FOR MORE INFORMATION                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bob Fullerton: (303) 275-2700 January 29, 1998

e-mail: fullerton@wapa.gov

WESTERN TEAM RECEIVES HAMMER AWARD

GOLDEN, Colo. - A team of Western Area Power Administration employees received Vice President Al Gore's Hammer Award, which is presented to Federal employees and others who have made significant contributions in reinventing government..

The employees served on Western's Freedom from Regulations Team, which was chartered in February 1996 to find ways for the agency to be more businesslike and less bureaucratic. Team members were Dina Anderson, Ernie Baier, Don Byron, Barry Fischthal, Charlene Hurtado, Koji Kawamura, Bruce Kirschner, Norm Miller, Kevin Petz, Don Ray, Sandee Roth, Kym Sigler, Roland Sohnholz, and Amy Wright.

Team members were presented with the award by Western's Acting Administrator Michael Hacskaylo, at a ceremony in Golden, Colo. "This is the first Western employee team to receive this recognition," Hacskaylo noted at the awards luncheon.

The team developed 58 recommendations that could save Western $1.5 million and the time equivalent of 12 employees annually. Forty of the recommendations have been implemented, with another 15 nearing completion. The remaining three are pending due to laws or regulations that have delayed implementation.

Two significant recommendations concerned purchasing and contracting. Historically, most small purchases were made using purchase orders, a costly and time-consuming process. The team estimated Western could save $514,000 annually by using credit cards for small purchases rather than purchase orders. Western has increased both the number of card holders and the dollar threshold for credit card purchases.

Another accomplishment was to streamline the process used to select contractors for services and equipment. Previously, contractors were selected by evaluating written proposals based on technical criteria, followed by further analysis and negotiations. Based on the team's recommendations, the written evaluation phase was eliminated as unnecessary, leaving oral presentations as the primary basis for negotiating and awarding a contract. This has saved Western an estimated $115,000 annually and cut in half the time needed to award contracts--from six to three months. Potential contractors also benefit because it is easier to submit a proposal, and a decision is made faster.

Western Area Power Administration markets and transmits reliable, low-cost electric power, provides related services and encourages energy efficient management in an environmentally sound manner. Western's service area covers 1.3 million square miles in 15 western states.

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