2010 Alarm Annual Awards FAQ
You’ve achieved great things and you think you could be
eligible for an Alarm Award...but how to go about winning one? Your
first step is to read the following advice, compiled by experienced
Awards judges and the scheme’s organisers, to help you submit an
exemplary entry
Q1. I always mean to apply but
then run out of time. How can I ensure I meet the deadline?
Q2. How do I apply?
Q3. I am not sure what category
my entry best fits
Q4. I am interested in applying for
the Risk Manager of the Year Award. What form should my application
take?
Q5. I am interested
in applying for Risk Management Young Achiever of the Year Award.
What form should my application take?
Q6. What is the most common error
made by those entering the Annual Awards Scheme?
Q7. I submitted an entry last
year but was not shortlisted. Can I enter the same initiative
again?
Q8. What about the format and
length of submissions? I have a lot to explain and lots of
supporting evidence.
Q9. I need to have the
application form endorsed by a Manager, this means I have to post
an entry and reduces the submission time. What if it gets lost in
the post?
Q10. What is the process for
judging?
Q11. I know some categories
have not been awarded in previous years. If my category gets
cancelled, will I automatically be entered into another
category?
Q12. Where can I get help in
preparing my submission?
Q13. When will I know if I have
been shortlisted for an Award?
Q1. I always mean to apply but then run out of time.
How can I ensure I meet the deadline?
A. Although we publish the application form
in February, we recognise that well intended but busy individuals
can sometime overlook the deadline. We will remind members
regularly about the awards via our weekly e-mail alerts. You can
also pre-register your intention to submit an entry by sending an
e-mail to awards@alarm-uk.org, stating your
intention to enter and the category you are interested in. The
admin office will then make regular contact with you to check if
you need assistance or support and to remind you of the deadline.
This pre-registration will also assist us in managing the judging
process.
Q2. How do I apply?
A. Please carefully read the advice on how to
enter the Awards scheme, and the terms and conditions of entry, set
out in the Awards brochure. Alarm members will have received a copy
of the Awards brochure through the post but you can also
download additional copies here.
When you have chosen which category to enter,
download an application form.
Follow the instructions carefully and e-mail
your submission no later than 5pm on 30th April 2010.
Please remember to get your application endorsed by your Head of
Department or Line Manager. In the case of entries for the Risk
Manager of the Year Award, you should also obtain advance approval
to undertake the ambassadorial role involved in the prize trip to
the 2011 PRIMA Annual Conference in Portland,
Oregon and permission to host the PRIMA International Exchange
winner. Entrants for Risk Management Young Achiever of the
Year should obtain approval to attend the Alarm Annual Conference
in 2011.
Q3. I am not sure what category my entry best
fits.
A. Firstly, look at the description of the Award,
as shown under each category heading. Think about where your
project or initiative has evidence of most impact:
- Significantly improving the management of risks facing groups
of people, e.g. staff or members of the public with whom the
organisation engages (People Risk category)
- Innovative approaches to the management of risks associated
with physical assets of the organisation, such as property,
equipment or vehicles (Asset Risk category)
- Significant improvements in the systems employed to manage
risks in the day-to-day operations of the organisation (Operational
Risk category)
- Significantly contributing to the achievement of the
organisation’s strategic objectives (Strategic Risk category)
-
Public risk professionals under the age of 35
on 30th April 2010, who can demonstrate
that they have made a significant contribution
to the department or team for which they work,and made
progress in their own professional development over the past year
(Risk Management Young Achiever of the
Year).
Irrespective of category, entries are judged
on five criteria:
- A clear need for the initiative – why was the initiative
required and what risk(s) did it address?
- The approach taken – how and why was the approach chosen?
- Evidence of innovation – what is innovative about the
initiative?
- Evidence of partnership working – who did you partner or
collaborate with in developing and/or implementing the
approach? How did you convince others to participate?
- Evidence of impact – what were the measurable impacts of the
initiative, either quantitative and/or qualitative and what are the
prospects of continued benefits in the future?
Use the judging criteria above to help you draw up a quick list
of the key attributes of your project that might fit under each
section. Remember, the judges are looking for evidence of
innovation and tangible benefits, and you might find it easier to
demonstrate this in relation to one Awards category compared to
another.
Q4. I am interested in applying for the Risk Manager of the
Year Award. What form should my application take?
A. Applications for Risk Manager of the Year
(RMoY) are subject to criteria different from those for the People,
Asset, Operational and Strategic Risk categories. For RMoY, the
judges are looking to identify the “aspiration, inspiration, and
enthusiasm of individuals in promoting and supporting risk
management”. This involves a demonstration of how you have helped
to evolve the role of risk management both within and external to
your employing organisation. Any evidence of innovation and
improvement of the perception or profile of risk management should
also be included.
