U.S. Office of Government Ethics
1201 New York Ave., NW
Suite 500
Washington, DC  20005-3917

					February 23, 2007
					DO-07-004

MEMORANDUM

TO: 		Designated Agency Ethics Officials

FROM:		Robert I. Cusick
		Director 

SUBJECT:	2007 Training Award Recipients

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is pleased to announce
the 2007 Training Award recipients.  The award recipients
successfully met the challenge of developing creative,
innovative educational programs and tools.  Their products
serve as models of programs that can be adapted for use by
other agencies.

The awards reflect the importance OGE places on training and
its role in ensuring an ethical workforce.  The awards
recognize the outstanding achievements of the:

* Bureau of the Public Debt  EthicsSmart, posters and newsletters
used to complement ethics training.  New posters are developed
monthly.  The monthly newsletter uses a question and answer format,
provides tips and suggestions, and offers information for managers to
discuss at staff meetings.

* Communications  Electronics Life Cycle Management Command  Ethics
Smart Card, credit card sized cards that provide useful information
about permissible and impermissible post-employment activities.
Easily read and portable, the cards were widely distributed to senior
military and civilian personnel.

* Natick Soldier Center  instructor-led, interactive training
targeted to the specific needs of a highly educated group of
scientists, engineers, and supporting staff.  The training program
contains numerous analogies and references to current events to
illustrate various points.  It effectively makes the case as to why
the information is relevant to the audience.

* National Aeronautics and Space Administration  Ethics Survivor, an
instructor-led game based on the TV program.  Props are used to
facilitate the game and add an element of realism.  Questions are used
to explore a range of ethics issues.

* U.S. Agency for International Development  a comprehensive program
that includes values-based instructor-led ethics training, customized
rules-based instructor-led training, strong, visible agency leadership
buy-in, annual ethics award (including a plaque and cash award),
electronic ethics tip of the day, and the ethics web site.

* U.S. Department of Agriculture  an online horse race in which
participants select ethics questions of varying degrees of difficulty.
The question selected and the answer chosen define participants pace
in the race.

The Department also has several Self-Help tools that allow employees
to identify possible ethics problems.  The tools support the work of
the ethics official.  By completing the tools employees are either
directed to the ethics official for guidance or learn that it is
unlikely that they have an ethics problem.

* Department of Commerce  an instructor-led program that uses
flashcards to present information on a range of topics to include post
employment, gifts, misuse of position, Hatch Act, etc.  The instructor
presents information and distributes the cards to participants.  Based
on the cards, participants state whether a particular behavior is or
is not allowed.

* U.S. Department of Education  Ethics Jeopardy, using the TV game
show format, this instructor-led program is used for basic ethics
training.  By varying the format the game was used effectively for
small and large groups.

* U.S. Mint  2006 General Training, interactive, instructor-led
training that addresses gifts, conflicts of interest, outside
activities, etc.  The program provides a clear sense of why the
training is important.

* U.S. Office of Personnel Management  an instructor-led program,
Public Service and Ethical Leadership, sponsored by the Federal
Executive Institute.  The highly interactive program includes case
studies, video clips, classic and contemporary readings, and self-
assessment exercises.

The awards provide OGE an opportunity to showcase the
agencies products and celebrate their achievements.  Their
development of leading edge initiatives, programs, and
products represents excellence and innovation of ethics
training provided for the purpose of fostering an ethical
culture.

The agencies will be formally recognized during the 2007
National OGE Conference.  Please join OGE in congratulating
them.