Navy's 'Best Practices' Program Recognized For Innovation

The Best Manufacturing Practices Program (BMP) at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is a winner of the 1998 Innovations in American Government Awards, which recognizes innovative government programs at the federal, state, and local levels. "ONR's Best Manufacturing Practices Program is a unique technology and knowledge transfer program that promotes sharing of technology and knowledge, even between competitors," says Rear Adm. Paul G. Gaffney II, chief of naval research. The program identifies and documents manufacturing best practices and encourages government, industry, and academia to employ the practices to develop globally competitive products. The BMP program has documented and shared more than 3,000 best practices since its inception in 1985, according to the Dept. of the Navy. Along with the award, the ONR receives a $100,000 grant to use toward replicating its BMP program in other areas. The Ford Foundation provides the grant funds for the awards program, which is administered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in partnership with the Council for Excellence in government.