The Leadership Award Shortlist

Sam Evans, Career Transition Service Consultant, Ministry of Justice

In 2009, senior management in the Ministry of Justice Policy Group (JPG) noticed that at a time of recruitment freezes and budgetary pressures, morale among junior staff was very low. Consultation results revealed that this group of staff was not getting the respect and recognition they deserved. To tackle this, junior staff formed a working group – the Pulse! Team. The Pulse! Team had ideas and enthusiasm but needed support and guidance to help them work together more effectively to ensure that their views were heard by the right people at the right time.

Despite having a very demanding ‘day job’, Sam Evans volunteered to take on this role. She actively encouraged Pulse! members to act as 1:1 mentors to SCS staff. This has assisted senior managers by giving them insight into ‘shop floor’ issues and concerns, which it is hoped will help them make better administrative, organisational and staffing decisions. With Sam’s encouragement, we have learned how to support each other’s development by providing 360º feedback and sharing our professional skills and knowledge.

Sam has now moved on to new projects but she has left an invaluable legacy for Pulse! members of an enhanced awareness of our own strengths and weaknesses and what can be achieved by mutual support and sharing, the confidence to ask questions and challenge, and above all, a ‘can do’ attitude of getting stuck in and sorting things out for yourself instead of passively waiting for someone else to help; all critical skills in the brave new civil service world of high expectations and limited resources. Sam is positive proof that the sign of a great leader is someone who creates other leaders.