agency or the Federal government as a whole.

All nominations should be coordinated with your supervisor and your agency's Incentive Awards Administrator before submission.

Recognition
There are two types of awards within the various categories: individual and group.  Cash awards are given to all individual awardees except the Executive Excellence category (and others as noted below), for which there is non-monetary recognition.

Each member of a group award receives a cash award.  In order for group awards to be significant, nominators are strongly encouraged to limit the size of groups to a maximum of 10 members.  Additionally, if an individual is selected for an individual award and is also part of a group award, only the individual cash award will be granted.  No group member will receive more money than the winner of an individual award will.

The IMC Awards Committee will determine the amount of the cash awards based upon the amount of funds available and the number of winning nominations.

Eligibility
Nominees are not eligible to receive an award two years in a row for the same project.
Interagency workgroups/committees/teams are encouraged and eligible for group awards.

Neither GSA associates nor contract employees are eligible to receive monetary awards.  GSA associates are not eligible for individual awards but are eligible for group, non-monetary awards.  Likewise, IMC Awards Committee Members are ineligible to receive monetary awards.

Categories
There is a single award winner in the Executive Excellence category and the winner is chosen by the IMC.  There are multiple winners in all other categories, depending on the quality/quantity of nominations. Below is a description of each award category.

Executive Excellence
Sustained contribution to the Federal Government in a senior management or leadership role. 

Management/Administrative Excellence
Significant achievement in acquisition of telecommunication services, management of telecommunication systems and networks, and/or accomplishments supporting network projects, procurements, policies, and other successes involving GSA/FAS/ITS Network Services provided contracts and services.

Technical Excellence
Innovative use of GSA/FAS/ITS provided contracts and services for a large network or project, and/or providing technically superior network design, conversion or implementations.

Cost Effectiveness
Significant achievement in improving the cost effectiveness or cost reduction of agency networks or systems using GSA/FAS/ITS provided contracts and services. 

Small Agency (Independent Agencies of 6,000 FTE or less)
Significant achievement, noteworthy technical, administrative or managerial efforts in the use of GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services to further small agency missions/goals.

Transition Excellence
Significant achievement in the addition of new, innovative telecommunications services to the Networx Universal and/or Enterprise or the WITS3 contracts that expand the telecommunications service offerings available to agencies, which improve their ability to meet mission critical due dates, technical and security requirements, and cost-effectively manage telecommunications resources.

Nomination Criteria
The Awards Committee evaluates the written narrative/justification submitted with the package to evaluate and determine winners.  The following areas are suggested for consideration in support of the nomination.  Any one or more of the following, as well as additional areas of consideration may be used:

• Specific accomplishments as a Senior Manager in policy, planning, management or utilization of GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services
• Specific accomplishments resulting in the improved delivery of Government services using GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services
• Specific innovative use of GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services in response to customers’ requirements, resulting with improved service and/or savings
• Specific accomplishments resulting in significant cost savings to an agency or the Federal Government using GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services
• Specific accomplishments resulting in innovative advancements in the technical enhancement of GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services
• Superior accomplishments over the long term that have demonstrated significant diligence, ingenuity, and significantly improved the agency’s effectiveness of telecommunications services using GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services
• Specific special acts or services well beyond job requirements, in direct response to customer requirements utilizing GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services

All nominations will be evaluated and rated based upon the following:

• Significance of the effort
• Demonstrated originality and/or creativity
• Impact on service to the public
• Impact on the mission of the organization
• Improvements to operations or management productivity
• Cost and resource effectiveness of the effort
• Significance of cost savings and/or benefits
• Long-range impact
• Benefit to other organizations or, overall, to the GSA/FAS/ITS contracts and services

Nominating Procedures
The Awards Committee must receive the original signed nomination package by May 20, 2008.  Nominations should be submitted for a specific category using the prescribed forms.  PLEASE LEGIBLY PRINT/TYPE ALL requested information.

Complete all requested information, as incomplete nomination packages WILL NOT be considered.  This includes the personal information requested: Social Security Number, home address, and retirement system verification. This information is crucial for preparation of the award checks, taxes, and W2 statements.

Nomination write-ups should be kept to a maximum of two pages.  This will ensure a high quality, succinct, and concise nomination package is submitted.

The IMC Awards committee will review and rate all nominations and provide award recommendations to the IMC.  The IMC will review and make final approval of awards.  The IMC has exclusive rights in selecting the annual Executive Excellence Award winner.

Please submit the completed and signed nomination package to:

Martha Hall
IMC Awards Committee
10304 Eaton Place
Fairfax, Virginia 22030