The Office of Personnel Management is asking agency leaders to consider their senior workforce and select employees they think deserve presidential recognition.

OPM this week put out the call for nominations for the Presidential Rank Awards, which honors the outstanding work of senior executives.

In a memo from OPM’s Acting Director Beth Cobert, she said the nominations were “an excellent opportunity to identify the select group of individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to your agency’s effectiveness on a sustained basis.”

Congress established the Presidential Rank Awards in 1978 as part of the Senior Executive Service program. The awards recognize senior executives for extraordinary performance. There are two categories: Distinguished Executives receive 35 percent of their annual salary as a bonus. Meritorious Executives receive 20 percent of their annual salary as a bonus.

In 2013, the bonuses were suspended due to budget constraints, though OPM continued to accept nominations for the awards. The awards returned in 2015, along with the bonuses, after a year’s hiatus.

Agencies can nominate up to 9 percent of their career SES and senior career employees. The deadline for nominations is April 4.

The awards, according to the nomination guidance, “recognize the top individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to their agency and the federal government. In addition to delivering meaningful results, nominees must demonstrate the highest level of leadership competencies including leading change and leading people.”

Nominees should show they know how to develop a team, work across agencies and promote engagement.

“Agencies are encouraged to nominate executives who are willing to take risks and persevere under difficult circumstances, who use innovative approaches when ‘status quo’ would be easier, and have a legacy of building stronger teams and organizations than when they took on the role,” the guidance states.

For an SES employee to be eligible, the nominee must:

• Hold a career appointment in the SES
• Be an employee of the nominating agency
• Have at least three years of career or career-type federal civilian service at the SES level. The service does not have to be continuous.

For an Senior Career employee to be eligible, the nominee must:

• Hold a career OPM-allocated Senior-Level (SL) or Scientific-Professional (ST) position
• Be an employee of the nominating agency on the nomination deadline
• Have at least three years of career or career-type federal civilian service above GS-15. The service does not have to be continuous.

Once finalists are selected, their names are forwarded to the President, who chooses the winners. A nominee can be a prior award winner, but may not receive the same award within a five-year period.

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