The CPSI would like to congratulate the seven South African projects that were amongst the finalists at the 2^nd All Africa Innovation Awards Ceremony held on Friday 13 May 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was jointly hosted by Kenya and South Africa.

Trophies and certificates were conferred in three categories:

-        Innovative Service Delivery Improvement

-        Innovative Partnerships between Government, Private Sector and Civil Society Organisations

-        Innovation in the Systems and Processes of Governance

The Blueprint for a Rural Sustainability Commons in South Africa project of the Municipal Health Services at Chris Hani District Municipality won the Category Innovative Partnerships In Service Delivery and was also awarded as Overall winner.

Other South African projects that were awarded are:

The All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards is an Africa Union (AU) programme of African Ministers for Public/Civil Service that promotes innovation and learning in African public Services with the aim to improve public service delivery.  Member states of the AU are thus encouraged to share innovative practices with each other and replicate those practices that will enhance service delivery in the respective regions and countries.

It has now also received international recognition as a finalist in the 2010 All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards and will soon receive the 2011 United Nation's Public Service Award as the first place winner for Africa in the category Preventing and Combating Corruption in the Public Service. The UN Awards ceremony will be held on 23 June 2011 as part of the Africa and the United Nations Public Service Day celebrations to be hosted by the Government of Tanzania.

During the election, more than 38 000 results slips were printed with barcodes and scanned at the results capturing sites in order to provide a visual image turned into electronic results. This solution was made available to all staff at national, provincial and more than 300 local offices. The new system provided accuracy and efficiency in the results auditing process. Auditors and representatives from political parties can look at a scanned image of the election result slip of a particular voting station and compare it with the data captured on the result system. This has resulted in a marked saving of storage costs, as physical results can now be disposed of after the required period, yet still be available electronically as required. The innovation has further allowed the IEC management to be able to track the result capturing and scanning process on an on-going basis.

Despite having to scan 38 000 result slips, the efficient implementation of scanning technology ensured that the IEC could capture, verify and scan all the results within two days, with 96% of all results being available within 24 hours. Consequently, fewer objections were raised as compared to previous elections.

A the same ceremony, a second CPSI Public Sector Innovation Award winning department, the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, will also be awarded as the first place winner for Africa in the category Advancing Knowledge Management in Government. The department will receive an award for their Integrated Decision Support project.

The department, entrusted with the sustainable management of natural resources in the Gauteng Province, introduced a GIS system in 2005 (updated in 2009) to help the Department to deal with silo mentality by facilitating the sharing of information between line functions with ease of access. Through the system, turnaround time was reduced and decision-making related to application or requests for development were improved.

Using the layers of the GIS, environmental officers can now easily pick up if the proposed development is located in an environmental sensitive site, on a reserved site of importance to agriculture development or on a site protected for conservation purposes. One of the innovative aspects of this project is its ability to combine different datasets into one application, resulting in improved data quality and management.

As an internal and external tool used by both by government and environmental practitioners, it has contributed to improved decision-making by all stakeholders.

For more information on the United Nations Public Service Awards, click here.

For more information on the annual CPSI Public Sector Innovation Awards or to enter, click here.

To watch a short clip on the two projects, click here.

The CPSI once again received international recognition for its contribution to public sector knowledge and innovation management.



On 26 September 2010 Keitumetse Ramagogodi received the UNPAN Ten Year Anniversary Award for Outstanding Performance in Knowledge Management on behalf of the CPSI at the Workshop on Harnessing Knowledge Management through Web 2.0 Tools in Shanghai, China.

On the 27^th of September, the CPSI received a second award, this time for Leadership Commitment to Knowledge Management, presented to Ms Thuli Radebe, CEO of the CPSI. Ms Radebe’s passion for knowledge management is best described by what she said in 2002: “Each of us is a knowledge worker and a leaning champion in this knowledge economy. We all have a role to play in turning the Public Service into a ‘Learning Public Service for Quality Service Delivery'”

The workshop was also attended by the Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration, Min. Roy Padayachie, Prof Solly Mollo, DG of PALAMA and Ms Lydia Phalwane, Chief Director for Enabling Environment at the CPSI. Ms Lydia Phalwane is responsible for knowledge management and oversees UNPAN Portal activities at the CPSI whilst Ms Keitumetse Ramagogodi is responsible for uploading all SADC related documents to the Portal.

