Nomination Criteria

A panel of independent aviation experts will evaluate all nominated federal aviation programs and professionals for over-all excellence and innovative achievement during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2008

The criteria below apply to both owned (federal) and hired Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) aircraft.

The winning programs and professionals will demonstrate the most outstanding achievements. The categories below will be considered during judging.  Although the judges will be looking for the best over-all programs and professionals, those that are truly exceptional in only one (or a few) of the categories will still be considered. Include any external validation initiatives your agency experienced over this period including other awards, ARMS, surveys, or other report such as a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review.

FEDERAL AVIATION PROGRAM NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION

Consider the sample questions below when writing the NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION for either the Program or Professional.  When writing the Narrative/Justification please follow the outlines below and address the main functional areas (Management and Administration, Operations, etc.). Remember, the narrative is to be no more than four pages (Arial 12 font, single spaced, 1" margins).  The questions listed below are for your assistance in writing the narrative and are not required to be answered.

(A) MANAGEMENT and ADMINISTRATION:  Outstanding achievements in this category include all exceptional improvements, innovative changes, or an extraordinarily high level of performance sustained during 2008, and past years related to general management and leadership of an aviation program. Achievements may also include managing an organization and its personnel; contracting for or acquiring, managing, and disposing of aircraft and related parts, equipment, and facilities; budgeting and financial management; contracting; developing and enforcing policy/standards; developing and administering tracking and reporting systems; and reporting complete and accurate data, on time, to the Federal Aviation Interactive Reporting System (FAIRS).

• What business practices sustained or improved the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of your program during 2008? 
• If your program operates federal aircraft, do you have a fleet plan? What is your fleet planning strategy and process?  Did your agency exhibit any exceptional or innovative actions during 2008 to ensure that your agency has the right size, type, and number of aircraft to perform its mission cost-effectively?
• If you hire Commercial Aviation Services (CAS), did your program perform an aviation needs assessment during 2008? What is your aircraft needs assessment planning process and the actions you took to sustain or improve your contracting program during 2008.
• How did your program's achievements in management/administration improve or sustain your agency's mission-effectiveness in 2008?

(B) OPERATIONS: Award-winning achievements in this category include all 'above and beyond' operational performance during 2008, significant improvements in operational performance measures, or the adoption of innovative procedures and practices related to flight operations. Innovations may include scheduling, dispatch, piloting, crewmember duties, responsibility for emergency procedures and equipment, and other responsibilities related to aircraft flight operations.

• If you hire CAS aircraft, did you include performance measures for operations in your contracts? Did your contractors meet or exceed your goals in 2008? 

• Did you have (or did you include in your CAS contracts, as applicable) basic qualifications and currency requirements for the pilots, crewmembers, maintenance personnel, and other mission related personnel in your program?  Please describe these briefly and share any innovative or exceptional actions your program took in this area in 2008.
• Did you have (or did you include in your CAS contracts, as applicable) pilot and crewmember duty time and flight time limitations?  Please describe these briefly and share any innovative or exceptional actions your program took in this area in 2008.
• Please describe any innovative or exceptional actions your program took in 2008 in these areas such as:
  • Your agency's operations manual(s) and checklists
  • Compliance with safety of flight notices and operational bulletins;
  • Flight following procedures;
  • Appropriate emergency procedures and equipment;
  • Scheduling, dispatch, flight following.
• How have your program's achievements in flight operations improved or sustained your agency's mission-effectiveness?

(C) MAINTENANCE: Excellence in this category translates to significant improvements in maintenance-related performance measures, cost-effective improvements to practices, procedures, tools, or facilities, or on-time, on-budget completion of a major project related to maintaining aircraft and related parts and equipment. You may also address scheduled and unscheduled maintenance; modifications; repair and rework (organizational level, intermediate level, or depot level); parts acquisition and management; and facilities management.

• If you operate Federal aircraft, what kind of maintenance inspection programs did you conduct in 2008 to ensure safety of flight?  Please briefly describe your aircraft maintenance and inspection strategy and processes and share any innovative or exceptional actions you took to improve or sustain your maintenance program in 2008.
• If you hired CAS in 2008, what maintenance requirements did you put in your contracts (as applicable)?  Please describe these briefly and share any innovative or exceptional actions you took to improve or sustain maintenance of your contracted aircraft.
• In 2008, did you have a maintenance manual(s) and record keeping procedures in place to record and tract maintenance actions, inspections, flight hours/cycles, etc.?  Please describe your system and share any innovative or exceptional actions you took to improve your maintenance record keeping or inventory control program. 
• Did your agency undertake any major rework, overhaul, or modification programs in 2008, and if so, please briefly describe your program and its results.
• How have your program's achievements in maintenance improved or sustained your agency's mission-effectiveness?

(D) TRAINING: Superior training programs show results through outstanding or improved safety/operational performance measures; are comprehensive, continuous, and innovative; and include training for all aviation program personnel. You may also address initial and recurrent training for management and administrative personnel, operational personnel (such as pilots and crewmembers), maintenance personnel, aviation safety officers, and qualified non-crewmembers who do their jobs while flying but are not necessarily aviators.

