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National Partnership for Reinventing Government
(formerly National Performance Review)

REINVENTION EXPRESS

December 5, 1997, Vol. 3, No. 10

An Information Sheet for Federal Communicators, Managers, Workers, and Their Partners
Pass It On

BELOW:

* Morley Winograd Is on Board

* OSHA's Maine 200 Program Goes Nationwide

* In the Season of Giving, Don't Forget the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation

* How Social Security Responded to Survivors of Those Who Died in Oklahoma City

Morley Winograd Is on Board

Morley Winograd started this week as a Senior Policy Advisor to Vice President Gore and Director of the National Performance Review. Winograd is nationally recognized for his work on quality and empowerment in the workplace. He is co-author of "Taking Control: Politics in the Information Age," which describes the impact people working in the new economy will have on public policy as they become the dominant force in American politics.

In announcing Winograd's appointment in September, Vice President Gore said, "He brings to the federal government an extensive background in information technology, and the proven record of a private-sector manager who knows how to motivate employees and increase productivity." Winograd retired on Nov. 30 from his position as Western Region Sales Vice President for AT&T's Commercial Markets.

"I am excited to be here," he told NPR staff on December 2. "In my experience, people can get anything done when they are aligned around a single vision and shared values. I am looking forward to meeting and working with federal workers who have already done such a good job in reinventing government. As President Clinton said recently, Vice President Gore's reinventing government initiative enabled us to streamline the government, improve the quality of public service, and have money left over after we reduced the deficit and passed the balanced budget bill to invest in our future."

Winograd replaces Dr. Elaine Kamarck who left government at the end of July to become the director of Harvard University's Vision in Governance for the 21st Century program. Bob Stone, who continues as NPR Project Director, served as interim policy advisor to the Vice President after Kamarck left.

OSHA's Maine 200 Program Goes Nationwide

An award-winning enforcement partnership program developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expanding nationwide as the Cooperative Compliance Program (CCP) is offered to 12,250 employers.

OSHA's Maine 200 Program, the prototype for CCP, won the prestigious Innovation in American Government Award from the Ford Foundation as well as the Hammer Award from Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review.

"One of my top priorities is protecting the safety and health of the American worker," said Labor Secretary Alexis Herman in announcing the program. "I believe most employers share that goal and will welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with OSHA in finding and fixing workplace hazards. The bottom line is saving lives and saving money." OSHA is committed to reducing injuries and illnesses in 100,000 workplaces by 20 percent over the next five years, and this partnership program will help the agency reach that goal.

Employers that accept OSHA's offer to join the Cooperative Compliance Program can reduce their chances of a safety and health inspection. CCPs are part of the new, common-sense approach to regulations announced by President Clinton in May 1995. They expand the successful program that focused on the 200 companies in Maine with the highest workers' compensation rates and helped 70 percent of them to reduce serious injuries.

When joining CCP, employers agree to find and fix hazards, work toward reducing injuries and illnesses, fully involve employees in their safety and health program, share injury and illness data and provide OSHA with information from their annual injury and illness records.

"We want to work with employers and help them do the right thing," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Charles N. Jeffress. "This program offers employers a choice: partnership or traditional enforcement. It also enables us to focus our agency's resources where we can do the most good. For more information, contact Susan Hall Fleming at (202) 219-8151.

In the Season of Giving, Don't Forget the
Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation

Federal employees may wish to add one more name to their holiday gift list--the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation. President Clinton unveiled plans for the memorial in the summer, and on Oct. 9 signed the Oklahoma City National Memorial Act of 1997. Building on local efforts, this Act established the Oklahoma City National Memorial as a unit of the National Park System. The memorial honors the victims of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. You may visit the planned Memorial at: oklahoman.net/connections/memorial".

Federal employees may contribute to the Memorial through the Federal Employees Education & Assistance (FEEA) fund by annotating "Memorial" on your check and mailing to FEEA, 8441 W. Bowles Ave., Ste 200, Littleton, CO 80123-3245.

How Social Security Responded to Survivors
of Those Who Died in Oklahoma City

You may not know it, but as a federal employee, your agency can pay up to $10,000 to your "personal representative" if you die in the line of duty. Since 1990, when this law became effective, the Social Security Administration has had 19 employees die in the line of duty--and 15 were in Oklahoma City. Most of the victims had not designated personal representatives so this could have been a bureaucratic nightmare for the victims' loved ones.

It wasn't, thanks to a patient and sympathetic team of three SSA employees--Marilyn Hardin, Lew Kaiser, and Joyce-Akamine. They researched legal and personnel regulations and procedures for the heirs, explained how to apply for the death benefit, and led them step-by-step through the court appointment process. The benefits were paid, but the recipients got more than the money they were due. Many acknowledged the efforts of staff whose efforts showed that the agency cared for them and valued the contribution of the loved ones they had lost. For more information, contact Marilyn Hardin at (410) 965-4200.

National Performance Review, 750-17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 632-0223. To subscribe by e-mail, send a message to: Listproc@etc.fed.gov. Put this message: SUBSCRIBE EXPRESS-L FIRSTNAME LASTNAME. For fax, send fax number to Pat Wood at pat.wood@npr.gsa.gov or fax to (202) 632-0390. The Express is on the Internet at www.npr.gov. Click on News Room.