Operational Excellence in Federal Spectrum Management

[Commentary] Multiple teams in National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Office of Spectrum Management support the organization's critical work. Two that achieved “operational excellence” in fiscal 2013 -- getting more done with fewer resources, while still meeting exacting engineering quality standards -- are the Systems Review Branch and the Frequency Assignment Branch.

In fiscal 2013, the Systems Review Branch faced a 51 percent increase in federal agency requests for certification of proposed systems, and was able to complete 88 percent more reviews even while operating with reduced staff. Even with 20 percent fewer employees, the Frequency Assignment Branch approved 151,500 more frequency assignments in fiscal 2013, up 18 percent from fiscal 2012. These are the types of unsung accomplishments that don’t always get the attention they deserve.