Copley Flood Alleviation Scheme, Environment Agency, Defra 
The Copley Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) is a comprehensive project designed to protect 229 properties in Copley, West Yorkshire, from flooding. The scheme integrates engineering solutions with sustainable practices and extensive stakeholder engagement to enhance long-term community resilience against climate change. Its success is rooted in a collaborative approach involving the Environment Agency, Calderdale Council, ARUP, and BAM Nuttall. Key features include installing sheet piles along the riverbank, constructing a canal overflow structure, and improving drainage at Copley Cricket Club. The project employs innovative techniques to reduce carbon emissions, such as using EcoSheetPile+ made from recycled steel and renewable energy. The team began construction earlier than first planned in order to provide faster protection for the community, fostering strong relationships with local residents. The team's commitment to sustainability and community engagement is evident through their use of local workers, battery-powered site cabins, and a robust communications strategy. Their efforts have resulted in positive feedback from residents, who appreciate the team's approachability and efforts to minimise disruption.

Project Gigabit, Building Digital UK, DSIT
Building Digital UK (BDUK) has achieved a significant milestone in its Project Gigabit initiative, completing 37 procurements worth up to £2 billion to deliver gigabit-capable broadband connection to over 1 million premises in the hardest-to-reach parts of England and Wales. This ambitious programme, completed on time and within budget, aims to bring high-speed broadband to the final 20% of UK premises by 2030. BDUK's innovative approach includes using data to identify key areas, developing bespoke routes to market, and engaging with suppliers to ensure a level playing field. The programme has already connected over 1 million premises, including 5,300 public buildings, boosting business turnover and transforming rural communities - most of these premises are in hard-to-reach rural locations, where residents and businesses previously struggled to perform basic online tasks that others take for granted. With the UK on target to meet 85% gigabit-capable coverage a year early, BDUK's efforts are significantly improving connectivity and economic growth across the country.

School Rebuilding Programme, DfE 
The Department for Education's School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is a multi-billion-pound initiative aimed at transforming the educational estate in England. The programme is undertaking 500 major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth-form colleges to provide modern, fit-for-purpose facilities. Despite significant challenges, including the RAAC emergency, the SRP team has demonstrated exceptional resilience and a can-do attitude. The team mobilised at pace to meet the Government's ambition to start site works as early as possible. As a result, they have successfully awarded 91 contracts, handed over 10 schools, and achieved practical completion of 3 schools, with 13 more on schedule this fiscal year. The team has also prioritised schools with urgent needs, updated design standards, and promoted modular construction methods and net-zero designs. Their efforts reflect a commitment to ensuring every child has access to high-quality educational facilities, embodying Civil Service values and professional project delivery.
 

Federated Data Platform, NHS England, DHSC 
The FDP Programme aims to transform the UK's health and care sector by integrating operational data from various systems into one secure environment. The programme enables data-driven decision-making and improves patient care through a multi-supplier, multidisciplinary team approach. Since its go-live in March 2024, the FDP has shown significant results, including a 6.9% increase in theatre utilisation.
The programme addresses five critical NHS challenges: elective recovery, vaccination, population health management, care coordination, and managing equipment and medication. Pilot results demonstrated benefits such as a 36% reduction in average delay days for long-stay patients and 99 more inpatients treated per month on average. FDP directly contributes to supporting the aims of the NHS and tackling challenges, with recent results showing an average of 114 more elective surgery patients treated each month and over 200,000 patients removed from waiting lists.
Case studies from Croydon and North Cumbria showcase improvements in theatre utilisation and time savings for staff - the FDP is seen as a crucial tool in connecting data and improving patient care efficiency.

National Underground Asset Register, Geospatial Commission, DSIT 
The Geospatial Commission, in collaboration with AtkinsRéalis and partners, has developed the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) to address the significant challenges associated with underground infrastructure management in the UK. This digital map provides instant, secure access to asset location data across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, reducing data retrieval time from 6.1 days to 6 seconds.
NUAR aims to streamline data-sharing, reduce risks of asset strikes, and promote efficient management of underground assets. The project overcame substantial challenges, including engaging with over 600 asset owners, standardising diverse data formats, and ensuring data security. The team developed tools and APIs to manage and automate the data transformation process, adhering to government security standards.
The NUAR MVP is now live, providing access to data from over 230 organisations. Once fully operational by 2025, it is expected to deliver at least £400 million per annum in economic growth. The project has garnered international attention and contributes to global standards for underground data management.

