THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNITION
To build awareness and excitement, promote the awards widely and creatively. Leverage multiple channels: newsletters, emails, team meetings or senior leader- ship summits. Te goal is to socialize the importance of awards well in advance of deadlines. Use plain, relatable language in your messaging. Avoid overwhelm- ing people with rules right away. Instead, focus on why nominations matter and how easy it is to participate by sharing quick links and top-line information on how to apply.
Te Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space (PEO MS) came up with a great way to organize all of their award programs. Mark Farthing, an instructional systems specialist at PEO MS, suggests creating a spreadsheet that includes all of the upcoming award programs, their dead- lines, points of contact, eligibility criteria and where to submit. Farthing sends this out to PEO MS’s Organizational Acqui- sition Point of Contact (OAP) and senior leadership to distribute and ensure that everyone is aware of what’s upcoming. “Pre-planning for the year is key. Te awards spreadsheet ensures visibility across the organization and allows for people to plan accordingly to meet all awards dead- lines,” said Farthing.
When leaders champion the program, they signal its importance. Ask managers and executives to actively encourage their teams to submit nominations. Even better, have them share personal stories of why recog- nition matters to them. “Our acquisition awards represent the pinnacle of acquisi- tion excellence. Te AAW is comprised of professional, agile and innovative experts who deserve to be recognized. An award shines a spotlight on your achievements, helping to build your professional credi- bility and opening new doors for growth and opportunity in your career,” said Ronald R. Richardson Jr., director, U.S.
98 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2025
ADVANCING THE MISSION
The 2024 Army Acquisition Hall of Fame inductees were celebrated for their lifelong contributions to advancing the mission and serving as role models for the next generation of acquisition professionals. The awardees, from left, are Maureen Cross, Cathy Dickens, Gary Winkler and Joseph Yakovac. (Photo by Rachel Longarzo, USAASC)
Army Acquisition Support Center. “Our acquisition leaders could not do what is needed without the support of their work- force. I encourage those leaders across the Army acquisition enterprise to make time to write an endorsement letter, support your organization’s awards POCs [points of contact] and submit nominations. Ulti- mately, awards strengthen morale, foster a positive work environment and help show- case to our Nation our workforce’s values and commitment to excellence.”
ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION Taylor Ebner and Angela Hayden, both OAPs for Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), shared some best practices they use to get people involved and streamline the process for submitting nominations.
First, send out an “Intent to Nominate” email to your contacts. Tis lets the awards program managers know who you’re intending to nominate and includes a short description and information on the award you are nominating for. Tis step helps avoid duplicate nominations and ensures you’re casting a wide net and nominating for the various categories, Ebner explained. Ten, senior leadership can review and fill in any gaps, ensuring maximum coverage and participation across their organization for each award category. From there, the nominator will be notified to draft their nomination packet, working closely with the awards program managers to edit and finalize the packet for endorsement.
A well-run awards program benefits from strong oversight. Establishing an award committee ensures the process is fair, transparent and inclusive. “Te commit- tee can be made up of individuals from
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