The CPSI is one of 29 Online Regional and International Centres (ORCs) of the United Nations' Public Administration Network Portal (UNPAN). This is not the first recognition that the CPSI received from the United Nations. On Public Service Day, 23 June 2009, the UN also honoured the CPSI for Excellence for Knowledge Management in the Africa Region. The CPSI remains one of the top uploaders of documents and other relevant material to the portal. These awards are testimony of the high level of cooperation achieved amongst SADC countries over the last three years towards ensuring the sharing of good practices and public administration related documents on a regional level. An active network of knowledge champions from SADC countries are convened once a year by CPSI to build capacity, share experiences and to address challenges.

Issued by Centre for Public Service Innovation, 27 Septembr 2010

The honourable Minister for Public Service and Administration, Minister Richard Masenyani Baloyi officially opened the first ever public sector multi-media Innovation Centre at the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) on 4 June 2010.

In an endevour to have a formal testing and piloting platform, the CPSI has established a Multi-media Innovation Centre to demonstrate and act as a platform for innovative solutions for the public sector in South Africa to create a better South Africa, a better Africa and a better World. Innovation is increasingly regarded as the key driver to a nation's competitiveness, job growth, prosperity and problem solving in a knowledge-based economy.

Our multi-media Innovation and Incubation Centre is the first of its kind in the South African public sector and on the entire African continent, it will demonstrate, showcase and, eventually mainstream innovations within the workings of the public sector.

The purpose of the Innovation Centre is two fold:

• To provide a learning platform for the public sector on innovation implementation, in support of government’s efforts to entrench the culture and practice of innovation.
  
• This will be achieved through various repositories of innovation experiences, innovation projects and innovators embodying and demonstrating practically the concept of innovation and all its ramifications.
  
•  To provide space and a platform for public servants, away from their offices, to interrogate their specific challenges and explore and incubate solutions in a multi-stakeholder environment.

This will be achieved through an incubation solution centre, allowing both public and private sectors to conceptualise, incubate, develop and pilot public service solutions to identified challenges.

The multi-media Innovation centre is a platform where different stakeholders (public sector, private sector, different sector expects and academia) explore and find innovative solutions to improve public services delivery.

For more information or to schedule a visit, contact the CPSI at 086 000 CPSI (2774)

Issued by Centre for Public Service Innovation

The All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards (AAPSIA) is one of the thematic areas within a broad programme of the 6th Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service chaired by Kenya. The Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service is a programme of the African Union.

The Awards recognise successful and effective service delivery projects and initiatives that have been achieved through the application of innovative approaches, methodologies and tools. The first All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards Ceremony was held in October 2008 within the 6th Conference of African Ministers of Public/ Civil Service. The second biennial Awards ceremony will be held within the 7th Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service, planned for November 2010.

The purpose of the Awards is to:

• Promote and encourage innovative practices in the public sector for improved service delivery
• Promote regional and cross-sector collaboration towards promoting good governance on the continent
• Create a platform for information sharing, lesson learning, partnerships and possible replication of successful initiatives across the African continent
• To coordinate and celebrate Africas contribution to the global repository of innovative practices.

The theme for the 2010 AAPSIA Promoting Good Governance through Innovative Service Delivery" is informed by the need for innovative continent-born responses to governance challenges.

Entries for the Awards are invited in the following categories.

• Innovative Service delivery Improvements
• Innovative Partnerships between Government, Private Sector and Civil Service Organisations
• Innovations in the Systems and Processes of Governance

The closing date for entries is 31 July 2010.

The Chairperson of the 6th Conference of African Ministers of Public/Civil Service, Honourable Dalmas Otieno, Minister of State for Public Service of the Republic of Kenya has appointed the Republic of South Africa, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Ghana as Champion and Co-champions respectively.

As the Champion for AAPSIA, the South African Minister for Public Service and Administration Mr. Masenyani Richard Baloyi officially called for entries to the 2010 All Africa Public Sector Innovation Awards at the Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Public Service on 22 February 2010.

For further details, please visit www.cpsi.co.za or contact your countrys Ministry of Public/Civil Service.