Passport Transformation Programme, Customer Services, Home Office 
The Passports Transformation Programme has revolutionised the passport application process in the UK, transitioning from a paper-based system to a digital, user-friendly interface. This transformation has significantly improved efficiency, with applications now processed in just one-third of the time compared to the legacy system. The programme has achieved remarkable results, including increasing online applications from 37% to 96%, with over 96% of all applications now processed by the new Digital Application Processing system.
Key improvements include the rollout of a new Digital Fast Track service, development of a data repository for 900 million past and current passport records, and enhanced business intelligence tools for staff. The programme has reduced the standard application SLA from 10 weeks to 3 weeks and is saving HMPO £30 million annually, with an additional £20 million in savings expected by 2025.
The success of this transformation is attributed to close collaboration between programme, operational, and digital teams. The new system has also received high customer satisfaction ratings.
 

RAAC Asset Assessment Programme, Environment Agency, Defra 
The Environment Agency's Operational Assets Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Assessment Programme team has developed an innovative, data-driven approach to assess the risk of RAAC in over 500,000 operational assets. Using available data and a qualitative scoring system, the team created a robust screening process to identify assets requiring inspection. This method significantly reduced the number of necessary inspections from over 500,000 to just 246. The programme utilised collaborative working methods and a web-based platform for real-time data interaction and clear dashboard reporting. Development of filtering criteria, assessment and validation procedures and survey assessments were needed – integrating all of this into one platform created a single source of truth. This efficient approach allowed for rapid, consistent assessment while minimising impact on regular operations. The success of this "National Once" delivery model has led to considerations for its use in future asset management programmes, such as bridge inspections and asbestos management, demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing risk in a targeted, proportional, and cost-effective manner.

Rapid Deployment Cells Programme, MoJ 
The Rapid Deployment Cells Project (RDCP) is an innovative solution addressing the urgent need for prison accommodation in the UK. This programme has successfully delivered 767 prison places, with 1,000 more in progress, using modern, modular units that offer safe and decent living conditions. The RDCP team has employed agile working methods, collaborating across functions and with external partners to navigate complex challenges such as planning requirements and Nutrient Neutrality legislation. Their approach includes off-site construction, simultaneous governance and design processes, and a partnering contract model, which has significantly reduced delivery timelines. The project has received positive feedback from staff and prisoners, contributing to improved prisoner experiences and confidence. The programme's success has led to the adoption of its innovative processes by other HMPPS build programmes, demonstrating its impact on addressing the national prison capacity crisis.

Schools Water Strategy Programme, DfE  
The Department for Education's Schools Water Strategy (SWS) programme team has demonstrated exceptional work in flood risk mitigation for school estates. By implementing innovative blue, green, and grey infrastructure projects, the team has successfully safeguarded schools while providing educational benefits and enhancing climate resilience. Their approach includes collaborating with local authorities, water companies, and industry experts to deliver sustainable drainage systems and property flood resilience measures. The team developed a custom statistical flood cost-benefit model to assess project benefits and prioritise investments. Over the past two years, they have partially funded flood mitigation installations at 234 schools, realising approximately £51 million in benefits and enhancing climate change awareness for over 65,000 students. With projected benefits of £60 million this year and an estimated £70 million in flood damage reductions over the next decade, the SWS programme exemplifies a data-led 'invest to save' strategy that protects infrastructure while enriching children's education and well-being.

Baby Loss Certificate Project Team, NHS Business Services Authority, DHSC 
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has successfully developed and launched a new certificate service for parents experiencing baby loss before 24 weeks of pregnancy in England. This initiative, commissioned in response to the Pregnancy Loss Review and the Government's Women's Health Strategy, addresses a significant gap in support for grieving parents. The service provides official, free, and voluntary certificates, designed to be parent-centered and inclusive of various circumstances of baby loss.
Since its launch in February 2024, the service has processed over 55,000 certificates, with 99.89% delivered digitally. The project team worked diligently to meet specific requirements, including backdating to September 2018 and ensuring accessibility for all parents. The NHSBSA's approach included building a blended team, prioritising sensitive communication, and implementing effective project governance. The service has been praised for its significance in supporting bereaved parents and is now recognised as a 'gold standard' within the organisation, with potential benefits for data quality and other NHS areas.

