Personnel #4

               TO: All Associate Directors
 
              FROM: Associate Director
                          Office of Human Resources

             SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority for Incentive Awards Programs

           AUTHORITY DELEGATED AND TO WHOM

          1. Pursuant to the authority delegated to the Associate Director,
              Office of Human Resources (OHR), on October.23, 1992, I hereby
             delegate to all Associate Directors, for personnel within
             their respective organizations, including personnel in or under
             a regional office but excluding Public Health Service (PHS)
             Commissioned Officers, the authority to:
 
             a.  Establish and grant honor awards, in accordance with
                  Instruction HHS 451-1, subject to the approval of the
                  Director, Indian Health Service (IHS), that are in
                  addition to those prescribed Departmentwide, PHS, and
                  Indian Health Servicewide;

           b,   Recommend groups to the Director of Headquarters Operations,
                 for recommendation to the Director, IHS, for recommendation
                 to the Assistant Secretary for Health for cash awards for
                 special acts or services, inventions, and adopted employee
                 suggestions in amounts between $5,001 and $7,500;

            c. Recommend individuals or groups to the Director of
                Headquarters Operations, for recommendation to the Director,
                IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health
                for cash awards for special acts or services, inventions, and
                adopted employee suggestions in amounts between $3,501 and
                $10,000 for individuals and between $7,501 and $10,000 for groups;

                d.  Recommend individuals or groups to the Director of Headquarters
                     Operations, for recommendation to the Director, IHS, for
                     recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health, who will
                     recommend to the Secretary, Presidential, Departmental and
                     non-HHS awards; and

                e. Recommend time off awards.
 

              REDELEGATION AND RESTRICTIONS,

              2. Except as noted below, the authorities delegated in paragraph 1.
                  above may not be redelegated.

                    - The authority delegated in paragraph 1. e. above may be
                       redelegated; however, the official approving a time off
                       award for more than one work day must be at a higher
                       level than the official recommending the award,
                       Recommending officials are authorized to grant time off awards without
                       review or approval for periods not to exceed one work day.

            3. All proposed cash incentive awards for SES members must be
               forwarded to the Director, IHS, who must concur prior to
               review by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Personnel
               , Administration.

          4. The PHS maintains a separate Incentive Awards Program at the PHS
               level to provide recognition through types of    awards appropriate
               to PHS Commissioned Officers.

          5. IHS Personnel Office (Headquarters) has responsibility for the
             central administrative direction of the Incentive Awards Program within IHS.

         6. All redelegations must be in writing and be in accordance with
              Instruction HHS 250-3, Delegation of Personnel, EEO Authority
              and Headquarters/Regional Office Relationships.

        RETENTION OF AUTHORITY

        For IHS Headquarters personnel, the authority to approve cash
        awards in amounts up to $2,500 is retained by the Director of
        Headquarters Operations.

       INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

         7. Requirements and instructions for exercising this authority
             are contained in United States Office of Personnel Management
             interim regulations, Federal Personnel Manual, Chapter 451,
             and Personnel Instruction HHS 451-1 (amended August 9, 1991).

       SUPERSESSION

       This delegation supersedes Indian Health Manual, Part 1, Chapter 5,
        Delegations of Authority, Exhibit l-5.2F-4, Incentive Awards and
       Employee Suggestions Program, TN 89-1, dated April 10, 1989.

      EFFECTIVE DATE

       This delegation is effective upon date of signature