Public Service Week 2023

Award for Public Service Excellence

Outline of Award Criteria and Guidelines

• Overall Goal

To recognize and reward Public Sector Employees who by their disposition, actions and interactions, consistently demonstrate themselves to be Ambassadors for an agile, proactive, responsive, result-oriented Public Service that seeks to meet and exceed customer expectations in the delivery of high quality public services.

2.0 Proposed Award Criteria and Sub-Criteria

 (i) Professionalism

Descriptor: Presents a positive image of the Public Service, keeps current regarding updates and changes in Divisional/Unit programming, treats stakeholders with respect, equity and fairness, regardless of the presenting situation.

Sub-Criteria:

1. Friendly, courteous, helpful and displays good manners
2. Neatly attired with good deportment
3. Maintains composure under pressure
4. Knowledgeable of general divisional/unit systems and processes
5. Impartial in delivering service

• Innovation and Creativity

Descriptor: Is proactive and takes measured risks for improving services, seeks and communicates new and/or better ways for adding value to the design, development and/or delivery of services that can contribute to tangible increases in efficiency, effectiveness, and/or cost reductions for the Unit/Division/Ministry. 

   Sub-Criteria:

1. Introduces new ideas and approaches, even if simple and small, but within Public Service rules and regulations, to improving services
2. Seeks to remove bottle necks in the delivery of service
3. Embraces technology as a means to improve service delivery
4. Focused on improving timeliness of service offerings
5. Embraces change as necessary for personal and organizational development

• Team Spirited and Performance Oriented

Descriptor: Is responsive to the needs of others, embraces challenges, does not step back from assigned responsibilities, empowers and/or supports team members to accomplish individual and team goals.

   Sub-Criteria:

1. Fosters good working relationships
2. Works well within diverse teams
3. Openly shares information and advice to assist others
4. Assumes leadership when necessary to accomplish team goals and tasks
5. Assists team to meet or exceed performance targets and service standards

• Customer-Focused Orientation

Descriptor: Displays sensitivity in engaging with customers including those with special needs, facilitates customers’ ease of doing business with the organization, goes the extra mile in actively seeking to address the outcomes that matter to customers, and which can improve their experience and satisfaction with services.

   Sub-Criteria:

1. Anticipates customer needs
2. Readily provides accurate information and advice to those requiring same
3. Seeks to resolve challenges faced by customer
4. Seeks to resolve customer complaints
5. Encourages customer feedback, whether positive or negative to effect service improvements

3.0 General Parameters for Selection of Nominees

1. Can be an Employee of any Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA) across the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT).
2. Can be an Employee who is on the Public Service Establishment, on Fixed or Short-Term Contract, Daily-Paid, or an On-the-Job-Trainee.

• Can be functioning at any level of the Public Service except at the Executive levels of Permanent Secretary, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Officer and similar executive levels.

1. No less than two (2) years of service in the Trinidad and Tobago Public Sector.
2. Must have a ‘Very Good’ or higher Performance Appraisal rating.
3. Must have no disciplinary actions – pending or prior.

4.0 Nomination Process

1. Any employee can nominate another employee for the Public Service Excellence Award.
2. Nominees must satisfy at least three (3) out of the four (4) Criteria, and at least 75% of the Sub-Criteria of the relevant Criteria.

• Nominations must be submitted on the Dedicated Nomination Form (see Nomination Form) and include a brief description with examples of how the nominee satisfied the Criteria and Sub-Criteria.

1. The Nominated Form shall include a recent color photo, no longer than 6 months old, of the nominee.
2. There is no limit to the number of times an employee can be nominated, once the nomination comes from different nominators.
3. Self-Nomination is not permitted.

• Nominations shall remain open for at least one (1) week.

5.0 Voting Process

1. All employees of the relevant MDA will be invited to identify by way of open vote, their top three (3) nominees, in order of priority, for the Award.
2. Voting shall be conducted via a simple, structured Online poll

• The populated Nomination Form (Sections 1 to 3), of all nominees, inclusive of the nominees’ photo, shall be made available on the Online poll for all employees to consider in their voting.

1. Voting shall remain open for at least one (1) week.

6.0 Selection Process

All nominations must go to a Ministerial Team within the nominating MDA comprising the Head and at least 1 senior/middle-manager from the following:

1. Human Resources Management Division, Communications Division, a Key Front-line Facing Service, Customer Service/Quality Department (or similarly-focused Department).
2. Selection of the employee will also be based on the quantum of votes obtained from all employees of the relevant Ministry (see Section 5.0 above), in addition to considerations from Section 3.0 above.

• The Ministerial Team shall perform a short-listing of the nominees and submit a prioritized listing of recommendations for the Award to the Permanent Secretary.
• The Permanent Secretary shall submit to the Ministry of Public Administration, via publicserviceday2023@gov.tt, the Nomination Form and recommendation for the employee to be considered for the Public Service Excellence Award at 4:00pm on Wednesday 14^th June, 2023.

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