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**United States Department of Agriculture**

**eGovernment Program**

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![](media/image2.wmf){width="1.229861111111111in"
height="0.3798611111111111in"} **Awards and Incentives Program
Recommendations**\
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**Submitted by:**

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November 30, 2001

Table of Contents

1.  INTRODUCTION

2.  GOAL

3.  DESIGN

    1.  Conceptual Design

    2.  Guiding Principles

        1.  *Encourage forward thinking*

        2.  *Provide clear and concise program information*

        3.  *Involve employees often and at all levels*

    3.  Program Outcomes

        1.  *Recognize Innovative Solutions*

        2.  *Increase Visibility*

        3.  *Encourage Continued Development and Evaluation*

4.  PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS

    1.  Monthly eGovernment Champions

    2.  eGovernment Scorecard Champions

    3.  eGovernment Day

    4.  Federal Awards Program

    5.  eGovernment Mailbox Submission Award

    6.  Survey Return Award

#  Introduction

Citizens, nonprofits, industry and other business partners increasingly
expect information and services to be available quickly, easily, and
around the clock. With this in mind, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) is committed to developing innovative ways of
fundamentally transforming how the Department conducts business.

The most critical success factor in transforming USDA is the ability for
employees to embrace and accept change. This is accomplished through a
change journey. A change journey provides a model for structuring change
initiatives. It uses the mental model of a journey or trip to help
organize change issues. Change can be compared to a journey in that it
involves a plan that has a starting point and defined destination and
involves a definition of the process that will be used to take you from
where you are to your intended destination. A change journey is
technically defined as a set of initiatives that an organization
undertakes to raise business performance. Context, content, and course
of action drive the change journey.

As evidence of commitment to the change journey, USDA is developing an
enterprise-wide eGovernment Strategic and Tactical Plan that will serve
as a guide to engage and involve USDA's employees in the implementation
process of eGovernment at USDA. This Strategic Plan, combined with items
such as the Communication Methodology, the eGovernment Readiness
Assessment, Strategic Planning and Methodology Guidebook, the USDA
eGovernment Web site and various marketing materials make up the start
of the USDA eGovernment Change Journey.

The implementation of an Awards and Incentives Program also makes up an
important part of the Change Journey. This document focuses on
additional ways to create a sense of ownership of the eGovernment
process through recognition. Not only will its implementation make
employees more aware of eGovernment processes, but it will also instill
ownership by inviting employees to submit electronic solutions that have
improved efficiency, effectiveness, and customer service.

1.  **Goal**

The goal of the eGovernment Awards and Incentives Program is to
recognize employees for implementing eGovernment solutions that improve
services for citizens and business partners, as well as develop an
efficient and effective work environment for USDA employees.

2.  **Design**

    1.  ***Conceptual Design***

Prior to designing and developing the details of the eGovernment Awards
and Incentives Program materials, it is important to define guiding
principles and program outcomes. Guiding principles set the tone of the
program and help to keep the program outcomes consistent with the
mission and vision of USDA's overall eGovernment effort. The eGovernment
Awards and Incentives Program guiding principles should continually be
referred to during the development process.

Upon determining the guiding principles, the next step is to define
specific goals for the eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program. In
addition to recognizing employee efforts in developing eGovernment
solutions, the eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program will increase
employees' level of awareness of eGovernment tools available to them at
USDA and encourage them to develop their own innovative eGovernment
solutions.

The following are key questions to be answered when defining the program
goals:

-   What specific outcomes should be produced as a result of the
    eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program?

-   What actions will be necessary to produce the desired outcome?

### ***3.2 Guiding Principles***

The eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program guiding principles will serve
as a framework during the detailed development of the program.

3.2.1 - Encourage forward thinking

All elements of the eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program should
challenge the traditional way of doing business. This principle also
suggests that USDA recognizes employees for developing new business
models and anticipating future needs and demands of USDA's employees,
citizens and business partners.

3.2.2 - Provide clear and concise program information

All correspondence regarding the eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program
should be clear and concise and use language that will not confuse or
discourage people from participating in the program. The program details
should remain uncomplicated and should inspire involvement in the
program as well as in the broader eGovernment efforts at USDA.

3.2.3 - Involve employees often and at all levels

The eGovernment Executive Council and Working Group members should serve
as resources in developing and delivering the program to ensure it meets
USDA's needs and is attractive to employees.

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***3.3 Program Outcomes***

The eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program outcomes identify the desired
results of this change effort. All components, from the development to
the delivery phase, will be designed to ensure the following outcomes
are achieved.

3.3.1 - Recognize Innovative Solutions

The eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program's primary goal is to develop
an internal rewards system that recognizes USDA employees for developing
innovative eGovernment solutions at USDA. The program will recognize the
people who developed the solution, the solution itself, and the benefits
of the eGovernment solution.

3.3.2 - Increase Visibility

Through the recognition of top eGovernment solutions developed by
employees, eGovernment efforts at USDA will receive greater visibility.
Increased visibility will serve as an educational tool to increase
knowledge about eGovernment services available to citizens, business
partners, and employees.

