Nominations open for Scottish Public Service Awards

Nominations have opened for the sixth annual Scottish Public Service Awards, which celebrate excellence within Scotland’s public sector.

Co-hosted by Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh and a senior member of the Scottish Government, the awards offer an annual opportunity to showcase some of the most innovative and thought-provoking work being done the length and breadth of Scotland.

The awards were launched by Holyrood magazine in 2014, and they are held in association with the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament to recognise the rich diversity of public life in Scotland, and the vital relationships that cross departmental, geographic and institutional boundaries.

The awards recognise the wider contribution made to Scotland's civic society from within the civil service, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, the third sector and the wide-ranging and diverse responsibilities of public agencies, including public bodies such as SEPA, national bodies such as Police Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, as well as UK Government departments with a significant presence in Scotland.

Last year’s award winners included Sir George Reid, Dundee and Angus College, for its 'Going From Good to Great' strategy and reform project and Renfrewshire Council for its bid for UK City of Culture 2021.

This year’s judges are Macintosh, Holyrood Communications managing director Mandy Rhodes, Scottish Government Director General Education, Communities and Justice Paul Johnston, Scotland Office Director General Gillian McGregor, Scottish Parliament assistant chief executive David McGill, Auditor General for Scotland Caroline Gardner, Scottish Social Services Council chief executive Anna Fowlie, Improvement Service interim chief executive Sarah Gadsden and Scottish Funding Council chief executive Karen Watt.

Nominations opened on 26 July and will close 4 October. The winners will be announced 4 December at a ceremony in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament.

The award categories are as follows:

• The Campbell Christie Public Service Reform Award
• The Community Engagement Award
• The Project and Programme Management Award
• The Leadership Award
• The Communications Award
• The Digital Public Services Award
• Championing Gender Equality Award
• Rising Star Award
• The Third Sector Partnership Award
• The Employee Development and Skills Award
• The Colin Mair Award for Policy in Practice
• The Commercial Partnerships Award

If you would like to nominate someone for the 2019 awards, visit the Scottish Public Service Award website.