Innovation & Modernization

This award focuses on how a congressional office uses creativity and an eye toward the future to better facilitate the Member's roles as legislator, representative, and manager, or can encompass the work a Member does to improve the institution of Congress. This can be demonstrated either by example or by proposing innovations and modernization of the institution. This can include website improvements, social media, and interactive communications tools to enhance office productivity, institution-wide efficiency measures, and conscious efforts to bring Congress into the 21st century. We expect to see that an office demonstrates innovation and modernization through specific practices that are thoroughly integrated either into the individual office's work or work on behalf of Congress overall.

For example:

• Constituent feedback and interaction
• Office efficiency measures
• Workplace flexibility
• Legislative research
• Committee work
• Member briefings/information-sharing
• Staff management and communication
• Member and staff mobility and effectiveness