3.3.3 - Encourage Continued Development and Evaluation

By recognizing eGovernment solutions through the eGovernment
Awards/Incentives Program, employees will be encouraged to consider
developing eGovernment initiatives in their own work environment.

3.  **Program Recommendations**

    1.  ***Quarterly eGovernment Champions***

An eGovernment Champion is a key driver of change in an organization.
This individual is responsible for achieving the outcomes of an
end-to-end process, forcing process improvement, and acting as an
advocate for eGovernment within the Department. An eGovernment Champion
legitimizes a change in the process through a visible show of support
and excitement for the project.

Formal eGovernment Champions can be selected on a quarterly basis.
Submissions should be collected through the eGovernment mailbox and
evaluated by an objective selection committee. The committee should
evaluate individuals using a standard set of criteria such as creativity
and innovation, cost-effectiveness, and value delivered to the
Department and/or its citizens and business partners Winners would
receive an award, one that carries the eGovernment logo and symbolizes
innovation and may also be recognized through the following vehicles:

-   An "In the Spotlight" article on the USDA eGovernment Web site for
    one month's time;

-   A Place in the "eGovernment Champions Hall of Fame" on the USDA
    eGovernment web site;

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-   A letter of commendation from USDA's Chief Information Officer, with
    a copy sent to the winners' supervisors, as well, for performance
    review purposes;

-   An eGovernment certificate signed by the Secretary or Deputy
    Secretary, and the CIO;

-   A monetary award

    ***4.2 eGovernment Scorecard Champions***

    The eGovernment Scorecard Champions award recognizes agencies, which
    have consistently met expectations or have made significant
    improvement in eGovernment implementation over a specified period of
    time. eGovernment performance is monitored with the use of a
    eGovernment Scorecard.

    The eGovernment Scorecard is intended as a management tool to
    measure performance as an integrated Departmental team and to gauge
    the level of involvement of each mission area and agency. The tool
    maps each agency and mission area against key activities. A "green"
    evaluation means the mission area or agency has met the expectations
    of the required activity; a "yellow" evaluation indicates the
    mission area or agency is late in contributing to the required
    activity; and a "red" evaluation shows that the mission area or
    agency is unacceptably behind schedule in participating in the
    required activity.

The eGovernment Program may rate the agencies on items such as:

-   GPEA compliance

-   508 compliance

-   Cross-agency cooperation

The agency eGovernment steering committee for winning agencies would be
recognized through the following vehicles:

-   A letter of commendation from USDA's Chief Information Officer;

-   eGovernment marketing materials such as:

    -   Coffee mugs

    -   Beverage cozies/coasters

    -   Mouse Pads

    -   Stress Balls

        ***4.3 eGovernment Day***

The Deputy Secretary and OCIO may sponsor an eGovernment Day that
consists of a ½ day or full day eGovernment Marketing and Promotion
Events Fair for USDA employees. eGovernment Day would not only provide a
venue for the eGovernment Program to increase visibility, but would also
provide a forum for USDA employees to gather information, ask questions,
and take away eGovernment materials. eGovernment Day may involve:

-   A USDA eGovernment Panel consisting of USDA eGovernment
    representatives knowledgeable about successful eGovernment projects
    in use at USDA

-   Internal and/or external guest speakers addressing relevant
    eGovernment topics

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-   Information booths and/or demonstrations on eGovernment applications
    and efforts divided by Mission Area or Agency

-   USDA eGovernment Web site demonstration

-   Awards (e.g., plaques, certificates, and on-the-spot cash awards)
    for outstanding USDA eGovernment project teams nominated generally
    and selected by the Executive Council

-   Marketing materials such as:

    -   Pamphlets

    -   Billboards

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-   Coffee mugs

-   Beverage cozies/coasters

    -   Mouse pads

    -   Stress Balls, etc.

***4.4 Federal Awards Program***

Participants in USDA's eGovernment Awards/Incentives Program should also
have an opportunity to be nominated for other outside Federal Awards
Programs and those offered by the private sector and nonprofits for
Federal agencies. Winning such awards raises the image of USDA in this
space in the eyes of our customers, business partners and regulatory
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The eGovernment Project Team could research potential awards programs
that recognize Best Practices and/or eGovernment Solutions, advertise
their availability through venues such as the USDA eGovernment web page,
and facilitate the application process if necessary.

***4.5 eGovernment Mailbox Submission Awards\
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Recognition should also be awarded to those who have taken the time and
effort to submit questions, comments, and ideas to the eGovernment
mailbox (<egov@usda.gov>) that prove valuable to the improvement of the
eGovernment initiative. Awards may be based on:

-   Highest percentage of eGovernment submissions by agency

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-   Submission showing the most creativity and innovation,
    cost-effectiveness, and value

    Awards may include:

-   Recognition in the USDA eGovernment Web site

-   A letter of commendation from USDA's Chief Information Officer

***4.6 Survey Return Award\
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Recognition for participating in eGovernment surveys offers additional
incentive for employees to focus and participate in eGovernment
initiatives. Awards may be given to:

-   An agency with the highest survey return percentage

-   An individual chosen from a random drawing

    Awards, in keeping with the eGovernment theme, may include:

-   A gift certificate

-   A Palm Pilot