On 26 September, Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards 2024 were held at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. Congratulations to all the winners of this year's awards!
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors:
Te Tohu a te Pirimia Prime Minister’s Award
Te Tohu a te Pirimia | The Prime Minister’s Award for the overall winner of the year is selected from the winners of the Better Outcomes Award, Innovation Award and Whai Ratonga Māori Crown Award.
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon awarded this year's Prime Minister's Award to the Driver Licensing Improvement Programme (DLIP), the winner of Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana | Better Outcomes Award.
The winner is exactly what public service is all about. It has everything. It’s a new initiative. It’s delivering great results. It’s great value for money. And it’s a collaborative effort between agencies.
Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana Better Outcomes Award
Te Tohu mō ngā Hua E Pai Ake Ana | Better Outcomes Award celebrates the achievement of significant outcomes in areas that matter most for the long-term wellbeing for New Zealanders.
Winner
The winner of this year's Better Outcomes Award is the Driver Licensing Improvement Programme (DLIP), a cross-government and community organisations partnership involving six agencies: Waka Kotahi | NZ Transport Agency, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa | New Zealand Police, Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development, Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport and ACC.
The DLIP supports communities with low licence rates who experience significant impacts from not having a licence and the initiative has opened doors to many opportunities that a driver licence provides including employment, education, support for whānau and healthcare, and enabling more people to become safe licenced drivers.
Finalists
- Learning Community Hubs – Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education
- National Predator Control Programme – Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation
Read more about the Better Outcome Award winner and finalists here:
Te Tohu Auaha Hou Innovation Award
Te Tohu Auaha Hou | Innovation Award celebrates new approaches or technologies that are creating positive change.
Winner
The winner of this year's Innovation Award is Love Better, a primary prevention campaign by Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development (MSD) aimed at fostering safe and positive romantic and sexual relationships amongst young people. The campaign took a radical new approach to disrupt and/or shift harmful discourses and behaviours around relationships that affect young people and successfully created a shift in knowledge and attitudes.
Finalists
- Identity Check – Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs and Te Manatū Whakahiato | Ministry of Social Development
- Zero Data – Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education, Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand, Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs, Accident Compensation Corporation, Kāinga Ora | Homes and Communities, Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development and Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice
Read more about the Innovation Award winner and finalists here:
"What’s special about the Public Service is that it’s often not about individual achievements – it’s about what we achieve together. This sense of community, of shared purpose, means we can tackle the toughest challenges and lift each other up along the way. And when we act together to drive for change and results, the ripple effects can be felt far and wide, from our biggest cities to the smallest towns and communities. This is what tonight’s awards are all about."
Te Tohu mō Whai Ratonga Māori Crown Award
Te Tohu mō Whai Ratonga celebrates outstanding public service contributions to supporting Māori Crown relationships through auahatanga (innovation), whakapūmautanga (durability) and kōwhiringa (opportunities).
Winner
The winner of this year's Whai Ratonga Māori Crown Award is ACC's rongoā Māori service. Through their commitment to increasing equitable access to services and experiences that lead to better health outcomes for Māori, ACC has made rongoā Māori accessible as a form of social rehabilitation for kiritaki (clients). The initiative involved developing guidance for funding rongoā Māori within legislative criteria, building strategic partnerships and establishing a panel of mātanga rongoā (experts). Over 11,000 kiritaki and whānau have accessed rongoā Māori through ACC since the service began in 2020 and the value of the service has also spread beyond Māori, with non-Māori making up 42% of clients accessing rongoā services.
Finalists
- City Rail Link Mana Whenua Forum – City Rail Link
- Whakaorangia te Mana Tangata – Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice
Read more about the Whai Ratonga Māori Crown Award winner and finalists here:
Supporting Māori Crown relationships through auahatanga, kōwhiringa and whakapūmautanga
Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau Young Leader of the Year
Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | The Young Leader of the Year Award celebrates inspirational young public sector leaders who exemplify the spirit of service.
