Public Service Team of the Year 2021: Equity and Fairness Advocates

Why this matters

For the fourth year in a row, Apolitical is celebrating innovative, groundbreaking teams that are changing the game through our Public Service Team of the Year Awards. This has been a challenging year, and public servants have been pushed to be more creative, innovative, and thoughtful than ever before — and we want to celebrate their work.

How the finalists were selected

We received nominations from teams all over the world. We then reviewed each nomination individually, and a panel of judges at Apolitical decided on a shortlist of teams for each category. Winners and runners-up were then selected based on votes from public servants around the world. You can see all categories of nominated teams here.

Winner

Equity and Inclusion Assurance Team at NHS Test and Trace (NHSTT), UK

The Equity and Inclusion Assurance Team has successfully built capability and ensured policy officers across the whole of NHSTT uphold the Public Sector Equality Duty when developing and delivering Test and Trace services to combat Covid-19. The team has also upskilled other teams in the health service, providing them with the insights and tools they need to focus on the groups of people, and the geographical areas, which are most affected by Covid-19. The team has helped the organisation to deliver for the whole population, to tackle the barriers that contribute to health inequalities, and to comply with legal duties.

Runner-up

Nookomis Nibi Biijigozi Advisory Circle, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

The Nookomis Nibi Biijigozi Advisory Circle has been created to provide PSPC with advice on efforts towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. It is made up primarily (but not exclusively) of Indigenous employees and operates in a non-settler way, for example using consensus, no hierarchy, and open meetings. The group has developed cultural safety awareness and training for the branch, and provided an Indigenous perspective for both internal operations and for external activities.

Finalists

Equity & Inclusion Team, Asheville City Government, USA

Asheville City has pioneered the use of advanced geographic information systems technology and data to improve racial equity in a measurable and tangible way. Over the last 18 months, the team has launched a number of innovations in equity-focused technology and process improvement. Working together with Asheville’s minority business leaders, City staff have identified issues with procurement processes and technology that negatively affect minority business. The team has also created a geographically-oriented weighted analysis for neighborhood sidewalk prioritisation to explicitly include equity data. During Covid-19, the team have also worked to open up access to broadband and get digitally excluded communities online.

Conservation Areas for Biodiversity and Development (MozBio) project team at the WorldBank, Mozambique

The World Bank’s Conservation Areas for Biodiversity and Development (MozBio) project is rolling out environmental education in 60 schools, raising awareness and engagement, and helping preserve Mozambique’s precious biodiversity and natural resources around Maputo Special Reserve, Chimanimani National Reserve and Marromeu. The project has also increased girls’ access to education, supporting 67 girls with scholarships and accommodation in boarding homes. In addressing the interlinked dynamics of high illiteracy rates, low incomes, environmental degradation and gender inequality regarding access and use of natural resources, the project is helping the region to meet its environmental goals.

STREE, India

LEAD at Krea University have been working with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to assist in the implementation of a 13-state programme which encourages entrepreneurship among women in rural India. The programme is working towards establishing efficient and effective institutional platforms to enable the rural poor to increase their household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements, and improved access to financial and selected public services. The programme also focuses on building a strong institutional support network at the state, district, and block level so that high-growth women-led businesses can thrive.

STREE – Solutions for Transformative Rural Enterprises and Empowerment, is a technical assistance initiative spearheaded by LEAD at Krea University which aims to drive women-led enterprise development, with research at the core of its work.

The STREE initiative is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.