How do you write a nomination that stands apart from the rest? It’s all in the name: S.A.M.M.I.E.S.

Significant accomplishment  

• Articulate how the nominee’s work benefits our nation.  
• Accomplishments may relate to a specific event or reflect the cumulative results of many years of work on a particular challenge or mission.  
• Be sure the primary focus of the nomination is on the nominee’s work as a federal employee, and not on volunteer or military service outside the agency.   

Attention-grabbing headlines  

• Capture the reviewer’s attention in the first few sentences with bold statements about what the nominee has done.  
• Start with the conclusion or outcome of the nominee’s work and fill in the details behind it.  
• Read profiles of past honorees to use as models for writing the nomination.  

Measurable impact

• Include quantifiable details that demonstrate the scale and significance of the nominee’s accomplishment.
• This could include the number of participants served, amount of money saved or lives affected.

Meaningful innovation  

• What is bigger, better, more effective or more efficient than what has been done before?  
• Describe new models or processes that have been adopted agency-wide or in the private sector.

Inspiring leadership  

• How does the nominee achieve results from their team?  
• Show the nominee’s commitment to recruiting and mentoring the next generation.
• Highlight the nominee’s development of new cross-agency or public-private collaborations.

Exceptional References  

• Utilize references as another opportunity to demonstrate the scale and significance of the nominee’s work.
• Include a supervisor or colleague who can verify the nomination details and help us better understand the true nature and scope of the accomplishment. 
• Think outside the government. Whether in the private sector, nonprofit or academia, consider having someone not affiliated with the agency or federal government who can endorse the nominee and their work.  
• Where possible, include a direct beneficiary of the accomplishment who can personally speak to impact of the nominee’s work. 

Simple and Clear Communication

• Ensure the nomination explains the nominee’s specific role in achieving the stated accomplishment.  
• Avoid acronyms or insider jargon.  
• Assume our review teams have little expertise or familiarity with specific topic areas.