Public Affairs News Awards 2012

Categories 2012

Click on the category links below to find out more.

  • Rising Star - Individual (Agency)



    The aim of this award is to recognise an individual who has a bright future in public affairs and who currently works for an agency. Entry is open to anyone who is 29 years old or younger on 1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Contribution to your organisation and your clients (70%)
    • Evidence of being a 'team player' (15%)
    • Evidence of professional development (15%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    * One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why they feel they should win

    * One supporting document containing person's date of birth and career history (e.g. CV dates/job titles from 18 years old)

    * One one-sentence testimonial from a boss or client saying they support the nomination

    * A high-quality colour looking-at-the-camera headshot photo (300 dpi quality, jpg format) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted entries will then be invited to attend a presentation day as the final part of the judging process. This involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in early September 2012.




  • Rising Star Individual (In-House)


    The aim of this award is to recognise an individual who has a bright future in public affairs and who currently works in an in-house position (i.e. for a corporate, for a trade association, for a charity, etc). Entry is open to anyone who is 29 years old or younger on 1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Contribution to helping to achieve your organisation's public affairs objectives over the past 12 months (70%)
    • Evidence of being a 'team player' (15%)
    • Evidence of professional development (15%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    * One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why they feel they should win

    * One supporting document containing person's date of birth and career history (e.g. CV dates/job titles from 18 years old)

    * One one-sentence testimonial from a boss saying they support the nomination

    * A high-quality colour looking-at-the-camera headshot photo (300 dpi quality, jpg format) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted entries will then be invited to attend a presentation day as the final part of the judging process. This involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in early September 2012.



     

  • Freelancer of the Year


    The aim of this new award is to recognise a freelancer who has achieved outstanding results for his/her client(s) during the judging period (1 July 2011-1 July 2012). The spirit of this award is to recognise people working full- or part-time for an organisation(s) on an interim basis (for example, covering maternity leave) as opposed to recognising people who would see themselves as 'strategic advisers'. The individual can have worked on a short-term contract basis for either one or more clients.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Contribution to helping to achieve their (interim!) employer(s)' public affairs objectives over the past 12 months (70%)
    • Evidence of being a 'team player' (15%)
    • Evidence of professional development (15%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    * One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why they feel they should win

    * One supporting document containing person's career history (e.g. CV dates/job titles from 18 years old)

    * One one-sentence testimonial from a boss or client saying they support the nomination

    * A high-quality colour looking-at-the-camera headshot photo (300 dpi quality, jpg format) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.



  • Specialist Consultancy of the Year


    The 'Specialist Consultancy of the Year' must derive at least two-thirds of its fee income from one sector (e.g. healthcare clients, financial services clients, charity clients or regeneration/planning clients, etc.). The firm can be a consultancy of any size (and ownership structure) but, in order to win, must be able to demonstrate outstanding achievement for its clients. The achievement must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    * Results achieved for clients (66%)

    * Evidence of own business success and prudent agency management, for example: profit growth; fee-income growth; organic growth; new-business success; staff numbers; staff satisfaction and retention - is the agency a 'good place to work'? [NB the PAN Awards have a specific category for this, but this is also being taken into account for the 'Specialist Consultancy of the Year' category] (34%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the consultancy feels it should win
    • One supporting document containing text outlining: the specialism in which the company operates (in no more than four words, e.g. 'financial services'); retained/project clients won and lost from July 2010-July 2011; growth (presumably) in staff numbers (broken down as full-time consultants; part-time consultants; and support staff) over the period; as much financial data as you feel able to provide, covering the period
    • Three brief testimonials from three different clients saying they support the consultancy's nomination
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of the company's logo (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.



  • Trade Body of the Year

    The 'Trade Body of the Year' must be a trade, membership or professional association that has achieved outstanding achievement on behalf its members. The work described in the entry must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Achievement on behalf of members (60%)
    • Value for money in public affairs activity (20%)
    • Creativity in public affairs (20%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the organisation should win
    • One supporting document containing: if appropriate, the approximate timescale of any specific campaign (month it started and finished); number of people who worked on the campaign; approximate budget of the association; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency); acknowledgement of other groups campaigning on the same issue (if applicable)
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the organisation (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.



  • Innovative Campaign of the Year

    This is a new category designed to recognise campaigns that have used, or been built around, a particularly novel creative idea or innovative campaigning technique. Your team could, for example, have made innovative use of social-media or devised an attention-grabbing stunt. Or perhaps your team was behind a particularly exciting parliamentary event or organised a colourful photocall. The campaign must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Originality of the campaign when compared to 'standard' activity ('I wish I'd thought of that' sparkle) (50%)
    • Success of the campaign against its initial objectives and value-for-money (40%)
    • Professionalism in implementing the campaign (10%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the campaign should win
    • One supporting document containing: approximate timescale of the campaign (month it started and finished); number of people who worked on the campaign; approximate budget of the campaign; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency); acknowledgement of other groups campaigning on the same issue
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the campaign (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.



