“The David O’Leary award includes a cash prize of US$1500, and travel to IFIP’s General Assembly to receive the prize (maximum travel allowance is US$ 1000). The person who nominates the winner will be rewarded with an Amazon gift card to the value of US$100.”
Nominations for the David O’Leary Award offered by IFIP IP3 (International Professional Practice Partnership) is due August 9th 2024. This award acknowledges an individual or organization that has promoted and demonstrated Professionalism (Professional Practice), worked as an Ethics Evangelist, and/or made strides in fostering diversity among ICT practitioners.
David O’Leary, who passed away in 2018, was a native of British Columbia Canada whose made significant contributions to ICT in academic, scientific, government, and industry at the provincial, national and international level. CIPS members may know him best as a former CIPS BC President but he was also an academic Dean, a member of the government ICT Sector Council, and speaker at global conferences for the UN and IEEE. He was also founding CEO of Igen Knowledge solutions, contributor to IDG-IT World, and founding general partner of REDDS Capital.
The Award criteria includes:
- Professionalism – demonstrated commitment to all aspects of ICT professional practice:
- Continuous professional development;
- Service to organisation and broader community;
- Trustworthiness;
- Accountability; and
- Pride in the profession and setting a good example;
- Ethics evangelism – in addition to ethical behaviour, takes every opportunity to spread the Ethics message; and
- Fosters diversity – works to promote gender, race and digital equity.
The David O’Leary award includes a cash prize of US$1500, and travel to IFIP’s General Assembly to receive the prize (maximum travel allowance is US$ 1000). The person who nominates the winner will be rewarded with an Amazon gift card to the value of US$100.
Recent winners included:
- 2019 – Mary Cleary
- 2021 – Don Gotterbarn
- 2022 – Frits Bussemaker
- 2023 – Josine Overdevest
In winning last year, Josine Overdest said, “When I was nominated for the David O’Leary Award last year, I was initially surprised. I didn’t see how my work in bridging the Digital Divide contributed to IT professionalism or ethics evangelism. But upon further reflection, I realised that it does!
“In education, there is a concept known as ‘unintentional’ learning, where learners pick up lessons that aren’t necessarily part of the curriculum but are observed through the teacher’s actions, for example.
“I realised that I was probably an ‘unintentional’ ethics evangelist: I don’t do my work because it is ethical, but as a consequence of the passion and convictions that drive me. Winning the Award has provided me with the opportunity to make the unintentional intentional, presenting my vision for an inclusive digital society on a much larger platform. It has given me oomph!
“The Award came at a time when concerns about the increasing digital skills gap and the slow adaptation of innovative digital solutions in schools are gaining more attention than they have in years. It is now clear that the fast pace of digital transformation won’t be economically viable without being environmentally and socially sustainable, as the increasing carbon footprint and widening digital divide show us. In many organisations, the debate on how to address these concerns has moved from corporate social responsibility to strategic necessity.
“This creates many more opportunities for IT professionals to follow their passion and contribute to exciting developments like AI for Good, and to do so responsibly and sustainably. Among these professionals, many will do so ‘unintentionally.’ Seek them out and nominate them for the 2024 David O’Leary Award so their work gets a boost by becoming more intentional.”
A panel of a minimum of three judges from the Global Industry Council and the IFIP Board will judge the award and make the final decision.
Anyone may submit a nomination for a person or an organisation. The nomination form can be found here. Please ensure that the nominee accepts the nomination.
The completed nomination form together with any supporting documentation must be sent to award@ipthree.org by 9 August 2024.
All information is confidential and will only be shared with prior permission.
Click Here for the Nomination Form
Deadline: August 9th 2024