Building Peace and Stability in the Philippines' Bangsamoro, UK ISF, British Embassy, Manila 
The UK has played a crucial role in mediating peace between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, supporting the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreement, which serves as a model for international peace efforts. This programme has successfully transformed rebels into parliamentarians, empowered Muslim women in politics and peacebuilding, and given communities a voice in post-conflict policy-making. The project sought to ensure the success of the peace process went beyond the agreement that was signed in 2019. To do this, it focused on training former rebels to run the new government, ensuring women's participation in peace processes, and enabling community influence on policies for lasting peace. Working in conflict zones and rebel camps, the team collaborated with various partners to deliver these objectives. Key achievements include establishing an 80-member parliament led by former combatants, drafting a Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, and certifying 127 former women combatants as peace builders. The programme has also supported the amnesty process and identity recognition for former rebels, distributing birth certificates to 6,500 individuals, thus empowering them to participate in politics and access vital services.

Law Enforcement Data Service Team, Home Office 
The Home Office's Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS) programme has successfully modernised the 50-year-old Police National Computer (PNC) by transitioning to a cloud-based platform. This revolutionary project involved moving PNC data and its 160,000 users to a modern system that ensures 24/7 continuity for law enforcement organisations. The programme adopted a product-centric approach, enabling weekly business updates and providing live data access to frontline officers.
Key achievements include aggregating multiple government databases, resulting in 2.739 million transactions and saving over 451,000 hours of police time by January 2024. The new system offers live driver information at the roadside, improving officer safety and effectiveness. It also demonstrates a 60% improvement in average resolution times for users and enhanced audit capabilities.
This agile, user-centered approach has been welcomed by officers across 53 forces, providing them with crucial information when needed and adapting to the evolving demands of 21st-century policing.
 

Custom Declaration System Migration Team, HMRC 
HMRC's Single Customs Platform Programme successfully migrated approximately 350,000 customers from the 30-year-old CHIEF system to the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS), completing the transition by the critical July deadline. This achievement secures annual savings of about £30 million, manages around 65 million declarations per year, and collects approximately £11 billion in annual revenue.
Despite initial setbacks and compressed timelines due to Brexit and COVID-19 impacts, the programme team rebuilt confidence through increased transparency, deeper relationships, and collaborative efforts. They expanded engagement with industry experts, developed partnerships across Whitehall, and fostered a united vision with trade bodies and customers.
The team faced challenges as they arose and worked at pace to drive innovative solutions and quality assure plans and products. This enabled the team to overcome external reluctance, secure an integrated plan, accurately forecast future migrations and ultimately meet the deadline. The achievement has been lauded as an excellent example of partnership, forward planning, and implementation – with the engagement considered by externals as the best in HMRC. 

Fraud Reform Programme Team, Home Office 
The Home Office's Fraud Reform Programme has successfully implemented a comprehensive strategy to combat fraud, which accounts for nearly 40% of all crime in the UK. Launched in May 2023, the programme aimed to cut fraud by 10% from pre-Covid levels by the end of FY24/25. Through collaborative efforts across government departments, law enforcement, regulators, and the private sector, the programme has exceeded its target, achieving a 14% reduction in fraud as of July 2024, a year ahead of schedule.
Key achievements include the Stop! Think Fraud communications campaign, reaching 96% of the adult population, and organising the first global Fraud summit. The programme also secured commitments from technology companies to implement counter-fraud measures. Innovative approaches have led to blocking one billion scam texts and increasing law enforcement disruptions of fraudsters by 54% in the last year.
The programme's success is attributed to cross-system collaboration, exemplary leadership, and effective project management.

Restoring Your Railway Team, DfT 
The Restoring Your Railway (RYR) programme is a collaborative effort between the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail (NR) to reopen closed rail lines and stations. The programme's success is built on a unique joint team approach, where responsibilities are divided based on expertise and capacity rather than organisational lines. The programme uses innovative approaches to ensure cost-effective and efficient delivery of rail infrastructure – Better Value Rail checks that the right projects are started, whilst Rail SPEED promotes efficiency through identifying cost and schedule saving opportunities. Governance is structured to promote collaboration, with a joint RYR Programme Board overseeing the programme and regular meetings to share lessons and concerns across projects.
This collaborative approach has been praised as the most effective industry-wide partnership in 25 years of railway enhancement work. The programme has already achieved success, with the Dartmoor Line between Okehampton and Exeter reopening in November 2021, marking the first restoration under the initiative. The RYR team's approach is seen as transformational, creating significant social and economic impact in communities across the rail network.

