March 18, 2008                      

                                                                        DT-08-009

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Designated Agency Ethics Officials

FROM:            Matthew S. Cross

                        Associate Director for Education

SUBJECT:      Grand Slam Employee Crossword Puzzle

         In 2007, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) released a series of five ethics crossword puzzles to enhance your ethics training for executive branch employees.  The series of crossword puzzles covered topics on misuse of position, outside activities, gifts, general things you should know about ethics, seeking and post-employment.  OGE has developed a Grand Slam crossword puzzle which is a compilation of the employee crossword puzzles OGE issued in 2007.   The series of puzzles may be used for a variety of purposes.  For example, you may distribute the puzzles:

· During in-person annual ethics training

· As part of written annual ethics training during the two years in which you do not provide verbal training 

· As part of a leadership initiative aimed at your agency's supervisors, encouraging them to discuss the answers with their employees at a staff meeting

· During presentations to employees

· As part of your ethics or agency newsletter

      The Grand Slam crossword puzzle is available in three formats: a fillable online version, a 508 compliant version, and a printed version.  All versions are available on our web site at http://www.usoge.gov/pages/comp_web_trng/comp_web_trng_pg3.html.

Please note that the fillable version requires JAVA.  Therefore, please check with your agency's Information Resources staff to inquire if your internet browser has JAVA enabled.  The Section 508 compliant version requires employees to download and install the Talking Word Puzzle software.  Again, please check with your agency's Information Resources staff. 

For questions about the puzzles, please contact me at 202-482-9250.