Also contact Lydia Phalwane on +27 82 9098824, Thulani Ngubane on +27 76 983 9840 or aapsia@cpsi.gov.za

• Click here to view the poster/leaflet/submission form.

The CPSI congratulates the Road Traffic Inspectorate of Pietermaritzburg, a second prize winner at the 2008 CPSI Innovation Awards for the accolade they recently received by being recognised by the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM).

The Leaner Bus Project was selected as one of the five finalists for the AAPAM Award for Innovative Management. This award is jointly sponsored by AAPAM and the Commonwealth Secretariat, London. The Leaner Bus project was short-listed from 57 entries received in 2009.

The selection process for the winner commenced with an interview process held from the 21st to the 25th September 2009, as part of the AAPAM roundtable conference held at the KIA resort in Nairobi, Kenya.

The top five projects in this category were:

Entrant Name:     Judicial Sector Reform Programme
Country:               Ghana
Submitted by:     The Judicial service of Ghana

Entrant Name:    Online entry Visa
Country:               Rwanda
Submitted by:     National Security service, Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration

Entrant Name:    Learner Bus
Country:               South Africa
Submitted by:     Road Traffic Inspectorate Pietermaritzburg

Entrant Name:    The Chain Linked Initiative
Country:               Uganda
Submitted by:     Justice Law & Order Sector, Ministry of Justice & Constitutional Affairs

Entrant Name:    Establishment of a mobile court systems
Country:               Zambia
Submitted by:     Namwala and Itezhi Tezhi Subordinate Local courts Judiciary


This prestigious award was conferred on the 23rd September 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.

We are proud that the Leaner Bus Project was awarded the 4th prize in this category and we celebrate this achievement which has profiled South Africa globally!

Submitted by CPSI Communications Unit

The Centre for Public Service Innovation is proud to announce the 2009 Public Sector Innovator of the Year. The CIDA City Campus was conferred with this prestigious award at the Awards Ceremony held on the 6th November 2009 at Indaba Hotel. The CPSI congratulates CIDA for the outstanding work it does in the academic space. CIDA is South Africa''s first and probably the world''s first higher education institution to be founded through such an innovative model.

The CPSI annually recognise successful and effective service delivery projects and initiatives that have been achieved through the application of innovative approaches, methodologies and tools. The awards provide opportunities for information sharing and learning as well as possibilities for partnerships and the replication of successful initiatives throughout the country. This year, the CPSI recognised twelve projects in 4 categories.

About CIDA''s innovative approach to tertiary education:
The CIDA City Campus was established to provide higher education that is designed to encourage human, economic and social development. The institution is involved in a skills development programme that is aimed at socio-economic development and sustainable community development.

Their innovation comes from the fact that CIDA serves the developmental agenda of the country by offering marginalised students from historically disadvantaged townships and rural backgrounds an opportunity to get fully accredited university education. Registration and tuition is virtually free, with students paying R350 upon registration and then R150 monthly until the completion of their studies. This is possible due to the generosity of sponsors. As part of their training students also learn the highest human values thus experiencing, in a practical way, the importance of putting back something of value into their communities. No other tertiary institution in South Africa offers this.

For more information on CIDA contact:
Mr Wiseman Jack
Tel: 011 834 8825
Cell: 083 353 1316
Email: wjack@cida.co.za

See the award winners on the Awards page

Issued by CPSI Communications Unit: 26 November 2009

The United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) honoured the Centre for Public Service Innovation for Excellence for Knowledge Management in the Africa Region. The CPSI is one of the eight UNPAN partners in Africa, responsible for the SADC region.

The Special Award for UNPAN Member Excellence for Knowledge Management, was established by the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) through the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM). This special award was presented at the United Nations Public Service Day Ceremony, which took place on 23 June 2009 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The criteria for the recognition were as follows:

• Sharing relevant news, documents, events, resources, and contact information in the area of public administration on regular basis.
• Recognising intellectual assets throughout intra-organsational and inter-organisational levels. Specific indicators include but are not limited to senior management support of knowledge sharing, learning and other desired knowledge management behaviour, as well as promoting knowledge sharing through the UNPAN portal on a day-to-day basis.
• Participating and contributing useful content in UNPAN workshops and other online and offline tools.
• Overall performance on knowledge management.
  • Number of documents, news, events, resources and announcements contributed
  • Number of documents in the "Top 200 downloads" as per the UNPAN Progress Reports
  • Number of online training courses the UNPAN Member has contributed to or was involved in
  • Total number of learners registered to the online training courses from the UNPAN Member and their feedback about the courses

