O rganising and Spo n s o ring Env i ro n m e nt a l and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s

A Fo rum for Env i ro n m e ntal and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s A Guide to Good Pra c t i ce O rganising and Spo n s o ring Env i ro n m e nt a l and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s

You ve got your award scheme Now what? Make the most of what you ve got. Tell everyone about it. Use your award scheme as a marketing opportunity. Good PR is important. It pays to use a PR consultancy with a track record of success in the environment and CSR sectors. Use us. We re big in the environment C O N T E N T S I nt rod u c t i o n 2 1 Why sponsor or organise an awa rd? 3 1. 1 O rg a n i s e r s o b j e ct i ve s 3 1. 2 Spo n s o r s o b j e ct i ve s 3 1. 3 E nt ra nt s o b j e ct i ve s 4 2 Wh at are the at t ri b u tes of a successful scheme? 4 2. 1 I n d e pe n d e n ce 5 2. 2 Mutual benefits from a partnership appro a c h 5 2. 3 Ma i ntaining spo n s o r s h i p 5 3 How is a successful scheme org a n i s e d? 6 The Awa rds Proce d u re Cyc l e 7 4 Wh at detailed arra n g e m e nts do organisers need to make? 8 4. 1 Means of ent r y 9 4. 1. 1 No m i n at i o n 9 4. 1. 2 I nv i t at i o n 9 4. 1. 3 Adve r t i s e m e nt 9 4. 1. 4 Pu b l i c i t y public re l at i o n s 10 4. 2 E n co u raging more ent ri e s 10 4. 2. 1 No co m p l i cated fo rm s 10 4. 2. 2 Bu d dy i n g 11 4. 2. 3 S u b s i dy 11 4. 2. 4 I n ce nt i ve s 12 4.3 Judging cri te ri a 12 4. 3. 1 Specific cri te ria for awa rd s 13 4. 3. 2 Judging arra n g e m e nt s 15 4. 3. 3 Pu b l i c i t y 16 5 Ac c re d i t ation of Awa rd Schemes 16 6 Gu i d a n ce on Ente ring for Awa rd s 17 No te s 1 7 IMS Marketing Communications Group plc 62 Queen Square Bristol BS1 4JZ www.imsplc.com 0117 929 3041 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 1

A G U I D E T O G O O D P R A C T I C E 1 W H Y S P O N S O R O R O R G A N I S E A N AWA R D? O rganising and Spo n s o r ing Env i ro n m e nt and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s by the Fo rum for Env i ro n m e ntal and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s I N T R O D U C T I O N Awa rd schemes can be ve ry effe ct i ve in stimulating be t ter pra ct i ce and innovat i o n, in enco u raging people and org a n i s ations to pe rfo rm be t ter and in bringing those i nvo l ved in the provision of high quality prod u cts and serv i ces to the at te ntion of a wide public. Schemes are plentiful but their effe ct i veness va ries co n s i d e ra b l y. Some are ve ry well re cognised by a large public and at t ra ct high quality ent ra nt s. Others are barely notice d. Cl e a rly those who invest re s o u rces in suppo rting and o rganising awa rds hope their inve s t m e nt is wo rt h w h i l e. This guide has be e n p re p a red as an aid to the provision of exce l l e nt schemes and to getting the be s t f rom the inve s t m e nt of time and money in them. In pre p a ring the guide, a clear distinction has been drawn be tween awa rd s c h e m e s, a c c re d i t ation schemes, and gra nt schemes. Awa rd schemes are those which re wa rd the outstanding pe rfo rm a n ce of the innovat i ve few against spe c i f i e d c ri te ri a. Ac c re d i t ation schemes re cognise the achieve m e nt of a pre d e te rm i n e d s t a n d a rd, and may re cognise the pe rfo rm a n ce of many people and org a n i s at i o n s. Gra nt schemes are defined as awa rds with money at t a c h e d, for the deve l o p m e nt of a pro j e ct or serv i ce. These three ty pes of schemes are co m p l e m e nt a ry but distinct in their chara cte ristics and all have an impo rt a nt role in stimulating and achiev i n g change for the be t te r. This guide sets out the elements of good pra ct i ce for the sponsorship and o rg a n i s ation of env i ro n m e ntal and sustainable deve l o p m e nt awa rd s. The key po i nts have been distilled from co n s i d e ration of the arra n g e m e nt s, a n d ex pe ri e n ces gained, f rom a large number of awa rd schemes. It has been deve l o pe d and edited by many pe o p l e, who have been spo n s o r s, o rganisers and ent ra nt s, w i t h first hand kn owledge of schemes. It has also had input from those wishing to s t i m u l ate and achieve higher standards of env i ro n m e ntal pe rfo rm a n ce and sustainable deve l o p m e nt. This guide co n ce nt rates on the fe at u res and good pra ct i ce of awa rd schemes. Th e re are many reasons for spo n s o ring or organising awa rds linked to higher e nv i ro n m e ntal standards and sustainable deve l o p m e nt. It is not unusual for the i nte rests of the sponsors to be ve r y diffe re nt from those of the organisers and the e nt ra nt s. The best schemes will usually be found where these disparate m o t i vations are co - i n c i d e nt. The main reasons why people and org a n i s ations are inte re s ted in awa rds are as fo l l ows. These reasons may have diffe re nt pri o rities for diffe re nt people and o rg a n i s ations and it is not there fo re possible to give them in a single pri o ri ty ord e r: 1. 