News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 25, 2002

Contact: Michael Orenstein (202) 606-2402

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President Salutes Winners of the Presidential Award for Management Excellence

Washington, D.C.  --  President George W. Bush today presented the Presidential Award for Management Excellence to three federal organizations for their outstanding use of contemporary management solutions.

Award recipients were saluted by the President, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James and other senior members of the Bush Administration in the amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Recipients of the 2002 Presidential Award for Management Excellence are:

• 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
• Federal Aviation Administration Logistics Center, Oklahoma City
• National Imagery and Mapping Agency, Bethesda, Maryland.

Five primary management challenges facing the federal government were enunciated last year by President Bush in his Management Agenda, which serves as the basis for the award. Winners of the Presidential Award for Management Excellence are recognized for their achievements in addressing at least one of the challenges.

"Public service is a huge calling, and I'm proud of the men and women who serve our great nation," said President Bush, who recited accomplishments of the award winners that have made government more citizen-centered, results-oriented and market-based, as called for in his Management Agenda. "You put in long hours and you know who the boss is…the U.S. taxpayer."

James, whose agency administers the Presidential Award for Management Excellence through the President's Quality Award Program, said the winners and their organizations are making a profound difference in the security and defense of America.

"The people and organizations we salute this morning are part of 'Today's Civil Service'," said James. "The men and women who serve America epitomize the very best of our country, and they are current-day representatives of a civil service that has a proud and distinguished history. Their record of accomplishment and the meaningful work they perform on our nation's behalf will inspire future generations to serve."

The 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, was recognized for its exemplary performance and results in the area of Competitive Sourcing. Following a full and open competition of nearly 1,500 positions, the 55th Wing, which provides worldwide reconnaissance, command and control, and combat support to national leadership and war fighting commanders, was identified as the Air Force's most efficient organization. Recent cost-comparison competitions under OMB Circular A-76 have saved the 55th Wing more than 50 percent for work that stayed in-house and for work that was appropriately outsourced to the private sector.

The Federal Aviation Administration Logistics Center was recognized for exemplary performance and results in the area of Improved Financial Performance. Staffed by roughly 500 full-time permanent employees and 130 temporary employees and contractors, the Logistics Center has transitioned from an appropriated-funding operation to a fee-for-service operation for purchases and repairs. The funding change has given the Center's customers greater visibility in their purchases and brought about a level of accountability previously unseen. For example, the total quantity of orders was reduced by 43 percent from fiscal year 1999 to fiscal year 2002. Other gains toward fiscal accountability include a significant reduction in shipping costs due to a 22 percent cut in high-priority requisitions, and a 4 percent increase in inventory accuracy to 99 percent.

The National Imagery and Mapping Agency is a national intelligence and combat-support agency that, in support of national security, provides timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence to describe, assess and depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on Earth. The Bethesda, Maryland-based agency, which has major facilities in metropolitan Washington and St. Louis, and support teams worldwide, was recognized for its exemplary performance and results in the area of Strategic Management of Human Capital. Agency leaders and HR professionals have merged visionary human resources management practices with technology to align human capital strategies and work force plans with the agency's strategic objectives; make strategic investments in training and development; and, establish a performance-based compensation structure.

In addition to the three award winners, four Washington-area federal operations are Program Finalists. They are the Bureau of Land Management; Department of Labor; Environmental Protection Agency; and, TRICARE Management Activity, Military Health System.

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OPM oversees the federal work force and provides the American public with up-to-date employment information. OPM also supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.

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