Sep 24th, 2008 |
adminBritish Columbia Alternative Service Delivery Champion to receive prestigious Leadership Medal
Distinction Awards honour John Bethel on October 27, 2008
Ottawa, ON – September 24, 2008 – The Leadership Medal at the Distinction Awards are an affirmation that one person really can make a difference even within a large IT organization or project. As leaders, nominees will have inspired and mobilized the energies and talents of others to work toward the achievement of the shared goals and objectives of their organization, the people within it and the people it serves.
On October 27, the Distinction Awards will present a Gold Leadership Medal to John Bethel, the Assistant Deputy Minister for Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) for the British Columbia government. With a view to saving money and transforming service delivery in B.C., John Bethel has worked tirelessly to help the B.C. government execute 10 ASD deals worth $1.8 billion, with a projection that they will generate $550 million in financial benefits to the government in addition to significant non-financial benefits.
As a member of the Joint Executive Steering Committees for current ASD deals, and an evaluator on new Joint Solution Procurement projects, John provides strategic advice to client ministries throughout the lifecycle of these long-term partnerships.
John sits on the board of the Centre for Outsourcing Research and Education (CORE), a national organization for the promotion of best practices in outsourcing in the public and private sectors and is a regular speaker at conferences and training events dedicated to ASD models.
According to Kevin d’Entremont, Executive Director of the Awards, “We don’t give these medals out every year, and it truly takes an inspirational person or event to merit this honour. The B.C. government’s joint-solutions procurement partnerships are large, complex deals that set the benchmark for Canadian governments. John’s passion for his role is a testament to the commitment that the province has made to finding new ways to service citizens better. He is the ideal candidate for the Leadership medal this year.”
Distinction Awards medals are given in five groups: Federal, Provincial, Municipal, National, and leadership. Although there can be up to 42 medals each year, only one medal can be given in a Leadership Category. The last time a leadership medal was awarded was in 2006.
“In BC, Alternative Service Delivery is not a theory or a process or a Secretariat. It is a discipline–a way of doing business. We set out clear goals to achieve better value and better service for the taxpayers of BC – and we work every day to achieve that value. It is not easy, but it is worth it,” said John Bethel.
“Our success is rooted in executive and political support, and the dedication of hundreds of public servants across government that have focused their careers on procuring, negotiating, and managing complex ASD partnerships I am truly honoured to be recognized for our program’s success and look forward to receiving the award at GTEC on behalf of each and every one of the leaders in the BC Public Service that have proven it can be done,” continued Bethel.
The 2008 Distinction Awards Gala is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for public servants. To be held on October 27, 2008, the Gala be attended by over 600 executives from government and industry, plus our finalists and departments heads from across Canada.
