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FHWA Order 3451.1

Order
Subject
Awards and Employee Recognition
Classification Code Date Office of Primary Interest
3451.1, Chart 3 June 25, 2010 HAHR-10

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Order 3451.1 - Chart 4, Other Special FHWA Awards


OTHER SPECIAL FHWA AWARDS
Other Special FHWA Awards Who is Eligible? Purpose of Award Type of Recognition Criteria How to Nominate

Engineering Excellence Award

Individuals, groups and teams

This award recognizes outstanding engineering achievements by FHWA engineers or teams within the past three years. Three awards will be presented each year. One of the winners will be designated as the “FHWA Engineer of the Year” and may be nominated by FHWA for the National Society of Professional Engineers “Federal Engineer of the Year”

The award consists of a plaque and a $1,000 cash award. These awards will be presented at a Washington Headquarters ceremony during National Engineers Week.

The engineering excellence award winners will be selected by a panel of judges established by the Executive Director. This panel will base their selections on the significance of the engineering contribution to FHWA, the engineering profession, and the traveling public. Nominees will be ranked using a weighting of 60 percent for engineering achievement and 40 percent for education, professional honors, and contributions to the community.

The Office of Human Resources will begin soliciting for nominations in mid-July. Nominations will be due to Washington Headquarters by September 1.

Made a Difference Award

GS-1 thru 8 clerical, technical and administrative support personnel.

To recognize employees who are high achievers and leaders among their peers.

A plaque and a $500 cash award.

Employees must have a minimum of one year of appropriate experience.

Nominations must provide specific examples of:

(a) excellence in secretarial, administrative, and clerical skills;

(b) sound judgment;

(c) willingness to assume additional responsibility;

(d) initiative in improving work methods or operations;

(e) responsiveness to program needs; and

(f) ability to work as a team member.

Each Associate Administrator, the Chief Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Innovative Program Delivery, the Director of Technical Services and the Resource Center Director, and Division Engineers can approve two Made a Difference Awards a year. Division Administrators can approve one Made a Difference Award a year.

First level supervisors can make nominations to the appropriate supervisor.

Nominations should be submitted on FHWA‑1156.

Public Service Awards

Private citizens

To recognize the contributions of private citizens to the FHWA program.

A plaque and a letter from the Federal Highway Administrator

Description of the contributions that have benefited the FHWA.

Managers may submit nominations at any time thru the Office of Human Resources to the Federal Highway Administrator.

Nominations may be submitted on memo paper.

Inventive Incentive

Awards

All employees

To enhance employee morale and encourage high quality service.

Items of an honorary nature that can be worn or displayed. Each item must bear an appropriate logo, which will allow others to know that the item is an award. Tickets to local sporting events or vouchers to local restaurants or movies may also be used as inventive incentives. All of these items may be awarded in combination with small amounts of cash.

NOTE: Inventive incentives can only be purchased with GOE funds. The cash award allocation cannot be used to purchase recognition items!

Each office can establish an inventive incentive program. Inventive incentive programs should be designed to honor an accomplishment or act of limited significance, which a supervisor would like to formally recognize. Examples of acts which can be recognized with an inventive incentive award are:

(a) a short term accomplishment;

(b) a one time accomplishment of limited significance that merits some recognition; or

(c) an accomplishment or personal service which reflects favorably on the FHWA, but does not warrant any other form of recognition.

The recommendation should be made on the appropriate nomination form and should include a description of the accomplishment that is being recognized.

A supervisor or co-worker through the appropriate supervisor may nominate any deserving employee observed performing a high quality act, which reflects favorably on FHWA. NOTE: Employees may not give awards to supervisors.

Nominations should be forwarded to the appropriate approving official. Once approved, the nominating official should present the approved nomination and the award to the employee, preferably in the presence of the employee’s peers.

Unit Managers may delegate approval authority for inventive incentives to the lowest possible supervisory level.

Once a program is established, a copy of the criteria should be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources, HAHR-23, for review and recording.

Page last modified on October 19, 2015