Background

The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, launched the first Award for Good Administration in 2016. The award aims to recognise initiatives, projects, and other types of work by the EU’s administration that have a visible and direct positive impact on the lives of people in Europe and beyond.

The primary aim of the Ombudsman is to ensure the EU’s administration performs to the highest possible standards and serves the public interest. Through their work, the Ombudsman and her staff regularly witness examples of the excellent work carried out by dedicated EU civil servants. The award is a way of bringing these examples to a wider audience both to spread good practice within the institutions and to help bridge the gap between citizens and the EU administration.

Click for details of the 54 projects nominated for the 2019 award. Projects will be honoured in a ceremony in June 2021, when prizes will be awarded in a number of categories and for an overall winning project.

Application

• The Award for Good Administration is open to staff members (officials, temporary agents, contract agents) from any EU institution, body or agency (except from the European Ombudsman’s Office). It can be awarded either to an individual, a team within a unit or an entire unit.
• The application process will open on 12 November 2020. It will close on 31 January 2021 at 18.00. The submission should relate to projects carried out during the period January 2019 - December 2020.
• Individuals, teams or units may nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else in their institution, body or agency. Nominations for the award can also be made by civil society organisations, associations, NGOs or individuals outside the institutional framework.
• Entries should be made using the form found here.
• Submissions can take several forms: for example, written text, video or PowerPoint presentation.
• Entries should be sent by e-mail to this address: EOaward@ombudsman.europa.eu
• An acknowledgement of receipt e-mail will be sent once the application is received.

Criteria

In general, entries will be judged on the extent to which they demonstrate good public administration and, in particular, a culture of service and commitment to improving the lives of people. Nominees for the award could, for example, demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Excellence through collaboration
• Excellence in open administration
• Excellence in citizen-focused services delivery
• Excellence in communications
• Excellence in innovation/transformation
• Excellence in crisis management

Any project, big or small, that advances the aim of improving the public’s experience of the EU administration will be considered for recognition.

Evaluation

• Evaluation will be based solely on the information provided in the application and in light of the award criteria.
• An advisory committee will draw up a short-list of the best nominees.
• The winners will be selected by the European Ombudsman.

Award

• There will be an overall award and awards for certain categories.
• An award ceremony will take place in June 2021 in Brussels.
• The award will have no monetary value but will include a certificate of recognition of excellence.

Personal Data and Exercise of Rights

All personal data contained in the application shall be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. Please consult the privacy statement available here.

Further Information

Please contact Ms Gundi Gadesmann, Head of Communication, for any further information.

E-mail: gundi.gadesmann@ombudsman.europa.eu
Tel: +32 2 284 26 09