The Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Management Development Programme for Middle Managers has won a public sector excellence award.

The council is one of nine winners in the 2014 Institute of Public Administration New Zealand Gen-I Public Sector Excellence Awards, announced last night at a Wellington function.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council has won a public sector excellence award.

Other organisations to walk away with an accolade include the NZ Police, which is the winner of the Prime Minister's award for its police model ‘Prevention First'.

The Police were also recognised for their Safer Summer: Speed Enforcement Campaign, while the Ministry of Education won for its ‘Leading by Backing Others to Win'.

Meanwhile the NZ Police, Ministry of Social Development, NZ Defence Force and Inland Revenue Transition won with the organisations' A Cross-Agency Leadership Development Programme.

State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman has congratulated the winners.

'I would like to congratulate the winners, and also those who were nominated.

'The IPANZ awards are a great way of recognising the innovations and excellent work that our public servants are delivering,” says Jonathan.

'These agencies are focused on outcomes, not outputs, and are making a real difference in our communities.

'It is clear that agencies are continuing to work more effectively to deliver better value and better results for New Zealanders.”

A total of 77 nominations were received by IPANZ for the awards, which promote excellence in vision, innovation, and achievement of results, and are a useful way to highlight good examples of best practice which other agencies can learn from.

The 2014 winners are:

- Police Model: Prevention First - NZ Police (winner of the Prime Minister's award)

- Ngāti Haua Settlement of Non-Raupatu Historical Claims;

- Infrastructure as a Service - Department of Internal Affairs ;

- Hutt Valley Justice Sector Innovation Project – Ministry of Justice, NZ Police, Department of Corrections;

- Transition: A Cross-Agency Leadership Development Programme – NZ Police, Ministry of Social Development, NZDF, Inland Revenue;

- Management Development Programme for Middle Managers - Western Bay of Plenty District Council;

- Safer Summer: Speed Enforcement Campaign – NZ Police;

- Alternative Environmental Justice – Environment Canterbury;

- Leading by Backing Others to Win – Ministry of Education.