Photo: Baldo Sciacca

Welcome to the Civil Service Awards 2019! Nominations are now open [1].

As always, the awards will not only celebrate the very best of our service but also capture something of the times we live in. I’m expecting this year to produce a wealth of nominations reflecting the challenges we have faced, the skills we’ve applied to solving difficult problems, and the way in which we have worked together.

We’ve shaken up the awards categories a bit, and you’ll see that some categories are brand new. The idea is to make the awards even more engaging and accessible, and to celebrate the people behind the achievements.

There were 1,221 nominations last year, which was a record. Maybe we’ll get even more this year. I know for sure that the ones we do receive will make us all proud. And then will come the near-impossible task of judging.

My thanks in advance go to those of you who have offered to take part in that.

The 2019 categories are listed below – new or changed categories are in blue

Nominations close on 24 July.

2019 categories

New or changed categories are in blue

• Citizenship: Recognising exceptional individuals who go way beyond what could reasonably be expected of them, to improve the lives of citizens or communities. Their contributions could be in the workplace, or as volunteers outside work, or both

• Collaboration: Recognising excellent collaboration that spans the boundaries between sectors, administrations, or layers of government. 

• Commercial: Recognising exemplary commercial skill and sound business judgement in delivering an exceptional outcome, with value for money for government. 

• Communication and Engagement: Recognising highly effective communications activity with significant positive outcomes. Nominations could describe a communications campaign, a consultation, or a different engagement activity.

• Developing People: Recognising excellence across all areas of learning, skills development, strengthening capability, and talent management.

• Digital: Recognising excellence in the application of digital technology to solve a problem or make things better; and celebrating people whose commitment to technological improvements reach measurable outcomes.

• Diversity and Inclusion: A winner of winners from the Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Awards; an award that recognises real achievement and success at all levels of the Civil Service.

• Health and Wellbeing: Recognising people who have made a highly effective contribution to promoting or improving health and wellbeing within the Civil Service. 

• Innovation and Science: Recognising the outstanding advancement or application of science or innovation to improve policy, service delivery or public administration.

• Inspirational Leadership: Recognising individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, regardless of grade or role.  

• Policy and Evidence: Recognising excellence in policymaking.

• Project Delivery: Recognising outstanding contributions to the successful delivery of government projects.  

• Public Service: Recognising exceptional service delivery.

• Resilience and Rapid Response: Recognising excellence in crisis management, contingency planning, or major incident response. 

• Rising Star: Recognising a civil servant who has made a significant impact within the first 8 years of their Civil Service career.

More details can be found on the Civil Service Awards website. [2]