General Questions

Suggestion award programs are not specifically required by law or regulation. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is aware that some agencies have redesigned and streamlined their programs to reward employee ideas and innovations. However, it is well to remember that Congress established the suggestion award authority as the foundation of all employee incentive award authorities. Further, the program is rooted in a presumption that Governmentwide—not just agencywide—benefits are to be determined and rewarded. Consequently, OPM expects agencies to extend their interdepartmental good will and cooperate when suggestions are referred to them from other agencies for evaluation and possible adoption, even if the receiving agency has curtailed formal procedures for its own employees. Agencies that have retained their existing submission and evaluation systems rightfully expect reasonable consideration of ideas their employees put forward.