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01 About the Awards
Background
The Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning began in 1997 and have grown in success each year. They are a small part of the Scottish Executive and the RTPI's objective to raise the standard of quality in planning, but they are an important part. This is why the Minister for Communities is delighted to launch the eleventh year of the Awards.
Aims
The aims of the Awards are to stimulate the creativity of those engaged in planning, in the process and in the quality of development produced, and to raise the profile of good planning practice.
Further details of the Awards can be found on the Scottish Executive's Planning home page: www.scotland.gov.uk/planning.
02 Awards categories, eligibility and judging criteria
Awards categories
The Judges will make recommendations on Awards and Commendations, to the Scottish Ministers, under the following four categories:
- Development Plans
- Development Management
- Development on the Ground
- Community Involvement
In addition, the Judges may recommend an Overall Winner Award.
What projects are eligible?
- Type - To merit an Award, entries must demonstrate outstanding work in planning and related activities, through plans, processes and projects - at whatever scale. For example, the Development Plans category may include work on any aspect of statutory development planning, as well as other plans, policy and supplementary guidance. In the Development Management category, any aspect of improving the service will be accepted, as well as cases where the process has produced added value, eg e-planning. The Development on the Ground category can include a wide range of projects and outcomes which relate to planning policy, improve the built environment, regenerate a local area, or have a positive impact on the community. The Community Involvement category recognises the positive role of people in planning. It aims to bring forward outstanding examples of community empowerment, where groups have been active with or through the planning service. The types of project include regeneration, conservation, environmental improvement or co-ordinating different initiatives. The entries should identify where communities have been most effective either in partnership with local authorities, developers, other stakeholders or on their own account, in making places work better. All entries must demonstrate how they relate to the planning system.
- Completion of projects - The work involved in every entry must be complete and have operated long enough for a fair assessment of its achievements. If part of a phased development, it is recommended that all phases are complete prior to submitting an entry.
Who can enter?
Anyone can enter the planning Awards. This includes local authorities, consultants, community groups, developers, public agencies and voluntary organisations.
Judging criteria
In the evaluation process the following criteria, as appropriate, will be taken into account and should be specifically addressed in your submission:
- Professional knowledge - Ability to apply professional knowledge in achieving a quality product.
- Management - Exemplary efficiency and effectiveness in mainstream planning.
- Partnership - Extent to which planners have worked in partnership with other agencies.
- Regeneration - Enhancement of the physical environment through urban design.
- Innovation - Originality of achievement or approach.
- Sustainable development - Balancing economic development with the environment and social justice.
- Community interest - Demonstrating that planning has achieved benefits for the community, including equal opportunities.
- Customer satisfaction - Positive evidence and feedback on planning achievements.
03 Awards process
The Awards process starts in June 2007 and will be completed with a presentation by the Minister at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 13 March 2008.
Stage 1 - Deciding whether to enter
Discuss any projects which could be entered into the Awards with your colleagues. The scale of the project is not necessarily relevant to the evaluation of the achievement.
Stage 2 - Entering
If you decide to enter, allocate sufficient time to prepare the application form(s). You have from June until the closing date in September to complete the task.
Your entry must consist of two parts:
- Part 1 - Completed application form.
- Part 2 - At least six images that are representative of the project. These can include photographs, front covers, logos, maps, plans, drawings or promotional leaflets but must be of a high quality. The image resolution must be at least 300 dpi and submitted on a CD in jpeg format. The images will be included in the Judges' Report as well as being displayed at the Awards ceremony.
The submission should only comprise of the completed application form and images. Any other supporting material will not be accepted.
Only one copy of each submission is required. Entries can be submitted on CD, by e-mail or in hard copy and should be clearly labelled. Early submissions will be appreciated. Failure to comply with the requests on the application form could result in your submission being invalid.
Stage 3 - Judges' shortlisting
Your work will be assessed by a panel of three independent Judges appointed by the Scottish Ministers. The quality of your initial submission will determine whether your entry is selected to move on to the next stage. If shortlisted, you may be asked to provide supplementary information.
Stage 4 - Site visits and presentations
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend either a site visit or an interview which will take place during September or October 2007. As a guide, entries in the Development on the Ground category will generally require a site visit.
Whether you are selected for a site visit or a short interview, you will have to prepare a brief presentation for the Judges. This allows you an opportunity to expand upon your original written submission. Guidelines will be issued to all successful applicants to help prepare for the presentation, but it should be treated as an informal process.
Stage 5 - The Judges' final selection process
On completion of the interviews and site visits, the Judges will finalise their recommendations on the winning entries. A Judges' report recording all entries and comments will be available at the Awards ceremony.
Stage 6 - Preparation of display boards
Those selected to receive Awards will be contacted in January and asked to provide a display board to exhibit at the Awards ceremony and promotional material for a delegate pack.
Application form
The aims of the Awards are:
to stimulate the creativity of those engaged in planning, in the process and in the quality of development produced, and to raise the profile of good planning practice.
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