1 O r g a n i s e r s o b j e c t i v e s To stimulate the adoption of good env i ro n m e ntal pra ct i ce and sustainable d eve l o p m e nt by individuals and pri vate and public org a n i s at i o n s To help pro m o te examples of outstanding and innovat i ve pra ct i ce to a wide audience To re wa rd pri vate and public org a n i s ations engaged in outstanding and i n n ovat i ve env i ro n m e ntal pra ct i ce To raise the public profile of the need for improving e nv i ro n m e ntal pra ct i ce To engage co m m e rce and industry in sustainable deve l o p m e nt as a means of delive ring be t ter business To engage public sector bodies in sustainable deve l o p m e nt as a means of improving quality of life and the local env i ro n m e nt To enco u rage sustainable deve l o p m e nt as a means of delive ring be t ter serv i ce To cre ate and run a high quality, p restigious and viable awa rds scheme To fulfil the org a n i s e r s own object i ves (the organiser will need to d e te rmine these clearly at the outset) in developing and managing the awa rd scheme 1. 2 S p o n s o r s o b j e c t i v e s To po rt ray the sponsor's desire to suppo rt sustainable deve l o p m e nt To co nt ri b u te to the sustainable deve l o p m e nt of soc i e ty generally To gain visibility for the sponsors name or prod u ct / s e rv i ce bra n d s To deliver co m pe t i t i ve adva nt a g e To develop a po s i t i ve image for the spo n s o r, possibly where there have been negat i ve assoc i ations in the past To enco u rage staff, c u s tomers and/or suppliers to feel we l l - d i s posed to the co m p a ny 2 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 3

2 To fo s ter be t ter re l ationships with impo rt a nt co m m u n i t i e s, e. g. pe o p l e living near co m p a ny site s Ne two rki n g 1. 3 E nt r a n t s o b j e c t i v e s To gain public re cog n i t i o n To gain visibility for the org a n i s ation and its prod u cts or serv i ce s To gain co m pe t i t i ve adva nt a g e To increase market share To improve employee pe rfo rm a n ce and mora l e To enhance re l ationships with stake h o l d e r s To achieve financial re wa rd s All these object i ves apply to pri vate org a n i s ations but only some will apply to public bodies and Non Gove rn m e ntal Org a n i s ations (NGO s ). For public secto r e nt ra nts and NGO s the fo l l owing additional object i ves may be re l eva nt. To increase inwa rd inve s t m e nt To increase civic pri d e To increase visitor inte rest and to u rism W H A T A R E T H E AT T R I B U T E S O F A S U C C E S S F U L S C H E M E? It fo l l ows that, awa rds schemes that inco rpo rate a large number of all part i e s o b j e ct i ve s, a re more likely to fulfil their mutual needs and should there fo re prove m o re succe s s f u l. It is vitally impo rt a nt for organisers and sponsors to enter into a well defined agre e m e nt at the outset of the process so as to avo i d misunderstanding late r. The agre e m e nt should set out the purpose of the awa rd s, the benefits which both organisers and sponsors wish to achieve, the timesca l e over which the awa rds will ru n, the proce d u res the organisers intend to use, t h e financial arra n g e m e nts and general details about who is re s ponsible for the seve ra l f a cets of the awa rd s, p a rt i c u l a rly publicity and post awa rd pro m o t i o n As the awa rds organisers are usually, but not always, the ori g i n ators of an awa rd s s c h e m e, e nt ry cri te ria that acco m m od ate the inte rests of the sponsor and the po te ntial ent ra nts while re i n fo rcing those of the organisers should generally be v i e wed favo u ra b l y. 2. 1 I n d e p e n d e n c e Arguably the most cri t i cal cri te rion in organising a spo n s o red awa rds scheme is to be able to demonstrate that the assessment of awa rds is ent i rely indepe n d e nt of the spo n s o r. In developing the awa rds cri te ri a, the nat u re of the judging must be o pen to scru t i ny and co m p l e tely impart i a l. 2. 2 Mu t u al b en ef it s f ro m a p ar t n er s hi p app ro a c h Sponsorship by seve ral org a n i s ations with diffe re nt specialist skills can prod u ce exce l l e nt mutual be n e f i t s. A good example of a partnership approach can be seen in schemes in which the sponsorship includes funding for dissemination of the outstanding and innovat i ve pra ct i ce by the winning ent ri e s. He re, the sponsor may gain additional visibility, for example through branding on the publicat i o n, b ro a d cast or web mate ri a l.. Media part n e r s, p a rt i c u l a rly the business to business p re s s, who are pre p a red to be sponsors can be part i c u l a rly helpful. This they may do through the provision of in-kind re s o u rce s, such as free adve rtising and p romotional articles in their publicat i o n s. Including such provisions into a sponsorship package shows an understanding of co m m e rcial sustainability and allows the dissemination of best pra ct i ce to fo rm p a rt of the ent ry cri te ri a. 2. 