The Public Service Medal (PSM) is an important element in the Australian honours system, recognising outstanding public service. Each year, up to thirty exceptional APS and government employees are formally recognised through the award of the PSM.
Recently, the Governor-General announced 21 Commonwealth PSM recipients in The Queen’s Birthday 2021 honours list. These recipients reflect the broad range of contributions possible in the public service and the importance of public service work to Australia.
As announced by the Prime Minister in January, the honours list now includes a dedicated COVID-19 Honour Roll, which recognises individuals for their outstanding contribution, service and achievement relating to the pandemic. Of the 21 awards announced in The Queen’s Birthday 2021 honours list, 14 were for contributions to the Government’s COVID-19 response and recovery. You can find details of those on the COVID-19 Honour Roll on the Governor-General’s website, which will grow with each honours announcement.
Nominations are now open until 1 November 2021 for PSMs as part of The Queen’s Birthday 2022 honours list. The sole criterion is 'outstanding public service', which may be demonstrated through a consistently exceptional record of achievement or outstanding performance in managing a specific project or activity that has a lasting legacy.
If you know an outstanding member of the public service, consider nominating them through your agency for a PSM. You are encouraged to identify people at both non-SES and SES levels who reflect public service diversity and whose service, contribution and achievements make them worthy of this recognition.
To find out more information visit the It's an Honour website.