Winner
The winner of this year's Young Leader of the Year Award is Tayla Yandall. Tayla is a strong, intelligent and empathetic leader. As General Manager of Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility with Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections, she strives to provide a supportive environment and better pathways for both staff and the people in prison. Giving back and connecting through people has always played a large part in Tayla's work; she shows great empathy and emotional intelligence and always acts with an open heart.
Finalists
- Charlotte Veikune, Senior Development Manager – Kāinga Ora | Homes and Communities
- Renee Conway, Social Work Supervisor – Oranga Tamariki | Ministry for Children
Read more about Tayla here:
Providing prison services that enable healing and support rehabilitation
Read more about Charlotte here:
Building better and brighter homes and communities
Read more about Renee here:
Making a meaningful difference to the lives of tamariki and whānau
Te Tohu Oranga Angitū Lifetime Achievement Award
Te Tohu Oranga Angitū | The Lifetime Achievement Award honours an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to New Zealand or their community and who exemplifies a spirit of service.
This year's recipient is Paul “Woody” Woodgate, Logistics Manager at Antarctica New Zealand.
For over 40 years, no-one and nothing has travelled between New Zealand and Antarctica without passing by Paul "Woody" Woodgate.
Lorde, Sir Edmund Hillary, Princess Anne, Prime Ministers, bulldozers, helicopters, ice cores, avocados and buildings. No matter how big, awkward, fragile or famous, Paul can get it safely to and from the remotest place on earth.
However, it’s not the big names, or the time on ice that keeps him going. It’s the generations of Antarcticians – it’s always been about the people.
Paul started as a State Service Cadet in the early 1980s at what was then DSIR in crop research. A procurement role in the Antarctic Division came up in April 1981, and the rest is history.
As Logistics Manager at Antarctica New Zealand, Paul is responsible for getting everything needed to run Scott Base and support science in Antarctica.
Described by his colleagues as humble man with a heart of gold he greets dignitaries and everyday Kiwis alike with the same genuine warmth and care. While it’s not in his job description, Paul personally sees off every visitor and texts loved ones to let them know they arrived safely.
Paul has been recognised by the New Zealand and international scientific community and he received an MNZM in the 2012 New Years Honours. At 81°29S and 155°59E on the way to the South Pole there’s even a feature named Woodgate Crest after him.
Paul has dedicated his career to the service of others and is a worthy recipient of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ngā Pae Kaiwhakawā Judging Panels
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Nga Hoa-Toihau | Co-chairs
Thor Gudjonsson
Kaikōmihana Tuarua, Te Aromātai Whakatutukitanga | Deputy Commissioner, System & Agency Performance
Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission
Thor is a highly engaged leader driving improved performance and system change across the Public Service. He has been a Deputy Commissioner at Te Kawa Mataaho since October 2021. Thor previously held a number of Chief Financial Officer roles including the Ministry of Justice and Ministry for Primary Industries.
Rebecca Kitteridge
Te Pou Turuki mō Te Kawa Mataaho | Deputy Public Service Commissioner
Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission
Rebecca works closely with the Public Service Commissioner to provide leadership and oversight of the Public Service. From March 2023 to April 2024, Rebecca stepped into the role of acting Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Chief Executive from her substantive role at the Commission. Prior to this, Rebecca was Director-General of Security and Chief Executive, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.
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Pou Tikanga | Cultural advisor
Rauru Kirikiri
Te Whānau ā Apanui
Kaihautū mō Te Kawa Mataaho | Kaihautū to the Public Service Commissioner
Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commission
Rauru has a notable background serving iwi, Māori, and New Zealand through his many roles in academia, consultancy, and the Public Service. He specialises in a range of Māori related issues including environmental management, strategic planning, Treaty of Waitangi claims negotiations, policy development, and tertiary education. Rauru is also an experienced resource consent commissioner, has had various academic activities at universities in both New Zealand and Australia, and continues to serve on several committees including acting as Deputy Chairperson of Te Mana Whakahaere o Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.
