Excellence Gateway
Published: 09 November 2009
The Skills for Life Core Curriculum resource on the Excellence Gateway is one of the finalists announced in this year's e-Government National Awards.
The highly sought-after awards recognise excellence across 11 categories, highlighting the UK's top public sector innovators in the use of technology, enabling businesses and citizens to better communicate with councils, central government, NHS and other public sector organisations. UK Government CIO John Suffolk will reveal the winners on 20 January 2010 at a Ministerial dinner at the City of London's Guildhall.
The Skills for Life Core Curriculum on the Excellence Gateway is an online interactive tool that promotes flexible and creative use of the curriculum content in a variety of learning contexts, including embedded learning. It enhances content and resources with additional guidance, exemplification and vocational material, allows practitioners to access relevant information like ‘Access for All' at element level and provides tools and features that enable practitioners, including the wider embedded-learning audience, to create and share effective personal learning experiences. Developed following an extensive review with teachers and trainers, the tool demonstrates progression between levels with revised progression charts, provides dynamic links between each part of the curriculum and is easily accessible and user-friendly.
A judging panel including experts from both the public and private sectors selected 72 finalists from hundreds of nominations. The winners will be announced at an award ceremony and Ministerial dinner on 20 January 2010, chaired by UK Government CIO John Suffolk. This event will be held at the magnificent City of London's Guildhall.
The standard of nominations in this year's competition has been extremely high, providing an insight into the great work being done across the public sector, from central government and NHS to voluntary organisations and universities. Key themes among this year's finalists are services which help build a fairer society and are based on sustainable or carbon-neutral 'Green IT'; all key issues on the Awards' parent news site PublicTechnology.net.
Finalists will be judged on their e-Government and technology-driven service delivery and how far their innovation has positively transformed the lives of citizens, local communities, businesses and stakeholders.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, joining last year's event via video link, said:
"When times are tough, as they are now, it is more important than ever for government to work as smoothly and efficiently as possible, so it's good to see technology providing real efficiency gains at the same time as increasing the effectiveness of services."
Now in their sixth year, the annual e-Government National Awards are supported by the Cabinet Office; the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and the Society of IT Management (SOCITM). Platinum sponsor of the Awards is KPMG, and also a sponsor is H2O Networks.
Places at the awards ceremony are limited, and sold out very quickly last year. To enquire about booking your place, visit the e-Government Awards website.
"Every year these Awards continue to get better and better and tougher to select the winners out of many hundreds of top quality entries. The sheer innovation, passion for citizen service and pride with which the teams have executed their projects makes me hugely proud, and humble, to be in IT within the Public Sector." John Suffolk, the Government's Chief Information Officer
"Every year these Awards continue to get better and better and tougher to select the winners out of many hundreds of top quality entries. The sheer innovation, passion for citizen service and pride with which the teams have executed their projects makes me hugely proud, and humble, to be in IT within the Public Sector."
John Suffolk, the Government's Chief Information Officer
"This year's entrants continue to demonstrate the strong vein of improvement and innovation present in the public sector. We were particularly pleased by the strong showing from local government. While a competition by definition necessarily produces winners and losers the judges had some difficult decisions to make. We hope all entrants will be encouraged by their participation in the national awards scheme for e-government to see this as a learning and sharing experience that ultimately benefits the many citizens reliant upon our services. These innovations and partnerships are strong evidence of mature organisations that can and do make a fundamental difference to the quality of people's lives through the intelligent use of technology." Donald Graham, Chief Executive Hertsmere Borough Council and Phil Coppard OBE, Chief Executive of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council said on behalf of SOLACE
"This year's entrants continue to demonstrate the strong vein of improvement and innovation present in the public sector. We were particularly pleased by the strong showing from local government. While a competition by definition necessarily produces winners and losers the judges had some difficult decisions to make. We hope all entrants will be encouraged by their participation in the national awards scheme for e-government to see this as a learning and sharing experience that ultimately benefits the many citizens reliant upon our services. These innovations and partnerships are strong evidence of mature organisations that can and do make a fundamental difference to the quality of people's lives through the intelligent use of technology."
Donald Graham, Chief Executive Hertsmere Borough Council and Phil Coppard OBE, Chief Executive of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council said on behalf of SOLACE
"In this tough economic climate, the Awards are a yardstick proving the UK's excellence in innovative technology-driven services. Good public sector IT has a crucial role to play in delivering increasingly efficient & effective public sector services both at a Local and National level." Christopher Histed, founder of the e-Government National Awards
"In this tough economic climate, the Awards are a yardstick proving the UK's excellence in innovative technology-driven services. Good public sector IT has a crucial role to play in delivering increasingly efficient & effective public sector services both at a Local and National level."
Christopher Histed, founder of the e-Government National Awards
The charitable beneficiary of the e-Government National Awards dinner will be the Information Technologists' Company Charity – with all funds raised going to help its work in assisting the lives of the disadvantaged.
(Using ICT & e-Government services to improve social inclusion or improve lives and communities).
(Delivering high & growing take-up of an e-enabled service through effective service delivery & marketing).
(Proven team-working or partnership activity which has delivered more than the sum of the parts).
(Leading e-Government strategies and professional development which contribute to achieving positive transformation).
(Proven shared services which have delivered effective services and efficiency gains).
(Delivering innovative strategies which have demonstrated above-average results in improved services, processes and effectiveness within the transformational government agenda).
(Delivering innovative strategies which have delivered above-average results in improved services, transformed processes & results, increased effectiveness).
(Ensuring high & growing take-up of an e-enabled service through effective service delivery & marketing).
(Public sector online or electronic services which transform learning & skills outcomes).
(ICT & e-Government services which are helping the environment).
You can find this page and download any referenced resources from the Excellence Gateway at http://excellence.org.uk/259598.
