Government Property Awards 2024

Tuesday 24th September 2024

One Great George Street, Westminster SW1P 3AA

This is the 5th year of the flagship awards programme in government property, comprising developments and programmes from across the public sector. Categories cover collaboration, capability, sustainability and the coveted ‘Project of the Year’ award, among others. Applications for these prestigious awards come from every area of Government, and cover almost every area of the property profession and public service.

Attendance is by invitation only.

Award Categories

Tuesday 24th September 2024, One Great George Street, Westminster SW1P 3AA

The Government Property Awards are to be presented on the afternoon of Tuesday 24th September and will provide a unique opportunity for property professionals from across the public sector to celebrate successes and to recognise individuals and teams who have made a real difference.

Collaboration 

A team, individual, or organisation who has demonstrated innovation and ambition in collaboration, either between departments, with the wider public sector, or the property industry. The collaboration should lead to real results,improving the performance of the public estate, leading to
improved service delivery.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Delivered real benefits, financial or otherwise, through the creation of new relationships and collaborations between organisations
  • Delivered improvements to the effectiveness of the public estate and public services through collaboration between organisations
  • Encouraged innovation and new models of delivery through collaboration

Project of the Year

An outstanding team, undertaking a project that has contributed to excellence and improved outcomes in government property. The winning project may have utilised innovation or digital solutions for the project’s requirements.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Made a significant improvement to government property, the building or building services that impact on the user, the wider public and/or the environment
  • Delivered clearly defined benefits through encouraging effective working across sectors, managed and reviewed through the life cycle of the project
  • Clearly articulated the business case for the property change, demonstrating the continued justification of the project strategically

Transforming Places 

For the team that has transformed government spaces in line with the Government Property Strategy.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Transformed Places to support improved public services
  • Helped level up communities, contributing to place-making, regeneration, and new housing supply
  • Demonstrated commitment to high‑quality design and beautiful places
  • Showcased built-in flexibility to adapt the estate to changing service models, along with greater emphasis on colocation and multiple occupancy of buildings.

Health & Safety 

For the H&S team or individual H&S professional who has achieved significant change and improvement of Health and Safety management within their organisation. Recognises commitment to exemplary health, safety and wellbeing management in the Government Estate.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Identified a new and emerging risk to health safety and well-being within their organisation
  • Demonstrated a creative and collaborative approach to finding solutions
  • Implemented changes with real, tangible results

Smaller, Better, Greener

For the team which has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the Government Property Strategy and implemented programmes to deliver a smaller, better, and greener public estate.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Helped to create a smaller, better, and greener public estate
  • Transformed the Government property portfolio, showcasing a shift to a higher quality, fit for purpose, shared, more efficient, productive and sustainable estate
  • Worked toward creating an estate which is more efficient, effective and sustainable

Sustainability 

An individual, team or network who demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainability whether in their workplace or in their area of responsibility.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Measured, monitored and reduced environmental impact within the organisation’s area of work
  • Levered innovation in the sustainability agenda beyond their own project. potentially to different teams, organisations or sectors
  • Minimised or eradicated cost to the environment in terms of energy use or other resources through measurement, monitoring and intervention

Capability Champion 

For an an individual or team who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving skills, capability, and development of talent.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Identified a gap in current or future skills needs in their team, and designed a solution that engages colleagues in developing those skills
  • Built professionalisation and/or specialist skills within the profession – helping to create property professionals who are experts in their field
  • Has been innovative in delivery – perhaps making use of virtual or social learning techniques to develop skills that can be applied quickly to the challenges faced

Inclusivity Champion

For a team, network or individual who have made a significant contribution to the diversity and inclusivity agenda within government property, helping the profession, across all sectors, become representative of the public we serve.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Acted as a role model in championing D&I issues from across public sector property/profession
  • Created an inclusive culture by challenging inequalities and barriers
  • Led initiatives to remove barriers and enable talented employees from underrepresented groups to realise their full potential and attract new talent
  • Played a leading role in collaborating with others to join up key stakeholders as part of workable solutions

Impact and Innovation 

For the individual or team who can best demonstrate how they used imaginative, innovative solutions to solve complex problems.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Demonstrated a commitment to finding new ways of working
  • Used data and/or emerging technologies to tangibly advance the work of the Government Property Function
  • Used proptech to drive better use or operation of the Government estate to support better public services or improved sustainability

Keystone

For a special individual who goes above and beyond to deliver outstanding results, working in a role or area which is often in the background but nonetheless vital to the success of the team or service.

