UN hands out annual public service excellence awards

From introducing an e-voting initiative in Switzerland to establishing a performance contracts scheme in Kenya, government departments, agencies and public bodies from 14 countries have won this year’s United Nations Public Service Awards.

The annual awards, handed out today in Vienna during the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government, were set up in 2003 to reward and promote professionalism in the public sector around the world.

The UNPSA are open to all public organizations and agencies at national or sub-national level, as well as to public-private partnerships. There are three categories: improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the public service; improving the delivery of services; and fostering participation in policymaking decisions through innovative mechanisms.

This year’s winners are Kenya’s Performance Contracts Steering Committee Secretariat; Singapore’s Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Manpower and Central Provident Fund Board; the Information Technology and Communications Department, Government of Andhra in India; the Federal Chancellery of Austria; Chile’s Dirección de Compras y Contratación Pública; the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan; the Australian Public Service Commission; South Africa’s e'Thekwini Municipality; Morocco’s Arrondissement Agdal; the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Justice; the Dubai Government Excellence Department; the Lebanese Ministry of Finance; the Statistical Office of Switzerland’s Canton Zurich; and Canada’s Tli Cho Community Services Agency.