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Te Tohu mō ngā Hua e Pai Ake Ana | Better Outcomes Award
Janine Smith
Deputy Chief Executive, Policy
Te Tari o te Pirimia me te Komiti Matua | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Janine has extensive experience in environmental policy and partnerships across the public sector. As a member of the DPMC Policy Profession Board, she plays an important role in leading, managing and stewarding policy. Prior to this role, Janine was Deputy Secretary, Natural and Built System and Climate Mitigation at Manatū mō te Taiao | Ministry for the Environment. In her time at MFE, she led the Zero Carbon Act and chaired The Local Government Steering Group for the RMA reform.
Michelle Paki
Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata
Director Māori, Kānoa Regional Economic and Development Unit and Regional Public Service Commissioner - Waikato
Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Michelle began her public service career with Te Puni Kōkiri and has been with the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment since 2018 working in Regional Economic Development. As a Regional Public Service Commissioner for Waikato, Michelle sees the positive ways the public service can improve the lives of whānau and the communities we serve through a better-connected public service. Michelle’s experience as a business owner and her passion for Māori economic development brings a strong regional economic development and Māori business lens to her mahi.
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Te Tohu Auaha Hou | Innovation Award & Te Tohu mō Whai Ratonga | Māori Crown Award
Lisa Fong
Deputy Director-General, National Cyber Security Centre
Te Tira Tiaki | Government Communications Security Bureau
Lisa Fong leads the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of the Government Communications Security Bureau. Lisa and her team play a key role in protecting New Zealand’s wellbeing through trusted cyber security services. The NCSC were winners of Te Tohu a te Pirimia | Prime Minister’s Award in 2023. Prior to her role as DDG of NCSC, Lisa served as Acting Chief Executive of the GCSB and was Crown Counsel at Crown Law
Manaia Paki King
Waikato Tainui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura
Deputy Secretary, Organisational Support
Te Puni Kōkiri
Manaia has extensive public service experience in policy, service delivery and operations, corporate and community and partner engagement.
Manaia’s previous role was as a Private Secretary in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Development and Employment. His substantive role was General Manager Māori, Partnerships and Programmes at the Ministry of Social Development. Prior to this, Manaia spent 10 years with the Ministry of Health in public health and prevention.
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Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Young Leader of the Year
Saunoa (Noa) Samasoni
Senior Project Manager, PM Leads
Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
Noa is a Young Leader grounded in her core Pacific values. As Senior Project Manager, Auckland Flood Recovery at Kāinga Ora, Noa stepped up and played a key role in supporting the rehousing of whānau and repair of affected homes. Noa began her Kāinga Ora career in the Customer Support Centre in 2016 and now oversees the servicing of more than 8,000 Auckland homes. Her leadership and outstanding spirit of service saw her awarded Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Young Leader of the Year Award in 2023.
Fatumata Bah
Senior Policy Analyst
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
Fatumata is a Young Leader who serves with tenacity and courage. In her current role within the Health System Stewardship team at the Ministry of Health, she plays a role in developing and implementing health strategies that improve health outcomes. In 2023, Fatumata was a finalist for Te Tohu mō te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Young Leader of the Year Award for her role as Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Advisor and Policy Analyst at Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities. Through her work, Fatumata strived to achieve better outcomes for ethnic communities by working with public service agencies to create system change.
Oliver Asprey
Health and Safety Advisor
Te Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice
Oliver is a genuine and engaging young leader dedicated to making workplaces and buildings more accessible for everyone. He has worked in many roles at the Ministry of Justice over the past five years. He’s currently leading a significant long-term project to make all New Zealand courts ‘Hidden Disability’ certified, ensuring that all people can easily access court
buildings, and therefore justice. In 2023, Oliver was a finalist for Te Tohu mo te Kaiārahi Rangatahi o te Tau | Young Leader of the Year.