Personnel Delegation #4

AUTHORITY DELEGATED AND TO WHOM

1. Pursuant to the authority delegated to the Director of Headquarters Operations on October 23, 1992, I hereby delegate to the Associate Director, Office of Human Resources (OHR) for personnel within Indian Health Service (IHS) headquarters including personnel in or under a regional office but excluding Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officers, the authority to:
   1. Establish and grant honor awards, in accordance with Instruction HHS 451-1, subject to the approval of the Director, IHS, that are in addition to those prescribed Departmentwide, PHS and Indian Health Servicewide;
   2. Recommend groups 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;
   3. Recommend individuals or groups to the Director, IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health for recommendation to the Secretary 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;
   4. Recommend individuals or groups to the Director, IHS, for recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for Health for recommendation to the Secretary for Presidential, Departmental and non-HHS awards;
   5. Recommend and approve time off awards.

REDELEGATION AND RESTRICTIONS

2. Except as noted below, the authorities delegated in paragraph 1. above may be redelegated:
   • The authority delegated in paragraph 1. e. above to approve time off awards 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. Regional Directors have been delegated the authority to grant the Regional Director's Citation to employees in or under a regional office or to individuals or organizations outside the Department.  This authority may not be redelegated.
4. Regional Directors must be given the opportunity to provide comments on individual recommendations that require approval by the Secretary, for Presidential, Departmental, or non-HHS awards, when such recommendations are submitted for an employee in or under the regional office.
5. 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.
6. The Public Health Service maintains a separate Incentive Awards Program at the PHS level to provide recognition through types of awards appropriate to PHS Commissioned Officers.
7. The IHS Personnel Office (Headquarters) has responsibility for the central administrative direction of the Incentive Awards Program within IHS.
8. All redelegations must be in writing and be in accordance with Instruction HHS 250-3, Delegation of Personnel, Equal Employment Opportunity Authority and Headquarters/Regional Office Relationships.

RETENTION OF AUTHORITY

The Director, IHS, retains the authority to:

• Approve cash awards for amounts between $2,501 and $3,500 for individuals and between $2,501 and $5,000 for groups; and
• Grant length-of-service recognition for 35 to 50 years.

INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

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

EFFECTIVE DATE

This delegation is effective upon date of signature.