Justification in VA Handbook 5017 Part I Appendix A requires a "complete copy of the employee's performance appraisal or proficiency report...including if submitted, a copy of the employee's self-assessment" to process an Superior Performance Award. Suggest with the new electronic Official Personnel File (eOPF) being implemented and the Performance Appraisal/Proficiency now being scanned into the employee record that... more »

I can only speak on behalf of my experience in the USAF... but we waste SO MANY TREES printing AFIs that end up being stashed away in a notebook and hardly used. I realize there are TO's that need to be printed on the maintenance side of the house that are used daily... but I'm speaking about the AFIs that are printed, maintained, and required to be updated in order to satisfy requirements of inspections, etc.

Make... more »

Every newspaper in the world uses microfilm as its primary backup --- and you can go to any newspaper and request a copy of a printing from 100 years ago.

The biggest concern about Databases is that they can crash. However, paper takes up huge store rooms, time and resources to create, and as far as organization is hard to keep track of (without an electronic database that is). Even if an agency possesses a hardcopy... more »

Since we are already preparing the Veterans “Claim files” for copying when requested, why not scan the file instead. Scanned files can be put into virtual temporary folders then saved as a PDF on CD’s. The 2 directions you can use this is once the files has been scanned you can keep 1 disk in a protective envelope with the date scanned to keep in the “C-file”. File the CD down in date order for future use when d1bc... more »

If you don't have it you can't waste it. More paper is wasted on meetings, weekly reports, gantt charts, phone lists, status updates etc. Instead of providing an endless amount of printing paper, provide finite amounts monthly, once it's gone it's gone until the next ration arrives.

As information flows through an organization documents are the key component that drives it. The cost of maintaining and printing documents are very costly to every organization. A good portion of the cost is printing, which includes paper, consumables, power/cooling (i.e., AC) and maintenance. These costs can be controlled or at the very least reduced. A recent Info Trends market research study indicates that the... more »