Experience as a Judge for Public Relations and Communication Excellence Awards

I have been an active member of the Public Relations Society of Tanzania (PRST) for some times. PRST has been Twaweza’s partner in advocating for Access to Information in Tanzania. In 2021, Twaweza partnered with PRST to organize the Access to Information session with PRST, Tanzania Editors Forum, University of Dar es Salaam, and other media stakeholders. PRST is also an affiliate of the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA).

This was my first time to be appointed as one of the judges for the Public Relations and Communication Excellence Awards 2023 (https://www.tanzaniaprawards.or.tz/) among the notable panel of judges.

It was a rewarding experience to be in the midst of such respected experts in the field of Communications and Public Relations in Tanzania. As a judge, I played a crucial role in evaluating and judging the nominees for each category. The judgment session commenced from March 19th to March 21st, 2024, at the University of Dar es Salaam. The judging process involved the introduction of judges, description of awards and judging roles, oaths of all judges by the advocate of the high court, election of chief judge, review of criteria, benchmarking for each category, and the evaluation exercise.

The three hectic days were indeed a learning exercise for me. The Public Relations Excellence Awards in Tanzania carry important benefits to both the public relations profession and the socio-economic landscape of Tanzania. The communications and PR field in Tanzania is still young, with significant developments initiated during President Mkapa’s regime. President Mkapa, being a journalist by profession, directed every public office to have a communications and PR department. He also advised the University of Dar es Salaam to start degree programs in Mass Communications, PR, and Journalism, which began in 2004. I am proud to be among the 90+ first graduates of these degree programs.

The awards aim to bring recognition and acknowledgment, showcase impactful campaigns, encourage professional development, set industry benchmarks, enhance credibility, promote innovation, and contribute to the socio-economic growth of Tanzania by promoting access to information, transparency, trust, and positive relationships between businesses, government, and the public.

The Public Relations and Communication Excellence Awards 2023 - the second edition of the PR Excellence and Communication Awards ceremony - is scheduled to take place on April 5th, 2024, in Dar es Salaam. The aim is to recognize the invaluable contributions made by the country’s communications professionals in promoting best practices, encourage excellence, and establish standards in the field of public relations and access to information in Tanzania.

In assessing the different categories;

• Best PR Department Setup: Evaluation focused on adherence to international standards of PR management.
• Media Relations Category: A survey was conducted among 100+ journalists to determine the institution with the best media relations.
• Public Service Campaign Category: Assessment centered on the reach and impression of the campaigns.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Category: Criteria included innovation, sustainability, social impact, and budget.
• Issues and Crisis Management: Evaluation considered an institution's ability to respond promptly during a crisis, the presence of crisis communication policies/strategies, the existence of a crisis management team, and crisis management techniques/case studies.
• Best PRO of the Year 2023: Assessment criteria included professional background, understanding of the PR industry, individual contributions and achievements within the organization/company, local and international contributions to the PR industry, adherence to professional ethics and values, and the number of published pieces.
• Best Use of Influencers in PR Campaign: Evaluation focused on influencership, ambassadorship, and content dissemination, with criteria including personal character, social acceptance, and proven impact.
• Green Campaign: Criteria included innovation, project sustainability, scope of the project, impact of the campaign, community engagement, and budget commitment.
• Best Female/Woman PR: Assessment considered experience in the PR industry and outstanding leadership in the PR and Communication industry as well as some evidences of mentorship to junior PR professionals and a notable contribution to the sector.
• Innovative Public-Centered Product/Service: Criteria included community touch and relevancy, sustainability, problem-solving and impact, originality, and locality.
• Best Emerging PR Practitioner: Assessment criteria encompassed volunteerism, innovation and creativity, accomplishments, and professional background.

Lessons Learned

• PRST is doing an amazing job. The PRST Secretary is a patient fellow. I am convinced that's why PRST is thriving despite resource constraints and many other challenges
• Its amazing how more individuals and organizations participated into the awards this year than last year
• Some categories may need revision for wider clarity next time
• Value for money should be considered as a criterion for the Best use of Influencers category in the next season.
• Ensuring sufficient information is provided by nominees/nominators.
• Instances of submissions being copied and pasted from Chat GPT was very unfortunate and unexpected.
• Emphasis on public service campaigns to ensure focus on public interest.

At the last day, a press conference was held to announce the details of the awards and await the awarding ceremony.

I should conclude by inviting more Communications and PR professions to join PRST, it is very important. Also Institutions should willingly support PRST to grow. To all executives, allow me to challenge you. If you are encouraging your accountants, engineers, lawyers, medical professionals, etc. to fulfil their professional membership roles, please do support your communications and PR professionals as well.

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