Award Semifinalists Appear in the Government Innovators Network

Company Website: http://www.egov.com/NICFederal
WASHINGTON -- (Business Wire)

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, recognized today the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) as part of the 100 programs named as Semifinalists in this year’s Innovations in American Government Awards competition. PSP will compete to be named a Finalist in the competition and have the chance to be awarded the $100,000 grand prize in Cambridge this spring. FMCSA contracts with NIC Federal, LLC to develop and maintain PSP.

PSP advanced from a pool of more than 500 applications from all 50 states, and was selected by the Innovations Award evaluators as examples of novel and effective action whose work has had significant impact, and who they believe can be replicated across the country and the world.

In response to a 2005 congressional mandate, FMCSA awarded a contract to NIC Federal to create PSP, providing motor carriers with rapid, electronic access to driver safety data for use during the hiring process. Before the implementation of PSP, this driver safety data was only available through paper-based Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. With PSP’s launch in 2010, motor carriers and background screening companies were granted instant access to a driver’s safety history at www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov after obtaining the driver’s written authorization. Drivers may access their own PSP records online anytime.

FMCSA is responsible for all of the PSP program’s data and general oversight, while NIC Federal handles daily operations, customer service, and technology development and maintenance. According to a study released by FMCSA, PSP positively impacts the safety of America's roadways. The study shows that motor carriers using PSP have, on average, decreased crash rates by 8 percent, and driver out-of-service (OOS) rates by 17 percent. It is estimated that in the 12 months studied, the motor carrier group using PSP prevented 863 crashes and more than 3,500 driver OOS incidents.

“Efficient data access has allowed trucking and bus companies to consider safety information during their hiring decisions,” said Laura Johnson, NIC Federal’s General Manager. “I am pleased that the Ash Center chose to recognize PSP for its important contribution to safety.”

“These programs demonstrate that there are no prerequisites for doing the good work of governing,” said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Ash Center. “Small towns and massive cities, huge federal agencies and local school districts, large budgets or no budgets at all — what makes government work best is the drive to do better, and this group proves that drive can be found anywhere.”

The Semifinalist programs represent a cross-section of jurisdictions and policy areas, and embody one of the most diverse and sophisticated groups that have advanced to this stage in the competition’s 30-year history. They were invited to complete a supplementary application last fall, answering in-depth questions about their work, the process of creating and sustaining their programs, and how they believe they can teach others to do what they do. The Ash Center expects to announce 10 programs that will be named Finalists and be invited to Cambridge to present to the Innovation Awards Program’s National Selection Committee in March, with the grand prize winners to be named in June.

Please visit the Government Innovators Network at http://innovations.harvard.edu for the full list of Semifinalists, and for more information regarding the Innovations in American Government Awards.

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective government problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world’s citizens. For more information, visit www.ash.harvard.edu.

About the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The FMCSA was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on January 1, 2000. Its primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. To learn more about FMCSA, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

About NIC Federal, LLC

NIC Federal partners with U.S. federal departments and agencies to transform how citizens and businesses interact with government. Focused on delivering a comprehensive user experience, NIC Federal builds digital services and solutions that exceed the expectations of government and its constituents. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, NIC Federal is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV). For more information, please visit www.nicfederal.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170203005045/en/

Contacts:

NIC Federal
Laura Johnson, 877-642-9499
General Manager
ljohnson@egov.com
or
Ash Center
Daniel Harsha, 617-495-4347
Associate Director of Communications,

Source: NIC Federal