• Have you included performance measures for training in your contracts?  Did your contractors meet or exceeded your goals?
• Did you establish a new program or reorganize an old one during 2008? 
• Does your program have a training manual and written policy guidance for training members of your aviation team, and if so, please describe?
• Did training enable your personnel to perform in an exceptional manner in 2008? If so, please describe briefly how this occurred.
• How have your program's achievements in training in 2008 improved or sustained your agency's mission-effectiveness?

(E) SAFETY: Superior safety programs also show results through outstanding or improved safety/operational performance measures and involve ensuring safety throughout your aviation program, whether on the ground or in the air.  Include initiatives for risk analysis and risk management; internal and external assessments/inspections and enforcement of safety standards including Aviation Resource Management Surveys (ARMS) or other type surveys; systems for tracking, reporting, and communicating hazards, incidents, accidents, and accident prevention information; and safety awards programs.

• Did you include performance measures for safety oversight in your contracts if you hired CAS? Did your contractors meet or exceed your goals?
• Do you have a formal safety program, aviation safety officer(s), written policies for safety oversight, and an aviation safety awards program?  If so, please briefly describe.
• Has your program maintained an effective safety record? What enabled this achievement? Do you operate under high-risk and challenging circumstances? 
• Have you learned from an accident? How are you putting into practice what you've learned? 
• How have your program's achievements in ensuring aviation safety improved or sustained your agency's mission-effectiveness in 2008?

FEDERAL AVIATION PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION

MANAGERIAL/OFFICIAL

• What has your nominee done in 2008 to improve your agency's policies and guidance for aviation operations management (for owned or hired aircraft)?
• Has your nominee made exceptional contributions to fleet planning and ensuring that your agency has the optimum number, size, and type of aircraft to accomplish your agency's mission?  Please describe.
• What has your nominee contributed to the management of aircraft operations and maintenance whether for federally-owned or CAS aircraft?
• Describe your nominees efforts to ensure the safety of your agency's personnel and aircraft operations (whether owned or contract) and to oversee training programs in support of safety and cost-effective operations?
• What contributions has your nominee made to improving/sustaining your agency's efforts to collect, report, analyze, and use cost and operations data to measure performance?

OPERATIONAL/SUPPORT

• What has your nominee done in 2008 to improve or sustain operations of your agency's owned or hired aircraft?
• Has your nominee made exceptional contributions to maintenance of your agency's owned or hired aircraft?  Please describe.
• Describe your nominees efforts to ensure the safety of your agency's personnel and aircraft operations (whether owned or contract) and/or to support training programs in support of safety and cost-effective operations.
• What contributions has your nominee made to improving/sustaining your agency's efforts to collect, report, analyze, and use cost and operations data to measure performance?
• How did your nominees achievements improve or sustain your agency's mission-effectiveness in 2008?

NOMINATION CRITERIA QUESTIONNAIRE

Briefly describe each major area below and answer the questions.  Remember to submit your responses in Arial 12 Font, single spaced, 1" margins all around, and no more than four pages. 

In addition to the questions below, you may also want to consider the following questions: Did your personnel (pilots, crewmembers, administrative staff) accomplish anything extraordinary in 2008?  Did anyone go 'above and beyond' in carrying out their duties in 2008 or has anyone built a sustained high performance record over a long period?  Did ground crew, dispatchers, or other personnel make exceptional contributions?  Did any of your managerial support staff contribute to significant improvements in policy, administration, or operational support in 2008?

FEDERAL AVIATION PROGRAM AWARDS (LARGE AND SMALL, INCLUDING CAS):

(A) MANAGEMENT/ADMINSTRATION
(1) Briefly describe your program to include the number of aircraft, number of people, mission, flying hours, cost of program, etc. What are your program's performance measures for program management/administration?  Did you meet or exceed them during 2008?

(2) Did you report complete and accurate data, on time, to FAIRS? Please describe (1) how your agency collects and reports aviation cost, usage, operations, maintenance, and safety data and develops performance measures and (2) any steps you took in 2008 to improve your data collection and reporting process.

(B) OPERATIONS
(1) If you operate federal aircraft, what are your performance measures for operations?  Did you meet or exceed them in 2008?

(C) MAINTENANCE
(1) What are your performance measures for maintenance?  Have you included performance measures for maintenance in your contracts (as applicable)? Did you and/or your contractors meet or exceed your goals in 2008?

(D) TRAINING
(1) What are your performance measures for training?  Did you meet or exceed your training goals in 2008?

(E) SAFETY
(1) What are your safety performance measures? How many accidents and incidents (in accordance with NTSB 830) did your agency experience in 2008, and what was your accident rate? Did you meet or exceed your safety goals in 2008?

(2) Did you report all 2008 accidents and incidents to the NTSB and GSA per the regulations? 

FEDERAL AVIATION PROFESSIONAL AWARDS

(A) MANAGERIAL/OFFICIAL
(1) What specific action or actions has your nominee taken to improve or sustain the management and administration of your aviation program and aircraft operations (including CAS operations)?

(B) OPERATIONAL/SUPPORT

GOVERNMENT LINKS

• Celebrating the Centennial of Flight: 1903-2003
• Congress: Legislation and Public Laws
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-126
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)