# Presentation: 679904

## Working Towards the Gold

**Department of Veterans Affairs**
**Federal Environmental Symposium**
**June 5, 2007 **

## Background

- Early commitment to end-of-life aspects of electronics management
- Senior management engagement
- Charter signatory to Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Sustainable Environmental Stewardship of Federal Electronic Assets
- Team building

**Notes:**
Good afternoon, everyone.  I’d like to thank the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive for providing me with the opportunity to share my experiences and VA’s efforts to become a 2006 and 2007 “Gold Level” FEC Partner.  

First, some background.  VA was already strong in one life cycle phase – end of life – through transfers of excess electronics to authorized schools and recycling of obsolete electronics.

We engaged our senior management and VA Environmental Council members prior to the official launch of the FEC, including through briefings by Viccy Salazar and Holly Elwood of EPA.  They really were instrumental in VA’s becoming a Charter Signatory to the electronics stewardship MOU on November 15, 2004.  

We also developed a VA Federal Electronics Challenge Team, with representation from the environment, personal property management, IT, and transportation arenas.

## Building on Bronze: End-of-Life Activities

- Signed MOU with Federal Prison Industries (UNICOR)
- 1,387,392 pounds of electronics recycled in FY05
- 1,933,143 pounds of electronics recycled in FY06
- Donated computers to authorized schools
- 1,751 computers donated through GSA’s Computers for Learning (CFL) Program in FY05 and 6,701line items in FY06
- Partnered with stakeholders in electronics collection events
- Earth Day
- America Recycles Day

**Notes:**
This slide highlights our end-of-life activities.  In 2002, we entered into a 2-year agreement with UNICOR for the recycling of VA’s obsolete electronics.  We renewed that in 2004 for another 2 years and are continuing our partnership.  Our latest renewal in 2007 underscores our participation in the FEC and commitment to the environmentally sound disposition of electronics.   

In FY 2005, the VA Transportation and Logistics Center coordinated the shipment of nearly 1.4 million pounds of electronics to UNICOR for recycling.  We also transferred excess, but useable computers, monitors, and peripherals to authorized schools under EO 12999 through the GSA CFL Program Web site and directly.  

And, we partnered with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, EPA, DC Government, DELL, and other private and public sector stakeholders on e-cycling events in conjunction with Earth Day and America Recycles Day.

## Moving to Silver:  Operations and Maintenance

- Maximized useful life of electronics
- Average lifespan 4 years
- Energy Star stand-by power function enabled on an average 98% of computer monitors
- Promoted reuse of electronics through internal agency transfers
- Developed media sanitization procedures designed to “foster reutilization”
- Issued Intranet Broadcast System notice to turn off computer monitors at end of day

**Notes:**
Building on the strength of our bronze activities, we decided to go for the gold.  Actually, we were encouraged to submit an application for recognition as a gold level FEC partner and supported in our efforts by my program office’s senior manager, the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Management and Operations.  So, we started to work backwards in terms of the life-cycle phases.  We looked at what VA was already doing in terms of operating and maintaining our electronic assets.  We also used our findings from the first annual FEC report.  

To extend electronics life cycle and to keep them out of land-fills, VA Property managers utilize an internal mail group called VA Property Managers to advertise their facility’s “unrequired” (excess) electronics to other facilities within VA.  VA also utilizes the General Services Administration Agency Asset Management System or AAMS to broadcasts excess electronics to other federal agencies.

Our Department provided language used in the Office of Information and Technology Fixed Electronic Media Sanitization memorandum.  The procedures contained in the memorandum are used when VA hard drives found not to contain sensitive, personally identifiable healthcare information, or privacy act protected information.  The established procedures require our information technology specialists to utilize the least destructive method for sanitizing VA data thus increasing the end-of-life phase of VA computers.

## Working Towards the Gold:  Acquisition and Procurement

- VA Directive 0052, Affirmative Procurement, Recycling and Waste/Pollution Prevention Programs
- Early EPEAT Supporter
- Beta tested EPEAT database
- Balloted to approve EPEAT Standard (IEEE 1680)
- EPEAT Board of Advisors
- Procurement of Computer Hardware and Software-2 (PCHS-2) environmental requirements
- Energy Star enabled
- Options for equipment take-back and recycling
- PCHS-3
- EPEAT included in draft RFP issued July 2005
- NASA SEWP IV
- Mandatory IT contract vehicle effective May 2007

**Notes:**
The EPEAT standard was not available when we developed PCHS-2, a mandatory VA-wide IT contract.  However, that contract did include requirements for Energy Star products and options for equipment take-back and recycling.  In July of 2005, we issued a draft RFP for PCHS-3 that included a preference for products that could meet the latest EPEAT mandatory criteria at the time.  We worked with Catherine Cesnik and John Sherman at DOI and Holly Elwood to draft the EPEAT language that appeared in the RFP.  

