Plant Protection & Quarantine

Deputy Administrator's Outstanding Achievement Award

Background and Criteria

The outstanding achievement category recognizes efforts that reach or exceed the goals designated for a given project or work effort, but that do not necessarily represent a new or innovative approach. Simply put, this award will recognize work done within the organization that is done exceptionally well in reaching or exceeding sound, clearly defined goals and where a positive impact can be demonstrated. These are the actions that are part of our day-to-day work, but that somehow go beyond the scope of our duties each day to exceed expectations. This category is not necessarily limited to the four elements of the safeguarding continuum (permits; international information; pest detection and response; and exclusion).

Submission of Nominations

Nominations should be submitted using the attached form to Paula Henstridge at 302-E J.L. Whitten Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250. They may also be e-mailed to Paula.Henstridge@aphis.usda.gov or faxed to her at (202) 720-8535. Nominations should be no more than 2-3 pages long. Supplementary information, in the form of a report or other documentation should be provided as an attachment. If you are providing hard copies of supplementary information, please provide 7 copies. Be clear and specific in identifying the accomplishments and impact of the nominee's actions. Please submit all nominations by the deadline established in the call for nominations.

Please note that nominees can come from anywhere in PPQ, APHIS/International Services, Customs and Border Protection, or the National Plant Board system, including State Universities. However; if a nominee comes from outside of PPQ, you must identify how they or their work links directly to PPQ activities and how they support the PPQ mission.

Selection of Award Recipient(s)

Nominations for the Deputy Administrator's outstanding Achievement Award will be reviewed by the Safeguarding Steering Committee, which will forward its ranking to the Deputy for final consideration. The individual or group selected for recognition will receive a commemorative item and their achievements will be noted on the Safeguarding website and in other communications

Deputy Administrator's Outstanding Achievement Award Submission Form

Name, Address, Job Title and organization, and Phone Number of Nominee

If a group is being nominated, provide the contact information for all members of the group

Brief Narrative of the Achievement

Include the specific actions taken, the goals that were set and reached or exceeded, and the impact of the achievement. Consider the following questions when writing your narrative:

• Was the achievement recent?
• Nominations will be accepted for achievements occurring within the year prior to the current call for nomination.
• Nominations will also be accepted if the activity began or was planned more than 1 year ago, but is ongoing or is just being implemented.
• Did the achievement go beyond the scope of daily duties?
• Was it proactive?
• What areas did it troubleshoot?
• Did it achieve or exceed well conceived goals?
• Did it exceed expectations?
• Is the achievement reflected in feedback from peers, stakeholders?
• Did it show initiative?
• Did it help customers?
• What did this achievement do to improve our work or mission delivery? How?
• Did the achievement demonstrate a successful outcome?
What was the result?
• What improved (e.g., compliance tools, communications, business processes, etc.)?
• Who benefited and how?
• What was the role of those nominated?
• Did the achievement have a significant impact?
• Was there a direct impact from the actions? If so, what was it?
• Was there a direct impact or ripple effect on employees, cooperators, industry, or the public?
• Was there a direct impact or ripple effect on work units, programs, or the project?
• Was there a budgetary impact?
• Was there an impact on the organization?
• Did this achievement contribute to the establishment or strengthening of a partnership?
• How did the achievement relate to the mission?
• How did the actions link to PPQ's mission? Provide an example.
• If the nominee is from outside of PPQ, how did their action link to PPQ and its mission?

Deputy Administrator's Safeguarding Award

Background and Criteria

The PPQ Deputy Administrator's Safeguarding Award is given in recognition of initiatives and innovations that make significant contributions to furthering the goal of safeguarding American agriculture and plant resources. The Deputy will recognize nominations that (1) establish a new process, operation, procedure, or policy that contributes directly or indirectly to safeguarding or (2) significantly improves an existing process, operation, procedure, or policy that contributes directly or indirectly to safeguarding. The nomination should demonstrate initiative or innovation and show a definable result. Each nomination should contain information linking the action to a specific principle or recommendation in the Safeguarding Review, and it should address one of the four principle areas contained in the Safeguarding Review:

o permits to control the movement of pests o the collection and use of information about pests throughout the world o pest detection and response o exclusion of pests (including offshore mitigation)

Submission of Nominations

Nominations should be submitted on the attached form to Paula Henstridge at 302-E J.L Whitten Building, 14^th & Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250. They may also be e-mailed to Paula.Henstridge@aphis.usda.gov or faxed to her at (202) 720-8535. Nominations may also be submitted through your State Plant Health Director. Please submit all nominations by the end of each quarter of the fiscal year (December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30).

Please note that potential nominees are not limited to PPQ employees.