3 M a i n t a i ni n g s p o n s o r s hi p From an org a n i s e r s pe r s pe ct i ve, a real problem is that while their inte rests are p robably in the deve l o p m e nt and enhance m e nt of the awa rds over time, t h e s po n s o r s may only be short te rm. It is common for a sponsor to negotiate a thre e - year co nt ra ct with an option to renew at the end of each ye a r. All too ofte n, at the end of the first or second ye a r, co rpo rate or brand object i ves change and the s ponsorship is ca n ce l l e d. This is doubly harmful be cause neither party gets full value from their inve s t m e nt in the scheme and the organiser is left searching late in the day for a re p l a ce m e nt spo n s o r. One way of mitigating this problem is to cre ate an awa rds scheme, which evo l ve s and builds PR and co m m u n i cations oppo rtunities in such a way that sponsors are s t i m u l ated and enco u raged to remain for at least three ye a r s. 4 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 5

3 H O W I S A S U C C E S S F U L S C H E M E O R G A N I S E D? T h e Aw a r d s Pro ce d u r e Cy c l e A successful scheme should demonstrate the fo l l owing chara cte ri s t i c s : A. Co m m i t m e n t The organiser and assoc i ated sponsors should demonstrate act i ve co m m i t m e nt to the awa rds scheme. It is desirable but not essential that the org a n i s ations invo l ved are also co m m i t ted at the highest level of m a n a g e m e nt to improving env i ro n m e ntal pe r fo rm a n ce and sustainable deve l o p m e nt B. Pl a n n i n g The whole awa rds eve nt should be planned to a high level of quality detailed plan in place ; rev i e wed re g u l a rl y; and effe c t i ve processes in place to ensure successful delive ry. C. Ac t i o n S u f f i c i e nt re s o u rces and management should be available to ca rry out the plan to the sat i s f a ction of the spo n s o r s, p a rt i c i p a nt s, guests and other i nte re s ted part i e s. O rganisers and Sponsors agre e m e nt on: Their re s pe ct i ve aims The awa rd aims Financial arra n g e m e nt s Wo rking proce d u res and re s po n s i b i l i t i e s Draw up wo rk schedule, including ent ry cri t e ria and judging proce d u re s, and time plan for the awa rds proce s s Ma ke detailed p re p a rations for judging D. Eva l u a t i o n Th e re should be ri g o rous arra n g e m e nts in place to fully eva l u ate the awa rd s eve nt (from ent ry to the final pre s e nt ation ce re m o ny and the subsequent p u b l i c i ty) from the view of all part i e s ; these include ensuring that results are p ro pe rly and co m p re h e n s i vely disseminate d ; and that fo rmal fe e d b a c k p rocesses are in place. T h e Aw a r d s Pro ce d u r e The sequence of key actions nece s s a ry to mount and manage an effe ct i ve awa rd is s h own in Fi g u re 1. The re l at i ve timing of the actions is indicated by their po s i t i o n in the cyc l e. Fuller details, of each of the act i o n s, a re given in the text of this Gu i d e. Ap po i nt judging panel Pre p a re judging p roce d u re, hold p re l i m i n a r y meeting with judges Pre l i m i n a r y pro fessional a s s e s s m e nt of ent ri e s Call for ent ri e s Pro m o te Awa rd Scheme It cannot be emphasised too strongly that agre e m e nt be tween the sponsors and the organisers needs to be fo rmalised at the outset to avoid misunderstandings at l ater stages of the cycle and to ensure that the benefits of the awa rd are gained by all co n ce rn e d, including the awa rd winners. An effe ct i ve awa rd, in which the e nt ra nts and winners afte rwa rds consider that the effo rt of ente ring wa s wo rt h w h i l e, will lead to enthusiasm for further rounds of the awa rd and for a s t rong list of future ent ra nt s. Judging panel d e l i be rat i o n s Se l e ction of winners Awa rds Ce re m o ny The post awa rd promotion ve ry often re ce i ves too little at te nt i o n, which defe at s the whole purpose of the awa rd. Though this is the final act i v i ty in the awa rd cyc l e it is also the most impo rt a nt. Promotion of scheme for next ro u n d Promotion of winners a c h i eve m e nt s 6 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 7

