Awards to recognise public service |21 July 2004

The launch took place on Monday July 19 at the National Institute of Education, in a meeting to mark Public Service Day, which was attended by President James Michel, Vice-President Joseph Belmont, ministers and chief executives.

Announcing the new award scheme, principalsecretary of the Ministry of Administration and Manpower Development (MAMD), Mohammed Afif, said that, while 63 percent of "customers" were satisfied with public services, "we must come up with more innovative solutions to challenges to overcome constraints."

PS Afif said that there is still room for improvement in public service delivery and that the awards will help, "build up timeliness, responsiveness and efficiency of public service."

The awards will be presented every two years and will be split into the following three categories: improvements in public service results; improvements in quality of public service process and; innovation in public service.

Explaining why the awards have been introduced, MAMD information states that, "in this climate of fiscal restraint, coupled with increasing citizens' expectations, public service employees are being called upon to provide creative solutions to problems and opportunities by challenging current practices and learning to do more with less."

The chosen theme for the awards is "Service to the Public" and full details can be found at www.mamd.gov.sc/psday/index.html
The awards competition is open to any public project undertaken after January 2002 and applications must be submitted to the Public Service Development Division of MAMD.

Judges for the awards will be drawn from the public and private sector and will be able to recognise achievements at individual, departmental and organisational levels.

The winners will receive a shield and will be submitted to international public service competitions run by the United Nations and Commonwealth, which Daniella Larue of the Public Services Development Division, described as very valuable for career development.

The deadline for nominations is the end of March 2005, to be followed by the preliminary judging stage in April and the presentation of awards in July.