## Working Towards the Gold:  Mentoring, Education and Outreach

- Veterans Health Administration Central Office FEC Point of Contact
- VA PCHS-3 Team and Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative
- Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Coordinators
- Earth Day 2005 announcement by Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Policy Memorandum from VA Chief Management Officer promoting VA-wide participation in FEC

**Notes:**
The requirement for mentoring was flexible the first year of competition and we pretty much took a global approach in terms of audience and activities, some of which are listed here and on the next slide.  

## Working Towards the Gold:  Mentoring, Education and Outreach (cont.)

- National conference calls
- Electronic mail messages
- Internal newsletter (*Materiel Dispatch*)
- Case study - White House *Closing the Circle News *special edition on electronics
- New electronics stewardship Web page
- Participation in video featuring UNICOR electronics recycling/reconditioning operations
- Active participation on Federal Environmental Stewardship Workgroup
- FEC Steering Committee member presentations at VA environmental events

**Notes:**
Much of the mentoring was done by myself and members of the VA FEC Team.  We used a variety of methods to educate, raise awareness, and provide assistance, including national monthly conference calls, electronic mail messages to distribution groups, and awareness through internal and external publications.  We also had Laura Nazef give a presentation on the FEC at our America Recycles Day event.  

## VA Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) Team

- National Level
- Barbara Matos, Environmental Program Manager (VA FEC Point of Contact)
- Freddie Martinez, Chief, Materiel, Policy, Training and Operations Staff
- Jim Teal, Personal Property Manager
- Linnie Baker, Inventory Management Specialist
- Chris Matos, Traffic Management Specialist (transportation)
- Steve Garber, Computer Specialist

**Notes:**
We formed the VA Federal Electronics Team early on at the national level.  Several of these members are present today and also actively participate in the Federal Electronics Stewardship Working Group on a regular basis.  Their titles reflect their areas of expertise.  

## Achieving Gold

- June 12, 2006 White House Ceremony
- Gold Level FEC Partner
- Closing the Circle Award for Leadership in Electronics Stewardship

***Making History***
- History was made when all three Federal Environmental Executives appointed since 1993 by Presidents Clinton and Bush gathered to present the 2006 White House Closing the Circle Awards.  Pictured with VA Federal Electronics Challenge Team members are    Fran McPoland, John Howard, and Ed Pinero.

**Notes:**
In terms of the application itself, we highlighted our activities in each of the 3 life cycle phases using a bulleted approach.  We also attached supporting documentation that provided some key examples of our efforts.  The applications go through a very thorough review process.  I believe we had 2 reviewers and were asked to clarify certain points, expand on others, and provide some additional documentation.

Was it worth it in the end?  I think this photograph speaks for itself.  Not only did we have the honor of winning a Gold Level FEC Partner Award and a White House Closing the Circle Award for Leadership in Electronics Stewardship, but we also had the pleasure of being in the same room at the same time with all three Federal Environmental Executives ever appointed.

## Achieving Gold – Again!

- 2007 Gold Level FEC Partner
- More stringent application process
- Lessons learned:
- Clearly identify and target activities to be accomplished by December 31, at the level recognition is being sought
- Begin the application process early
- Document throughout the year

**Notes:**
For 2007 VA, again, was the only Cabinet Level Department to achieve “gold level partner” status in the federal electronics challenge.  Also, for the second year in a row VA Illiana Health Care System was recognized as a Bronze level winner for their electronics end-of-life stewardship.     

## Summary

- Enlist management                                     support
- Establish/utilize inter-disciplinary team
- Promote/educate continually
- Identify activities in all three life-cycle phases and ***Go for the Gold****!*

**FOR MORE INFO...**

- http://www1.va.gov/oamm/recycle/ea_FEC.cfm

**Barbara Matos, 202-273-6121, barbara.matos@va.gov**

**Notes:**
To summarize our efforts we highly recommend the following actions when going for the gold:
	get senior management support
	continuously raise the awareness of the program and agency 
	update and educate your staff
	conduct early program assessment (what is needed for gold), with staff and senior management
	identify needs
	document your efforts
	and finally go for the gold!

Once again thank you for your time and the opportunity you have given me.