Public sector innovation awards launched

The inaugural eircom Innovation Through Technology Awards, which will seek to recognise excellence and creativity in technology initiatives in the public sector, were launched today.

Ireland's public sector is recognised as a global leader in using new technologies and systems to deliver Government services and the eircom Innovation Through Technology Awards will showcase this great work across six categories.

Any public sector project is eligible for entry and there is no entry fee. The Awards are being run by Inside Government magazine in association with eircom.

Speaking at the launch of the eircom Innovation Through Technology Awards, An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said: "In the public sector, technology is at the heart of the process of modernisation and providing a better service.

"These Awards recognise that and complement our commitment to ensuring access to public services provided by Government and other bodies will be streamlined and made easier through innovation and new initiatives which cut red tape. It is my view that the scope of the Innovation Through Technology Awards emphasise the central role of technology in all fields in the public sector."

The categories are:

Best project: government to government. This award will recognise a project that demonstrates effective joined-up working between at least two organisations in the public sector.

Best project: government to citizen. This award will recognise a project that demonstrates effective service delivery or interaction to citizens.

Best project: government to business. This award will be for the project that demonstrated the most effective delivery of services that interact with business or industry.

The best project within an organisation. This award will be presented to the best project that uses information-age services behind-the-scenes within an organisation.

The best partnership project. This award will recognise the project that best uses information-age services that involve a number of organisations in both the public and private sectors.

Innovator of the year. This award will be presented to an individual within the public sector who has made a significant personal contribution towards the achievement of technology innovation.

To enter the eircom Innovation Through Technology Awards 2004, visit www.insidegovernment.ie, tel: [phone], or e-mail: [e-mail].

The date for close of entries is November 24, 2004. The Awards will take place on Thursday, January 27, 2005 in the Radisson SAS St Helen's Hotel, Dublin.