Scottish Government

Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2004 Guidance and Application Form This document is also available in pdf format (316k) and Word format (40k) 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 eighth year of the Awards.

Aims

The aims of the Awards are to stimulate the creativity of those engaged in planning, both in the process and in the quality of actual 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.

Application form

Closing date 10 September 2004

Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning

This guidance provides details about the Awards, explains the process and how to enter. It is split into the following three sections:

Part 1 Background information
Part 2 Awards categories, eligibility and judging criteria
Part 3 Awards process

The application form is attached.

Please read each section before deciding whether to enter. If you wish to enter, complete the application form and prepare the appropriate material to send to the address at the end of the form. If you need to discuss any details about the Awards, please contact either Graham U'ren - RTPI in Scotland (0131 226 1959) or John O'Brien - Scottish Executive (0131 244 7061).

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 three categories:

• Development Plans
• Development Control
• Development on the Ground

In addition, the Judges may recommend a winner out of all of the entries, entitled The Overall Winner Award.

The Scottish Executive retains full control over the entry criteria and the judging process. In the event that no submission of sufficient merit is received, the Judges reserve the right to decline to make any recommendations for Awards.

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 initiatives such as bio-diversity action plans. In the Development Control category, any aspect of improving efficiency and effectiveness in the service will be accepted, as well as cases where the process has produced added value. The Development on the Ground category can include a wide range of projects which relate to planning policy, improve the built environment, regenerate a local area, or have a positive impact on the community.
• Completion of projects - The work involved in every entry must be complete and have operated for a sufficient period of time to allow for a fair assessment of its achievements.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter the planning Awards. This includes local authorities, consultants, community groups, developers, public agencies and voluntary organisations. All parties with a significant partnership contribution should be included in the entry.

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, for example e-planning.
• 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 2004 and will be completed with a presentation by the Minister at a ceremony in Edinburgh on 10 March 2005.

Stage 1 - Deciding whether to enter

Discuss any projects with your colleagues which could be entered into the Awards. 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 three parts:

Part 1 - Completed application form with reference to the criteria relevant to the work.

Part 2 - One key illustration. For example, this can be a photograph, front cover or a council or other logo. This image will be included in the Judges' report as well as being shown at the Awards ceremony. It is important that the image is representative of the scheme and of good quality.

Part 3 - Any supporting material. This can include plans, publications or video material.

Parts 2 and 3 must be clearly labelled when they are submitted.

Entries should not be bound, and no more than one copy is required, unless requested. Submissions must be sent by post and they should only be sent when they are complete, i.e. parts 1-3 are included. Documents will not be accepted by email. Early submissions will be appreciated. All entries will be put on the Scottish Executive website as they arrive. The amount of work required by you will depend on the number of applications you make. Failure to comply with the requests on the application form could result in your submission being invalid. If the Judges request further information, you must respond timeously.

Stage 3 - Judges' short listing

Your work will be assessed by a panel of three independent Judges appointed by the Minister for Communities. The Judges will consider all the material submitted with your entry. The quality of your initial submission will determine whether your entry is selected to move on to the next stage.

Stage 4 - Site visits and presentations

Successful applicants will be contacted by the RTPI to make arrangements for either a site visit or an interview date which will take place during September or October 2004. As a guide, those entries for 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 in November. A Judges' report recording all entries and comments will be submitted to the Minister and available at the Awards ceremony.

Stage 6 - Preparation of display boards

Those selected to receive Awards will be contacted in January in order to allow time to prepare one A1 display board per entry and material for a folder of the winning entries for the Awards ceremony in March 2005.

Please make sure you have read all the notes carefully before deciding whether to enter.

Application Form ( pdf format, 316k) and Word format, 40k)

www.scotland.gov.uk/planning