2008 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. What is the most common error
made by those entering the Annual Awards Scheme?
Q6. I submitted an entry last
year but was not shortlisted. Can I enter the same initiative
again?
Q7. What about the format and
length of submissions? I have a lot to explain and lots of
supporting evidence.
Q8. 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?
Q9. What is the process for
judging?
Q10. I know some categories
have not been awarded in previous years. If my category gets
cancelled, will I automatically be entered into another
category?
Q11. Where can I get help in
preparing my submission?
Q12. 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 you regularly
about the awards via our regular e- mail alerts. You can also
pre-register your intention to submit an entry by e-mailing
awards@alarm-uk.org,
stating your intention 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 following advice on
how to make the most of your entry to the Awards and the terms and
conditions of entry set out in the Awards brochure. You should have
received a copy of the Awards brochure, containing the entry form,
through the post but you can download additional copies
here.
When you have chosen which category you are entering, tell us about
your project or initiative, and answer the questions below, on no
more than six sides of A4. Return your entry, together with the
entry form, to us by email, fax or post no later than 5pm on 30th
April 2008.
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 2009 PRIMA Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas and permission to
host the PRIMA International Exchange winner.
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 to any group of
people of staff whom the organisation comes into contact with
(People Risk category)?
- Improving the management of risks associated with any asset of
the organisation, excluding people risks (Asset Risk
category)?
- An improvement to, or introduction of, systems to manage risks
that staff encounter 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)?
Irrespective of category, entries are judged on five
criteria:
- A clear need for the initiative – why was the initiative
required and what risk was addressed?
The approach taken – how did you approach the problem and why did
you take the chosen approach?
- Evidence of innovation- what was innovative about the approach
you adopted?
- Evidence of partnership working – can you provide evidence of
working in partnership, collaboration or consultation with others?
Were you able to convince others of the benefits of a risk
management approach?
- Evidence of impact – what was the measurable impact of your
initiative, either qualitative or quantitative, and what are the
prospects of continued value or benefits going forward?
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 2008’.
Q5. 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 the judge’s 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.
Q6. 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. You should also note that the format requirements
have changed this year and you can now submit extra pages. (See
below)
Q7. What about the format and length of submissions, I have
a lot to explain and lots of supporting evidence
A . We have reviewed the amount you can
submit this year, as a direct response to feedback last year. You
can now submit six sides of A4, (note the font size and spacing
requirements), as well as an executive summary. Please note
the executive summary is extremely important to the judges and
should not be overlooked.
As supporting evidence can be voluminous, you may append a
list of supporting documents should you wish, but please do not
submit them unless they are requested as part of the short listing
process.
Q8. 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. We would recommend all entries are 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, and endorsed, signed application
forms can be forwarded in support of the submission until Tuesday
6th May. However any entries without the requisite signed
endorsement will be withdrawn.
Q9. 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.
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 a no clear winner from the judges scoring, or if
entries are tied at either stage of judging, judges will discuss
their assessments to reach a consensus.
Q10. 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.
Q11. 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. If you need guidance or
comment on a draft submission, Carolyn Halpin, the Awards
Co-ordinator will be happy to assist. Carolyn can be contacted via
the ALARM Admin Office at awards@alarm-uk.org.
Q12. 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, the post-ceremony champagne reception and photography
session.