ABOUT THE SAVE AWARD

The period for submitting ideas for the 2012 SAVE Award is now closed. OMB and federal agencies are now reviewing your submissions. Check back soon to view the finalists.

President Obama believes the best ideas usually come from the front lines. That’s why in 2009 he launched the SAVE Award (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency), seeking ideas from Federal employees to make government more effective and efficient and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Federal employees can participate in the 2012 SAVE Award by:

1. Submitting ideas for making government more efficient and effective
2. Encourage co-workers to vote on ideas and submit their own

Then, we narrow the best ideas to a “final four” and the American people vote online to choose the winner. The winner then comes to Washington to present their idea to the President.
Over the past three years, Federal employees have submitted more than 75,000 cost-cutting ideas through the SAVE Award. Dozens of the most promising ideas have been included in the President’s Budget, specifically in the Cuts, Consolidations, and Savings volume.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The goal of the SAVE Award is to produce ideas that will yield savings while also improving the way that government operates. As such, submissions are judged according to the following criteria:

Does the idea reduce costs in a way that is concrete and quantifiable?

Does the idea improve the way that government operates by:

• Improving the quality of output at lower costs; or
• Simplifying processes to reduce administrative burden; or
• Improving the speed of government operations to improve efficiency?

Can the idea be implemented Administratively by the Executive Branch or would it require an act of Congress?

Creativity counts! Take a look through previous submissions to avoid repeating ideas that come up again and again. In many cases, the Administration is already in the process of implementing popular past ideas. These include: double-sided copying, moving print publications online, reforming GovTrip, and turning off lights after hours.

All ideas will be sent to the relevant agencies to review for potential action, including inclusion in the budget. Over the past two years, dozens of SAVE ideas were included in the President’s Budget proposals.

SAVE Award Past Winners

2011: Create a tool "lending library" for NASA flight projects
Matthew Ritsko, Maryland
NASA

At Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA employees purchase specialized tools and ground support equipment for developing and building flight projects. Many of the tools are not tracked once projects are complete, and as a result funds are wasted on duplicative purchases. In order to cut down on repeat purchases, Matthew suggests creating a centralized tool repository— or "lending library"— where these tools can be stored, catalogued, and checked in and out by NASA employees.

2010: Trudy Givens, Wisconsin
Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice

The Federal Register is currently mailed to her workplace and approximately 8,000 Federal employees every workday. Most of the interested public now accesses the Federal Register online. While statute requires that hard copies be available, allowing recipients to opt-in for hard copy delivery could yield savings associated with printing and postage.

2009: Nancy Fichtner, Colorado
Department of Veterans Affairs

As is the case in most hospitals all across the country, medicine that is used in the hospital is not given to patients to be brought home; instead, it is thrown out. Nancy proposes ending this waste and finding a way to allow this medicine to be used by those who need it.