Awards honour fresh efforts
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Australian public service initiatives have been honoured at the 2024 Spirit of Service Awards.
Held by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT, the awards sought to highlight innovative projects that have significantly impacted communities across the country.
Winners were announced this week at the National Arboretum in Canberra, in a ceremony led by Letitia Hope, IPAA ACT Deputy President and Deputy Secretary, Department of Social Services, and Justine Greig PSM, IPAA ACT Deputy President and Deputy Secretary, Defence People, Department of Defence.
“The initiatives we recognise today showcase some of the sector’s best work in service of Australia’s communities,” said Katherine Jones PSM FIPAA, IPAA ACT President and Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department.
“The Spirit of Service Awards give us a welcome opportunity to celebrate these initiatives and get together as a service to learn from each other, beyond departmental boundaries.”
The awards spanned five categories: Breakthrough, Collaboration, Community Engagement, Learning, and the Kerry Kennedy Award.
The National Joint Common Operating Picture, a project by the Department of Home Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency, won the Breakthrough Award. This cloud-based platform gathers real-time data from multiple sources to provide comprehensive insights into national hazards, like bushfires, supporting better decision-making.
The Bringing Statutory Declarations into the 21st Century initiative, developed by Services Australia, the Department of Finance, and the Attorney-General’s Department, received the Collaboration Award. This digital transformation allows users to complete and sign Commonwealth statutory declarations online via myGov using their Digital ID, saving up to $156 million and hundreds of thousands of hours annually.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) won the Community Engagement Award for its innovative use of social media edutainment. By enhancing its social media strategy, the ABS was said to have increased public interaction and transparency, using educational content to drive discussions on the economic landscape.
The Essentials to Strengthen Your Small Business initiative by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) received the Learning Award. Launched in January 2024, the platform offers free resources to help small business operators understand tax and superannuation obligations, based on user feedback.
The Kerry Kennedy Award was presented to the SES100 initiative, led by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Australian Public Service Commission. This program aims to increase First Nations senior executive representation in the APS.
“Stories like these do not make the media often, but they have a profound impact on our communities,” said IPAA ACT CEO Kate Driver.