Minister celebrates public service excellence

Greater collaboration and strategic thinking by the public sector is delivering real benefits for the public, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

Close to 400 public servants from across New Zealand attended the 2015 Deloitte Fujitsu Public Service Excellence Awards in Wellington last night.

“I was thrilled to be able to celebrate with all the winners, and recognise the talented and hard-working New Zealanders who have dedicated themselves to providing outstanding public services for their communities,” Mrs Bennett says.

The Canterbury Clinical Network, nominated by the Canterbury District Health Board, won the Prime Minister’s Award for its innovative care and treatment that enables patients to receive care in their homes.

The network last year prevented 30,000 people with acute conditions from being hospitalised by bringing medical care services into their home.

“New Zealand taxpayers quite rightly expect the public service to work together and provide value for money, but more importantly, they want to see results.

“I have consistently said to the public service that I want them to be brave, to think about the future direction of the country, to continue to be positive about their work, and the Awards recognised that this is happening in so many areas,” says Mrs Bennett.

The Institute of Public Administration NZ (IPANZ) organises the annual event, and this year’s awards attracted over 70 entries from a large range of organisations including government departments, district health boards, Crown agencies, local government, and tertiary education organisations.

“IPANZ is doing great work fostering collaboration and promoting a culture of shared success, and the Awards ceremony is a great opportunity for the public sector to recognise excellence,” Mrs Bennett says.