The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) and Intelligent Addressing (IA) today announced the winners of the 2008 NLPG and NSG Exemplar Awards. The Awards recognise the innovation, commitment and achievement of the local authority community, including the police and fire authorities in the creation, maintenance and utilisation of the National Land & Property Gazetteer (NLPG) and National Street Gazetteer (NSG).
The NLPG and NSG are two key initiatives to improve efficiency and service delivery. The sharing of accurate address information across local government departments, emergency services, national and regional government is a vital component in the drive to facilitate and improve efficiency and service delivery. John Hayes, Director of IDeA, presented the Awards and enthused about the innovation demonstrated in the entries for this year's Awards.
The Awards ceremony took place at The International Convention Centre in Birmingham as part of the NLPG and NSG – Underpinning Transformational Government conference, which was attended by over 350 delegates from all over England and Wales. The conference included a number of significant presentations including demonstrations of the role of the NLPG in the day-to-day operations of the British Transport Police, and of the NSG in relation to the work of Network Rail.
The Awards demonstrated that accurate and reliable locational information really is at the heart of delivering the government's Transformational Government agenda. Through the Awards process, local authorities showed how they are using the gazetteers for projects ranging from:
- avoidable contact,
- flood risk analysis and prevention,
- targeting of resources to areas of social deprivation
- promoting energy efficiency
- mapping and monitoring borough migration
- investigation of fraudulent benefit claims CRM partnerships
- crime and disorder reduction
- street scene services
- as a unifying tool for local government reorganisation
- national concessionary bus pass schemes
- ‘Fit Britain'
- recycling and waste management
- preparations for FiReControl
- safeguarding wildlife and ancient monuments
- management of street works
- and the enforcement of the Environmental protection Act
Case studies from the 2008 Awards can be seen here.
NLPG categories
- Most creative use:
Dartford Borough Council - Best business process transformation:
South Tyneside Council - Best use of NLPG Data by a partner:
Nottingham City Council - Most improved:
London Borough of Lewisham
NSG categories
- Best streetworks application: London Borough of Camden
- Most innovative use of Additional Street Data:Kent Highways Services Alliance
- Most creative use of Level 3 NSG - Not awarded
- Most improved: Warwickshire County Council
NLPG and NSG categories
Best integration of the NLPG and the NSG: London Borough of Haringey
Presentation of the 2008 NLPG NSG Exemplar Awards
Michael Nicholson, Managing Director of Intelligent Addressing, said, "The winners of the 2008 NLPG and NSG Exemplar Awards demonstrate just how far NLPG and NSG initiatives have progressed in the last few years. In 2007 we saw the NLPG adopted by the FiRE Control Project and in 2008 it was announced that it would support CORE (Co-ordinated Online Record of Electors). The hard work and professionalism of those working in Local Authorities in creating both the NLPG and NSG over the last eight years continues to bear fruit and encourage further innovation."
Steve Brandwood, GI Programme Manager for IDeA said, "The NLPG and NSG initiatives continue to prosper and gain wider recognition and we are delighted to support the Exemplar Awards, which highlight innovation and best practice and reward their success. The Awards recognise the hard work and vision of those working within Local Authorities to bring about further business process transformation. They reward success and encourage others to learn by their example, to improve efficiency and service provision across the country for the benefit of all citizens."
Extract of speech from Michael Nicholson, Managing Director of Intelligent Address and co-sponsor, alongside LGIH, of the NLPG NSG Exemplar Awards. The Awards were presented by John Hayes, Director IDeA.
"The Awards are about three things:
- To recognise the very hard work of LLPG Custodians and LSG Custodians across England and Wales, sometimes under difficult conditions. Perhaps in the face of a lack of resources or recognition.
- To reward success and best practice.
- To publicise the value of what is being done by the local government community for the local government and wider community and, above all, the citizens they serve.
So we are here today to pay tribute to the professionalism of those involved with the NLPG and NSG.The entries demonstrate that accurate and reliable locational information really is at the heart of delivering the government's Transformational Government agenda.
There have again been a record number of entries and I would like to thank all of you who made an entry - for the time and effort given to it.The judges remarked on the variety and quality and this made judging particularly difficult as a result. I am afraid there are not enough Awards for all of you.
I would particularly like to thank the judges for their efforts. They are all experts in the area of local government. And they spent a great deal of time reviewing, analysing and discussing the large number of entries:
Tim Allen - LGA
Mick Donn - Chair of LOGGIC
Tony Vickers - Chair of AGI LG SIG
Helen Olson - editor of LGITU and media partner for the Awards
Gesche Schmid - LGA/IDeA INSPIRE
Steve Brandwood - IDeA
Simon Barlow - NLPG Custodian
Nick Turner - NSG Custodian
