Ida Ustad Award for Excellence in Acquisition

The Ida Ustad Award for Excellence in Acquisition is an annual $5,000 award sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA) recognizing an individual Government employee whose actions demonstrate or embody the concept of contract specialist as business leader/advisor and had a major impact on improving the acquisition process. Nominations are to be emailed directly to: ellis.osiname@gsa.gov until March 2, 2009.

More About the Ida Ustad Award.

In order to be eligible for this award, an applicant must be a Government employee in the 1102 series working for an agency subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and must have high ethical standards. The accomplishments for which the applicant is nominated must have taken place after January 1, 2008, but before December 31, 2008. Anyone may nominate an applicant for this award. However, the nomination must be approved by the applicant's Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA). The nomination requires the following information:

  • A description of the nominee's original, innovative approach to an acquisition issue.
  • A description of how the nominee's approach lowered prices and/or improved the quality of performance the Government receives from its contractors.
  • A description of how the nominee has served as a business leader/advisor, focusing on both the customer and the market and bringing the two together effectively.
  • A description of how the nominee demonstrated a commitment to professional development, both personally and organizationally.
  • A description of how the nominee's accomplishment (s) resulted in substantial small business participation or created significant subcontracting opportunities.

GSA will present the award in June 2009 at an awards ceremony.

The Ida Ustad Award for Excellence in Acquisition honors Ida Mae Ustad, Deputy Associate Administrator for Acquisition Policy in the Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration (GSA), who died November 29, 1999, in Rockville, Maryland. She earned a well-deserved reputation throughout the Federal Government and with private industry for providing expert acquisition and procurement advice. This annual $5000 award recognizes an individual Government employee whose actions demonstrate or embody the concept of &contract specialist as business leader/advisor.

To be eligible for the Ida Ustad Award for Excellence in Acquisition, candidates must:

  • Be a Government employee in the 1102 series working for an agency subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and must have high ethical standards. Anyone may nominate an applicant for this award. However, the applicant's Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) must approve the nomination.

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