Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Genesis, Purpose and Scope of the United Nations
Public Service Awards
This chapter provides an overview of the rationale for establishing the United Nations
Public Service Awards, and it outlines the objectives, the categories and criteria
of its annual competition, and its selection process.
1. What is the United Nations Public Service Awards Programme?
The United Nations Public Service Awards Programme is the most prestigious international
recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements
and contributions of public service institutions to a more effective and responsive public
administration in countries worldwide. Through an annual competition, the United
Nations Public Service Awards Programme promotes the role, professionalism and visibility
of public service. It encourages exemplary public service and recognizes that
democracy and successful governance are built on a competent civil service.
2. Why was the United Nations Public Service Awards Programme
Established?
Governments from around the world are required to respond to increasingly complex
demands from their citizens and significant changes in their global environments. At
the national level, they are grappling with several difficult social and economic issues;
including poverty eradication, unemployment, poor education systems; health
epidemics (including HIV/AIDS and the avian influenza), and environmental degradation.
At the same time, they are attempting to readjust their policies and skills to
integrate effectively into the world economy.
Overall, governments face three main challenges:
• First, they must operate and provide more far-reaching and higher-quality services
with reduced resources and limited operational capacities. That is to say,
governments must use their resources and build capacities not only more effectively
but also more creatively by, for example, enlisting the support of the
private sector and civil society in service delivery.
• Second, they must make public institutions more accountable, responsive, and
effective by promoting a more citizen-oriented public administration.
• Third, and most importantly, they must respond more adequately to citizens’
demands for greater participation.
Although government still plays a central role in society, it is now widely recognized
that civil society and the private sector also have an important role to play in this
sphere. Citizens no longer perceive themselves as passive “consumers” of government
services but as part of the solution to handle emerging issues more effectively.
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