  • Best Agency to Work For


    'Best Agency to Work For' was introduced as a category at our 2010 awards. This award will be an invaluable marketing tool for your agency to win.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Employee benefits such as pension scheme, gym membership (etc) (20%)
    • Evidence of organised agency social activity (e.g. 'Friday nights in the pub', annual 'weekends away', etc)(20%)
    • Evidence of agency's investment in staff training and development, as well as commitment to ethical behaviour/code of conduct (20%)
    • Evidence that senior management are respected by, and fully engage with, junior staff (20%)
    • 'Giving something back': details on any 'CSR' activity (for example, giving a percentage of profits to a good cause; schemes to encourage community work, etc) (20%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    * One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why they should win

    * One supporting document containing the following facts about the agency: number of staff; names of main clients; annual turnover; staff turnover and details of any intern or work experience programme including payment arrangements

    * A high-quality colour photograph (300 dpi quality) of the agency (or its logo) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    Three judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted entries will then be invited to send representatives to a presentation day as the final part of the judging process – given the nature of the 'Best Agency to Work For' category, judges will look positively on agencies opting to include more junior staff in their delegation. The presentation day involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in September 2012.



  • Campaign of the Year - Devolved Administrations

    'Campaign of the Year – Devolved Administrations' was introduced as a category at our 2010 awards. The campaign being submitted must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012; most of the activity must have taken place in Scotland and/or Wales and/or Northern Ireland and/or be specifically targeting the Greater London Assembly. Campaigns can have included a Westminster element. The category is open to corporates, NGOs, consultancies and trade bodies.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Demonstrate success against its objectives and value-for-money (75%)
    • Innovation and professionalism in implementation (25%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the campaign should win
    • One supporting document containing: approximate timescale of the campaign (month it started and finished); number of people who worked on the campaign; approximate budget of the campaign; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency); acknowledgement of other groups campaigning on the same issue
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the campaign (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.




  • Campaign of the Year – Voluntary Sector

    The 'Campaign of the Year – Voluntary Sector' must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012. The category is open to NGOs and trade bodies (consultancies may enter, but the campaign must be in the name of a voluntary sector client).

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Demonstrate success against objectives and value-for-money (75%)
    • Innovation and professionalism in implementation (25%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the campaign should win
    • One supporting document containing: approximate timescale of the campaign (month it started and finished); number of people who worked on the campaign; approximate budget of the campaign; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency); acknowledgement of other groups campaigning on the same issue
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the campaign (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    Three judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The remaining 21 judges will then vote on the winner.



  • Campaign of the Year – Private Sector


    The 'Campaign of the Year – Private Sector' must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Demonstrate success of the campaign against its initial objectives and value-for-money (75%)
    • Innovation and professionalism in implementing the campaign (25%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the campaign should win
    • One supporting document containing: approximate timescale of the campaign (month it started and finished); number of people who worked on the campaign; approximate budget of the campaign; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency); acknowledgement of other groups campaigning on the same issue
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the campaign (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team of judges from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The shortlist will then be put to the entire panel to vote on the winner.



     

  • Consultant of the Year


    The 'Consultant of the Year' must be able to demonstrate outstanding achievements for their clients. The person must work for an agency or be a self-employed consultant. Typically the winner of this category is of director level or above, but entries are welcome from all ranks of seniority.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Achievements for clients (70%)
    • Contribution to their employer (measured in respect of contribution to fee-income/profits and, if applicable, involvement in staff development) (30%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    * One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why they should win

    * Supporting one-page document containing person's career history (e.g. CV dates/job titles from 18 years old)

    * Two brief testimonials from two different clients saying they support the consultant's nomination

    * A high-quality colour looking-at-the-camera headshot photo (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted consultants will then be invited to attend a presentation day as the final part of the judging process. This involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in September 2012.


  • Outstanding Contribution


    The winner of this award is picked by our panel of judges.

