Belfast City Council’s, and Suzanne's in particular, commitment to continuous improvement and excellence has recently been recognised through a number of awards and accreditations, including CIPR Pride Awards, Investors in People, ISO and the Mark of Excellence. The Council is the largest in Northern Ireland, employing more than 2,700 people and serving a population catchment area of over 270,000.

In 2005, following feedback from employees, the decision was taken to introduce a staff recognition scheme to recognise employees who are ‘Making A Difference’. The Making A Difference (MAD) awards scheme was developed to assist in the recognition and reward of employees who, through their work in the different services had made a marked contribution within the organisation and to key frontline services for the Citizens of Belfast. The first MAD awards was launched at the Council’s Best Practice Day in November 2005 and since then has become an annual award event.

To date the scheme has provided a number of invaluable learning points. As an example, communication is one of the most important factors involved in the process for organising the awards. Over the last four events the Council has used a number of communication channels to ensure that all employees (including agency and temporary workers) are kept informed, regardless of their work location. A comprehensive promotional campaign is vital for the uccess of the scheme. Since May 2006 the number of nominations made has increased year on year.

The nomination criteria, shortlisting and judging processes have been developed to include representation from all departments and also includes Councillor and Chief Officer’s involvement in the final selection process. The event and how it is planned is reviewed annually in order to ensure relevance and linkages with the Corporate Plan of the Council. On awards night the event revolves around celebrating our staff and their achievements in enhancing service provision for Belfast City Council. The evening presents an opportunity for employees to meet others from different departments and also Councillors and Chief Officers who they may not have had the chance to meet before.

“The MAD awards is an excellent event to recognise and celebrate our staff's dedication in serving the citizens of Belfast.” Chief Executive of Belfast City Council. The MAD awards won the silver award at the CIPR Pride Awards, Best Event Category 2008. Northern Ireland