Save Award 2010 Ideas

(From a user, not a moderator:)

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Lots of duplicate suggestions already exist, such as those having to do with:

* Airline ticket purchases
* Telecommuting... more »

Both FIA and NRI are tasked with producing official statistics on the nation's natural resources, but do so with different definitions and metrics. This hampers our ability to talk about land-use change and conservation, and makes us look silly to boot.

I suggest tasking one agency with conducting all background investigations for federal employees’ security clearances (and security clearance renewals). The benefits are four-fold: improved transparency, improved efficiency (surely including cost savings), shorter lag-time in obtaining/renewing clearances, and allowing other entities to concentrate on the tasks most essential to their mission.

A large percentage of... more »

The Field Offices become appointment only for filing for benefits and new claim information. Other needs, such as lost check, death of beneficiary, change of representative payee, change of address, etc. will be considered emergency needs that can be seen by SRs. CRs will then be given an adjudication day every other week to work their desk for the full 8 hours. CRs will also be given an self-appointment day every... more »

Minimize the number and pay grade of people required to sign and approve official documents.

In my experience, busy government managers and executives don't always have time to review many of the documents they sign. When someone signs a document without really reviewing it, they aren't really adding any value. In fact, if a document sits on their desk or inbox until they sign it, the manager/exec is actually reducing... more »

If you look all around Washington, DC, there is one thing that you always see. That is government shuttle buses. These buses are usually making many loops around the region on a daily basis. These shuttles are often occupied by one or two passengers at most. Often times the shuttles run at inconvenient times and schedules that suit no one. My suggestion is that the shuttle schedules should be examined and adjusted... more »

Use Outlook to schedule federal fleet travel between offices/branches so more than one person is in the car. Example: Two people are going to the same branch office for meetings but were not aware of the other person's travel plans. This coordination saves gas, emissions and wear and tear and costs nothing in terms of infrastructure. Fleet departments can more efficiently deploy their vehicles and employees still get... more »

Create an Incentive and Innovation Fund to pay for some of the great ideas that are identified in this program. Often times great ideas, like many offered here, are not fundable in agencies with tight or highly programmed budgets. Investments may be necessary to, for example, convert lighting to LED, but the payback is not realizable in 1 year. Some investments may have net negative payback in the first several years,... more »

I suggest installing rain sensors at all Federal buildings that measure rainfall daily, and prevent sprinklers from turning on if a certain threshold has been reached in the previous day. These sensors wouldn't have to be particularly accurate, just enough to prevent the government from using unnecessary water if it's already rained.

Hire a very senior “champion” in the Agency who has the authority and passion to encourage a change in Agency culture toward more efficient processes, especially at the mundane levels. Such a person needs to be a high energy doer, either with professional background in the quality movement or a track record in implementing such improvements e.g. as leader of a successful business. They need strong support from the Agency... more »

This idea would also help us avoid future oil spills by becoming less dependent on foreign oil .At the end of the Industrial Revolution our government entered the White Collar Era. We have grown up during the Information Age which morphed into the Digital Age that we are in right now. We seemed to have forgotten the basic concept that made the Industrial Revolution one of the most important events in human history. "Interchangeable... more »

At USDA/NASS we use FedEx all the time for packages and envelopes, especially for 'priority' deliveries. It’s no secret that the USPS is suffering. Instead of 'outsourcing' shipping AND bailing out the USPS why not keep all mail originating from federal offices in the federal system and use the USPS? The USPS offers the exact same services as FedEX and since it is in the federal system, in theory, our federally protected... more »

Just take a look how Europeans save on everything they can! Use diesel powered vehicles, let people know that they are in charge of any damage they make to government equipment, don't send people to trainings that are not useful. Moore trainings for maintenance people who maintain expensive equipment - in future it will save expensive equipment from braking over time. Also, take a look at some Embassies guards quantity!... more »

I believe the manner in which we (the IRS) receive, track and process manual (paper) tax returns is antiquated. With these returns passing through so many hands, there is a huge margin for human error; however, if the tax returns were bar-coded upon receipt and these bar codes were scanned throughout each step of the process (especially now that returns are sent throughout the nation regardless of where they are filed),... more »

Many government office buildings are kept too cold in the summer, and too hot in the winter. It is not uncommon to see employees in sweaters in federal offices in the summer. This not only uses excessive energy, but sets a bad example for the general public. All agencies would save significant overhead costs for utilities by adjusting building temperatures a few degrees warmer in the summer (encouraging wearing short... more »