    The winner of the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award will be someone meeting the following criteria:

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Respected for their achievements – either for one organisation/working on one campaign, or (more likely) for a variety of achievements for more than one organisation/working on more than one campaign (60%)
    • Has a sustained record of talking up the positives of the public affairs profession (20%)
    • Is someone who younger people can look up to and learn from (20%)
  • In-House Team of the Year


    The 'In-House Team of the Year' will be awarded to a public affairs team (or a comms/policy team) that has enjoyed an outstanding year in influencing policy. The work described in the entry must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • Results achieved for their organisation and value-for-money (70%)
    • Evidence of innovation and creativity in public affairs (20%)
    • Staff development (10%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the team should win
    • One supporting document containing: if appropriate, the approximate timescale of any specific campaign (month it started and finished); number of people in the team; approximate budget of the in-house team; details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency)
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment (300 dpi quality) of one image to illustrate the team for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine (e.g. team photograph or organisation logo)

    Judging process for this award:

    A team from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted entries will then be invited to send representatives to a presentation day as the final part of the judging process. This involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in September 2012.



  • Consultancy of the Year


    The 'Consultancy of the Year' must, first and foremost, demonstrate outstanding achievement for its clients. The achievement must have mostly taken place in the period 1 July 2011-1 July 2012.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    * Results achieved for clients (66%)

    * Evidence of own business success and prudent agency management, for example: profit growth; fee-income growth; organic growth; new-business success; staff numbers; staff satisfaction and retention - is the agency a 'good place to work'? [NB the PAN Awards have a specific category for this, but this is also being taken into account for the 'Consultancy of the Year' category] (34%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the consultancy feels it should win
    • One supporting document containing: retained/project clients won and lost from July 2011-July 2012; growth (presumably) in staff numbers (broken down as full-time consultants; part-time consultants; and support staff) over the period; as much financial data as you feel able to provide, covering the period
    • Two brief testimonials from two different clients saying they support the consultancy's nomination
    • A high-quality colour jpg attachment of the company's logo (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine

    Judging process for this award:

    A team from our 24-strong panel will decide the best three entries. The three shortlisted entries will then be invited to send representatives to a presentation day as the final part of the judging process. This involves spending 15 minutes in front of six judges, and the chairman of judges, in September 2012.


  • Party Conference Innovation 2012


    This is a category designed to recognise the work undertaken by public affairs professionals for the party conference season. The award could go to a team that ran a successful fringe event, manned a colourful stand, ran impossible-to-miss promotional activity or perhaps just organised lower-key political meetings/dinners. It does not necessarily matter whether the activity was at one party conference or at all the main party conferences. You may enter a single event (e.g. a fringe) or a gamut of activity (e.g. fringes, stands, dinners, etc.). NB Because the party conferences are in September/October, the entry timescale for this award is different to the other awards

    Judging criteria for this award:

    * Originality of the activity when compared to 'standard' activity ('I wish I'd thought of that' sparkle)(50%)

    * To what extent was the activity successful when judged against initial objectives (25%)

    * Value-for-money (25%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • One document containing a maximum of 350 words outlining why the work should win

    This should contain details such as: what the activity involved and why it was successful; details on the approximate timescale of planning (e.g. the month that planning started and finished); number of people who worked on the activity; approximate budget (broken down, if possible, e.g. print costs, etc); details on agency support (if used: e.g. name of agency, number of staff of agency on the account, budget spent on agency)

    * One one-sentence testimonial from an attendee saying they support the nomination

    * A high-quality colour jpg attachment of one image to illustrate the work (300 dpi quality) for potential use by Public Affairs News online and in the magazine (e.g. a photo of your stand; pdf of your 'flyer'/literature, etc)

    Nomination dates:

    Nominations open at 9am on Saturday 22 September and close at 5pm on Wednesday 17 October (this is one week after the end of the Conservative Party conference).

    Judging process for this award:

    A shortlist will be decided by the 24-strong judging panel, with all attendees at the awards dinner in November having a single vote to help decide the winner 'live' via interactive voting.


  • Political Tweeter of the Year

    The aim of this fun award is to recognise the growing importance of the micro-messaging service Twitter in leading and influencing the political news agenda. The winner need not work in public affairs (the award is not the 'Public Affairs Tweeter of the Year') and could be an MP, political commentator or lobby journalist. Perhaps the award will go to an individual whose tweets are uniformly serious. Or perhaps the winner will be an individual whose tweets are often amusing or quirky, but nonetheless the person will be a 'must-follow' by public affairs professionals. All Public Affairs News readers are encouraged to suggest potential winners.

    Judging criteria for this award:

    • The individual's tweets must be seen as authentic, newsworthy, interesting and opinion-leading (100%)

    Submissions for this award should constitute:

    • All Public Affairs News readers are encouraged to suggest potential winners. Please email PAN Awards 2011 judges chairman Ian Hall at nominations@publicaffairsnews.com with:
    • The Tweeter's real name and their Twitter name
    • 140 characters (max) outlining why you feel they should win

    Judging process for this award:

    A shortlist will be decided by the 24-strong judging panel, with all attendees at the awards dinner in November having a single vote to help decide the winner 'live' via interactive voting.


The Public Affairs News Awards Timeline.