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Army Communities of Excellence

Thursday, May 17, 2018

What is it?

The Army Communities of Excellence (ACOE) program is a Chief of Staff Army (CSA) sponsored initiative that promotes continuous process improvement and fosters excellence in installation management. This program uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program Criteria for Performance Excellence – an internationally recognized integrated management system – to evaluate the competing installations.

The program serves as a forum for assessing performance of Army installations, managed by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM), the Army National Guard (ARNG), and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR), based on measurable business outcomes and the CSA’s priorities.

What has the Army done/ is doing?

The Army’s chief of staff presents ACOE awards annually, at a Pentagon awards ceremony, to recognize performance excellence in installation management. The awards recognize continuous business process improvement, individual innovation, groundbreaking initiatives, and dedication to efficiency, effectiveness and customer care. These efforts directly affect the quality of support to Soldiers, Families, civilian employees and retirees on Army installations.

The Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (ACSIM) oversees the annual process and ceremony for the CSA per AR 5-1, Management of Army Business Operations.

At the end of the annual program cycle, an objective review panel within IMCOM, ARNG and USAR rigorously evaluates the participating installations, score their performance, provide feedback on the state of their organizations to their leaders, and highlight areas that have measurably improved. Nominations selected for Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mentions are sent for ACSIM’s approval for the subsequent ACOE awards ceremony. The 2018 gold winners are USAG Rucker, Alabama (IMCOM), Ohio (ARNG), and 81st Readiness Division, Fort Jackson, South Carolina (USAR).

What continued efforts does the Army have planned?

Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management (OACSIM) is working to:

  • Streamline the process to reduce the overall program costs and increase participation in the voluntary competition.
  • Reduce the overall workload of ACOE program managers by focusing more on business results than on process.
  • Synchronize the process with the Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence in agreement with DODI 1005.16]( http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/100516p.pdf?ver=2017-11-09-141605-163).

Why is this important to the Army?

The Army community is the backbone of Army readiness. The ACOE program highlights that communities support people best by combining excellent services with excellent facilities in a quality environment. This program is a way for the CSA to reward installation leaders who demonstrate how to achieve cost savings through improved business practices in the delivery of quality services, facilities and infrastructure to their workforce and community members.

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