The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) – with the institutional and financial support of 10 European public sector partners from different levels of government – invites applications for the sixth biennial European Public Sector Award EPSA 2017.
Under the overarching theme An Innovative Public Sector in 2017 – New Solutions to Complex Challenges, EPSA 2017 seeks to showcase and reward those cases submitted by public administrations which have demonstrated an innovative approach to public service delivery and policy-making to the increasingly complex, difficult to address and often multi-dimensional challenges faced by the public sector in Europe. These challenges come at a time of an increasingly rapid pace of change, requiring public sector bodies to address both immediate needs and issues with important future consequences, to effectively prioritise actions. Solutions are sought where public entities contribute to the enhancement of trust in their ability. In the current context, public sector intervention is particularly needed both to address the impact of continuing economic uncertainty and to meet the needs of different stakeholders in a way that is demonstrably equitable and inclusive. Put simply, in many cases new solutions are called for by this theme where previously tried solutions to address challenges may no longer be optimal.
The EPSA 2017 thus aims to reward public innovative solutions in administrations that show how the public sector is responding effectively to major challenges and is performing efficiently.