Technical Questions

Informal recognition awards are a type of award that may be given to recognize performance that, taken alone,does not merit a larger award, such as cash, time-off, or an honorary award. Agencies are finding that they can effectively and efficiently achieve many of the goals of a recognition and incentive award program by providing more frequent, timely, and informal recognition of employees and group contributions. The Office of Personnel Management has used its regulatory authority to provide for this form of recognition at section 451.104(a) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, as an appropriate agency use of the statutory authority to "incur necessary expense for honorary recognition." Because these informal recognition awards are intended to recognize contributions of lesser scope that might otherwise go unrecognized, they are subject to fairly general criteria.