Outstanding public service initiatives honoured at the 2024 Spirit of Service Awards

Last night, the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT revealed the winners of this year’s Spirit of Service Awards, celebrating public service initiatives that showcase the sector’s best work for Australia’s communities. ?

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, presented the winners of the Kerry Kennedy Award and the four award categories: Breakthrough, Collaboration, Community Engagement, and Learning.

In the Breakthrough category – recognising novel and ingenious approaches – the National Joint Common Operating Picture led by the Australian Department of Home Affairs and National Emergency Management Agency brought home the trophy.

This cloud-based platform automatically acquires and processes real-time data from various sources, providing a comprehensive and up-to-date view of national hazards and their potential consequences, such as bushfires, to inform better decision making.

The Collaboration award – celebrating cross-agency and/or cross-jurisdiction initiatives – went to ‘Bringing statutory declarations into the 21st century’, driven by Services Australia , the Australian Government Department of Finance , and the Attorney-General's Department .

The new digital Commonwealth statutory declaration allows users to complete, electronically sign, and download declarations via myGov using their Digital ID reducing time and effort compared to paper forms. This digital solution saves up to $156 million and hundreds of thousands of hours each year.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics won the Community Engagement award, which recognises novel ways of engaging with communities, for their innovative approach to social media engagement, particularly through their social media edutainment.

By revamping its social media presence, the ABS significantly boosted its engagement and followers on their social media channels. This initiative has enhanced community engagement and continues to attract media attention, utilising ABS data to drive discussions on the economic climate and fostering transparency and trust.

‘Essentials to strengthen your small business – an online learning solution for small business operators’ by the Australian Taxation Office won in the Learning category, which recognises initiatives that courageously embrace risk to address complex problems.

Through this free online learning platform, small businesses can build skills and knowledge on tax and superannuation obligations. Launched in January 2024, it provides self-help resources based on small business feedback, supporting them in meeting their obligations effectively.

Finally, this year’s Kerry Kennedy Award went to SES100, an initiative led by the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Australian Public Service Commission to increase Frist Nations senior executive representation in the APS.

The Kerry Kennedy Award honours Kerry’s commitment to celebrating agencies that exceed expectations through creative use of resources and collaboration.

“The initiatives we recognise today showcase some of the sector’s best work in service of Australia’s communities,” IPAA ACT President and Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department Katherine Jones PSM FIPAA said.

“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.”

IPAA ACT CEO Kate Driver said as a year-round program, the Spirit of Service Awards remain IPAA ACT’s key initiative highlighting excellence and professionalism in the public sector.

“Stories like these don’t make the media often, but they have a profound impact on our communities. At IPAA ACT, we remain committed to giving them a platform.”

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Media contact: Julia Ahrens, E: [email protected], M: 0402 190 656

About IPAA ACT

IPAA is the professional body focused on the promotion of excellence and professionalism in public administration. We are a non-profit and non-partisan organisation that works in partnership with the public sector, the private sector, academia and other institutions, to provide a platform for debate and discussion about improving and striving for excellence in public administration in Australia.