U.S. Department of Justice

   Washington, D.C. 20530

January 2, 1996

MEMORANDUM FOR BUREAU PERSONNEL OFFICERS
                       EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                       OFFICES, BOARDS, AND DIVISIONS

FROM:        Stephen R. Colgate
                      Assistant Attorney General
                             for Administration

SUBJECT:     Funding of Attorney General's Commendation Awards

The Attorney General's Awards Program, conducted annually in June of each year, is one way to nominate employees for special commendation and cash awards for major work achievements. The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) outlines nominating procedures and criteria for these awards in a memorandum to Component Heads sent in January of each year. The DAG serves as the Chair of the Incentive Awards Board and John Marshall Panel (Board), which is comprised of Component Heads selected each year on a rotating basis. The Board reviews and evaluates the nominations, and recommends nominees to the Attorney General. The Director, Personnel Staff, Justice Management Division, serves as the Board's Executive Secretary.

From time to time, Department officials recommend employees from Components other than their own for these awards. These recommendations are sometimes made outside the normal cycle for the Attorney General's Annual Awards Program, and seek to recognize and reward an employee(s) for a special act or work accomplishment that benefitted the nominating Component or the Department as a whole.

Occasionally, individuals have been recommended for awards without the prior notification and concurrence of the nominee's Component Head. This has sometimes led to misunderstandings regarding funding of the award, since it is the Department's policy that payment of a cash award will come from the Component employing the nominee, unless the nominating Component assumes responsibility for funding the award. Cost of the award device is paid through the Special Projects Fund. The Component that nominates an employee from another Department Component for a cash award must obtain the concurrence of the nominee's Component Head, and either inform the Component Head that it will fund the award, or request that the nominee's Component agree to fund the award. This policy applies to all Components, and includes nominations for the Attorney General's Annual Award Program.

Components who nominate employees from other Federal agencies or military branches of the Armed Services must likewise inform and obtain the concurrence of the nominee's supervisor for such awards. The nominating Component must fund any cash award presented to a Federal civilian employee outside the Department. Cash awards to military personnel are not permitted by Federal regulation. Cost of the award device is paid through the Special Projects Fund.

If there are any questions regarding this policy, please contact Richard Toscano, Assistant Director, Programs and External Relations, Human Resources, Justice Management Division on (202) 305-1756.