Activities of UNPAN Member were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively based on the criteria listed above. The number of submissions by each Member to the UNPAN databases were verified for quantitative analysis, while feedback from UNPAN users on UNPAN Members' contributions were taken into consideration for qualitative analysis. In addition, staff members that work closely with UNPAN Members were interviewed in order to complete the qualitative analysis.

After careful consideration and consultation with the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), three UNPAN Members were selected to receive the 2009 Special Award for UNPAN Member Excellence for Knowledge Management. These members are as follows:

• Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) from the African region
• Institute of Public Administration in Central America (ICAP) from the Latin American region
• Regional Cooperation Office for City Informatization (RCOCI) from the Asia-Pacific region

For more on formation on UNPAN and CPSI visit www.unpan.org or www.cpsi.co.za

For more information contact, Lydia Phalwane at 012 672 2900 or 082 909 8824 You can also email her at Lydia.phalwane@cpsi.co.za

Submitted by CPSI Communications Unit

The founders of Speaking Books, Brian Julius and Zane Wilson, received one of the 2009 Purpose Prize Fellow Awards. The Purpose Prize is the only US large-scale investment in people over 60 who are combining their passion and experience for social good. The Prize awards up to $100,000 each to 10 people in encore careers creating new ways to solve tough social problems. Speaking Books was a runner-up in the 2007 CPSI Awards and Silver Award winner of the 2008 CAPAM International Innovation Awards.

Click here to visit the Speaking Book website.

Click here to read more about the Purpose Prize.

Submitted by CPSI Communications Unit: 22 January 2010

The Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) hosted its Annual Public Sector Innovation Awards Call for Entries ceremony in Gauteng Province at Indaba Hotel on the 16th April 2009. The event was attended by more than 50 representatives from private and public sectors.

As part of CPSI's mandate to entrench the culture of innovation in the Public Sector, the CPSI invited two of its 2008 Awards Finalists to share their experiences at the launch ceremony. This exposure also served as a platform to forge beneficial partnerships with relevant stakeholders. The two innovative presentations were made by Pulamadibugo Primary school on Permaculture from Limpopo and the Department of Education from North West province on the " Schools as Centers of Care and Support" .

All credit for the success of this event goes to Mr Chose Choeu of Microsoft, the chairperson of the 2008 CPSI awards adjudication panel, who made it possible for the CPSI to invite key role players in the ICT industry and heads of different business formations. We had in our midst, Professor Alwyn Louw, President of the South African Chamber of Business and Industry, Mr Adam Rabie, President of Information Technology Association, Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba, President of the Black IT Forum and Mr Doug Franke, President of the American Chamber of Commerce, lastly the CPSI's Technical partner, GTZ represented by Mr Aziz Jardine.

It was heart-warming to have the industry pledge to support and embrace public service innovation as a vehicle to tackle poverty and service delivery challenges. It is also a known fact that CPSI alone cannot drive public service innovation without support from the industry and all relevant stakeholders. This brings the CPSI closer to its vision of taking innovation beyond recognition, by encouraging the replication of these innovations across the public sector.

The key note address was delivered by Dr Mark Orkin, the Director-General of Public Administration, Leadership and Management Academy (PALAMA), formerly known as SAMDI; who spoke on behalf of the Minister for Public Service and Administration, Mr Richard Masenyani Baloyi, who could not attend because other critical engagements. In his address, he applauded the partnerships that the CPSI is forging with the ICT and business industry.

The CEO of the Centre for Public Service Innovation, Ms Thuli Radebe, thanked everyone for the support and interest they have shown in support of the CPSI's work. With special thanks to the industry heads who have committed to partner with the CPSI in driving public service delivery innovation on both ICT and none ICT endeavors.

The call for entries is now officially opened with a closing date set for the 25 September 2009, entry details can be found on www.cpsi.co.za. For more information contact Thulani at Thulani.Ngubane@cpsi.co.za .

Issued by the CPSI Communication Unit