The Office of Personnel Management has announced two changes
to the president’s quality award program — used to recognize
programs and employees – that it says more strongly links it
to the president’s management agenda.
In its call for 2004 PQA applications, it said the first
change provides for three separate categories, designed to
recognize specific innovative and exemplary practices,
overall agency achievement in each of the five PMA
initiatives, and “overall agency management and how
effectively the different management systems are integrated.”
The second establishes criteria for submitting applications
in each category. To submit an application in the “innovative
and exemplary practices category,” agencies must have at
least a yellow rating in the PMA initiative under which it
is made.
“For submissions under the five government wide initiatives
the condition is a status green score for the initiative
under which the submission is made,” said OPM.
It said, “for submissions in the overall management
category the condition is status green scores in two of the
five government wide PMA initiatives and no reds.”
“The awards recognize agencies and employees for their
achievements in creating integrated systems and practices
which better support the achievement of their respective
agency missions,” said OPM.
It said agencies not scored under the PMA can only submit
applications under the innovative and exemplary practices
category, and only if the programs and employees “directly
and materially advance the common sense management
objectives of the PMA.”
Submissions are due Oct. 1. Award criteria and instructions
are available at: opm.gov/pqa.