You will, therefore, want to include information on your role and
achievements at work, any involvement you have had in Alarm or
other risk management related groups/ committees, presentations you
have given, articles you have written, supporting statements from
your employer, and any other evidence to show why you deserve the
title ‘Alarm Risk Manager of the Year 2010’.
Please note that this category of Award is
open to Alarm members only.
Q5. I am interested in applying for the
Risk Management Young Achiever of the Year Award. What form
should my application take?
A. Like the Risk Manager of the Year Award, the
Award for Risk Management Young Achiever of the Year is subject to
different criteria from those for the People, Asset, Operational
and Strategic Risk categories. Open to public risk
professionals under the age of 35 on 30th April 2010, entrants
should demonstrate how they have made a particular contribution to
the risk management achievements of their department or team.
The judges will also be looking for evidence of progress in the
entrant’s own personal, professional development over the past year
e.g. courses attended, qualifications achieved, presentations
given, etc.
Entries must be endorsed by your Head of Department / Line
Manager and approval gained to attend the Alarm Annual Conference
which will take place from 19th to 21st June 2011, should the
entry be successful in the Risk Management Young Achiever of the
Year category.
Q6. What is the most common error made by those entering
the Annual Awards Scheme?
A. The most common mistake is not reading the
instructions thoroughly. Many applications fail to address the five
judging criteria listed above. Just bear in mind that the judges
mark against the same criteria; if you don’t clearly address one of
them, you will not gain the marks for this section, placing your
entry at a disadvantage.
Other applications have struggled to evidence “partnership”
working. Bear in mind that this is not necessarily about formal
partnership arrangement, but about your work in consulting and
collaborating with others and convincing them of the benefits of
risk management solutions. It’s about winning hearts and minds.
Other excellent applications lose out in demonstrating the impact
of initiatives. In some cases, the initiative is in too early
a stage of implementation to be able to show meaningful evidence of
any impact. Such initiatives may have more chance of success
in a subsequent year, when the benefits are more apparent and can
be evidenced.
Q7. I submitted an entry last year but was not shortlisted.
Can I enter the same initiative again?
A. If your initiative is now more fully developed and
there is clear evidence of measureable impact, you are encouraged
to re-enter. Make sure that you format your entry to meet the five
judging criteria as well as the recommended font style and length
of submission, which may have changed from previous years. (See
below)
Q8. What about the format and length of submissions, I have
a lot to explain and lots of supporting evidence
A. You can now submit the completed entry
form, which includes a cover sheet, an executive summary totaling
500 words max and the main submission totaling 1500 words
max. You may be asked for supporting evidence, but should not
submit additional documents unless requested as part of the short
listing process.
Q9. I need to have the application form endorsed by a
Manager, this means I have to post an entry and reduces the
submission time. What if it gets lost in the post?
A. All entries must be submitted electronically to
awards@Alarm-uk.org. Once
received electronically, we will acknowledge the submission,
confirming its receipt. If you do not receive confirmation, then
you should contact the Alarm Admin Office. The closing date for
electronic submission is 5 pm on 30th April 2010. We no
longer require a signed endorsement on the entry form, however we
do request the contact details of your Head of Department or Line
Manager (the endorsing person) and reserve the right to check with
this individual that support for the entry has been given.
Any entries without the requisite endorsement will be
withdrawn.
Q10. What is the process for judging?
A. Judging of the Awards is a two-stage
process. All the entries in each category are independently
assessed by a panel of judges (one panel for each category). Each
assessor grades the entry, based on each of the five criteria and
the total marks are averaged out to produce a ranked
shortlist. These assessors are drawn from a peer group of
experienced risk professionals, including Alarm Board members,
Chairs of Country, Regional and Sector groups, and former Risk
Managers of the Year.
The short listed entries are then assessed by a second panel of
specialist judges and, again, grades are independently allocated
against each of the five criteria and the total marks averaged out
to produce a ranked list of the winning and highly commended
entries.
If there is no clear winner from the judges scoring, or if entries
are tied at either stage of the judging process, the judges will
discuss their assessments to reach a consensus.
Q11. I know some categories have not been awarded in
previous years. If my category gets cancelled, will I automatically
be entered into another category?
A. Any decision to suspend a category in the
Awards is taken reluctantly and only when the judges decide that
none of the entries are effectively fulfilling all the criteria.
Such decisions, whilst not taken lightly, are in the best interests
of maintaining the credibility and integrity of the Awards. Your
entry will not be entered into an alternative category, but you can
request feedback on improving your entry in future years’
Awards.
Q12. Where can I get help in preparing my
submission?
A. The Admin Office will advise you of any
problems with your application in terms of format. We will
post previous successful applications on the web site by the end of
February, creating a useful resource. You can contact the Alarm
Admin Office at awards@Alarm-uk.org.
Q13. When will I know if I have been shortlisted for an
Award?
A. We aim to notify shortlisted applicants
by the end of May. We would hope all short listed candidates
will be able to attend the Awards Dinner, and participate in the
Awards ceremony and photography session.