Project Delivery and Change Team, DBT 
Following a Machinery of Government change, the Project Delivery and Change (PD&C) team at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has significantly expanded its support for the project delivery profession. Despite a dramatic increase in portfolio size and complexity, with limited additional resources, the team has successfully scaled up its offerings.
Key achievements include launching a user-friendly PD&C portal, increasing Community of Practice attendance and newsletter readership, meeting IPA accreditation targets nine months early and hosting a successful inaugural national conference.
The team's efforts have focused on upskilling both PD professionals and policy professionals delivering projects, developing a comprehensive learning and development offer, including leadership training.
These initiatives have resulted in strengthened PD maturity, increased interest in the profession, and a stronger sense of community among DBT's 7,000 colleagues. The team's work has been praised for creating a harmonious PD community from previously distinct cultures and for providing high-level engagement and expertise.

Project Delivery Professional Excellence Team, HMRC
HMRC's Project Delivery Professional Excellence Team has made a real difference to the way HMRC delivers projects – for the better. They've exceeded their accreditation target, reaching 860 accredited project delivery professionals and aiming for 900 by 2024/25, while a new process for capturing project role data has reduced costs and contractor reliance. The team has centralised recruitment, creating consistent job specifications and assessment strategies, cutting hiring time by over 20 days. They've also developed an efficient reassignment process, reducing average assignment time from 55 to 15 days. Through various learning events, the team has promoted accreditation and professional development, fostering a culture of continuous improvement among HMRC's 2,700 PD professionals. These achievements have established HMRC's project delivery function as a leader in Government Project Delivery. 

Project Delivery Team (Portfolio & Centre of Expertise), Defra 
The Project Delivery Team at Defra has been instrumental in transforming the department from a policy-led entity to a delivery-focused, project-oriented organisation over the past three years. Their initiatives have significantly improved Defra's project delivery capabilities and culture, despite challenges such as capacity constraints and reduced headcount.
Key achievements include developing functional standard compliant lifecycles and processes, launching learning and development programmes, and creating a project delivery mentoring scheme. The team has also hosted an annual conference and awards, developed a benefits management framework, and collaborated with the IPA to drive standardisation across government.
These efforts have resulted in a 50% increase in accreditations and the expansion of GMPP programmes from 1 to 13. Defra’s internal skillset and capability is now enhanced, leading to reduced costs, improved outcomes and better project performance across multiple initiatives. 
Their work has elevated the project delivery profession within Defra, making it a core pillar of the department's operational landscape and an attractive career choice. 

Alexandra Needham, FCDO
Alex's project to deepen co-operation on diversity and equality in the Czech Republic has made significant strides in addressing inequalities and promoting inclusivity in Czech society. By integrating various initiatives focused on LGBT rights, gender equality, Roma issues, and female representation into a cohesive campaign, Alex has successfully championed diversity and inclusion within the diplomatic community in Prague.
Key achievements include publishing high-impact op-eds and interviews, conducting a baseline study on women in Czech media, supporting Prague Pride, and engaging with Czech MPs on equal marriage legislation. These efforts have led to tangible results, including the introduction of stronger legislation for same-sex partners' rights and a perceptible shift in media approaches to gender balance.
Alex's innovative approach, which involved collaborating with stakeholders from government, business, and civil society, has established the Embassy as a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion among the diplomatic community in Prague. Her work has gone beyond her job description, securing positive change that aligns with core Civil Service values and contributing to significant legislative progress.

