30 September 2005
A 'People's Panel' will help to select the two main winners at the 2006 Public Servants of the Year Awards, which were launched this week.
The panel will be recruited by the polling and market research organisation Mori. It will complement the work of the existing judging panel, which will again be chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, who is currently heading the major review into local government funding.
'Mori is delighted to be involved with the Public Servants of the Year Awards,' said Ben Page, director of the Mori Social Research Institute. 'Involving a representative cross-section of the public will ensure that the result really represents the views of the people of this country.'
Page will also be one of two new additions to the main judging panel. The other will be Dr Peter Kane, the director of the Office of Public Services Reform.
Lyons said the awards had a unique and very successful structure. 'It enables us to identify people who go that step further in every aspect of our public services,' he added.
This will be the sixth year that Public Finance has run the awards. They aim to highlight the work of individuals, teams and projects at all levels across the public services.
Readers should find a copy of the awards' entry pack with this week's issue of the magazine. The deadline for entries is November 25, 2005.
PFsep2005
