Postal Customer Council

PCC Leadership Awards Program
(This document is not to be changed or altered.)

October 2012
(2012 Recognition Period July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013)
Revised December 2012

1.  PCC LEADERSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM – OVERVIEW, DESCRIPTIONS & REQUIRED ELEMENTS			  

PCCs will be recognized in the following PCC Leadership Awards categories with the winners being announced during National PCC week.

PCC Industry Member of the Year 
	(limited to one nomination per PCC – prior year winner not eligible)

PCC Postal Service Member of the Year 
	(limited to one nomination per PCC – prior year winner not eligible)

PCC District Manager of the Year (one award – prior year winner not eligible) 

PCC of the Year * (one award – prior year winner not eligible)

PCC of the Year – Small Market (less than 500,000 in population & Level 24 or below Post Office) ** (one award – prior year winner not eligible)

PCC Innovation of the Year (one award recognizing a PCC with at least one
unique, effective best practice that is published on website and can be implemented nationwide.)  

Communication Program Excellence Award (three awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze) (prior year Gold winner not eligible)

Education Program Excellence Award (three awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze) (prior year Gold winner not eligible)

*    PCCs must self-nominate and qualify for Premier Program Gold level status.
**   PCCs must self-nominate and qualify for Premier Program Silver level status. 
	
All PCCs are eligible to participate in the PCC Leadership Awards Program.  PCCs are encouraged to self-nominate in one or more award categories. 

Leadership Categories:

These categories recognize those who, over the course of the recognition period, have conducted numerous educational and networking events and have documented quantifiable achievements resulting in members support and satisfaction.  These categories are the highest honors in which a PCC, PCC member, or company can be recognized.  

Listed below are the key elements that will be used in evaluating submissions.  When submitting entries, it is important to make sure these elements are addressed and documented providing quantifiable results using the “STAR” format – Situation/Task, Actions, and Results – for self-nominations.   

•	Programs conducted to educate business mailers on postal products, services, procedures, and policies to help them grow their business
•	Effective communication with membership using various channels
•	Creativity, originality and membership involvement 
•	Positive impact on membership growth
•	Outreach to all business mailers in the PCC’s geographical area

Nominees in the PCC leadership award categories listed at the top [PCC Industry Member of the Year, PCC Postal Member of the Year, PCC District Manager of the Year, PCC Business Partner of the Year, PCC of the Year, PCC of the Year – Small Market (less than 500,000 in population & Level 24 or below Post Office) and PCC Innovation of the Year] should be able to document numerous achievements in the key elements above.  

Remember:  
•	PCC Innovation of the Year is an award given to a PCC with at least one
unique, effective best practice that has been published and can be implemented nationwide.  
•	For the PCC Postal Service Member of the Year Award, PCCs should give full consideration to including postal management, such as Postmasters, District Managers, Plant Managers, Area Vice Presidents, etc. for award nomination.

Communication and Education Program Excellence Awards:
These award categories have specific items that should be addressed as part of each submission.  The following information is provided to assist in this effort:

Communication Program Excellence Award
In order to have a successful PCC, effective communication must be a central pillar of your local PCC operations.  The most effective PCC groups utilize many avenues to ensure an excellent communication program.  Your submission should highlight how your PCC communicated with its membership over the course of the year.  Some items to consider are: 

•	Communication Methods – How do you utilize your database to communicate with your PCC members beyond your monthly meetings?  Do you use email, newsletters, websites, brochures, etc.?  Please provide only one narrative example for each method used.  

•	Plan Communication – List the various methods utilized by your PCC to communicate the annual plans that have been developed.  How effective are the individual components of your plan and what elements work well together?

•	Targeted Promotions – Describe what promotions were used to increase small and medium-size business membership growth.  Do you have multi-phase programs targeting different groups?  If so, please explain.  

•	Response Rates – What unique methods have you employed to increase the response rate of your members when seeking their participation in a particular meeting or special event?  Include unique direct mail approaches and other forms of communication that have been highly successful in increasing the involvement of your members on a regular basis.  Provide example(s) for each method of communication used.

•	Benefits – What has been your PCCs most effective way of communicating the benefits and value of being or becoming a member of your local PCC?

•	Member Feedback – What process has your PCC established to ensure your members have effective ways to communicate their concerns, issues, and priorities?  Please explain.

