I.          DECISION 

The following provisions are issued by decision of the Secretary Central: 

A.          PURPOSE 

The purpose of this Administrative Memorandum is to update and provide clarification of the information regarding the Leo S. Rowe Memorial Award. 

B.          BACKGROUND

1.          The Rowe Memorial Benefit Fund was established as a trust by the former Director General of the Pan American Union, Dr. Leo S. Rowe, to promote the welfare and professional improvement of OAS staff. In 1955, Dr. William Manger, then Assistant Secretary General, established the Rowe Memorial Benefit Fund Committee to further the purposes of the Fund. The Committee consists of a representative of the Secretary General, a representative of the Department of Human Resources, the Director of the Department of Financial Services, the staff representative on the Retirement and Pension Committee, and the Chairman of the Staff Association. 

2.          In keeping with the spirit and intent of the legacy, the Rowe Memorial Benefit Fund Committee approved the establishment of an incentive award program in 1979 to acknowledge and reward staff members for outstanding service to the General Secretariat. Specifically, this award seeks to recognize and encourage excellence of service as demonstrated by outstanding contributions in the form of ideas, actions, unusually high performance standards, or specific work‑product deemed to substantially exceed the normal call of duty in any area of the General Secretariat. 

Each year, a Leo S. Rowe Memorial Award Committee is appointed to consider nominations for the Rowe Award and to make Award recommendations to the Secretary General. The Secretary General selects the Award recipients from the persons recommended by the Committee. 

C.          THE AWARD AND ELIGIBILITY 

The Leo S. Rowe Memorial Award constitutes the highest form of recognition for outstanding service to the General Secretariat of the OAS by staff members. It may be granted to an individual or to a group currently or formerly on the staff of the General Secretariat. Because the purpose is to provide incentives, and not testimonials, the award is intended primarily for individuals currently on the staff or who have served very recently in the General Secretariat. It consists of a plaque and/or a token cash benefit in an amount set by the Rowe Memorial Benefit Fund Committee. 

D.       SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE LEO S. ROWE MEMORIAL AWARD COMMITTEE 

1.          The Leo S. Rowe Memorial Award Committee shall consist of two members appointed by the Staff Committee, two members appointed by the Secretary General, and a Chairman appointed by agreement of the four members.  Beginning with the Committee formed for the presentation of the 1993 Rowe Awards, Committee members shall be selected as follows: 

a.          1993:          one member appointed by the Staff Committee and one member appointed by the Secretary General for a one year term which ends ten days after the presentation of the 1994 Rowe Awards. 

b.          1993:          one member appointed by the Staff Committee and one member appointed by the Secretary General for a two year term which ends ten days after the presentation of the 1995 Rowe Awards. 

c.          1993 and each year thereafter:          The Chairman shall be appointed for a one year term which ends ten days after the presentation of the Rowe Awards for which he is appointed Committee Chairman. 

d.          1994 and each year thereafter:          To replace the one Committee member appointed by the Staff Committee and the one Committee member appointed by the Secretary General whose terms have ended, the Staff Committee and the Secretary General shall each appoint a Committee member for a two year term which ends ten days after the presentation of the second Rowe Awards during their term. 

e.          Individuals may be reappointed as Chairman or as Committee members. A person appointed to fill a vacancy on the Committee shall complete the term of the replaced Committee member and may thereafter be appointed to a full term on the Committee. 

f.          Each year, new members shall be selected to fill Committee vacancies and the Chairman shall be chosen by the four Committee members within no more than 30 days after the presentation of the Rowe Awards for that year. 

E.       PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATION AND SELECTION FOR THE LEO S. ROWE MEMORIAL AWARD 

1.          Each year, after the Rowe Awards Committee is fully constituted, the Committee shall, in consultation with the Director of the Department of Human Resources, establish submission dates for staff member nominations of prospective Award winners. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure and meeting schedules; provided, however, that the proceedings of the Committee shall be confidential and that each Committee member shall agree, as a condition to accepting membership, that he will never divulge the internal Committee deliberations, including the composition of the votes of the Committee on who is to be recommended to the Secretary General for receipt of the Award. 

2.          The Director of the Department of Human Resources shall annually inform staff members of the procedures and deadlines for making Award nominations. 

The Department of Human Resources will be responsible for coordinating and administering the Award program, maintaining the records necessary to meet the program reporting requirements, also acting as Technical Secretary to the Leo S. Rowe Memorial Award Committee. 

3.          Award nominations may be submitted by any staff member who wishes to bring to the attention of the Committee cases of outstanding contributions or service in the form of ideas, actions, unusually high performance, or specific work-product deemed to substantially exceed the normal call of duty in any area of the General Secretariat. Examples of such contributions include, but are not limited to: suggestions, ideas, inventions, and various superior accomplishments, which substantially contribute to the productivity, efficiency, or economy of OAS operations. Other examples include a staff member's special act or service in the public interest, which is connected with or related to employment in the General Secretariat. Nominations shall be addressed to the Director of Human Resources and shall be supported by a memorandum describing the circumstances and basis of the outstanding performance. The narrative of the memorandum should clearly describe the contribution in nontechnical language and the degree to which it exceeds normal expectations in relation to the individual's job responsibilities. All properly documented nominations which are submitted to the Director of Human Resources prior to the Award nomination submission deadline shall be brought by the Director to the Awards Committee for its consideration. 

4.          The Awards Committee may call on staff members for clarification of nominating statements and/or for additional documentation. 

5.          The Awards Committee shall limit its consideration of prospective Rowe Award recipients to nominations submitted by the filing date set by the Committee. 

6.          The number of Awards shall not exceed five each year. However, there is no limit to the number of staff members who may share a group Award in a given year. 

7.          The Awards Committee shall decide its recommendations of Award recipients by a simple majority vote and shall set forth the majority's recommendations in a confidential written report to the Secretary General. The report shall state the name of each person recommended for receipt of the Award and the basis for the recommendation. 

8.          The final decision on Awards will be made by the Secretary General. The Committee shall provide to the Secretary General any additional information which he may require. 

9.          Award nominations and Rowe Awards shall not be subject to appeal or to the procedures in Chapter XII of the Staff Rules. 

II.          REVOCATION OR AMENDMENT 

This Administrative Memorandum supersedes all procedures and practices regarding the Rowe Awards which are contrary to this Memorandum. 

III.          EFFECT

This Administrative Memorandum shall take effect on the date on which it is signed. 

By order of the Secretary General
Assistant Secretary for Management  
 

Date:          February 11, 1993
Original:          English