IDEA, PECI programs gives ‘penny saved, penny earned’ new meaning

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Whoever said "you have to spend money to make money" must not have been familiar with the Air Force's Innovative Development for Employee Awareness program.

The IDEA program rewards Airmen who submit ideas or propositions for changing Air Force operating procedures in the interest of saving money. Some ideas could land the contributor up to $10,000.

Emma Syer, UK IDEA program manager, explained how the process of submitting an idea through the program's official web site (https://ipds.csd.disa.mil) works.

"Once the idea has been submitted to the IDEA website, the IDEA analyst then determines eligibility and if the idea meets all requirements as per AFI 38-401, the idea is forwarded to the correct unit point of contact for them to identity a suitable evaluator within their unit," she said. "If the idea requires a higher-level review, it goes to major command and then Air Force level."

The amount of the submitter's reward is based on several factors, including the amount the idea saves the Air Force, the submitter's job responsibility and whether the submission from an individual or a team. Awards are determined after a thorough review of the idea and its merits, Ms. Syer said.

Ideas submitted which yield intangible results, such as an improvement in morale or working conditions, can also be rewarded through the program.

All Department of Defense military, civilian employees and contract personnel are eligible to participate in the IDEA Program. Some submissions may be rejected if they are too vague, incomplete or appear to be complaints or criticism. The complete regulation for the IDEA program is governed by Air Force Instruction 38-401.

Another program in existence to encourage money-saving ingenuity is the Productivity Enhancing Capital Investment program, which provides funding to purchase off-the-shelf equipment to improve productivity. Guidance for the PECI program can be found in AFI 38-301. While no monetary awards are offered through this program, it is a valuable tool for leadership to obtain cutting edge equipment and facilities that help streamline processes, Ms. Syer said.

Suggestions for purchases through the PECI program are broken into two categories based on the cost of the initial investment and the length of time in which the investment will be returned. For example, any purchase less than $200,000 must return the investment within two years and would fall under the Fast Payback Capital Investment Program. An investment greater than $200,000 must be returned within four years and is covered by the Productivity Investment Fund Program.

Ultimately, both programs fall into place with the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century goal of maintaining overall productivity while reducing costs. The programs recognize that some of the best ideas come from the people who do the job day in and day out.

For further details, contact the Mildenhall IDEA program representative at 238-IDEA.