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Date : 10/05/2005
Source: Department of Public Service and Administration
Title: Fraser-Moleketi: Launch of Innovation and Sustainability Awards


Minister of Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, at the launch of the Innovation and Sustainability Awards 2005

The Ministry for Public Service and Administration is proud to be associated with the Innovation and Sustainability Awards, which acknowledge achievements in the public and private sector.

We have two key objectives today:
* To announce the launch of this year’s awards; and
* To announce the appointment of our “innovation ambassadors”, who will fly the flag of innovation throughout the awards process.

Firstly, though, it is important to spell out why we as Government value innovation and see it as important for our country and our collective development.

Economic growth and sustainable development are dependent on all levels of society engaging in problem-solving and developing innovative solutions. We all have a responsibility to ensure a better future for South Africa, to improve our competitive advantage, and to develop sustainable innovations which can help to drive economic growth.

Within Government, we encourage innovation among our own employees particularly those innovations that are people-centred and result in improved service delivery, better government, and a better life for all. Our current emphasis as Government on the implementation of policy requires the public sector to think more creatively about how we use limited resources, how we build effective partnerships particularly with the private sector and how we use new institutional forms to address service delivery challenges.

The Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI), our co-host today, stands at the centre of our efforts to encourage innovation. It does so by pushing the boundaries of current practice and seeking new and better ways of working. It plays a critical role in identifying and nurturing sustainable innovation across all spheres of government.

In the same vein, the centre has piloted the Innovation and Sustainability Awards, which recognise and reward those who apply the principles of sustainable innovation and who use innovation to bring about a better life for all.

It is in this context that we today announce the “call for entries” for the Innovation and Sustainability Awards 2005.

In doing so, I would like to personally encourage all innovative public servants to submit their ideas for assessment and judgment no matter how big or small their project, or how they may regard their own contribution. It is important that they submit their projects and ideas for assessment by their peers. We urge them to bear witness to the amazing creative spirit that is inherent in all South Africans.

The same applies to all private sector innovators. In the spirit of public and private partnerships, we have ensured that the awards recognise both public and private sector innovation, and we encourage innovators across the country to submit their proposals for assessment.

Time is tight, however: we have a five week window during which the innovators of South Africa can gather their ideas, submit them to the organisers of the awards, and await their verdict. 13 June is the closing date and we urge innovators not to miss out.

Much of what happens in innovation today is the result of creative partnerships between the private sector, community groupings, corporate social investment foundations and ordinary citizens. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in South Africa and we should all acknowledge that.

To encourage both “big” and “small” innovators, we have made the application process as simple as possible: a dedicated phone number has been established to deal with your queries, or you can log on to http://www.innovationawards.co.za and complete the entry form. It’s that easy in this case, there’s no innovation required!
It is important to stress that innovation is fundamentally about people they generate ideas, suffer through the failures, and are the beneficiaries of the success stories. We want to make sure that innovation is not seen as simply technology or academic papers which have very little meaning to most South Africans.

We already have several notable innovators among us today. Some of them have already spoken, and we thank them for their contribution in particular, T-Systems, who are hosting today’s event and continue to show a demonstrable commitment to sustainable innovation in support of both the public and private sector.

The same sentiment applies to our other sponsors, Microsoft, TBM and MTN, all of which have put resources behind this initiative. We thank you, and encourage other South African businesses to follow their lead.

In recognition of the achievements of some of our innovators, we have decided to acknowledge the contribution of four specific individuals by appointing them as “innovation ambassadors” for 2005. These innovation ambassadors are:

* Naumi Mashalane, who was named Innovator of the Year Award in 2003 for her pioneering work in developing a new approach to treating asthma patients and continues to excel in her work at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

* Professor Erna Alant, who founded the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) to help people who are largely ignored due to a lack of speech. The Centre won an award in 2004 for Excellence in Innovation and Sustainability in the Social category. Unfortunately, Erna is unable to be here today, but she has indicated her desire to play the role of ambassador to the full
* Pierre van der Hoven, founder and CEO of TBM, a digital media company that has developed unique technology that is a world-first in advertising applications. TBM was the Grand Prix winner in 2003 for its innovation in the area of satellite linked IP Multi Casting. Unfortunately, Pierre is unable to be here today, but he has indicated his desire to play the role of ambassador to the full
* And finally, Advocate Thoko Majokweni, who is head of the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority. Advocate Majokweni won an award for the creation of the Efficient Management of Sexual Offences Project, which has revolutionised the way in which cases of sexual offences are managed. We would like to congratulate all four ambassadors, on behalf of the organisers of the Innovation and Sustainability Awards, for their commitment.

Of course, with recognition comes responsibility, and we have to warn the ambassadors that we are going to be exploiting their time over the next few weeks to help us tell the story of innovation, and to share their own experiences.

In particular, we see them acting as role models and living examples of successful innovators, as people who will inspire others not only to innovate but to enter their own innovative ideas into the Innovation and Sustainability Awards for 2005. We expect them to share their learning, to incentivise others, and to help our people negotiate through the often-complex landscape of innovation.

In conclusion: let me thank all those involved in the preparations for today, and for all of you who got out of bed early to make it to our breakfast today. Your presence, your commitment and your participation are deeply appreciated. We look forward to seeing your entries – and remember, the deadline for entries is 13 June.

I thank you. Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration 10 May 2005

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