How to win a Contract Journal Award in 2004

It's time to get smart, and get the recognition you deserve - at the Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards.

This week Contract Journal officially launches its Construction Industry Awards 2004, and editor Rob Willock shares some tips that will give your entry the best chance of winning.

Attached to the cover of this issue of Contract Journal is an entry form. Use it wisely and on 7 October you could be collecting a Contract Journal Construction Industry Award in front of 1,200 of your colleagues and rivals.

Now in their ninth year, the Contract Journal Construction Industry Awards are the most prestigious in the construction industry. Developed with the industry for the industry, they reward innovation and excellence in British construction.

As you'd expect, it's not easy to win a Contract Journal Construction Industry Award - that's what makes them so coveted. But it's not impossible - just ask any of the past winners, which include Alfred McAlpine, Amec, Amey, Birse and Bovis (and those are just some of the As and Bs).

Immediately the CJ Awards are over, people ask questions. Why did 'so and so' win? Why didn't we win? These are hard questions to answer. But I'll try.

To start with, the winners are chosen by a specialist judging panel of independent industry experts. Their decisions depend on the content and the quality of the rival entries as well as your own. Yet it is possible to identify a number of factors and say why some people do and some don't make it up there on stage at the Grosvenor House.

Successful entries closely follow the Awards' criteria. For each category you enter, please read and follow the brief as outlined in the entry form. The judges will evaluate your entry according to these criteria, so the closer your entry relates to these points the more favourably it will be viewed.

But, whatever the criteria, at a basic level this is what the judges want to see:
What you set out to do and why.
- What you actually did.
- What the result was and how you measured it.
- Why it stands out from the rest of the industry.

If you can explain this in 750 words, and add some independent evidence, the judges will be grateful. Particular attention needs to be paid to the last two points. Sometimes entries go into great detail about what was done, but ignore what the effects and benefits were.

And don't get lulled into the common mistake of describing technological marvels and complicated equipment - it doesn't impress.

There are a number of other misconceptions about the Awards, which can be laid to rest here and now...

Incorrect! The reason big firms appear to do so well at award ceremonies is simply because they enter them more often and with more entries. They know the Awards procedure inside out and they can more easily allocate resources to the entry process. Put simply, the Awards judges are looking for evidence of how innovation and excellence have improved company performance beyond what might be expected. And innovation and excellence have never been the sole preserve of large companies.

This year there is a new award, specially created for small and medium-sized contractors. The SME Contractor of the Year Award is for general contractors with fewer than 250 staff and a turnover below £50m.

Wrong! Even if CJ wanted to fix the Awards, which it most certainly does not, it would be unable to do so. The judging panel of 16 highly respected industry experts (all named on the entry form) acts independently, and no one from the publication even gets a vote in the judging process. The winners are selected on merit alone.

False! While it's true that a PR company or dedicated marketing department is likely to be more experienced in putting together an attractive Awards entry, the judges are directed to ignore presentation and concentrate on content. More important than the use of colour printing and fancy graphics is meeting the basic entry criteria and supporting your claims with tangible evidence.

Misconception 4: Companies cannot win in consecutive years

Not true! They can and they have. Each entry is judged on its own merits. While judges may be aware of the identity of previous years' winners, they are directed not to take that information into account in the judging process. In that respect, this year's Awards will, as ever, be judged in isolation.

Alas, no! This year the timing of the judging process is particularly tight. So, while in previous years we have allowed a degree of flexibility in the entry deadline, this year we cannot. Entries submitted after 14 May will be disqualified. This year's Awards will be for work completed in the year to 31 December 2003, so you can begin work on your entry right away!

The biggest misconception of all is also the commonest. "We'll never win." You can. But there is one vital thing you must do before you can win a Contract Journal Construction Industry Award. Enter! Start compiling your entry now so you have plenty of time to produce a real contender. See you on stage to collect your Award.

How to enter the CJ Awards 2004

It's simple… All you need to do is complete the entry form attached to the cover of this issue of Contract Journal... and then tell us of your achievements in no more than 750 words.

The entry must be based on a representative sample of work completed in the 12 months to 31 December 2003, rather than a single project, and must be received by 14 May 2004.

We require four copies of each entry.

There are 12 categories, and you can enter as many categories as are appropriate. But please use a separate entry form for each category.

For extra forms, ring Carolyn Corrigan on 020 8652 4659.

Send with your entries: high-quality photographs; the signature of your business unit manager; a copy of your company logo in EPS format; and signed statements from and contact details of two referees from your client/employer (you must inform your referees that they will be contacted in the event of your entry being shortlisted).

Support your entry with any other relevant and succinct information (except videos).

The judges will want to see evidence of your claims. But they will not be impressed with waffle.
What will happen with your entry?

On receipt the entries are recorded and checked. All entries will be acknowledged. They are then sent to each of the judges, who vote on a shortlist for each category under the direction of the chairman.

Each shortlisted entry is sent to the auditor, Grant Thornton, for checking. Grant Thornton will contact the referees named in the entry to ensure that all claims made can be substantiated and, if necessary, will advise the judges of any discrepancies.

Final judging takes place in August, when all the judges meet at a location in London to select winners in each category from the shortlisted entries. The winners are disclosed on the Awards night.

The Awards presentation dinner

The presentation of the CJ Awards 2004 will be made on 7 October at a black tie Awards dinner in the Great Room of London's premier awards venue, the Grosvenor House on Park Lane.

As well as a chance to celebrate all that is great about the British construction industry, the evening will be an ideal occasion to meet and entertain clients, customers and colleagues. o

CATEGORIES
- Building Contractor of the Year
- Civil Engineering Contractor of the Year
- SME Contractor of the Year
- Client of the Year
- Construction Product Manufacturer of the Year
- Demolition Contractor of the Year
- IT Award
- Long-term Partnering Award
- Marketing and Business Development Award
- PFI/PPP Award
- Plant Hirer of the Year
- Specialist Contractor of the Year
- The Silver Helmet Award for Safety
- Training Award