Second in precedence only to the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award (DCSA), the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (SCSA) is awarded to civilian employees by the Chief of Naval Operations (or the Commandant of the Marine Corps) for contributions in a variety of areas ranging from successful project leadership and scientific or technical achievements to unusually heroic acts. The principal factor that determines whether an employee is awarded the SCS rather than the DCS is the scope of the contribution that is being recognized, with the SCS award appropriate for work that does not necessarily have service-wide implications.
Generally speaking, the contributions or achievements which justify the issuance of the SCSA fall into two categories: long-time service or individual accomplishments or achievements. Although an SCSA candidate’s career achievements might not have had an impact across the entire service, they nonetheless can be recognized for their important contributions by personnel across the entire Department of the Navy. Individual achievements can include scientific or technical breakthroughs, accomplishments that are de facto evidence of exceptional leadership or management capabilities, or the development of procedures or products that yield significant fiscal savings or results in reduced maintenance costs or enhanced personnel safety.