The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is inviting applications for its third annual President’s Awards for Service Excellence and Innovation in the Public Sector competition in Trinidad and Tobago under the patronage of President Paula-Mae Weekes. The purpose of the President’s Awards is to recognize transformational initiatives undertaken by public sector institutions across the country and to also give citizens the opportunity to honour them by choosing two people’s choice awardees.
The IDB is inviting persons to accept this challenge and submit applications by October 30th for any activities initiated or implemented since January 2019 in the public sector. These activities must be aligned with the five criteria for either the service excellence or innovation categories. They must also have demonstrable results/outcomes and have been implemented by any ministry, public service department/division, state-owned company, statutory body or municipality for consideration.
“The public sector has to be positioned to deliver modern, reliable and customer-focused services to all citizens, including the most vulnerable in our society,” said President Paula-Mae Weekes at the 2019 awards ceremony. “Through this now annual competition, the Inter-American Development Bank, with the full support of the Office of the President, ensures that your contributions do not go unappreciated.”
In the 2019 awards ceremony, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) took home the award for service excellence and the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) copped the award for innovation. TTPS was chosen for a collaborative and consultative multi-partner intervention, involving residents of the targeted community, which saw the drastic reduction of serious crimes by 81.7% in Enterprise, Chaguanas between 2016-2019. Regarding innovation, SGRC was recognized for their efforts to promote business development through the creation of the Sangre Grande Tourism App, workshops to support sustainable micro and small enterprises, and other training and mentorship activities. People’s Choice Awards went to the Environmental Management Authority and the Police Complaints Authority.
“These challenging times have underscored how critical strong public sector institutions and governance are to the well-being of all countries and their citizens,” said Rocío Medina-Bolívar, Country Representative for the IDB in Trinidad and Tobago. “Adaptability, responsiveness and resilience are key ingredients for strong institutions and absolutely necessary for meaningful transformation. We look forward to recognizing all those who continue to strive for and promote service excellence and innovation.”
The application form and further details about this year’s President’s Awards competition can be accessed via the website https://bit.ly/PresidentsAwards2020 .
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.