The criteria for this award are not prescriptive.

  • Judges will be looking to recognise an individual who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to their work, delivering important and positive outcomes
  • Someone whose outstanding work does not usually receive a high profile, and who is worthy of special recognition
  • Someone who is a huge asset to an organisation, whose work is essential to the operation of a service or the wider business

Leadership 

For an individual who has demonstrated significant leadership, regardless of their job role or grade. This can be a team leader, a line manager, or member of staff who has been upward managing or making a temporary step up the plate.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Acted as a role model for their colleagues, leading by example and inspiring colleagues, peers and or their team to go above and beyond involving colleagues
  • Acting on feedback to create an effective, inclusive and productive work environment by way of their leadership style or method
  • Shown remarkable leadership qualities that are beyond their usual work remit or role

Rising Star 

An individual in the first 5 years of their property career who has made outstanding contributions to their area of work, while maintaining progress in growing their knowledge, skills and experience.

The winning nomination could demonstrate how they have:

  • Made a substantial achievement and the potential to succeed further in their career
  • A passionate, driven and delivery focused individual who has excelled in their training and gone above and beyond to support their team, department and function
  • Maintained and grown a collaborative approach to their work, or attempted something outside their comfort zone

The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 21st June.

Download guidance and criteria

Download entry form

Speakers and Award Presenters

Tuesday 24th September 2024, One Great George Street, Westminster SW1P 3AA

Awards Host: Lara Newman, Chief Executive, LocatED

Lara has over 25 years’ experience in property and development. Having worked with many of the UK’s biggest landowners, agents and developers, Lara has held a number of strategic leadership and board positions.

Her experience of property deals and complex capital investment projects for government education capital programmes underpinned her determination to bring commercial insight and rigour to the DfE’s free schools development programme. Lara’s vision for LocatED has brought together a team of experts able to bring both experience and pace to all kinds of education and government estate efficiency programmes.

Lara is also Senior Sponsor for the Government Property Profession Shadow Property Leader Board and cares passionately about increasing diversity in the profession.

Having been the first in her family to go to university, social mobility is very important to her, but she works effectively both inside and out of LocatED to ensure all those from different backgrounds, with and without protected characteristics, know what a career in property could look like and are able to progress with fulfilling and interesting careers.

Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer, Cabinet Office

Mark joined the Cabinet Office as Government Chief Property Officer in January 2022.

Mark is responsible for providing senior, strategic leadership for the whole cross-government property function. He works with a wide range of senior stakeholders within government and in the wider public sector promoting the intelligent use of property to deliver better public services at lower cost to the taxpayer.

Mark provides strategic leadership for the Government Property Function, and holds senior leaders accountable to the Government Functional Standard. He leads on major change programmes, supporting the delivery of better and more integrated public services, overseeing – among others – the Places for Growth programme and supporting the Levelling Up agenda.

Mark has 20 years’ experience at Board level in both the private and public sectors, most recently as Director of Estates Engineering and Energy at Boots UK, but has led teams across Property, Marketing, Procurement, Operations and Transformation in Walgreens Boots Alliance businesses.

Lynda Rawsthorne, Government Head of Property Profession, Cabinet Office

Lynda Rawsthorne was appointed Government Head of Property Profession and Director, Property Capability, Sponsorship & Standards, in August 2023.

Lynda is head of the Government Property Profession, the community of property professionals across government. She provides professional leadership across a diverse range of government departments and arms-length bodies which deliver the government’s property ambitions.

Lynda has over 25 years’ professional experience across the property lifecycle including valuation, managing estates as well as delivering transformational and construction-based programmes. A Fellow of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Project Management, Lynda is a graduate of the Major Project Leadership Academy at the University of Oxford.

Amir Baharlou, Partner, Arcadis

Amir leads the Central Government Sector for Arcadis and has worked with most Government Departments and Agencies over the last 20 years. His focus is to support the creation, maintenance and operation of modern, agile, effective facilities and great places for Civil Servants to work.

Andrew Bannister, National Key Accounts Manager, SCAPE

Andrew joined SCAPE in 2015 after twenty years in construction consultancy, four years in the European motor industry and a spell in the NHS. His role is to proactively support clients in achieving value for money across their capital programme, whilst also helping them to deliver with efficiency, speed and the best community outcomes possible.

Andrew is an expert on multidisciplinary multi-sector projects having worked extensively for clients in Education, Health, Defence and Local Government, as well as many clients in Residential, Commercial and Industrial property. He is also a Chartered Environmentalist and an expert in Sustainable Construction.

