The benchmark of excellence
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The Great British Excellence Awards celebrate the people, businesses and organisations doing exceptional work. Explore the categories and help recognise someone shaping the future through their achievement, leadership and impact.
Working Women Awards
Individual Excellence AwardsWomen in Public Sector & Government Leadership Award
Honouring women shaping public service and government through policy, delivery, and principled leadership
About this category
The Women in Public Sector and Government Leadership Award honours a woman who has shaped public service through policy, delivery or leadership. It recognises the people who make public institutions work better for the communities they serve, often under tight budgets and close scrutiny.
The winner will have led meaningful change: improving a service, delivering a programme, reforming how an organisation works, or building a team that serves the public with integrity. The award values principled leadership as much as results.
Eligibility
- Open to women working in central or local government, the civil service, the NHS, education authorities, emergency services, regulators and other public bodies
- Must be based in the UK
- Achievements should fall within the last 12 to 24 months
- Self-nominations and third-party nominations are both welcome.
Judging criteria
- Public Impact: measurable improvement to services, outcomes or communities
- Leadership: vision, integrity and the ability to lead through complexity
- Delivery: programmes or reforms delivered on time, on budget and to standard
- Innovation: new approaches to policy, service design or partnership working
- Collaboration: work across organisations, sectors and communities
Qualitative criteria
- Commitment to public service values
- Quality of engagement with communities and stakeholders
- Development of teams and future public sector leaders
- Transparency and accountability in decision-making
- Courage in tackling long-standing problems
Metrics
- Service outcome or performance improvements
- People reached or served
- Savings or efficiencies achieved
- Programme milestones delivered
- Staff engagement, retention or development figures
Additional criteria
- Entries should include a concise case study
- Evidence of outcomes and a testimonial from a colleague
- Partner or service user. Political activity is not assessed
- The award recognises leadership and public service
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