Archive
National Partnership for Reinventing Government
(formerly National Performance Review)
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An Information Sheet for Federal Communicators, Managers, Workers, and Their Partners--Pass It On
Two Army organizations have earned recognition as the two top quality organizations in the federal government. Both are in New Jersey.
The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is this year's winner of the Presidential Award for Quality. This award is the public sector equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award to private sector companies. ARDEC's accomplishments included reducing internal overhead costs by $70 million annually. The Army's Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Logistics and Readiness Center (LRC) at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, is the winner of the Quality Improvement Prototype (QIP) Award.
Both awards are part of the President's Quality Award Program. Finalists are also winners. Achievement Awards went to the following: Defense Mapping Agency, Fairfax, VA; Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Jacksonville, FL; Defense Contract Management Command Long Island, Garden City, NY; 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, OK; Naval Station Mayport, Mayport, FL; Naval Aviation Depot, Alameda, CA; and the only civilian winner, Veterans Benefits Administration, Muskogee, OK. A Special Quality Achievement Award went to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL, for its accomplishments and quality improvements over a sustained period of time.
The 1996 program drew 29 applications from 22 military and seven civilian organizations. Seventy quality experts and practitioners, representing both private sector and government organizations, conducted the examination process. The awards were presented in Washington, DC, on June 5 at the Ninth Annual National Conference on Federal Quality.
For more information, contact Warren Asher at the Office of Personnel Management, (202) 606-1800.
In the first two weeks after the interagency Metro Area Reemployment Center in Washington, DC, opened on May 14, more than 300 people came in for help. Some were RIFed from their federal jobs, others were with federal organizations that are relocating, and some came just in case, according to Director Ann Grandy.
Trained counselors and other staff from the Office of Personnel Management, Agriculture, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs, State, and the General Services Administration guide clients through the ins and outs of online searches for public and private sector jobs and resume preparation software.
"We are excited that private sector companies that want to hire federal employees are calling in with their immediate vacancies," Ann said. "Our customers love the professional assistance they get. They say this service is greatly needed." The Center is located at 800 N. Capitol St., NW.
Workshops Are Available
The Center offers workshops on career transition orientation, resume preparation, and Internet job search. Workshops on change management, self-esteem, skills assessment, and other subjects will be added later. For more information on the workshops and other services, call (202) 565-6672.
What Went Before
On September 12, 1995, President Clinton issued a memorandum directing the heads of departments and agencies to establish programs to provide career transition assistance to their displaced employees. The Center is a pilot program developed by a consortium led by the Office of Personnel Management and composed of representatives of national federal employee unions and the Departments of Employment Services of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. The pilot is funded by the Department of Labor. Sites are also expected to open in Maryland and Virginia. The project grew out of the efforts of the Interagency Advisory Group of 100 federal agency personnel directors to help displaced federal employees.
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The Interagency Advisory Group will offer a free interactive satellite broadcast from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EDT on June 19. "Are You Prepared for an Uncertain Future?" will give federal workers information on career transition including where to go for help, how to get a resume up to date, and assessing how portable your skills are.
To submit questions in advance or get more details on the broadcast, send a fax to (202) 720-9148. Here are the satellite details:
C-Band: Satellite Telstar 401, Transponder 7, Channel 7, Downlink Frequency 3840, Polarity: Vertical, Position: 97º West, Audio: 6.2 and 6.8.
KU-Band: Satellite: SBS-6, Transponder 15, Channel 15, Downlink Frequency: 12068, Polarity: Horizontal, Position: 74º West, Audio: 6.2 and 6.8.
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SUBSCRIBE EXPRESS-L FIRSTNAME LASTNAME. (Put three spaces: after the word "SUBSCRIBE," after "EXPRESS-L," and after your FIRSTNAME.) For fax distribution, fax your name, organization and fax number to Express, (202) 632-0390. For more information, contact Pat Wood, National Performance Review, 750-17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 632-0223; FAX: (202) 632-0390; email: pat.wood@npr.gsa.gov. The Express is also on the Internet at http://www.npr.gov.