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 by sending an e-mail to admin@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 an
electronic Awards Entry Brochure via email. The Awards
Entry Brochure can also be downloaded here. When
you have chosen which category to enter, download
the Awards Entry
Form.
Follow the instructions carefully and e-mail
your submission no later than 5pm on 26th April 2013.
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 2014 PRIMA Annual Conference, being held in Long
Beach, California from 8th to 11th June 2014 and
permission to host the PRIMA International Exchange winner.
Entrants for Risk Management Newcomer of the Year should also
obtain approval to attend the 2014 PRIMA Annual Conference.
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:
People Risk
How has risk management helped improve
the health, safety, wellbeing and environment of the people working
for and with your organisation, members of the public and the
stakeholders you engage with? Successful entries from
previous years have, for example, focused on:
|
· Occupational health & safety
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· Rehabilitation and absence
management
|
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· Young adults’ inclusion in social
activities
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· Digital inclusion
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· Safety when driving
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· School trips
|
Community Risk
How has risk management improved the
resilience and cohesion of your community? Have you developed
projects that have resulted in a programme or policy to deliver
change or improvement within your community? Submissions in this
new category could relate to:
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· Climate change
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· Risk awareness in schools
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· Anti-social behaviour
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· Social housing fraud
|
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· Obesity and ill-health
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· Community regeneration
|
Operational Risk
How has risk management contributed to
the smooth running and effi ciency of the day-to-day operations of
your organisation? Have you been innovative in applying risk
management to projects and partnerships? For example, can you
demonstrate success in:
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· Fraud identification and
investigation
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· Construction risk management
|
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· Reducing motor fleet claims
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· Road and footpath improvements
|
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· Change management
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· Performance management
|
Strategic Risk
How has risk management enabled your
organisation not just to survive, but to thrive? How has risk
management contributed to the development of innovative approaches
and the successful achievement of objectives within your
organisation? What difference has risk management made to your
organisation’s strength? Entries could focus on:
|
· Organisational transformation
|
· Supporting the delivery of key
objectives
|
|
· Effective partnership working
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· Innovative ways of providing
services
|
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· Embedding risk management
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· Reducing costs of service delivery
|
Insurance Risk
Have you been innovative in your
approach to risk fi nancing, found effective means of reducing
premium spend or introduced new processes that have resulted in a
major reduction in claims costs. Examples of initiatives that might
fit this category of award include:
| · Fraud identification and investigation |
· Consortium insurance purchasing |
| · Reducing motor fleet claims |
· Mutual funds |
| · Reducing slips and trips claims |
· Reducing stress claims |
Risk Manager of the Year
The Risk Manager of the Year Award is
presented to an outstanding risk practitioner; one who has the
aspiration, inspiration and enthusiasm to promote and support risk
management within their own organisation and the wider public
service environment.
The Award includes a trip to the 2014
PRIMA Annual Conference, which will be held in Long Beach,
California from 8th to 11th June 2014.
Risk Management Newcomer of the
Year
Open to individuals who have less than
3 years’ experience in a risk management role within a public
service environment. Entrants should highlight the particular
contribution they have made to the risk management achievements of
their department or team and provide evidence of progress in their
own professional development over the past year.
The Award includes a trip to the 2014
PRIMA Annual Conference, which will be held in Long Beach,
California from 8th to 11th June 2014.
Judging Criteria
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, Community, Insurance, 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’.
Please note that this category of Award is
open to Alarm members only.
Q5. I am interested in applying for
the Risk Management Newcomer of the Year Award. What
form should my application take?
A. Like the Risk Manager of
the Year Award, the Award for Risk Management Newcomer of the Year
is subject to different criteria from those for the People,
Community, Insurance, Operational and Strategic Risk
categories. Open to public risk professionals with less than 3
years experience in a public risk management role, 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 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 2014 PRIMA Annual
Conference, which will be held in Long Beach, California
from 8th to 11th June 2014, should the entry be
successful in the Risk Management Newcomer 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
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, a submission summary of 100
words (which will be used in the table brochure if shortlisted), an
executive summary of 500 words and the main
submission of 1500 words. You may be asked for supporting
evidence, but should not submit additional documents unless
requested as part of the short listing process. Submissions
exceeding the stated length will be disqualified. You are also
required to send a high resolution JPEG of your organisations logo
with your submission.
Q9. I need to have the application form endorsed
by a Manager, this means I have to post an entry which reduces
the submission time. What if it gets lost in the post?
A. All entries must be submitted electronically
to admin@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 5pm on 26th April 2013. 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 of 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. Previous successful applications are posted on the
website, creating a useful resource. You can also contact the Alarm
Admin Office at admin@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 shortlisted
candidates will be able to attend the Awards Dinner, and
participate in the Awards ceremony and photography
session.