Western Cape Government wins prestigious United Nations award for public service innovation

The Western Cape Government (WCG) is deeply honoured to have been awarded the esteemed Public Service Innovation Award at the United Nations Public Service Forum, which took place from 24 to 26 June in Incheon, South Korea. The provincial government clinched the award out of 400 entries from over 70 countries.

This accolade recognises the ground-breaking work the WCG does in service of the residents of the province towards "Citizen-centric Digital Transformation".

"We have always worked extremely hard in developing and nurturing innovation in our government, which is a key value we hold in high regard. Only by embracing innovation can we continuously improve services, especially for the most vulnerable in our province. We know that sometimes we may not get it right, but you will not succeed if you are not willing to try, fail, try and ultimately succeed - that is at the core of innovation - being willing to try," said Premier Alan Winde.

The United Nations Public Service Awards recognise excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Representing the WCG at the ceremony were the Department of the Premier's Centre for e-Innovation (Ce-I) Deputy Director-General, Mr Hilton Arendse, as well as Acting Chief Director Ms Aneesa Basha and Director Mr Marc Cloete. "The successes achieved through this project emphasise our province's commitment to improving the quality of life of our residents through the innovative and effective use of digital technologies." Mr Arendse stated.

He added, "This achievement is attributed to the commitment and competence of the more than 400 Ce-I team members who have collaborated across multiple departments to bring this vision to life. We must also acknowledge our province's political and administrative executive leadership who have fostered a culture of innovation that enabled us to responsibly explore and implement innovative solutions."

WCG Digital Implementation Plans

Implementing the Citizen-centric Digital Transformation Plan is a key programme of the WCG's priority focus area that focuses on innovation, culture and governance. The provincial government set ambitious goals to positively impact residents' lives by leveraging digital technology. Premier Winde noted that by doing this the WCG is successfully transitioning service delivery from traditional methods to a more efficient, reliable and citizen-centred model. He said, "This shift has significantly enhanced the accessibility and quality of government services, particularly benefiting the 70% of the Western Cape's population that is vulnerable."

"Through our vision of achieving optimised, citizen-centred service delivery we have consciously shifted the focus from predominantly implementing internal-facing solutions to developing and implementing solutions that either directly or indirectly translate into value delivery to our residents," explained Mrs Basha.

"While this award is a recognition of our past achievements it also serves as encouragement to continue striving towards excellence in achieving public value. This honour should be celebrated widely across the province, as it highlights the significant progress we have made and the promising future ahead," she added.

"Our digital infrastructure initiatives have played a crucial role in bridging the digital divide, ensuring that all residents, regardless of their socio-economic status, have access to vital services.

To this extent our province's investment in connecting all government sites to high-speed network connectivity and our large-scale cloud migration were key building blocks of our digital transformation process," Mr Cloete said.

The WCG remains committed to building on its sound digital government foundations to further improve public services.

The Premier concluded, "As much as we pride ourselves on our increased emphasis on innovation, it is also the people behind the scenes, our WCG family of over 90 000 officials, who made this success possible. Thank you for all you do for the people of the Western Cape."

Media enquiries:
Regan Thaw
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the Premier
083 627 7246
Email: [email protected]

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