EU and International Trade’s Project Delivery Team, Defra 
Defra's EU and International Trade (EUIT) PMO led a groundbreaking EDI project focused on racial equality within their directorate. The initiative tackled deep-rooted recruitment disparities and fostered an inclusive workplace using a data-driven approach. This effort resulted in EUIT achieving the highest ethnic minority representation among Defra's 40+ directorates. The PMO implemented a comprehensive strategy, including developing a roadmap, establishing workstreams, and creating a monitoring dashboard. They introduced diverse panels, mentoring programs, and newsletters to optimise recruitment parity across protected characteristics. By December 2023, EUIT achieved complete recruitment parity for race, gender, sexuality, and disability. The project's success extended beyond EUIT, influencing Defra-wide practices such as reverse mentoring and equality software implementation. EUIT's "Four Voices of Design" model was showcased at a cross-Whitehall Diversity and Inclusion Board, setting a new standard for EDI work. This transformative cultural change project represents a significant milestone in Defra's EDI efforts, demonstrating the PMO's expertise in project management and culture change theory.

Sellafield Infrastructure Enabling Projects, DESNZ 
The Infrastructure Enabling Projects (IEP) team at Sellafield has demonstrated exceptional commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) while managing complex nuclear projects. Established in 2022, the team has successfully delivered projects on a highly regulated nuclear site while fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.
The IEP team has embedded EDI initiatives into their ethos, appointing a Diversity Champion and collaborating with Sellafield's 17 EDI working groups. They have organised charity events, volunteered in the local community, and engaged with schools to inspire future project professionals. Their efforts align with Sellafield's Social Impact Objective to enable inclusive growth in local economies.
Their initiatives include weekly SQCDP (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, People) meetings featuring guest speakers from EDI groups, participating in gender balance 'pauses', and supporting mental health awareness through collaboration with Andy's Man Club. The team's focus on personal growth, cultural awareness, and community engagement has created a welcoming environment where team members can be their authentic selves.

Henrietta Mallett, DfE
Henrietta first joined DfE as a Project Support Officer and has made an exceptional impact on the department's project delivery learning and development. Despite being new to the profession, she quickly secured GPD accreditation and has transformed the Project Delivery profession's communications and engagement.
Henrietta leads on accreditation and supports GOST adoption to help her colleagues excel. Her key achievements include surpassing accreditation targets by doubling the number of accredited colleagues to 69, increasing GOST adoption from 35% to 52%, and achieving a 98% ILX usage rate with a 195% increase in exam voucher requests. She has also maintained an 84% satisfaction rating for the L&D offer and secured an average 89% pass rate for accredited courses.
Her proactive approach includes providing one-on-one support, organising community learning events, and managing relationships with the ILX platform. Henrietta's efforts have led to a 60% increase in demand for training courses and significant improvements in project delivery and stakeholder engagement across the department.

Rebecca Rice, MHCLG
Rebecca, after transitioning from primary-school teaching to project delivery, has made exceptional contributions to the Electoral Integrity Programme's implementation of the Elections Act 2022 changes for the 2024 General Election. She quickly adapted to her new role in a technically complex GMPP programme, developing it into a robust elections service-delivery model under cross-Whitehall scrutiny.
Rebecca exemplifies civil service values, delivering at pace and fostering collaboration across her Directorate, wider MHCLG, other government departments, and stakeholder organisations. She has successfully managed PMO services, including secretariat duties, reporting, RAID management, and GMPP product completion. Her work on Gateway Reviews has been praised by Review Teams, and she has received recognition for her contributions to finance, risk management, and team events.
Despite being new to the field, Rebecca has already achieved Foundation-level accreditation in Project Delivery. Her commitment to collective team resilience, ability to learn quickly, and willingness to take on tasks beyond her core responsibilities have made her an invaluable team member. 

Vaerity Harris, MoD
Vaerity Harris, as a Project Support Officer in Defence Primary Healthcare, has demonstrated exceptional professionalism and impact in the Healthcare Improvement Programme's project to combine medical practices. She has significantly exceeded expectations by increasing the target of combined practices from 21 to 30 across 74 sites, while accelerating progress to complete 19 combined practices ahead of schedule.
Vaerity's contributions include creating and delivering plans for flagship sites, establishing a comprehensive delivery plan, developing a Standard Operating Policy, and ensuring safe implementation of organisational changes. She has also addressed complex issues such as merging healthcare records across NHS boundaries and developing effective communication plans.
Her work has resulted in a 43% increase in project scope and marked improvements in medical service delivery, with significant reductions in wait times and high patient satisfaction. Vaerity's ability to foster collaboration, engage stakeholders at all levels, and resolve complex issues has been praised by senior leadership.