Idaho Bulletin 360-5-10

September 6, 2005

SUBJECT:  PER - FY 2005 Awards Program

TO:  All Employees, NRCS, Idaho

Purpose.  Provide guidance and deadlines for preparation and submission of FY 2005 award nominations.

Expiration Date.  September 30, 2005

Summary of deadlines

October 21 - Extra Effort Award nominations due to Area Conservationists (ACs)/Principal Staff
October 21 - Performance Award nominations due to ACs/Principal Staff
October 21 - Civil Rights Award nominations due to Human Resources Officer (HRO)
October 28 - Outstanding Performance Award nominations due to State Conservationist
October 28 - ACs/Principal staff submit Extra Effort and Performance Award nominations to HRO

The NRCS employee recognition program is designed to recognize and reward individuals and groups for excellence in enhancement, support, and service to the Agency’s mission through extra efforts leading to instances of significant one-time contributions or through consistently high levels of performance.  The program also acknowledges contributions that lead to the achievement of organization, team, partner, and individual results, and which contributed to efficiency, economy, and mission of the Agency.

Supervisors, as well as all employees, who witness excellent, mission-oriented accomplishments are encouraged to recognize the excellent work by submitting award nominations.

Extra Effort Awards

Extra effort awards are one-time lump sum cash awards which are appropriate when an employee or group of employees performs substantially beyond expectations on a specific assignment, for a single scientific achievement, or similar one-time achievement of a non-recurring nature.  These expectations may or may not be contained in the employee's performance appraisal worksheets.  Amounts for extra effort awards must be based on tangible and/or intangible benefits to the government.  Extra effort awards range from $500 to $750.

• Any employee can nominate another employee for an extra effort award.  If you nominate an employee that you do not supervise, the supervisor must be informed of the nomination. 

• Prepare an AD-287-2, Nomination and Approval form

• Prepare a written justification to support your nomination as outlined in Attachment 2.

• Submit the paperwork to the nominee's supervisor.  Supervisors are to comment on nominations they receive for the purpose of providing clarification and strength to the substance of the written justification.  Supervisors should sign the AD-287-2 in the section for Recommendation and Approval in block 21.  Supervisors are not to decline a nomination.

• Supervisors (if not the area conservationist/principal staff) should forward the extra effort award nomination to the respective area conservationist/principal staff by October 21, 2005.

• Area conservationists/principal staff must forward the nominations to the HRO by October 28, 2005.

• Extra effort awards will be reviewed by the awards committee with the committee’s recommendations forwarded to the state conservationist.  If the award is denied by the awards committee, the nominator will be notified and given the opportunity to ask for a review by the state conservationist.

• Once the final decision has been made regarding the award, it will be returned to Human Resources for appropriate action.

• The justification for an extra effort award cannot include an assignment or achievement that was recognized with a FY2005 spot award. 

• Do not inform employees that they have been nominated.  Nominators and supervisors should maintain confidentiality. All approved awards will be entered into ICAMS by the Human Resources staff.

Performance Awards

Performance awards are presented to employees who have performed their normal day-to-day duties in an above satisfactory manner.  This may be demonstrated in many ways; e.g. regularly contributes high work output; consistently completes work products of high quality; provides exceptionally prompt and courteous service to customers, clients and coworkers etc.  Performance awards are intended to recognize good performance throughout the rating cycle.

Follow the steps below to nominate an employee for a Performance Award:

• Nominations for performance awards can only be made by the employee’s supervisor. Employees may not nominate their supervisor.

• Prepare an AD-287-2, Nomination and Approval form

• Prepare a narrative justification to support the nomination using the criteria found in Attachment 2 and attach it to the AD-287-2.

• Attach a copy of the employee's year- end performance appraisal work plan.

• Submit the original AD-287-2 and associated documentation to your respective area conservationist or principal staff by October 21, 2005.

• Area conservationists/principal staff must forward performance award nominations to the HRO by October 28, 2005.

• Performance awards will be reviewed by the Awards Committee with recommendation forwarded to the state conservationist.  Supervisors will be informed if the committee denies the award.  Supervisors can ask for review by the state conservationist.

• The justification for a performance award cannot include recognition that was previously given to an employee through a Spot Award award during FY 05

• Supervisors should maintain confidentiality.

• All approved awards will be entered into ICAMS by the Human Resources staff.

Outstanding Performance Awards (Quality Step Increase, QSI)

Our current performance rating system is not designed to describe any positive performance other than “Results Achieved”.  However, this should not deter us from recognizing and nominating employees who have performed their duties with outstanding results.  This award is a step increase, or if the employee is in the 10th step of his/her grade they will receive the monetary equivalent to a step increase.

Follow the steps below to nominate an employee for an Outstanding Performance Award:

• Outstanding Performance award nominations can only be submitted by the employee’s supervisor and are approved solely by the state conservationist.

• Prepare an AD-287-2, Nomination and Approval form

• Prepare a narrative justification to support the nomination using the criteria found in Attachment 2 and attach it to the AD-287-2.

• Attach a copy of the employee's year- end performance appraisal work plan.

• Submit the original AD-287-2 and associated documentation to the state conservationist by October 28, 2005.

• Supervisors should maintain confidentiality.

• Approved awards will be entered into ICAMS by the Human Resources staff.

Civil Rights Awards

There are two Civil Rights Award categories: Civil Rights Program Delivery and Contributions to Workforce Diversity.  These annual awards recognize NRCS employees who demonstrate excellence in the advancement of civil rights in program delivery and work force diversity.  These awards may be for an individual and/or group/team.  Award recipients become eligible to compete for nationa1 Civil Rights awards.  

Follow the steps below to prepare a nomination for a Civil Rights Award:

• Criteria for the Civil Rights Awards is attached (Attachment #3).  

• All employees, including supervisors and managers, are encouraged to submit nominations for these awards.

• Prepare an AD-287-2, Nomination and Approval form

• Prepare a narrative justification to support the nomination using the criteria found in Attachment 3 and attach it to the AD-287-2.

• Identify the type of award: Civil Rights Program Delivery or Contributions to Workforce Diversity on the nomination form.

• Forward the Civil Rights Award nominations to the HRO by October 21, 2005. The HRO will forward the nominations to the Idaho Civil Rights Committee.

• The Idaho Civil Rights Committee will review the nominations and make recommendations to the state conservationist.

• Confidentiality should be maintained.

• Approved awards will be entered into ICAMS by the Human Resources staff.

Attached are the following documents to assist in the award nomination process:

• AD-287-2, Recommendation and Approval Form (Attachment #1)

• Justification Outline (Attachment #2)
• Idaho Civil Rights Award Criteria (Attachment #3)
• Idaho Employee Recognition Delegation Chart (Attachment #4)

IDAHO NRCS AWARDS COMMITTEE

Responsibilities of the Idaho NRCS Awards Commttee:

• Review and prepare recommendations to the state conservationists for extra effort and performance award nominations
• Review and modify existing protocol for the Idaho Awards Committee
• Promote a better understanding of the employee recognition program in Idaho

FY2005 Awards Process

The Awards Committee will meet in November 2005 to review award nominations and make recommendations to the state conservationist.  All recommendations must have consensus of the committee.  Nominations without consensus are determined solely by the state conservationist.  Awards approved by the state conservationist will be forwarded to Human Resources for processing.  The goal is to have monetary awards electronically debited to employees’ accounts by mid-December.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact your respective division/state office award committee member.

/s/                                           
ADOLFO PEREZ                                         
Acting State Conservationist               

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