Policies, Procedures, and Forms Updates

Initiation Employee or Group of Employees

Submits idea to an immediate supervisor by logging into the eIDEAS application at https://eideas.usps.gov/eideas/.

Level 1 Evaluator

(Submitting employee’s immediate supervisor or manager, including Postmasters and executives)

Note: If the Level 1 evaluator’s Rate Schedule Code (RSC) is E (EAS), and the budget authorization code (BA Code) starts with 1 or 4 (i.e., Processing & Distribution or Customer Services), and the level is 22 or below, he or she can escalate an idea to another career non-bargaining unit employee with an RSC of E, V (HQ Pay Band), S (PCES), or U (Postal Attorneys), that is assigned to the same BA Code. (The Level 2 evaluator must be in the same Area and Function as the Level 1 evaluator.)

If the Level 1 evaluator’s RSC is E, and the BA Code starts with 1 or 4, and the level is 23 or higher, he or she can escalate an idea to another career non-bargaining unit employee in the same area regardless of the BA Code.

If the Level 1 evaluator is an A-E Postmaster (RSC F), and the BA Code starts with 4, he or she can escalate an idea to another career non-bargaining unit employee that has the same BA Code.

If the Level 1 evaluator’s RSC is E and the BA Code starts with 5 or 6, he or she can escalate an idea to another career non-bargaining unit employee.

If the Level 1 evaluator’s RSC is V, S, or U, he or she can escalate an idea to any career non-bargaining unit employee.

n The Level 1 evaluator logs onto eIDEAS and opens the idea within 3 working days of initial email notification. Reviews and evaluates the suggestion against the criteria in 634 to determine its eligibility.

n If ineligible, completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Ineligible Suggestion and closes the idea with comments.

n If eligible, continues evaluation.

n Researches and evaluates idea for overall value to the Postal Service, and whether implementation of the idea would offer an advantage.

n If, in the evaluator’s opinion, there is no advantage to adopting the idea, evaluator completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Not Adopted and an explanation as to why, and closes the idea with comments.

n If, in the evaluator’s opinion, the idea does potentially offer an advantage to the Postal Service, he or she determines the next step.

n Can idea be adopted and implemented locally?

n Informs idea submitter of his or her decision and the action taken.

n If idea appears to have value, but cannot be implemented within the evaluator’s scope.

n Completes Evaluate process and chooses finding of Escalate to Next Level for Further Review or Escalate to Next Level with Modifications, as appropriate, and escalates idea to the Level 2 evaluator.

n Informs idea submitter of his or her decision and the action taken.

n If unable to evaluate or determine value of suggestion.

n Level 1 evaluator may either return the idea to the submitter for more information, or reassign it to a subject matter expert in the same district or performance cluster for evaluation.

n To return the idea to the submitter, the Level 1 evaluator completes the Evaluate process with the finding of Unable to Evaluate, and returns the idea to the submitter with comments explaining why the idea is being returned.

n To reassign the idea, the Level 1 evaluator first confirms the new evaluator’s availability before reassigning idea.

n Completes steps 5 and 6 of the Evaluate process with the evaluation finding of Unable to Evaluate and reassigns idea to new evaluator. The new evaluator now has full responsibility for the employee suggestion and completes the processing steps.

n Original evaluator personally informs idea submitter of his or her decision and action taken.

n If idea appears to have value but requires testing.

n Arranges for testing in accordance with Postal Service policy and regulations. See 634.2 for information on testing equipment.

n Evaluates idea based on results of test and takes the next appropriate action, i.e., adopts, closes, and/or escalates the idea.

n Informs idea submitter of his or her decision and action taken.

n Informs idea submitter of all higher level evaluators’ findings and actions.

Level 2 Evaluator

(PCES plant, district, area, or

Headquarters manager, or designee)

n The Level 2 evaluator logs onto eIDEAS and opens the idea within 3 working days of initial email notification. Evaluates the suggestion against the criteria in 634 to determine its eligibility.

n If ineligible, the Level 2 evaluator completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Ineligible Suggestion and closes the idea with appropriate comments.

n If eligible, continues evaluation.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of her or his decision and action taken.

n Reviews idea for overall value to the Postal Service, determines whether implementation of the idea would offer an advantage.

n If in the evaluator’s opinion it does not, he or she completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Not Adopted and an explanation of why, and closes the idea with appropriate comments.

n If in the evaluator’s opinion it does offer an advantage, the evaluator determines the next step.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of his or her decision and the action taken.

n Can idea be adopted and implemented within Level 2 evaluator’s span of control?

n If yes, and wider application is not practical, the Level 2 evaluator completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Adopt as Recommended or Adopt with Modifications, as appropriate, and closes the idea with appropriate comments.

n Arranges for implementation of the idea.

n If yes, and wider implementation is a possibility, the Level 2 evaluator selects the finding of either Adopt as Recommended or Adopt with Modifications, as appropriate. The evaluator will escalate the idea to the proper Headquarters Group for Level 3 evaluation.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of her or his decision and the action taken.

