Winners 2024

Congratulations to the 2024 Civil Service Awards winners! Last year we received 2,116 nominations across our award categories. After a rigorous judging process, the fantastic individuals and project teams listed below were selected as the overall winner for their category.

Excellence in Delivery Award

supported by Baringa

White Mail Vulnerability Solution

Department for Work and Pensions

Our white mail vulnerability solution is using AI to get to DWP’s most vulnerable customers quickly. We receive 8 million unstructured or handwritten letters every year from citizens requesting support including some needing urgent help. Due to the volume, whitemail related service-level agreements were previously frequently missed. The Whitemail solution processes all letters (25,000 per day) the same day they are received, interprets the content, and prioritizes letters from the most vulnerable citizens. These letters can then be actioned at pace, ensuring DWP Operations colleagues can get help to where it’s needed as fast as possible.

Developing and Supporting People Award

Ben Bilefield

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

ZenwithBen started as an informal weekly mindfulness session led by Ben Bilefield for his BEIS team in September 2021. Since then, it has grown organically through word-of-mouth recommendations, reaching over 1,500 civil servants across the UK in over 25 government departments, mostly outside of London. Ben fosters a sense of community, creating a safe and open space for colleagues to honestly share their feelings and improve their mental health by developing their mindfulness practice. Participants describe the sessions as “friendly,” “invaluable,” and “transformative” for their mental health, even calling them an “essential part of their weekly schedule.”

Diversity and Inclusion Award

supported by Indeed

Nigel Epton

Department for Work and Pensions

Nigel is profoundly deaf and a BSL user. He has found that support within UC for others who are also BSL users could be improved, especially within our communications. With many customers having to wait for interpreters to be booked or using RelayUK. Nigel has been working to create a way to communicate with customers and has been conducting a trial with video appointments by conducting warm up calls, support ad-hoc calls and also UCR interview calls. With fantastic feedback from the customers with how somebody within the department can support and help them with their claims

Best Use of Data, Science and Technology Award

supported by Accenture

Prioritising Asylum Customers' Experience Programme

Home Office

When the Asylum Initial Decision backlog peaked in 2022 with almost triple the number of cases received since 2020, the Asylum Transformation Programme established the Prioritising Asylum Customers’ Experience (PACE) programme, to meet the former Prime Ministers’ challenge of clearing the asylum backlog by the end of 2023. Embarking upon a programme of huge scale, complexity and sensitivity, the Home Office used machine learning and AI, complex simulation models, centralisation of tasks and implementation of new systems, to drive continuous innovation. Delivering at pace, the legacy Asylum backlog of Initial Decisions was cleared by December 2023, and caseworker productivity tripled. This has delivered improved outcomes for asylum seekers and saved significant sums for the taxpayer.

Creative Solutions Award

supported by PA Consulting

Geospatial Commission: National Underground Asset Register Team

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

There are approximately 4 million kilometres of underground pipes and cables nationally and a hole dug every 7 seconds installing and maintaining them. Asset owners are legally required to share location data supporting ‘safe digging,’ but with no standardised approach, multiple organisations must be contacted for every dig. That is why the Geospatial Commission is building The National Underground Asset Register – a digital map of underground pipes and cables, that gives planners and excavators instant access to the data they need to work safely, reducing a 6.1-day process to 60 seconds, providing estimated economic benefits of over £400m annually.

Evaluation and Analysis Award

Early Years Data and Analysis Team

Ofsted

Ofsted’s Childcare Deserts and Oases project has transformed disparate cross-government and commercial data into novel real-world insights on the everyday experiences of parents seeking nurseries/childminders. It provides a hyperlocal view of childcare access across 180,000 neighbourhoods in England, using a two-step-floating-catchment model to account for local transport connections and the population of local children. This analysis has been instrumental in the early evaluation of a £14-billion investment in expanded childcare entitlements and their potential influence on local labour market participation. Ongoing data feeds from this modelling are informing policy discussion and evaluation at the highest levels across No.10 and DfE.

Collaboration Award

supported by Baringa

Scottish 4G Infill Programme

Scottish Government

The Scottish Government’s 4G Infill (S4GI) programme is a £28.75 million investment which has successfully delivered 4G connectivity for the first time to 55 rural and island locations across the country, in areas where industry would not invest due to the challenges of doing so. S4GI has been a highly successful programme delivering transformational connectivity to over 2,200 premises in extremely hard-to-reach locations amidst the challenging backdrop of a global pandemic, global supply chain issues and rising costs. Residents, businesses and visitors to these communities have found the new connectivity life-changing for both their personal and professional lives.

Programme of the Year Award

HMP Fosse Way Team

HM Prison and Probation Service

HMP Fosse Way is the second of six new prisons delivered as part of the Government’s commitment to build 20,000 new prison places. The war in Ukraine acutely impacted construction, with the effect on the labour market and supply chain changing the whole complexion of the programme. Significant pressures on prison population also meant it was crucial that the prison opened on time. Due to the extraordinary commitment and collaboration across both public and private sectors, the prison was opened on time. Further to this the team oversaw an accelerated ramp up- providing quicker prison capacity at a critical juncture.

Delivering for Citizens Award

supported by Mastek

'Help Gran Stop Spam' Campaign

Information Commissioner's Office

The ICO identified older and situationally vulnerable people being targeted by unlawful predatory marketing calls. We wanted to protect people from predatory calls by empowering the public to register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), increasing the number of nuisance calls reported and showcasing our work in this area. Our campaign included social media creative using the tagline ‘Help Gran Stop Spam’ as well as case studies in the press, support from external partners and an improved website journey and SEO. The campaign received positive media sentiment and prompted a 366% rise in TPS registrations in the first three days.

Rising Star Award

supported by Newton

Arnie Delstanche

Defence Science Technology Laboratory

Arnie Delstanche has made it his mission to transform Dstl’s approach to data analysis for wargaming and field experimentation. Through development of novel analytical tools and commitment to sharing knowledge and best practice, Arnie has strived to develop himself and others while improving the efficiency and quality of analysis used to inform decision-making across the MOD and Civil Service. His enthusiasm for implementing innovation so early in his career undoubtedly sets him apart and the pioneering dashboards and analytical capability he has developed have generated evidence that will inform the operations of our Armed Forces now and in the future.

Cabinet Secretary's Outstanding Leader Award

Kevin Clark

HM Prison and Probation Service

Governor Kevin Clark transformed HMP Wayland from a struggling institution into a model of excellence. Under his leadership, the prison achieved a 49% reduction in violence and self-harm, boosted staff morale, and significantly reduced attrition rates. As a champion of Gender Equality in the BCN region, he uplifted female staff and set new standards for inclusivity. His innovative approach to workforce development and operational efficiency established benchmarks in prison management. Kevin’s adherence to the Civil Service Code, commitment to professional development, and ethical governance make him an exemplary candidate for the Outstanding Leaders Award.
 

Prime Minister's Award for Exceptional Public Service

Pauline MacNeil

Ministry of Justice

During the Civil Disorder period, Pauline led the Response and Command functions within Courts and Tribunals, managing data collation, briefings, and operational responses. She coordinated with Police Escort and Custody Services (PECS), planned additional court hours, and supported cross-system decision-making. Despite leading a depleted team for almost 12 months, Pauline ensured swift guidance, maintained morale, and received exceptional feedback. Her efforts resulted in minimal disruption, safe operations, and prompt sentencing, earning recognition for the court system’s effective response.