The Best Minister Award, presented by the World Governments Summit (WGS) in its seventh edition, recognises the exceptional efforts of ministers at demonstrating excellence in the public sector, designing and implementing successful, scalable and sustainable initiatives for socio-economic betterment of their citizens, and inspiring and leading other government leaders and service providers to promote innovation and foresight in shaping public discourse on the global issues of today and tomorrow.

As part of its activities this year, the WGS is launching a global survey of ministers, inviting ministers worldwide to contribute their ideas on critical global issues and participate in enhancing collaborative solutions through their opinions on various prominent international issues. This initiative is part of the summit's efforts to exchange ideas on global issues and celebrate unique models in government work that have developed innovative solutions to challenges in a way that supports building sustainable communities.

This year, the award criteria focus on successful and scalable projects and initiatives that positively impact societies, demonstrating excellence in government resilience, readiness, innovation, and future foresight capabilities. It also emphasises the commitment to enhancing governance and transparency to improve the lives of individuals and communities.

The nomination and assessment process is a multi-faceted listing process used by the WGS to identify key Ministers, based on both primary and secondary sources, who have successfully implemented high-impact initiatives. The longlisted Ministers are then shortlisted following due diligence screening and are further assessed on the nomination criteria.

‘Countries of Focus’ constitute the countries falling in the top four global macro and socio-economic aggregated indices. These countries are identified by reference to the following indices for the current year: Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International, World Governance Indicators, Human Development Index, and Happiness Index.

WGS recognises outstanding ministerial leadership through the Best Minister Award. Identifying such leaders takes a multi-faceted approach, employing several methods:

Direct Nominations: Individuals can directly nominate ministers who meet the established criteria. This allows for grassroots recognition of impactful leadership.

Open Source Research: PwC Middle East, collaborating with the WGS, performs research through credible sources like media outlets, official reports, and multilateral organisations. This ensures a broad and objective search for deserving candidates.

Social Media Analysis: Additionally, PwC Middle East analyses social media trends and keywords related to ministers globally. This helps identify individuals generating positive online engagement and discussions about their initiatives.

The judging panel consists of high-level government officials and leaders of major global companies who follow fundamental judging criteria, including 40 percent for innovation and renewal, 25 percent for impact and inclusivity, 20 percent for continuity and feasibility, and 15 percent for the presentation.

The previous winners include David Moinina Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education in Sierra Leone (2023); Azucena Arbeleche, Uruguay’s Minister of Economy and Finance (2022); Dr. Fayrouz Al-Din Fayrouz, Minister of Health, Afghanistan (2019); Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance, Indonesia (2018); Awa Marie Coll Seck, Minister of Health, Senegal (2017); and Greg Hunt, Minister of Environment, Australia (2016).