News Item, , Brüssel/Gütersloh/Speyer: Six public administration bodies are to receive the European Public Sector Award

an initiative of Bertelsmann Stiftung, the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer and the European Group of Public Administration

This year the EPSA focused on three thematic areas: “Collaborative Governance“, “Targeting with Scarce Resources” and “Coping with Demographic Change”. More than 300 public administration bodies from 25 European countries applied for this award, and 16 of that number were visited on site. An international jury of administrative experts selected the six award winners.

 

The district of Osnabrück is receiving an award for its exemplary initiatives for dealing with demographic change; all of the projects related to this topic are embedded in a strategic planning process and in the district’s financial management.

The Swedish city of Umeå is being honoured for its efforts to improve access to culture for children and young people. In addition, the city’s library has found new ways of integrating the visually impaired into the community.

The Prefecture of Bucharest in Romania is being recognised for providing the Roma with effective access to administrative services of all kinds.

In Belgium, the Crossroads Bank for Social Security is receiving an award for its reorganisation process, which has made possible highly efficient service with a minimum of bureaucratic formalities and expense.

Two awards go to Great Britain. The Lancashire Constabulary have developed a procedure that allows for a drastic reduction in the amount of time spent by police officers at the station, making them more available for assignment in the community.
The Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service is being recognised for their innovative system of personnel management, which has substantially reduced costs and improved service quality.

Another 59 public administration bodies from all over Europe will receive certificates in recognition of their successful efforts at modernisation. The initiators of the EPSA hope that this award will motivate other administration bodies to learn from good examples and fundamentally modernise their administrative structures and methods.