Centre for Public Sector Innovation call for entries launch 16th Annual CPSI Public Sector Innovation Awards 2018
The Deputy Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Dr Chana Pilane-Majake, awarded the 16th Annual Public Sector Innovation Awards finalists on Friday, the 02nd of November 2018 at the Velmore Hotel and Spa, Erasmia, Pretoria, Gauteng Province.
The CPSI is a government component within the Ministry of Public Service and Administration that was established to entrench, unearth, nurture and reward innovation in the public sector.
The Deputy Minister mentioned that the work of the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) to unearth the wealth of innovation, and lay the groundwork for entrenching innovative thinking in the public sector is of fundamental importance to public sector capacity building and growth. She explained that the adoption and ongoing practise of innovation as a critical part of transformation and reform in the public sector opens up opportunities to find new cost-effective ways of adding value to the existing systems and practices or to replace them if necessary.
Through the influence of the CPSI, there’s been an increased collaboration amongst government institutions to fully leverage innovation as one of the main building-blocks for a capable state. This is highly commendable in that it liberates the pioneering spirit in public officials to share their expertise and make a difference in people’s lives.
Pilane-Majake said, “tonight is a clear indication of how public officials, moved by the plight of their fellow citizens, have decided to embrace innovation as a key enabler and a game-changer in exploring better and more improved ways of delivering services to citizens” Said Deputy Minister Pilane-Majake, “Our public officials are increasingly, boldly pushing boundaries to move beyond ordinariness to find new, extra-ordinary ways of delivering services”.
The 2018 Awards edition has once again brought a wealth of excellent, highly innovative projects unearthed from public officials at the coal face as they challenge outdated ways of doing things that are no longer meeting the needs of our connected, sophisticated and informed citizens. The CPSI Annual Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme is proving to be an initiative of high impact and relevance in terms of increasing impact in critical areas of need in our society, such as education, healthcare, social security, crime prevention, etc.
Dr Pilane-Majake congratulated all those who entered the 16th Public Sector Innovation Awards and in particular, the finalists and winners. “Those public servants whose projects have made it up to the stage of being finalists today are a true testimony of the enabling and catalytic value of innovation in improving the way in which government can deliver services to the citizens.” She said.
The 16th CPSI Public Sector Innovation Awards Programme were held in partnership with the GovChat, Ekasi Solutions, Blackberry, Boshomane Accountants as well as GEMS.
Category A: Innovative solutions reducing the cost of delivering services was won by the North West Department of Education and Sport Development’s eLTSM system. An Ordering, Delivering and Monitoring System.
Category B: Innovative use of ICTs for effective service delivery was scooped by Western Cape’s Transport and Public Works Department for the Integrated Transport intelligence Hub. The project has developed new technology and integrated existing standard technology to provide real-time infringement information to law enforcement officers. The hub provides credible data sources and information management systems. Using licence plate recognition and databases of information relating to vehicles to send information to the back office and also directly to the closest traffic officer.
Category C: Innovative service delivery institutions award was won by the Gauteng’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital’s Standing Box Project. Faced with highly expensive assistive devices, the hospital partnered with an NPO called Sukumani Dream (to source affordable Standing Boxes that provide adequate support for children with poor trunk control. These boxes are very stable and have tray tables attached for play and feeding activities. Initially parents paid for the Standing Boxes, however one of the Physiotherapists identified a need and sourced donations from private companies and individuals to manufacture standing boxes at a much cheaper cost
Category D: Innovative enhancement of internal systems of government award was won by the North West Department of Finance’s Development of accessible salary advice for visually impaired employees. The North West Provincial Government is presently employing more than forty (40) employees with visual impairment, that require braille or large print salary advice slips and the number may increase as circumstances change. The service also expand to Employees Income Tax Certificate (IRP 5/IT) services.
The development of braille salary advice using ICT or technology made sure that visually impaired employees receive their pay slip in a format that makes it possible for them to read all the details using the JAWS computer voice software or Braille.
Winners from the four categories went on to contest for the prestigious 2018 innovator of the year award. Gauteng’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital’s Standing Box Project emerged victorious in this category.
The special Ministerial awards went to Mini-library for the Blind and RK Khan Hospital
This year, the GEMS Health Sector Innovation award was conferred to The Electronic Intensive Care Project, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health
Three public servants were specially recognised as public sector innovation trailblazers. Xolani Phakathi (Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal), Tumelo Serobatse and Golebamang Chukudu (Department of Education and Sport Development, North West), were all recognised for their contributions in providing ICT-based solutions to solve service delivery challenges.