Selection of Award Recipient(s)

Nominations for the Deputy's Safeguarding Award will be reviewed by the Safeguarding Steering Committee, which will forward its ranking to the Deputy for final consideration. The individual or group selected for recognition will receive a trophy and a small medal. The winner's name and achievement will also be inscribed on a plaque to be displayed in the Deputy Administrator's office as the Deputy's "wall of fame." Achievements will also be noted on the Safeguarding website and through other appropriate mechanisms.

PPQ Deputy's Safeguarding Award

Submission Form

1. Name, Address, Job Title, and Phone Number of Nominee (if a group is being submitted, provide the contact information for the group leader and the names and affiliation of all members of the group)

2. Describe the action that enhanced safeguarding.

3. How did the action enhance safeguarding?

4. How does it demonstrate innovation or initiative?

5. Which of the four areas of the Safeguarding Review does the activity support?

6. What recommendation or safeguarding principle does the action support?

7. Provide any information that demonstrates the outcome/success of the activity.

PPQ Deputy Administrator's Promising Practices Award Submission Form

Background and Criteria

The category of promising practices honors common sense and ingenuity. Promising practices are practices that are, at the outset, small-scale and local, but they are practices that could be adopted on a broader scale to improve effectiveness or efficiency. A promising practice could be a minor adjustment in an existing business process, a complete overhaul of an administrative activity, or a simple enhancement in communications, for example. Promising practices are things that allow us to learn and grow. They have identifiable outcomes, they support PPQ's mission, and they are aligned with Agency policies and procedures. A promising practice can exist at any level of the organization. They are actions and ideas that can easily be overlooked because they seem small or overly simple, but they have the potential for great impact when we open our eyes and look for ways to use them. This category could encompass one of the four elements of the safeguarding review-permits; international information; pest detection and response; and exclusion-but it could also encompass activities outside those four elements. A promising practice is something that might lead you to say to a colleague, "this works for me and it might work for you, too."

Although this is by no means an all-inclusive list, some examples of promising practices include practices that:

• Help support people being able to accomplish mission, operational goals, strategic plan
• Improve an administrative process that helps to accomplish mission
• Create or modify business practice that are more efficient and that have an identifiable outcome
• Improve information flow or processes
• Successfully reach out to others
• Represent a new or improved design of an activity that may help others be more productive

Submission of Nominations

Nominations should be submitted using the attached form to Paula Henstridge at 302-E J.L. Whitten Building, 14th & Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250. They may also be e-mailed to Paula.Henstridge@aphis.usda.gov or faxed to her at (202) 720-8535. Nominations should be no more than 2-3 pages long. Supplementary information, in the form of a report or other documentation should be provided as an attachment. If you are providing hard copies of supplementary information, please provide 7 copies. Be clear and specific in identifying the accomplishments and impact of the nominee's actions. Please submit all nominations by the deadline established in the call for nominations.

Please note that nominees can come from anywhere in PPQ, APHIS/International Services, Customs and Border Protection, or the National Plant Board system, including State Universities. However; if a nominee comes from outside of PPQ, you must identify how they or their work links directly to activities within the safeguarding continuum and supported the PPQ mission.

Selection of Award Recipient(s)

Nominations for the Promising Practices Award will be reviewed by the Safeguarding Awards Committee, which will forward its ranking to the Deputy for final consideration. The individual or group selected for recognition will receive a trophy and a small medal. The winner's name and achievement will also be inscribed on a plaque to be displayed in the Deputy Administrator's Office as the Deputy's "wall of fame." Achievements will also be noted on the Safeguarding website and through other appropriate mechanisms.

PPQ Promising Practices Award

Submission Form

Name, Address, Job Title and organization, and Phone Number of Nominee

If a group is being nominated, provide the contact information for all members of the group.

Brief Narrative of the Promising Practice

Include the specific actions taken, the goals that were set and reached or exceeded, and the impact of the achievement. Consider the following questions when writing your narrative:

Timeline: Was this promising practice recent?

• Nominations will be accepted for promising practices occurring within the year prior to the current call for nomination.
• Nominations will also be accepted if the activity began or was planned more than 1 year ago, but is ongoing or is just being implemented.

Considerations: Promising Practices

• Is this promising practice a new idea, or an ongoing activity?
• Can it be uniquely applied?
• Is there an identifiable outcome?
• Does it meet operational and strategic goals of program? 
• Is it aligned with agency policy and procedures?
• Does it improve effectiveness or efficiency?
• Does this practice encompass any of these 4 elements of the safeguarding review?

• permits
• international information
• pest detection and response
• exclusion

Or,

• Does this practice encompass activities outside the 4 elements listed above?