Tips & tricks for a winning award entry

There’s still time to enter the Audit & Risk Awards – nominations close on 31 January. Entering the awards is not particularly onerous, but there are a few things you need to consider and have in place before you fill in the online forms.??

If you have a good story to tell and you want to showcase the outstanding performance of individuals or teams, you need to present it in the best possible way. Every story is different, but the judges have put together a list of dos and don’ts that they know make a real difference to how they view an entry.?

Remember, the judges are human! They can only assess an entry using what you tell them. So make it as easy for them to understand the detail as possible (exactly as you would when writing an audit report, but assuming less basic knowledge of your organisation). It’s important to step back and think about the outsider’s view – and may be worth running your entry past someone who has not been involved in the events it describes.?

Other key tips involve the age-old issues of being well-prepared and reading the criteria carefully. It’s easy to tell people everything you know, without checking that this includes everything they’ve asked for.??

After some discussion, the judges agreed not to accept supporting documentation because it is important that everyone is assessed fairly and with equal opportunities and space to present their evidence. The wordcount restriction is there to focus the nominators and encourage them to be concise – elegant prose is less important than targeted detail, so feel free to use bullet points.?

Of course, the judges want to select winners based on what they have done, not on how well they have written their nominations. However, the reality is that a hastily written, incomplete nomination will only tell half the story. This is frustrating for the judges, but, more importantly, will let down a potentially award-winning team. It’s no use afterwards saying “but we did that” if the detail was not in the nomination.?

So, enter the awards and please pass on the message to everyone else who should be entering. Winning an award from your industry body, assessed by your peers, is a huge accolade. Past winners have repeatedly told us that their award boosted morale and confidence in the team, and publicised their good work across their organisation in a way that has improved their reputations with management and future auditees. There’s nothing to lose, and so much to gain.?

The judges’ dos and don’ts?

Do?

• Read the whole entry form: You will need to compile evidence and get endorsements.?
• Read the category details: there’s no point submitting an excellent nomination in the wrong category.?
• Write each nomination section out in Word first so you can perfect it and get others to proofread and add comments – once you start on the form, you cannot save it until it is submitted.?
• Contact the people you need to endorse your nomination in good time.?
• Share the burden: ask others in your team to contribute ideas, endorsements and suggestions.?
• Plan the evidence you need to support your case.?
• Answer the questions: bullet points are a good way to keep focused.?
• Think of the judges: keep information short, simple and to the point.?
• Set the scene: summarise your world with a few key points (number in the team, sector, location(s), etc).?
• Tell the story: think about the main points and the highlights. What has changed? What have you achieved??
• Spread the word: tell your contacts to enter.?
• Think laterally: do you know a team or an inspirational leader you could nominate??
• Check out the awards section of the Chartered IIA website for the full criteria.?
• Get in touch if you have any queries about entries.?

Don’t?

• Wait for others to nominate you: it’s fine to nominate yourself.?
• Forget the basics: don’t assume the judges already know how many people are in your team or challenges specific to your industry.?
• Leave entering until the last minute.?
• Be put off because you work in a small organisation.?
• Struggle in silence: contact us if you have any questions.?
• Suffer from false modesty!?

View the full list of categories and get nominating by the 31 January 2023!??