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Suggestion programs are an extremely effective
way to harness the creative ideas of the workforce. They provide a formal structure by
which ideas are solicited from or offered by the workforce, a process by which subject
matter or technical experts may appropriately evaluate the merits of the ideas, and a tool
to improve the operations of an organization and reduce its costs. Organizational
placement of policy, administrative, oversight or operational responsibility for a
suggestion program may vary within each bureau. The definition of a suggestion award is an
award that may be granted for an idea, method or device, submitted through a formal
documentation process for evaluation, which results in tangible or intangible benefits and
which is adopted, i.e., approved for use, i.e., implemented, by the U.S. Government.
Eligibility:
- Eligible suggestions or ideas are those that in writing
- identify an improvement in Government operations, a cost-reduction opportunity, or an
improvement in the delivery of services that results in tangible or intangible benefits to
the U.S. Government, which
- set forth a specific course of action to achieve the improvement or cost reduction, and
- have been evaluated and approved by appropriate officials for use in the U.S.
Government.
- Ineligible suggestions or ideas are those that
- point out the need for routine maintenance work,
- recommend enforcement of an existing law or policy,
- propose changes in housekeeping practices,
- call attention to violations of regulations, or
- result in intangible benefits of "good will."
General
Each bureau establishes award amounts based upon the tangible or intangible benefits of
the suggestion.
When several organizations or bureaus benefit from a suggestion, they may share the cost
of the award to the individual.
Any individual, or group, may submit a suggestion for consideration.
Suggestions must be submitted through appropriate chains of command for evaluation. Only
suggestions that are recommended for approval by the evaluator should continue to be
forwarded to the approval authority.
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