IJIS Institute Seeking Nominations for Innovation Award

The IJIS Institute , a nonprofit uniting the private and public sector to improve information sharing, announces the creation of an annual information technology award to recognize innovation that has contributed significantly to the advancement of integration and interoperability in a justice, public safety, or homeland security project. The Innovation Award will focus on team achievement, recognizing both the industry solution provider and the practitioner agency implementing the technology.

The nomination process for the IJIS Institute Innovation Award is now open. To be eligible for the Innovation Award:

• Nominated projects must be integrated or interoperable justice, public safety, or homeland security efforts that have contributed significantly to the advancement of integration and interoperability by offering a solution that can serve as a model to other public sector agencies.
• Nominated projects must be in production on or before April 1 of the award year. Generally speaking, projects at the proof of concept stage are not eligible. Successful pilot implementations may be eligible if the pilot is going to remain in use and if the scope of the pilot is substantial. Large, multi-year projects that have successfully implemented one or more stages of their project are likely, but not guaranteed, to be eligible.
• Neither nominators nor nominees are required to be members or affiliate members of the IJIS Institute.
• The private sector nominee's public-sector customer/agency must be willing to provide letters of recommendation.
• The winner of the award must be judged to be the best in class, consistent with the strategic goals and objectives of the IJIS Institute.

The Innovation Award, and any honorable mentions, will be presented by Paul Wormeli, executive director of the IJIS Institute, following the Institute's Industry Briefing at the National Forum on Criminal Justice and Public Safety on Aug. 9-11, 2009, in Bellevue, Washington.

Wormeli noted that, "The IJIS Institute has been part of the information sharing landscape for nearly eight years. In that time, we have seen incredible changes take place in our industry - it is now time we recognize these achievements. The Innovation Award honors those in industry and in the private sector who have dedicated their resources to further the cause of information sharing and to recognize the valuable contribution these entities make to and amongst state, local, tribal and federal agencies. I look forward to nominations of the highest caliber.""

The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2009.