SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

The removal of printers from offices would force employees to find new more efficient ways to communicate. The savings from paper and toners could be used to provide ways for those without internet access to get information.

Each branch, department, and/or division should develop a "Communications Guide". The purpose of this guide is to assist internal staff and external partners in selecting and setting up the best communication tool available to both parties. The guide will provide step-by-step details on how to register for it, access the technology, use it, list equipment needed, and other applicable details. Examples of technologies... more »

Days of productivity are lost cleaning up unexpected side effects of IT software changes. This lost productivity translates in many ways to higher labor costs and delays in processing the Government’s business, which can also be translated to lost revenue. This is often due to the lack of knowledge of what an IT enterprise has running in its production environment and the dependencies between the software tools. Changes... more »

Install webcams and associated communication software on government and contractor computers in order to save travel dollars, and have remote face-to-face communications. This is an effective way for geographically dispersed people to interact. This mode of communication is particularly useful for people who have hearing loss and rely on speech-reading (viewing the lips, tongue, and jaw) and non-verbal communication (facial... more »

I believe we can save money by reducing electronic "clutter". I challenge my colleagues (and anyone who reads this) to only send emails per day. Make a phone call. Stop by someone's desk. Have a video conference call. If you are limited to sending ten emails per day, I predict the content should become more meaningful, communication will improve, you will experience a positive difference in your workplace relationships,... more »

If the Paperless program used by processing centers was expanded, and made accessible by field offices, teleservice centers, and all employees, it would reduce duplicate materials, save on material and non-material resources (specifically time), expand accountability, and reduce miscommunication.

As it is now, if a form is sent to a field office, and someone calls the teleservice center to see that it was received, the... more »

It is completely possible to cut down our budget and increase the detection and apprehension of all illegal incursions into the United States. The current enforcement tactics along the mountainous areas of the border include agent presence, scope deployments, and sensor deployments. Our current use of personnel and infrastructure do not utilize available technology as efficiently and effectively as possible. Currently... more »

The NRC has been using time and labor software that is cumbersome and outdated, PeopleSoft Human Resources Management System (HRMS). In 2004 the NRC initiated a study to improve the time and labor system. In 2007 the NRC started the process to update the time and labor software, which is still in progress with over one year in delays due to performance issues. In 2001 NASA worked to create an incredibly good piece... more »

Enable Phone Call feature in the Chat program (as Communicator) that already exist and are authorize for use in the DoS. The call feature is at present disabling and it could be used for phone calls, saving millions of dollars in calls that are done in regular phone lines, most of the time more susceptible to information. I pretty sure that there are very few minor technological issues, but I am also sure they can be... more »

The federal government should create a government-wide directory which lists every area of expertise and the one or more persons who may be contacted to be consulted on issues related to that area of expertise.

The federal government is often characterized as having agencies that work in silos. A major contributing factor to this problem is the fact that related agencies do not communicate and coordinate efforts enough.... more »

Communications, Clarity of Purpose, and Transparency are key elements of any successful mission/organization.

Develop a robust communication strategy and implement it. It is a dynamic and living thing that should be giving top priority for the success of the mission.

Utilize every tool, strategy and idea available in this realm. If you do not have it, develop it. Again, clarity of purpose and transparency are... more »

Increase the temperature range by 3 degrees in summer and lower by 3 degress in winter. Communicate to employees and embedded contractors the proper attire to wear. This would relax the dress code but still not allow people to dress like bums. This would apply to all Executive, Legislative, and Judicial agencies.

Federal employees are left in the dark about what will happen if a budget is not passed or the debt limit isn't increased. They resort to reading the news clips, searching for answers online, talking to each other, etc., which is a terrible waste of work time. The rumor mill runs rampant, and the lost productivity has costs that no one has calculated.

Communicate exactly what will happen (who would be furloughed, who... more »

I propose that the government green operations and adopt new technology by launching a "Tech for Travel" program that would enable agencies to plan a reduction in air travel and re-purpose those funds to support investments in video conferencing equipment. Presently, agencies are pressured to spend all of their appropriated funds at the risk of a budget cut the next fiscal year (or more bluntly "if you don't use it,... more »

I'm all for openness in government. However, employees are being encouraged to use facebook. I think this should proceed with caution in order to SAVE human resources. First, although every employee represents the government in their position, many line staff are not in a position to communicate with the public or act in representation of an agency position. Second, facebook page management takes a lot of time and without... more »