Fed 100 nominations open

Nominations for the 2013 Federal 100 awards are now open. We are already getting questions from folks who want to be certain they submit their nominations correctly and in a timely fashion, and we want to encourage those nominations for a number of reasons. For one thing, the awards give us the opportunity to focus on people who are making things happen in government. The nature of news means the press spends a lot more time and space focused on what is not working than what is. The Federal 100 program gives us an opportunity to change that.

More importantly, however, we genuinely believe individuals make a difference. The force of individual management, leadership and dedication can drive important results, and the Federal 100 awards recognize women and men who demonstrate what a difference those efforts can produce.

As you put your nominations together, here are some reminders and tips on what our judges look for in a Federal 100 winner:

• Focus on an individual’s accomplishment in 2012. This is an All-Star Team, not the Hall of Fame award, so don’t dwell on long and faithful service. Be specific about what the project encompassed and what the person did that was extraordinary.
• It is the accomplishment and not the job title that counts, so describe the person’s contribution and show why the project is important to the community at large.
• We know teams are important, but this is an individual award. Save your team nominations for the GCN Awards next fall.
• The Federal 100 award is for work done in 2012. If the nominee is a previous Federal 100 winner, accomplishments behind this nomination should be substantially different from the work that was recognized in an earlier year.
• This is not a popularity contest. Nominate people who have had an impact even if they are not universally liked.
• Ask before you add someone’s name as a supporting nominator. Every year we have at least one judge who is stunned to find his or her name on a nomination he or she didn’t know about. It almost never has a positive effect on the discussion.
• If you are nominating an industry person for work done at a government agency, it helps to have government corroboration. If ethical considerations make that difficult, try to get third-party substantiation.
• Previous Eagle award winners have received emeritus status and are not eligible for future Federal 100 awards.

We continue to believe that people, not technology per se, drive change in the way government works, delivers services and improves the lives of its citizens.

Nominations can be submitted at http://fcw.com/fed100. Please help us identify the individuals in federal IT who accomplished the most significant things in 2012.

We look forward to recognizing their work.