4 W H A T D E TA I L E D A R R A N G E M E N T S D O O R G A N I S E R S N E E D T O M A K E? It is impo rt a nt to re cognise that arra n g e m e nts for schemes need to acco m m od ate a wide range and ty pes of env i ro n m e ntal and sustainability awa rd s, c u rre nt and p a rticular pra ct i ces & method o l ogies as well as s po n s o r, o rg a n i s e r a n d a p p l i ca nt pe r s pe ct i ve s. At the outset it is impe rat i ve to dete rmine at whom, i n te rms of po te ntial ent ra nt s, the awa rd is targ e te d. This co n s i d e ration will then be used to dete rmine many subsequent aspe cts of the awa rd s. Gi ven this co m p l ex i ty it is re commended that in planning the arra n g e m e nts for an awa rd scheme the fo l l owing checklist should be used to ensure that all nece s s a ry a s pe cts have been co n s i d e red and included. 1. Ent ry cri te ria - general level (these are co n s o n a nt with the judging c ri te ria in section 4.3 late r ) q u a l i ty of submission/applicat i o n d e g ree of ori g i n a l i ty / i n n ovat i o n ev i d e n ce of substant i ve / m e a s u rable impact and/or be n e f i t s [ e nv i ro n m e nt a l, e conomic & soc i a l ] d e m o n s t rable prog ramme for promotion & dissemination of wo rk i nvo l ve m e nt of re l eva nt stakeholders (i.e. pe o p l e ) co m po n e nt of co ntinual improve m e nt & sustainable appro a c h in some schemes note will also be taken of ent ra nt s co m p l i a n ce with re l eva nt accre d i t ation and re g u l ations and with any histo ry of legal i n f ri n g e m e nts and insura n ce claims against the ent ra nt. 2. Ent ry cri te ria - specific leve l these will be specific to the particular awa rd & dete rmined by the o rganisers and spo n s o r s. It is desirable to set out the ent ry cri te ri a ( re l ating clearly to the target ent ra nts and the way in which the judging will be ca rried out) in specific object i ve te rms so as to avo i d i n a p p ro p ri ate and general ent ries lacking sufficient detail and suppo rt i n g i n fo rm at i o n. In addition the ent ries may be re s t ri cted to a part i c u l a r g e og raphic area or to a specific size or ty pe of org a n i s at i o n 3. As s e s s m e nt cri te ria - general leve l e l i g i b i l i ty meeting the awa rd cri te ri a a d h e re n ce to ent ry re q u i re m e nts submission dates etc. a c kn owledging re ceipt of application & adv i ce of next stages 4. As s e s s m e nt cri te ria - specific leve l p re - s c reening & sco ring with the use of an appro p ri ate eva l u ation fo rm s o rting of applications (if nece s s a ry) and org a n i s ation of judging panel [these may include providing judges with eva l u ation and sco ring sys te m s together with sco re sheets. It may also invo l ve the use of spe c i a l i s t co n s u l t a n ts to ca rry out an initial and ex pe r t appraisal of the ent ries as a guide to the judges] s h o rt-listing of finalists and possibly a visit by the judging panel final arra n g e m e nts in line with organiser and sponsor re q u i re m e nt s Some of the most difficult aspe cts of scheme management have included the means of ent ry, judging arra n g e m e nt s, judging cri te ria and publicity. These are co n s i d e red in more detail be l ow. 4. 1 M ean s o f E nt r y Th e re are seve ral established means of ent ry to awa rds schemes and the choice of which to use will depend on the target ent ra nts and the re s o u rces available to the scheme org a n i s e r s. 4. 1. 1 No m i n a t i o n In this situat i o n, an org a n i s ation is nominated to enter a scheme, usually by the awa rds org a n i s e r s, who are familiar with its pra ct i ce s. From an o rg a n i s e r s pe r s pe ct i ve, this is a good method as they can co nt rol the n u m bers ente ring and re q u i ring judging and in many ca s e s, t h ey will have some kn owledge of the org a n i s ations alre a dy. The org a n i s ation being nominated will re cognise the c l o s e d n at u re of such an awa rds scheme and may find this re a s s u ring they have, in effe c t, a l re a dy passed the ent ry cri te ria for the scheme. 4. 1. 2 I nv i t a t i o n In this ca s e, the awa rds organisers wri te to a list of org a n i s ations that they feel are appro p ri ate inviting them to enter their scheme. From an org a n i s e r s po i nt of view, the re s ponse rate is unpre d i ctable but as they have selecte d the list of inv i te e s, t h ey should feel reasonably co n f i d e nt that re s po n d e nt s should generally comply with the awa rds cri te ri a. The benefit to inv i tees is that they are awa re that they have been pre - s e l e cted for suitability for ent ry. 4. 1. 3 Ad ve r t i s e m e n t A significa nt benefit to organisers is that the act of adve rtising generate s p u b l i c i ty fo r, and awa reness of, the scheme. The main be n e f i t, of co u r s e, i s t h at adve rt i s e m e nt s, unless in the fo rm of dire ct marke t i n g, ca p t u re a wider a u d i e n ce than either nomination or inv i t ation and so can lead to a larg e r 8 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 9