Note: When ideas are escalated from Level 2 to Level 3, they are assigned to a Headquarters Contact identified by functional area, not an individual evaluator’s name.

n If idea appears to have value, but cannot be implemented within the Level 2 evaluator’s span of control.

n The Level 2 evaluator completes the Evaluate process and selects finding of Escalate to Next Level for Further Review or Escalate to Next Level with Modifications, as appropriate, and escalates the idea to the appropriate Headquarters Group listed in eIDEAS for evaluation at Level 3.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of his or her decision and the action taken.

n Level 2 evaluator is unable to evaluate or determine value of the suggestion.

n The Level 2 evaluator may either return the idea to the submitter for more information, or reassign it to a subject matter expert in the same district, performance cluster, or area for evaluation.

n To return the idea to the submitter, the Level 2 evaluator completes the Evaluate process with the finding of Unable to Evaluate and returns the idea to the submitter with comments explaining why the idea is being returned.

n To reassign the idea, the evaluator first confirms the new evaluator’s availability before reassigning the idea.

n The Level 2 evaluator completes steps 5 and 6 of the Evaluate process with the evaluation finding of Unable to Evaluate and reassigns idea to new evaluator in the same district, performance cluster, or area at the same or higher grade level. The new Level 2 evaluator now has full responsibility for the employee suggestion and completion of the processing steps.

n The Level 2 evaluator personally informs the Level 1 evaluator of his or her decision and action taken.

n If idea appears to have value but requires testing.

n The Level 2 evaluator arranges for testing in accordance with Postal Service policy and regulations. See 634.2 for information on testing equipment.

n Evaluates idea based on results of test and takes the next appropriate action, i.e., adopts, closes, and/or escalates the idea.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of his or her decision and the action taken.

n Informs the Level 1 evaluator of the Level 3 evaluator’s actions if idea is escalated.

Level 3 Evaluator

(Functional area vice president or designee)

n The Level 3 evaluator logs onto eIDEAS and opens the idea within 3 working days of initial email notification. Evaluates suggestion against the criteria in 634 to determine its eligibility.

n If ineligible, completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Ineligible Suggestion and closes the idea with appropriate comments.

n If eligible, continues evaluation.

n Informs the Level 2 evaluator of his or her decision and action taken.

n Reviews idea for overall value to the Postal Service, decides whether implementation of the idea would offer an advantage.

n If in the evaluator’s opinion it does not, completes the Evaluate process with a finding of Not Adopted with an explanation, and closes idea with appropriate comments.

n If in the evaluator’s opinion it does offer the Postal Service an advantage, the Level 3 evaluator arranges for the idea to be implemented service wide.

n Informs the Level 2 evaluator of his or her decision and the action taken.

Note: Since Level 3 is the highest level of evaluation, there is no further escalation of the idea. At Level 3, ideas can only be reassigned to another HQ employee, including Headquarters- related field unit employees, identified by their designation activity code.

n Unable to evaluate worthiness of suggestion.

n The Level 3 evaluator may either return the idea to the submitter for more information, or reassign it to a subject matter expert at Headquarters for evaluation.

n To return the idea to the submitter, the evaluator completes the Evaluate process with the finding of Unable to Evaluate, and returns the idea to the submitter with comments explaining why the idea is being returned.

n To reassign the idea, the evaluator first confirms the new evaluator’s availability before reassigning the idea.

n Completes the Evaluate process with the evaluation finding of Unable to Evaluate and reassigns idea to a new Headquarters evaluator. The new evaluator now has full responsibility for the employee suggestion and completion of the processing steps.

n The Level 3 evaluator informs the Level 2 evaluator of his or her decision and the action taken.

n If idea appears to have value but requires testing.

n The Level 3 evaluator arranges for testing in accordance with Postal Service policy and regulations. See 634.2 for information on testing equipment.

n Evaluates idea based on test results and takes the appropriate next action, i.e., adopts and implements and/or closes the idea with comments, as determined by testing.

n Personally informs idea submitter of his or her decision and action taken.

n Closes idea. All ideas must be closed in eIDEAS after final evaluation is complete.

n Informs the Level 2 evaluator of his or her findings and actions.

Idea Submitter Believes Another Review of a Not Adopted Idea is Warranted or that Adopted Idea Should Be Evaluated at a Higher Level (Idea submitters can request reevaluation of an idea in eIDEAS one time.)

n The submitter logs onto eIDEAS, reviews My Ideas, and requests re-evaluation of his or her closed idea.

n The submitter will be required to add a comment, providing additional information as to why he or she is requesting a re-evaluation. After adding the comment, he or she will click on the Save button and their Request for Re-evaluation will be submitted to a District/PFC employee with HR System Administrator access to eIDEAS.

n HR Admin user receives email notification of idea reassigned to them.

n HR Admin user opens and reviews idea within 5 working days of email notification and determines the appropriate next course of action.

n Based on the above determination, the HR Admin user either:

n Reassigns the idea to another evaluator for further evaluation;

n Returns the idea to the submitter for more information; or

n Completes an evaluation and closes the idea, based on his or her determination.

n HR Admin user personally informs idea submitter of final determination.

Ideas Program Coordinators (Non-bargaining employee users with HR System Administrator access to eIDEAS application that are designated to be a program coordinator by vice president, HR manager, or equivalent.)

n Ideas Program Coordinators may at any time for valid business reasons:

n Evaluate and close ineligible or frivolous ideas.

n Reassign ideas to a new evaluator.

n Return ideas to the original submitter.

n Reopen closed ideas.

n View idea submissions, details, and history.

n Create reports available in eIDEAS.

n Take any other necessary action to maintain an effective Ideas Program in their district, performance cluster, area, or function.