Education Program Excellence Award
Since PCCs first were established, education has been a cornerstone of the benefits offered to members.  With the launch of the PCC Network, many new educational and training programs and opportunities have been provided.  Focus on how your PCC has been able to utilize this new educational material (and any created by your own PCC) to better serve your PCC and highlight those efforts that helped educate members on products and services related to mail use.   The most effective PCCs utilize many of the tools described below to provide effective and meaningful educational content to their membership.  Your submission should highlight how these tools, and others, were used as part of the educational activities of your PCC.

•	Execution of Educational Programs (Webinars, Webcasts, Audio Casts, and Workshops-in-a-Box) – List the names of each program conducted and the date(s) the program was offered.  How were you able to integrate this program with typical PCC meetings and events?  

•	Utilization of PCC Speakers Bureau – List the name of each speaker, topic presented, and name of event.

•	Integration of EMCM Program – Indicate if the Executive Mail Center Manager (EMCM) program was integrated into your PCC’s overall education program and when the program was conducted.  Explain what value attendees realized.

•	Integration of MDP Program – Indicate if the Mailpiece Design Professional program was integrated into your PCC’s overall education program and how many customers took advantage of the program. 

•	Integration of Certificate Program – Indicate if the professional certificate program was integrated into your PCC’s overall education program and list the certificates that were offered.

•	Educational Methods and Materials Developed – Explain each unique education method that has been implemented and the types of materials that were developed.

2.  PCC LEADERSHIP AWARDS SUBMISSION PROCESS

All Leadership Awards are to be submitted electronically to pcc@usps.gov.  All nominations are to include individual documentation.  Submitted materials will not be returned.

All Award Categories 

•	All nominations are to be submitted using the PCC Leadership Award Submission Form located on the National PCC Web site (www.usps.com/pcc) and on the internal USPS Blue Share site at http://ca.blueshare.usps.gov/sites/igo/PCC/default.aspx

The form directs the PCCs to utilize the “STAR” format – Situation/Task, Actions, and Results – for self-nominations. 

•	Situation/Task – Describe a situation encountered by your PCC that required a resolution or tasks to be completed.  

•	Actions – What actions did your PCC take to resolve the situation or complete the tasks?  What initiatives and innovative approaches were demonstrated? 

•	Results – What were the results? Did your PCC accomplish the desired outcome?  How was your PCC responsible for the final result?  Be specific and provide quantifiable results.

•	Submission for each of these awards is limited to a total of five pages, double sided, including the narrative.  

•	Electronically submit a high resolution photo of the individual or PCC. 

Note:  Due to the large number of nominations submitted and the time devoted to evaluating nominations, strict adherence to the above instructions is appreciated and will ensure all nominations are evaluated fairly.

3.  PCC LEADERSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM –EVALUATION

Recognizing PCC groups and individuals for their accomplishments is an important ingredient for the continued success of the PCC Network:  “Success breeds Success.”

Each member of the Postal Customer Council Advisory Committee (PCCAC) will review all nominations submitted and rank each entry based on the individual award criteria.  Using a point evaluation method, on a scale of one to ten (ten being the highest) points will be tabulated and averaged for each entry.  The highest average score entry in each category will be the designated winner of the national award.  In the event of a tie, the PCCAC will review the entries and determine a winner.

New! Every PCC that submits a nomination will receive a congratulatory letter and National PCC Certificate of Achievement for their achievements and accomplishments.  

Important Note:  Points may be deducted for non-compliance of rules and requirements stated in Section 2 – PCC Leadership Award Submission Process.

4.  PCC LEADERSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM – CALENDAR

•	July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013:  Qualified Recognition Period

•	June 3, 2013:  Nomination Submission Period Opens

All completed PCC Leadership Award Submission forms and supporting documentation should be emailed to PCC@usps.gov or submitted on the Blue Share site at http://ca.blueshare.usps.gov/sites/igo/PCC/default.aspx

•	July 5, 2012:  Nomination Submission Period Closes (Submissions must be emailed before July 5, 2012 to be eligible for evaluation.) 

•	Award winners will be announced approximately two weeks prior to National PCC Week.  

Note:  A copy of this guide and the PCC Leadership Award Submission Form can be found on the National PCC website at the following link: 
https://www.usps.com/business/leadership-programs.htm?