He is a speaker and writer on sustainability issues, a runner and cyclist, and a published author.

Photo here soon

Mike Borkowski, Business Development Director, Morgan Sindall

Emma Keyse, Head of Business Development, Overbury

Emma Keyse is the Head of Business Development for the Public Sector at Overbury, the UK’s leading fit and refurbishment specialist. With a wealth of expertise and a strategic vision, Emma plays a crucial role in driving Overbury’s business expansion and market presence.

In addition to her role at Overbury, Emma is a valued member of the NLA Education Expert Panel, where she contributes her extensive knowledge to advancing educational infrastructure and innovation. Her commitment to improving learning environments is further demonstrated through her position as a trustee of the University Design Forum.

Russell Lawrence, Director, District Valuer Services, Valuation Office

Russell is Director of DVS (District Valuer Services) within the Chief Valuer Group of the Valuation Office Agency. He is responsible for national delivery of property consultancy advice to key government clients and a range of public organisations.

His remit also covers Valuation Assurance, Business Continuity and Risk Management.

He has worked in the VOA for 34 years, almost exclusively in DVS across various roles as a surveyor, team leader, and District Valuer. Prior to his director role, Russell was Head of DVS Health Sector guiding the delivery of strategic and technical advice to over 300 NHS clients.

Based in Colchester, Russell is a passionate lover of the outdoors and an enthusiastic cyclist.

Jamie McKechnie, Managing Director, Kier Places

Jamie joined Kier in 2020 having worked within the construction and maintenance services industry for over 25 years. Having held numerous senior procurement roles as well as specialising in business improvement and cost reduction programmes, Jamie initially joined Kier to head up the Group Procurement Function. Following his transformation of this service centre, Jamie took up the role of Managing Director for Kier Places in 2023, where he successfully restructured the business as part of a major 5-year growth plan, focusing on three key business areas – Building Solutions, Residential Solutions and Workplace Solutions.

Claire O’Shaughnessy, Director, Deloitte

Claire O’Shaughnessy is a Director in Deloitte’s Infrastructure & Real Estate team. She works with public sector organisations to make best use of their estate and to release value.  This includes operating models; estates strategies; transformation programmes; public / private partnerships; and business cases.

Claire worked in government property prior to joining Deloitte and was a housing association NED for eight years.

Photo here soon

Jacob Snellings, Senior Director, Equans UK&I

Robbie Turner, Principal Associate, Mills & Reeve

Rand Watkins, Client Director, AtkinsRealis

Rand is the AtkinsRéalis Central Government Sector Lead bringing the best of our business skills and innovation to our Central Government clients. She also leads the AtkinsRéalis Strategic Partner account with the Government Property Agency, overseeing a large team of engineering, construction and property professionals supporting the GPA in delivering a sustainable and inclusive workplace for our Civil Service.

Rand is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Committed to developing careers in the construction industry, Rand has also acted as a mentor for junior staff and aspiring female leaders.

Award Sponsors

Sponsor of:

Rising Star

Sponsor of:

Project of the Year

Sponsor of:

Smaller, Better, Greener

Sponsor of:

Sustainability

Sponsor of:

Transforming Places

Sponsor of:

Leadership & Keystone

Joint Sponsor of:

Collaboration

Sponsor of:

Impact & Innovation

Joint Sponsor of:

Collaboration

Sponsor of:

Health & Safety

Awards Timetable

Tuesday 24th September 2024, One Great George Street, Westminster SW1P 3AA

13:00 Awards ceremony opens, welcome from Chair

13:05 Award presentations begin

13:30 Savoury buffet and networking

14:15 Award presentations continue

15:00 Dessert buffet, tea and coffee and networking

15:30 Award presentations continue

16:00 Awards end, closing remarks from Chair

Please note award presenters may be subject to change and timings are approximate

Contact Us

Award Sponsorship Enquiries

Sharon Quinn – Head of Business Development
– 0161 482 7859
squinn@publicsectorconnect.org

Logistics & Presentation & Print Enquiries

Charis Rosen – Event Manager
– 0161 482 7855
crosen@publicsectorconnect.org

Accounts

– 0161 482 7853
accounts@publicsectorconnect.org

Address

Public Sector Connect Ltd
Lockside Mill
St Martins Road
Marple
Stockport
SK6 7BZ

(please note this is the organisers business address – NOT the venue for the event)