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2021 General Guidelines

  • All nominations must be entered by the nominator through the electronic Honorary Awards and Ranking System, e-HARTS. Hardcopies are not required; however, it is recommended that you keep a hardcopy for your records. Detailed database instructions are available upon request.
  • Individuals and groups may be nominated for awards.
  • Nominations may be initiated by IC management staff or by individuals with knowledge of the accomplishments of the individual or group being nominated.
  • Nominees may consist of current or former federal employees, tenants, fellows, guests, volunteers, and contractors.
  • The Award Citation is limited to 25 words and 255 characters.
  • The Narrative Justification is limited to 6,000 characters.
  • The narrative of accomplishments must focus on the nominee's distinct contributions, including how they exceeded normal expectations and the specific impact of their contributions. Routine responsibilities should be mentioned only as they establish a context for the accomplishment cited.
  • Normal group nominations are limited to 15 individuals, including contractors. Large groups should be rare. Any group nomination should include only those individuals who made a significant contribution to the work of the group.
  • Group nominations must contain a majority of Federal employees.
  • All nominees must be approved by the individual's supervisor and each nomination approved by the IC Director.
  • All nominations must be ranked by the IC in order of priority for each category.