pool of applica nt s. Adve rtising provides 'brand awa reness' and can also p rovide a valuable means of gauging initial inte rest in the scheme. Adve rtising can take a number of fo rm s. Thus whilst much emphasis is p l a ced on the pri nted media increasing thought should be given to using other fo rms of co m m u n i cation including ra d i o, te l evision and the inte rn e t. Ca refully chosen co nt ributions to radio and te l evision prog rammes may be subtle fo rms of adve r tising and re fe re n c es to awa rds on web pages may be equally effe ct i ve. Much ca re should be taken to try and focus the messages to target audiences - the po te ntial ent ra nts - as well as to the wider public for the benefit of the spo n s o r s. Adve rtising is also highly desirable as a m e a n s, a fter the awa rds have been announce d, of extolling the a c h i eve m e nt s, the prod u cts and the serv i ces of the awa rd winners to a much wider audience so that they may be emulated by others. It must be emphasised that well targ e ted adve rtising along with planned and info rm at i ve public re l ations are nece s s a ry for a successful awa rd scheme. 4. 1. 4 Pu b l i c i ty public re l at i o n s This tends to be used by organisers of existing schemes. Less costly than a dve rt i s i n g, o rganisers use PR to place articles or news items in key wri t te n and bro a d cast media to seek ent r ies for their next awa rds scheme. PR is usually a slower burn than adve rtising but it does allow the promotion of the seve ral stages of the scheme and the co m m u n i cation of more co m p l ex messages than adve rt i s i n g. PR along with adve rtising are essential elements of successful awa rd schemes and enable the sponsors to obtain their deserved ex po s u re. 4. 2 E n c o u r ag in g m o re e nt r i e s The status and effe c t of a scheme is partly a function of the number and quality of e nt ries from which outstanding winners can be selecte d. Seve ral schemes have had d i f f i c u l ty at t ra cting sufficient ent ries of quality part i c u l a rly from small and medium s i zed pri vate and public org a n i s ations (SME s) even to the exte nt that the scheme has not been wo r th maint a i n i n g. A poor ent r y re co rd is also a seve re handicap in at t ra cting spo n s o r s. Possible solutions to this problem are focused on two are a s : f i r s t l y, m a king the e nt ry process simpler, and seco n d l y, finding be t ter ince nt i ves and re cognition fo r o rg a n i s ations that part i c i p ate, not just those that win. 4. 2. 1 No co m p l i cated fo rm s A major disince nt i ve to ente ring awa rds schemes for env i ro n m e nt a l s u s t a i n a b i l i ty or sustainable deve l o p m e nt is the need for long and co m p l ex s u b m i s s i o n s. This is a particular hurdle for small and medium sized pri vate and public sector org a n i s at i o n s. Th e re are seve ral schemes, which re q u i re an applica nt merely to ex p ress inte rest in the awa rds scheme via a simple p ro - fo rm a. This is then re ce i ved by a panel which sorts out the applications and sends judges to the org a n i s ation to ca rry out a pre l i m i n a ry assessment of co m p l i a n ce with the awa rds cri te ri a. With no co m p l i cated fo rms to fill, t h e o rg a n i s ation is free to ca rry on its own activities with minimal disru p t i o n. This kind of sys tem is alre a dy ope rating successfully in Wa l e s. However it m ay be a fairly ex pe n s i ve fo rm of awa rds org a n i s at i o n. An inte rm e d i ate proce d u re may be to have a simple application fo rm and a l l ow ent ra nts to suppo rt their application with additional doc u m e nts if they w i s h. It is not too pre s c ri p t i ve and allows ent ra nts to submit ext ra i n fo rm ation in whatever fo rm they wish. The judges can make their first s e l e ction on the basis of the application fo rm without nece s s a rily delving i nto the detailed suppo rt. 4. 2. 2 B u d d y i n g If re s o u rces are available this process re q u i res the organisers to have a n u m ber of companies and org a n i s ations that are willing to second people to help applica nts in their ent ry proce s s e s. This would of gre atest benefit in the case of SME s. Co rpo rate seco n d m e nts ( b u d dy i n g ) have wo rked ve ry succe s s f u l l y, w h e re major plc s would offer suppo rt from one of their managers to provide ski l l s t ra n s fe re n ce to the arts org a n i s ation needing help. For awa rds schemes, t h e same principle would apply but the skills would be aimed at helping the a p p l i ca nt through the va rious stages of ent ry and judging. A similar a rra n g e m e nt might be pra ct i cal in the public secto r. L a rge co n s u l t a n c i e s, p a rt i c u l a rly management co n s u l t a n c i e s, l i ke such b u d dying schemes be cause it gives them access to the inner wo rkings of a po te ntial new client. The applica nt likes the arra n g e m e nt be cause it re d u ce s the demand on its inte rnal re s o u rces and provides a new fo rm of ex pe rt i s e to the org a n i s at i o n. 4. 2. 3 Su b s i d y The costs of ente ring an awa rd scheme are ra rely negligible and may prove a d i s i n ce nt i ve to po te ntial ent ra nt s, e s pecially smaller org a n i s at i o n s. An o t h e r means of enco u raging ent ries might be to subsidise the costs of applicat i o n. This would need to be on a sliding scale linked to turn over or numbers of staff as the main be n e f i c i a ries ought to be SME s large plc s and large non- 10 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 1 1

