CHIEF MINISTER ANNOUNCES PROJECT MANAGEMENT AWARDS

The ACT winners of the 2008 Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) Achievement Awards were announced by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope at an awards ceremony last night.

A total of 22 submissions were received for projects across 11 categories, which recognise, honour and promote outstanding achievements in project management in the ACT.

The overall winner was the fit out for the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), undertaken by Point Project Management and Spotless Pty Ltd. The '42 week' project was completed in just 12 weeks, and well under budget.

"As Chief Minister of the ACT, a place with a healthy balance sheet and plenty of room to grow, I am very conscious of the need for the success of projects both in terms of deliverables and value for money," Mr Stanhope said. "This is particularly important for the ACT Government in the context of our commitment to a five-year $1 billion infrastructure investment program, as part of the 2008-09 budget.

"I commend the AIPM for recognising and promoting excellence in the field."

In addition to the 11 broad award categories, two awards, ACT Community Benefit and ACT Not For Profit,were presented to recognise excellence in locally based operators.

The multi-award winning Early Detection of Patient Deterioration program from ACT Health was awarded top honours in the ACT Community Benefit category. The program previously picked up the Innovations Award as well as the Overall Winner, in the 2007 ACT Quality in Healthcare Awards.

The St Vincent De Paul Society received the ACT Not For Profit award for their Young Parent's Place project supporting parents under the age of 25 that are at risk of, or currently experiencing homelessness.

"I was very pleased to present the ACT Community Benefit and ACT Not For Profit awards in recognition of excellence in locally based operators," Mr Stanhope said. "We should never forget the large number of organisations which may have comparatively small projects to run, but which have an enormous influence on our community.

"Congratulations to all the winners and my appreciation - on behalf of the ACT Government - for the high quality of submissions to this year's awards," Mr Stanhope said.