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MOD AGENCY WINS TOP AWARDS FOR FORCES PAY AND PERSONNEL SERVICES

The Ministry of Defence’s Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) has scooped two top awards at the prestigious ‘Shared Services Outsourcing Network (SSON)’ 2010 Industry Awards, in Edinburgh on 25 May.  The Agency first won the award for ‘Best Mature Outsourced Services Delivery’ for its management of the UK Forces’ Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.  It then went on to beat organisations from across Europe, the Middle-East and Africa to win the highest accolade of the night –the ‘Winner of Winners’ award.

These awards recognise the success of the outsourcing relationship within SPVA between the Ministry of Defence and HP Enterprise Services that started in November 1997, and the successful introduction of JPA from 2006.  JPA has revolutionised personnel and HR services for the UK Armed Forces, bringing together the Navy, Army and RAF onto one system, allowing users to update details themselves and providing one dedicated contact point for help and support. 

In making the awards, judges from top European companies remarked that SPVA “demonstrated a leading ability to deliver change” and had a “relentless focus on technological development”.  They were also impressed by the £130million savings delivered to date and the ‘impressively strong’ relationship with HP in delivering Agency services.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Agency, SPVA Chief Executive Kathy Barnes said:

“These awards are recognition for everyone in the Agency - MOD Civil Servants, Military Personnel and HP staff.  They are also about our customers - the UK’s Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their dependents, and the way we have all adapted and worked together over the last few years. They reflect the success of our partnering relationship with HP and reinforce the value of our internal ‘One Agency One Team’ approach to working across different teams, sites and organisations.”

HP SPVA Account Manager Paul Couch was thrilled with the awards and said:

“I joined the Account in 2007 and have been delighted at the way the outsourcing partnering relationship has worked within SPVA and what has been achieved.  These awards reflect the dedication and commitment of the people in the Agency and the way we all work together.  They reinforce our joint focus on the quality of service that we provide to our end customers, our partnering approach and a relationship built on openness, honesty, trust and a joint way of working across SPVA between individuals and teams at all levels.

Notes to editors

Attached image: (L-R) Capt Ian Bisson (Royal Navy), Kevin Large (HP), Kathy Barnes (SPVA Chief Executive), Paul Couch (HP) and Lesley Grant-Pavitt (HP) receive the SSON awards.

About SPVA
1.      The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence and provides essential support functions to the Armed Forces and veterans communities.  These include forces pay and HR, issue of all medals, casualty repatriation and compassionate services, pensions, injury/bereavement compensation and veterans welfare support.  The Agency operates from four main UK sites at Glasgow, Norcross near Blackpool, Imjin Barracks near Gloucester and HMS Sultan, Gosport. 

About HP

2.      HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

About the SSON awards

3.      The Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) is the largest and most established global community of shared services and outsourcing professionals. SSON has as an active member base of over 25,000 global shared services practitioners, providers and advisors with a presence in over 95 countries.  SSON’s industry awards for Europe, the ‘Shared Services & Outsourcing Network Excellence Awards’ form the industry’s benchmark in terms of best practice and business excellence.  Open to all captive and outsourced shared services organisations from all countries, the awards are judged by a panel of leading industry experts. They provide an opportunity for shared services and outsourcing professionals to gain recognition for excellence and initiative.

4.      2010 winners were announced during a presentation evening hosted by journalist and television presenter Fiona Bruce, in Edinburgh, on 25 May 2010.  Awards submissions were evaluated by an experienced panel of judges drawn from major UK and global companies for their industry experience and expertise. The panel included Dan Foley, previously Business Services Centre Director for ITV Plc; Fraser Kirk, Programme Director for Coca Cola Enterprises; Lisa Hooley, Former Director of Tetra Pak Business Services Ltd; Carl Barnes, CFO of DHL Global Business Services UK; Lynda Atherton-Miles, Director Shared Services for Working Links; Chris Gunning, Director of Unisys Global Shared Services Europe, India & Asia Pacific; Philip P. Whelan, Head of Business Services Centre – Europe for BP; and Mike Colicchio from Celanese.

5.      Award categories were ‘Best New Captive Service Delivery’, ‘Best New Outsourced Services Delivery’, ‘Best Mature Captive Services Delivery’, ‘Best Mature Outsourced Services Delivery’, ‘Thought Leader of the Year’ and ‘Winner of Winners’.  More information can be found at  http://www.ssonetwork.com/awards.aspx

For Further Information
For further information, please contact the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency press office: Laurie Manton on 07795 970407 or David Johnson on 07717 882014.