2007 GSO of the Year Award Nomination

UNCLAS MANILA 001166

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
For A/LM DAS Moser from Ambassador Kenney

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT APER RP
SUBJECT: 2007 GSO of the Year Award Nomination

REF: State 24881


1. Summary. I am proud to nominate the entire General Services
Section of Mission Manila for the honor of the 2007 GSO of the Year
Award. They have reached remarkably high levels of achievement and
customer satisfaction in a year marked by typhoons, budget
reductions, and an OIG inspection. End Summary


2. Working through typhoons, designing process improvements, using
the internet to promote open competition, adopting Department
initiatives, saving money, and empowering its locally-employed
staff, GSO Manila is on a quest to excel by improving customer
service and changing the way they do business.


3. The GSO team vividly demonstrated its commitment to customers and
the U.S. Mission in the Philippines on Thursday, September 28, 2006
when a major typhoon hit Manila at 11 0'clock in the morning.
Although the typhoon closed the Embassy, most GSO employees reported
to work. The Contracting and Procurement Unit put aside their own
family and personal concerns to ensure that all end of fiscal year
actions were completed, working 24 hours straight as the typhoon
swirled outside. The warehouse and motor pool teams arrived to
secure facilities and, when safe, run messages of assistance to
families in need despite downed power lines, blocked streets, and
winds upward to 100 miles per hour. The maintenance team worked
through driving rain and high winds, putting their own safety aside
during the height of the storm to cut down branches and secure
equipment that had fallen on Mission grounds and which could have
been turned into life-threatening flying objects. In the aftermath
of the storm, GSO provided temporary lodging as well as laundry and
refrigerator/freezer stations for Mission families who were without
electricity for almost one week; while LES received excess building
materials to repair their damaged homes, potable water; and access
to our laundry and refrigeration banks.


4. Forever working to improve, Manila's Property and Supply Unit
(P&S) applied process mapping to streamline most of its processes.
Working with finance and procurement colleagues, senior LES in P&S
re-engineered Post's outsourced warehouse delivery service request
process by applying bulk funding to contract instruments and
reducing order-driven paperwork by a staggering 60% and employee
overtime by 10 hours per pay period. The same formula was used to
improve the process for receiving maintenance and vehicle repair
parts.


5. The Contracting and Procurement unit (C&P) designed and
implemented an external website to allow contractors to register
their services, access solicitations, and submit bids. The expected
results include savings of 4000 man hours, $6,000 in advertisement
costs, and huge reductions in photocopying and paper needs.


6. Supporting Department management improvement initiatives, Manila
is also a leader in competitive sourcing, with over 100 full-time
positions occupied by contract workers, and C&P is working on a full
competitive sourcing analysis of eight additional cost centers. As
Post prepares for new construction and the co-location of USAID
service providers on Embassy grounds, GSO is already planning with
USAID on how best to share motor pool and warehouse services.


7. Additionally, as part of Manila's effort to enhance its new
Professional Development Center to facilitate training at Post and
in the region, GSO's Visitors Section has negotiated a 37% reduction
in hotel rates for FSI-sponsored and other training hosted in
Manila.


8. The most impressive feature of GSO's strong performance is that
it is planned and implemented by LES. It was local staff who made
the ministry contacts and negotiated a significant reduction for
the in-processing time for military personnel shipments. Throughout
GSO, LES have embraced the opportunity to improve their jobs and
their service. At a recent presentation to the entire Management
Section staff, over 10 LES made presentations on work improvement
initiatives while the annual C&P Customer Outreach Workshop included
presentations by every member of the unit.


9. I recognize that a nomination for an entire GSO is unique. Yet,
it makes sense. Manila GSO is a team and each GSO initiative has
been accomplished with the support of colleagues while generating
critical financial savings and other economies. GSO Manila
represents the work of over 300 people including full-time
contractors. Together, they have established the General Services
Office's reputation as a leader in process improvement and customer
service.

Kenney