co m m e rcial org a n i s ations should have the re s o u rces to handle the a p p l i cation proce s s. Funding for such a scheme would be the cri t i cal issue the probable co s t s would need to be inco rpo rated into any sponsorship agre e m e nt s. To help manage co s t s, this process would be best linked to an inv i ted or nominate d e nt ry scheme. An ent i rely open application scheme would run the risk of re q u i ring major funding, l e aving suppo rt for the awa rds themselves at ri s k. 4. 2. 4 I n c e nt i v e s Of fe ring cash or in-kind pri zes can enco u rage ent ri e s. I d e a l l y, these pri ze s should be linked to sustainable deve l o p m e nt. A good example of this in action is the Mars scheme in Be rk s h i re, which has been running for many ye a r s. He re they offer a range of cash pri zes or fre e co n s u l t a n cy or training suppo rt to winners, all of which must be inve s ted in a ctivities linked to env i ro n m e ntal sustainability. It is reasonable to assume that an applica nt for a sustainable deve l o p m e nt awa rd has sufficient inte rest in sustainability that a pri ze to be inve s ted in a linked pro j e ct would still be sufficient ince nt i ve to enco u rage ent ry. Howeve r, it may be nece s s a ry in some instances to allow cash pri zes to be unco n d i t i o n a l. When judging the quality of awa rds schemes, l i n king pri zes to sustainability could be one of the po s i t i ve cri te ria for assessment. In those cases where there is a media part n e r, e s pecially the trade pre s s, i nvo l ved in the scheme an ince nt i ve to ent ry is the po te ntial edito ri a l cove rage of selected ent ries which illustrate best pra ct i ce, p rior to the final s e l e ction of winners. 4. 3 J ud g i ng cr i t e r i a At a general level the judging cri te ria should, w h e re appro p ri ate to the te rms of the awa rd, cover the fo l l owing aspe ct s : q u a l i ty of submission/applicat i o n d e g ree of ori g i n a l i ty / i n n ovat i o n the curre n cy of the subject of the ent r y ev i d e n ce of substant i ve / m e a s u rable impact and/or be n e f i t s [ e nv i ro n m e nt a l, financial & soc i a l ] d e m o n s t rable prog ramme for promotion & dissemination of wo rk i nvo l ve m e nt of re l eva nt stakeholders (i.e. pe o p l e ) co m po n e nt of co ntinual improve m e nt & sustainable appro a c h re p l i ca b i l i ty At a specific level the judging cri te ria should cover the cri te ria specific to the p a rticular awa rd & dete rmined by the organisers and spo n s o r s. Fu rt h e r co n s i d e ration of sustainable deve l o p m e nt as a cri te rion for judging an awa rd is g i ven be l ow. 4. 3. 1 Specific Cri te ria for Awa rd s It is suggested that the awa rds cri te ria should re f l e ct the sustainable d eve l o p m e nt object i ves defined by Bru nt l a n d. Sustainable deve l o p m e nt as a dvocated in the 1987 Brundtland Commission Re po rt on Our Co m m o n Fu t u re can be co n s i d e red to encompass three main themes. These are : E nv i ro n m e ntal pro te ction is maintained such that economic deve l o p m e nt and the other needs of soc i e t y, such as for re c re at i o n, a re achieved in ways, which do not cause any lasting damage to the env i ro n m e nt Economic deve l o p m e nt is achieved such that the needs of the pre s e nt a re met without co m p romising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs Social equity, n ationally and inte rn at i o n a l l y, is pra ctised such that the basic needs of all in soc i e ty are met and all in soc i e ty have a democ rat i c o p po rt u n i ty to part i c i p ate in maki n g, and benefiting fro m, d e c i s i o n s. The inte rp re t ation of sustainable deve l o p m e nt by the UK Gove rn m e nt is also helpful in pre p a ring cri te ri a. Ac co rding to the UK Gove rn m e nt ( A Be t te r Qu a l i ty of Life Wh i te Pa pe r, May 1999), sustainable deve l o p m e nt is defined as deve l o p m e nt which ensures a be t ter quality of life for eve ryo n e, n ow and for generations to co m e. It re q u i res four object i ves to be met s i m u l t a n e o u s l y, in the UK and wo rld wide. Th ey are : Social prog ress which re cognises the needs of eve ryo n e Ef fe ct i ve pro te ction of the env i ro n m e nt Pru d e nt use of nat u ral re s o u rce s Ma i nte n a n ce of high and stable levels of economic growth and employ m e nt The final list of judging cri te ria should re f l e ct other more specific cri te ri a such as innovat i o n, e m p l oyee benefit and re p l i ca b i l i ty. The we i g hting place d on each of the elements in the judging may not nece s s a rily be equal. Schemes should re q u i re applica nts to demonstrate that the outstanding g ood s, s e rv i ces or management pra ct i ces for which they seek an awa rd have the fo l l owing effe ct s : 12 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 1 3

