UNCLASSIFIED// 
MARADMIN 042/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM// SUBJ/IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IMPROVED AWARDS PROCESSING SYSTEM (IAPS)// REF/A/MSGID:DOC/SECNAV NDBDM/22AUG2006// REF/B/MSGID:DOC/CMC MMMA/05AUG2006// NARR/REF A IS SECNAVINST 1650.1G, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS AWARDS MANUAL.  REF B IS MCO 1650.19J, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ISSUE PROCEDURES FOR DECORATIONS, MEDALS, AND AWARDS// POC/NICHOLAS MULL/1STLT/UNIT:HQMC MMMA-2/-/TEL:(703) 784-9342 /TEL:DSN 278-9342/EMAIL:NICHOLAS.MULL@USMC.MIL//

GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IMPROVED AWARDS PROCESSING SYSTEM (IAPS).

2.  THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM COUPLED WITH ADVANCES IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY NECESSITATED A CHANGE TO THE AWARDS PROCESSING SYSTEM (APS).  OVER THE LAST YEAR, M&RA SOLICITED INPUT ON REQUIRED IMPROVEMENTS TO APS WHICH WOULD ENHANCE COMMANDERS' ABILITY TO SUBMIT, ENDORSE, APPROVE, AND TRACK PERSONAL AND UNIT AWARDS.  BASED UPON THIS INPUT, THE IMPROVED AWARDS PROCESSING SYSTEM (IAPS) WAS DEVELOPED.  IAPS WILL NOT ONLY MAINTAIN ALL FUNCTIONALITY IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, IT WILL ALSO ALLOW UNITS TO DESIGNATE A UNIT AWARDS ADMINISTRATOR (UAA) TO MANAGE ALL ASPECTS OF THE AWARDS PROCESS WITHIN THEIR UNIT.  IAPS WILL NOT CHANGE THE RESPONSIBILITIES ESTABLISHED BY THE REFERENCES FOR THE TIMELY PROCESSING OF AWARDS.  M&RA WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE UNIT DIARY ENTRIES ARE MADE AND THAT THE MARINE'S OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILE (OMPF) IS UPDATED TO INCLUDE APPROVED AWARDS.

3.  IAPS WAS DESIGNED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE INTUITIVE FOR THE USER; THEREFORE, NO FORMAL TRAINING IS REQUIRED TO USE THE SYSTEM. USERS CAN FIND INSTRUCTIONS AND REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR IAPS ON THE MMMA WEBSITE AT: WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL/AWARDS OR THE IAPS APPLICATION AT: WWW.MANPOWER.USMC.MIL/IAPS (BOTH LINKS ARE CASE SENSITIVE AND MUST BE IN ALL LOWER CASE).  IAPS IS CURRENTLY ACCESSIBLE FOR USER REGISTRATION UNTIL 1 MAR 08, WHEN IAPS IS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE ENTIRE MARINE CORPS IAW THE FIELDING TIMELINE OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 4.

4.  DUE TO THE COMPLEX TASK ORGANIZATION OF UNITS THROUGHOUT THE MARINE CORPS, THE GLOBAL SOURCING FOR COMBAT DEPLOYMENTS DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A STAGGERED IAPS IMPLEMENTATION; THEREFORE, IAPS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL COMMANDS ACROSS THE MARINE CORPS SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE TIMELINE FOR REQUIRED TASKS TO EXECUTE THE TRANSITION FROM APS TO IAPS IS AS FOLLOWS:
A.  NLT 15 FEB 08:  THE INITIAL UAA FOR EACH COMMAND AT THE BN/SQDN LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT AND HIGHER WILL REQUEST UAA PERMISSIONS FROM MMMA-2 BY REGISTERING IN IAPS.  ONCE THE INITIAL UAA FOR A UNIT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY MMMA, THE UAA MAY GRANT PERMISSIONS AS DIRECTED BY THE COMMANDER FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL UAA THROUGH IAPS WITHOUT REQUIRING HQMC MMMA-2 APPROVAL.

B.  NLT 29 FEB 08:  ALL COMMANDERS AT THE BN/SQDN LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT AND HIGHER WILL REQUEST APPROPRIATE AWARD APPROVAL AUTHORITY IAW THE REFERENCES FROM MMMA-2.  ALL GENERAL/FLAG OFFICERS MAY DESIGNATE A TRUSTED ASSISTANT WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO SIGN AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENDORSEMENT OR APPROVAL IN IAPS ON THEIR BEHALF. THE UAA WILL ASSIGN APPROPRIATE PERMISSIONS REQUESTED BY IAPS USERS IN THEIR UNIT, TO INCLUDE: ENDORSERS, REVIEWERS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND CIVILIANS AUTHORIZED TO ORIGINATE AWARDS. COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE ALL IAPS USERS IN THEIR COMMAND HAVE REVIEWED THE IAPS INTRODUCTION BRIEF LOCATED ON THE WEBSITES LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 3.

C.  1 MAR 08:  ALL NEW PERSONAL AND UNIT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS MUST BE ORIGINATED THROUGH IAPS. 
5.  DUE TO DIFFERENT APPLICATION FORMATS, AWARDS PENDING IN APS CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED OR PROCESSED IN IAPS.  HOWEVER, UPON FINAL ADJUDICATION, THOSE AWARDS WILL BE TRANSFERRED AND ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE IAPS ARCHIVE.  ADDITIONALLY, ALL COMPLETED AWARDS CURRENTLY IN THE APS ARCHIVE WILL BE ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE IAPS ARCHIVE. THE LEGACY APS WILL REMAIN OPERATIONAL FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR FROM IAPS IMPLEMENTATION TO ALLOW FOR PROCESSING AND FINAL ADJUDICATION OF ALL AWARDS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED.

6.  ALL MARINE CORPS COMMANDS ABOVE THE BN/SQDN LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT ARE REQUIRED TO EXECUTE THE TIMELINE FOR IAPS IMPLEMENTATION CONTAINED ABOVE.  COMMANDS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DESIGNATE THEIR INITIAL UAA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE UAA CAN BEGIN TO THOROUGHLY FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR ROLE IN ADMINISTERING IAPS AND FACILITATE THEIR UNIT'S TRANSITION TO IAPS.  THE UAA MAY CONTACT HQMC MMMA-2 IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING REQUIRED ACTIONS.  THE MMMA-2 POC IS 1STLT NICHOLAS MULL, AND CONTACT INFORMATION IS AS LISTED IN THE POC LINE ABOVE.

7.  REF B WILL BE REVISED AND RELEASED ON THE AWARDS HOMEPAGE WHEN UPDATES ARE COMPLETED.  IT WILL INCORPORATE ALL CHANGES TO POLICY AND PROCEDURES AS DIRECTED BY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IAPS.

8. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN R.S. COLEMAN, DEPUTY COMMANDANT, MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS.//