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News Release
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Tel: 202-606-2402
OPM and OMB Directors Present Agencies with 2005 President's Quality Awards
Three agencies receive President George W. Bush's top award for outstanding results in implementing the objectives of the President's Management Agenda
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Linda M. Springer and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Joshua Bolten presented the 2005 President's Quality Awards (PQA) last night at a ceremony at the Corcoran Museum in Washington, D.C. The PQA, the top award for managerial excellence in the Federal Government, was given to the Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration and the Department of State.
"The President's Quality Award recognizes agencies which have made significant progress in improving their management systems and work processes to promote and advance the President's Management Agenda," Director Springer said. "I am pleased that OPM has the opportunity to play a role in recognizing and encouraging this dedicated group of government professionals who have a serious commitment to good management and delivering quality services to the American people."
Bolten and Springer were joined by other Bush Administration officials to publicly recognize the award winning agencies. Accepting the awards were Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Social Security Administration Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart, and Department of State Undersecretary for Management Henrietta Fore.
Director Bolten said, "President Bush has focused our government on performance and achieving results, and the President's Management Agenda is helping agencies achieve maximum benefits with minimum cost to the American taxpayers. The agencies that have been recognized reflect a tireless commitment to the Agenda, and they are a credit to the hard and exceptional work being done across the entire federal workforce."
The 2005 PQA recipients are:
- The Department of Labor, for Overall Management;
- The Department of State received two awards; one for Innovative and Exemplary Practice; the second for Agencywide Performance in a Governmentwide Management Initiative - Strategic Management of Human Capital; and,
- The Social Security Administration, for Agencywide Performance in a Governmentwide Management Initiative - Strategic Management of Human Capital.
This year, 42 nominations were submitted. All nominations were reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges whose backgrounds encompass the public, private and non-profit sectors. The panel's recommendations were reviewed by OPM and then final recommendations were forwarded to the White House. President Bush then made the decision to recognize the three Federal agencies whose achievements were honored at the ceremony.
The 2005 Awards reflect two important changes which were made last year to strengthen the alignment between the President's Quality Award and the President's Management Agenda (PMA). The PQA now provides for three separate award categories: one to recognize specific innovative and exemplary projects and practices, another to recognize overall agency achievement in each of the five Governmentwide Management Initiatives outlined in the PMA, and a third award to recognize overall agency management and how effectively the different management systems are integrated.
Also new this year, the application requirements were modified to incorporate agency scores on the PMA scorecards as a baseline condition for submitting an application in each category - strengthening the alignment between the PQA and the PMA.
The President's Quality Award Program was initially established in 1988 during Ronald Reagan's presidency to recognize excellence in quality and productivity, applying to the public sector similar criteria used for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the leader in workforce management for the federal government. Our agency builds, strengthens, and serves a federal workforce of 2.2 million employees with programs like hiring assistance, healthcare and insurance, retirement benefits, and much more. We provide agencies with policies, guidance, and best practices for supporting federal workers, so they can best serve the American people.