A. Social prog ress (equity ) po s i t i ve (or at least neutral) impacts on employees (gre ate r o p po rtunities) and wo rking conditions (health and safe ty ) p romotion of best env i ro n m e ntal pra ct i ce within the org a n i s at i o n p romotion of best env i ro n m e nt a l, health and safe ty pra ct i ce s t h roughout the supply chain (up and down stre a m ) po s i t i ve co nt ributions to the local co m m u n i ty and local infra s t ru ct u re B. Pro te c tion of the env i r o n m e nt re d u ction of env i ro n m e ntal impact over the full life cycle of prod u ct s or serv i ces by: reducing emissions to air, land and water of all nox i o u s, toxic and ra d i o a ct i ve substance s, pe r s i s te nt synthetic mate ri a l s, g re e n h o u s e and ozo n e - d e s t ru ct i ve gases reducing and re cycling end-of-life prod u cts and wa s te minimising disturbance to employees and the local co m m u n i ty C. Use of nat u ral re s o u rce s i n c reased efficiency of re s o u rce use by: reducing use of non-re n e wable mate rials (fossil fuels, m i n e ra l s, a g g re g ate s, e tc ) i n c reasing use of re n e wable and re cyclable mate rials and energy w h e re po s s i b l e, g e n e rating energy minimise ext ra ction of nat u ral re s o u rces (including wate r ) D. Economic be n e f i t s d e m o n s t ration that the goods or serv i ces are eco n o m i cally viable ( for public sector org a n i s ations and NGO s re p re s e nt good value for money ) c re ation of, not re d u ction in, e m p l oy m e nt co nt ribution to the deve l o p m e nt of the loca l, regional or n ational eco n o my u t i l i s ation of economic influence to enco u rage or suppo rt o rg a n i s ations in the supply chain also engaged in sustainable d eve l o p m e nt, whether in the UK or overseas In addition to these four are a s, the fo l l owing additional cri te ria should ideally be pre s e nt in awa rds schemes. The emphasis placed on the fo l l ow i n g c ri te ria may va ry be tween schemes. O rg a n i s ations seeking an awa rd are l i kely to be more successful if they: include sustainable deve l o p m e nt in their mission state m e nt and it s i m p l e m e nt ation should be inte g rated into all wo rking pra ct i ce s h ave an identified senior officer (for large companies a Bo a rd leve l d i re ctor (or in non-co m m e rcial org a n i s ations a senior exe c u t i ve ) re s ponsible for sustainable deve l o p m e nt to ensure co m m i t m e nt t h roughout the org a n i s at i o n a ct i vely pro m o te sustainable deve l o p m e nt to employe e s, suppliers and other stake h o l d e r s d e m o n s t rate through target setting and regular monito ring a p rocess of co ntinuous improve m e nt in env i ro n m e ntal pra ct i ces linked to sustainability s h ow the po te ntial for re p l i cation of the pra ct i ce or prod u ct for which an awa rd is being sought s h ow a co m m i t m e nt to share best pra ct i ce and innovation in the field of sustainable deve l o p m e nt with other org a n i s ations including the loca l co m m u n i ty, the vo l u nt a ry sector and educational gro u p s h ave obtained accre d i t ation for re l eva nt national or i nte rn ational standard s a re tra n s p a re nt about any enfo rce m e nt action against them and show h ow it has po s i t i vely affe cted their subsequent actions and pe rfo rm a n ce 4. 3. 2 Judging arra n g e m e nt s In judging ent ries it is desirable to include the fo l l owing general and spe c i f i c a s pe cts in reaching a decision on the awa rd winners: e l i g i b i l i ty meeting the awa rd cri te ri a a d h e re n ce to ent ry re q u i re m e nts submission dates etc.. a c kn owledging re ceipt of application & keeping ent ra nts info rmed of p rog ress and the eve ntual outco m e p re - s c reening & sco ring with the use of an appro p ri ate eva l u ation fo rm s o rting of applications s h o rt-listing of finalists and possible visits by the judging panel final arra n g e m e nts in line with organiser and sponsor re q u i re m e nt s It is desira b l e, indeed if a scheme is to be credible as an example to others it is essent i a l, t h at the fo l l owing arra n g e m e nts are made for judging ent ri e s : those re s ponsible for judging applications should bring a particular are a of ex pe rtise to the task and pre fe rably should include a pre po n d e ra n ce of persons who are indepe n d e nt of the sponsors or other dire ctly inte re s te d p a rt i e s. The judging panel should be an uneven number of persons to enable decisive voting if nece s s a ry the judging cri te ria are published at the time ent ries are sought, with the po s s i b i l i ty that, if no ent r y meets the cri te ri a, then no awa rd will be made an indepe n d e nt, re l eva nt, ex pe rt and qualified panel of judges is appo i nte d t h at an organised sys tem of assessing ent ries is established by the o rganisers in co n j u n ction with the judges 1 4 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 1 5

