Link Magazine Issue 54 – May 2008 - Department of Public ...

and TellThe presentation of the Public Service Excellence Awards by theTaoiseach was preceded by a showcase conference in the DublinCastle Conference Centre on Friday 18th April 2008.4ShowLINK – show and tellINTEREST IN THE CONFERENCE was high,with unprecedented numbers reserving places. Onthe day, presentations by all of the 20 award-winningprojects were showcased. This was an opportunityfor the audience to get an understanding of thebackground to those projects, the work involved andthe challenges surmounted to achieve successfulresults.Mr Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General at theDepartment of the Taoiseach, set the context forthe event in his opening address. In welcomingdelegates to the third Taoiseach’s Public ServiceExcellence Awards Conference, he encouraged themto take the opportunity to see the examples of bestpractice across the Public Service that would be onshow. He also extended a special welcome andsincere congratulations to the award-winning projectteams, many of whom had travelled long distancesto be there.Increasing interestMr. McCarthy tracked the success of the Taoiseach’sAwards since their inauguration in 2004. He waspleased to note that the starting point of 83 entriesin 2004 increased to151 in 2006 all the way to theimpressive total of 183 entries received for this year’sAwards. This kind of development shows that thereis a lot of great work going on out there. But it isalso evidence that public servants are increasinglywilling to talk about their achievements and sharethe lessons that they have learned.The volume of entries meant that the SelectionCommittee faced quite a challenge in distilling somany high-quality entries down to 20 final winners.Recognising this, both Secretary General McCarthyand the Taoiseach made a point of thanking theCommittee for their contribution.Professor Mary Daly of UCD chaired theCommittee which comprised Ms. Catherine Byrne,ICTU; Mr. Jim Duffy, Dept. Finance; Mr. LiamDunbar, former Chief Executive of St. James’sHospital; Mr. John Fitzgerald, Chairman of An Post;Dr. Peter Humphreys, Executive Director ofResearch at the IPA; Mr. Philip Kelly, Department ofthe Taoiseach; and Ms. Berenice O’Neill, formerRefugee Applications Commissioner.Representing IrelandThe focus of the plenary session of the conferencewas the three projects chosen to represent Ireland inParis this October at 5QC, the 5th Quality Conferencefor Public Administrations in the European Union.These projects – from the Irish Prison Service,Dublin City Council and the Office of the RevenueCommissioners – are closely aligned with 5QC’stheme, “the Citizen at the heart of public quality.”Learning from successA series of focused workshops during the morningand early afternoon allowed delegates to see projectpresentations and engage in detailed questions-andanswerssessions. Sharing information in this kindof detail is a key feature of the Awards process – it isimportant that organisations learn from the successesof their peers. The feedback from delegates wasextremely positive, with comments on the highstandardof the presentations being a recurring theme.OpportunitiesThe day’s schedule incorporated opportunities beforeand after lunch to peruse the exhibition stands in theconference centre’s foyer. The stands offered furtherinformation on the award-winning projects, andallowed delegates a more in-depth look at the workinvolved in achieving their success. Many of thestands included information not just in relation tothe Award-winning projects themselves but onrelated aspects or projects underway too.Following the afternoon workshops, the delegatesmoved over to St. Patrick’s Hall for the presentationof the awards by the Taoiseach.Left to right top: Delegates from Department of theEnvironment, Heritage & Local Government; PatDunne, Irish Prison Service and Philip Kelly & DermotMcCarthy.Left to right middle: Jacinta Hunston, RevenueCommissioners; Taoiseach with photographer NicMacInnes and members of the conference audience.Left to right bottom: Hugh Coughlan, Dublin CityCouncil; Prof. Mary Daly and the Taoiseach onstageand the Property Registration Authority's exhibitionstand at the conference.