Minister Smyth announces winners of the 9th Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Awards

Minister of State with responsibility for eGovernment and Public Procurement, Ossian Smyth, announced the winners of the 9th Civil Service Excellence and Innovation Awards (CSEIA) in Dublin Castle last night.

The vision outlined in Better Public Services, the transformation strategy for the Public Service, is for a public service that provides inclusive, high quality and integrated services that meet the needs and improve the lives of the people of Ireland. Central to this is fostering a culture of innovation in the Public Service.

Established in 2015, the CSEIA are an opportunity to highlight innovations in policy and service delivery across the Civil Service where best practice and lessons can be shared.

A total of 33 teams were shortlisted across 11 categories and awards were presented to the winners at a ceremony in Dublin Castle by Minister Smyth and Mary Hurley, Secretary General of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Noting the varied and innovative approaches taken by the winning teams, Minister Smyth said:

The CSEIA were established under the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2014 and are supported by Better Public Services, the transformation strategy for the Public Service. This year 88 nominations were received from across the Civil Service and 33 projects were shortlisted. There were 11 categories, with the winning projects as follows.

Digital First

Where digital and technological innovations have been used to improve systems, business or processes.

Using Artificial Intelligence to improve Customer Service - Office of the Revenue Commissioners

Embedding Innovation

Projects that demonstrate excellence in innovation by challenging the ‘old ways of doing things’ and making efforts to do something new.

SAFE Online (My GovID Identity Verification) - Department of Social Protection

Workforce of the Future

Projects that demonstrate excellence in terms of promoting people, skills and organisational development amongst staff.

Civil Defence Volunteer and Equipment Management System (VEMS) – Department of Defence

Workplace and Organisation of the Future

Organisations who demonstrate a culture of energy, connection and fulfilment, whereby staff feel positively engaged and connected to their work or project outcomes.

Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework for the Civil Service – Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform

Strategic Policy Development

Projects or initiatives that bring different strands of policy together to make a real difference through excellence in policy formulation, design, consultation, implementation and evaluation.

Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund - Department of Finance

Insights-Driven Decision-Making

Projects that demonstrate excellence in the fields of research, analytics and use of data, and where these are utilised to bring about increased insight and improvements to our citizens.

Transport Hub and Dashboard – Central Statistics Office

Delivering in a Dynamic Environment

Projects and work which clearly advance the core objectives and values of excellence in public service delivery where there is a degree of rapid, unpredictable or turbulent change.

UKRBH – Ukraine Rapid Build Housing Project – Office of Public Works

Excellence through Collaboration

Recognises excellence through collaboration across multiple departments, teams, agencies or sectors and this collaboration played a significant role in the success of an initiative.

Maritime Frontier Controls – Office of the Revenue Commissioners

Citizen Impact and Customer Service

Recognises initiatives where consideration of the customer has been central to the design and delivery of services, resulting in improved service provision, and in the quality of customer service.

Applying a design approach to deliver user centric information on family law – The Courts Service of Ireland

World Class Civil Service

Recognises teams and projects that are a source of inspiration to other public administrations at home and abroad.

The creation of an Irish Sign Language (ISL) Glossary of Parliamentary Terminology – Houses of the Oireachtas

Climate Action and Sustainable Government

Recognises projects that involve action in relation to tackling the climate crisis or delivery of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Schools PV Programme (SPP) Digital First Project – Department of Education in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).