4. 3. 3 Pu b l i c i t y Pu b l i c i ty for the scheme is needed to enco u rage ent ry, to bro a d cast the results of the judging and pe rhaps most impo r t a nt of all to make kn own the a c h i eve m e nts of the winners to a much wider audience over a pro l o n g e d pe ri od. In many schemes now running the last aspe ct of publicity is larg e l y n e g l e cted for lack of funding and be cause sponsors often loose inte re s t o n ce the publicity of the awa rds ce re m o ny has been gained. Much gre ater thought needs to be given to the linking of awa rd schemes to Best Pra ct i ce promotion schemes so that the innovations of awa rd winners can be adopted by many other individuals and org a n i s at i o n s. Also the a c h i eve m e nts of winners can stimulate others to apply the same idea to m a rkedly diffe re nt fields of endeavour and co m m e rce. Those seeking scheme sponsorship need to build the costs of these aspe ct s of publicity into their budgets. It is not pra ct i cal or sufficient to assume that the media will provide free publicity just be cause an awa rd scheme ex i s t s and that a well- organised and glitzy ce re m o ny is held to announce the w i n n e r s. The media ve ry often pay more at te ntion to what the well re s pe cte d or ce l e b ri ty pre s e nter of the awa rds has to say at the ce re m o ny than who the winners we re or what they achieve d. This clearly negates much of the be n e f i t of organising an awa rd scheme. One oppo rt u n i ty for gaining wide publicity for the achieve m e nts of awa rd winners is to have articles and pict u res of them published on the RSA s s u s t a i n a b i l i ty web site SAG E. This can be found at www. s a g e - r s a. o rg.uk 6 G U I D A N C E O N E N T E R I N G F O R A WA R D S The Fo rum has published guidance on how to enter for awa rds so as to give the maximum oppo rt u n i ty of winning. This guidance can be found in A Guide to Good Pra ct i ce ; How to Enter Awa rd s, which is available from the Fo rum or on the Fo ru m s web site for those who re g i s ter on www. E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t. N O T E S 5 A C C R E D I T AT I O N O F AWA R D S C H E M E S The Fo rum for Env i ro n m e ntal and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rds has now i nt rod u ced an accre d i t ation standard for awa rd schemes. Scheme organisers who s h ow that their org a n i s ation and management matches the good pra ct i ce set out in this Guide will be accre d i ted by the Fo ru m. This entitles the scheme organiser to d i s p l ay a logo on all the assoc i ated lite rat u re and publicity mate rial and also e ntitles the scheme winners to be co n s i d e red for ent ry to the Eu ro pe a n E nv i ro n m e nt Awa rd s. Full details of how to apply for accre d i t ation are given on the Fo rum web site www. E nv i ro n m e nt Awa rd s. n e t. This site also gives full co nt a ct details and how to apply for a large number of re g i s te red national and i nte rn ational awa rd schemes. 2001 www. E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t w ri t ten for the Fo rum for Env i ro n m e ntal & Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s by Dr John Bow m a n For further copies or info rm ation on the wo rk of the Fo rum co nt a ct : Simon Fo rdham OBE, Ce nt re Di re ctor and Head of Env i ro n m e nt The RSA at Bri s to l, Room 25, St Matthias Ca m p u s, U W E, Ol d b u r y Co u r t Ro a d Fi s h po n d s, Bri s tol BS16 2JP Te l : +44 (0)117 344 4446 Fa x : +44 (0)117 9028006 E m a i l : s i m o n. fo rd h a m @ r s a - u k. o rg. u k 16 E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t 1 7

016 RSA Org with Flow for PDF 9/2/04 1:51 pm Page 20 I n i t i at i ve from the RSA Env i ro n m e nt Fo rum Ltd suppo rted by The fo rum aims to enco u rage all means of using we l l designed and effe ct i vely managed awa rd s, a n d a s s oc i ated publicity, to further the adoption of sustainable deve l o p m e nt throughout all aspe cts of the e co n o my, e nv i ro n m e nt and soc i e ty whether at home, i n the co m m u n i ty or in the wo rkp l a ce A Fo rum for Env i ro n m e ntal and Sustainable Deve l o p m e nt Awa rd s Room 25, St Mathias Ca m p u s, U W E, Ol d b u ry Co u rt Ro a d, Fi s h po n d s, Bri s to l, BS16 2JP Phone +44 (0)117 344 4445 Fax +44 (0)117 902 8006 ht t p : / / w w w. E nv i ro n m e ntawa rd s. n e t