NSW Excellence Award
Information Kit
Key Dates
Expression of Interest : 31 May 2011
Final Entries : 11 July 2011
Awards Evening : 24 September 2011
Delivery Information
All entries may only be mailed or delivered.
Mail: Association of Consulting Surveyors Inc.
PO Box A1155
SYDNEY SOUTH NSW 1235
Courier: Association of Consulting Surveryors Inc.
Suite 1004, Level 10
97 - 99 Bathurst Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Contact
Dr. Veronica Bondarew (Chief Executive Officer)
Association of Consulting Surveryors Inc
Suite 1004, Level 10
97 - 99 Bathurst Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9267 9728
Email: veronica.bondarew@acsnsw.com.au
Introduction
This is the fourteenth year that a joint committee of the Institution of Surveyors NSW and the Association of Consulting Surveyors NSW have organised awards to recognise the excellent achievements of both individuals and organisations engaged in the surveying and spatial information industry across New South Wales.
In previous years we have received a wide range of entries from small to large businesses in the private sector, government departments and educational institutions.
The diversity of projects entered has been used as a marketing tool to promote the wide range
of activities in which our industry is involved.
Entrants and category winners have benefited from the opportunity to promote their business to
potential and existing clients as one that has achieved the highest standard in excellence and innovation.
Key principles of the event are:
• Recognize and acknowledge excellence in the surveying and spatial information industry
• Celebrate excellence before an audience of industry peers
• Encourage activities that create a stronger, larger and more relevant industry
• Embrace the achievements of the industry and its related industries and professions
• See the industry as a whole grow and mature through its achievements in innovation, business and in project management
Awards Evening
We encourage all participants to attend the Awards Evening with fellow staff, clients and partners.
All finalists receive a framed certificate recognising their achievement. Category winners also have the
opportunity to win the Sir Thomas Mitchell Award for most outstanding overall project.
Date : Saturday, 24 September 2011
Location : Hilton Hotel Sydney
488 George Street, Sydney
Eligibility
Industry Award project entries need to have been completed within the last eighteen months, and have been carried out by a NSW based individual or organization, either private government or academic. Irrespective of size, projects can be within or outside of NSW.
Each entry must however have nominated a contact person who is based in New South Wales and who will be attending the event. The part of the project relevant to the entry must be fully completed even though the overall project may not have reached final conclusion. In this regard most projects should have received at least Development Application approval or equivalent.
Only one category per entry/project can be nominated. The Judges at their discretion, may determine that a project is more relevant to an alternative category.
Prizes
All finalists receive a framed certificate recognising their entry. Category Winners and projects achieving Highly Commended status will also receive insignia that can be used for promotional purposes on the entrants' letterheads, websites etc. In addition to all of the above, the Sir Thomas Mitchell Award winner receives a commemorative trophy.
The Committee reserves the right not to award a prize if, in the opinion of the Judges, the quality of the entries in any particular category does not justify a prize. All winners are announced and prizes presented at the official awards ceremony. Winners are not advised of their status prior to the Awards Evening. A representative for each project entered is required to attend the Awards Evening.
Winners’ details are subsequently published in available and appropriate media.
Judging
The Awards Judging Panel is comprised of the President of the Institution of Surveyors NSW, the Chairman of the Association of Consulting Surveyors NSW, the Chairman of the Organising Committee (or their nominated representatives) and five invited judges with expertise in the range of categories covered.
Projects are not generally physically site inspected to verify authenticity and compliance with the categories criteria. Hence the Judging Panel relies heavily on the integrity and professionalism of the entrant in presenting all the facts for assessment. The Judging Panel’s decisions are final.
Categories
Awards are conferred in the seven following categories:
• People & Community
• Infrastructure & Construction
• Extra Dimension & Innovation
• Environmentally Sustainable Development
• Spatial Information
• Cadastral Surveying & Land Titling
• Mining Surveying
Criteria
Entrants should note that a project’s ‘size’ will not improve or limit the likelihood of winning an award.
People & Community
This award recognises those individuals or companies, projects, products or programs that contribute to the improvement and amenity of a locality or the environment.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Demonstrated community acceptance, understanding and uptake of the solution
• Training, educational programs or tools enabling widespread use
• Innovative use and application of technology
• Degree of applied lateral thinking
• Level of interaction and input from the affected communities and users
• Demonstrated benefit to the community or the environment AND/OR contribution to emergency
management/defence/safety and security
Infrastructure & Construction
This award recognises those projects that have contributed to planning, designing, developing construction and/or infrastructure.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Size, time constraints and the complexity or difficulty of the project
• Special site and/or location requirements, including access and logistical problems
• Overcoming challenging community, environment, culture, heritage or other issues
• Use of innovative technology or lateral and original thinking
• Consistently excellent actual and strategic approaches to problem-solving
• Degree to which the spatial component contributes to the overall project
Extra Dimension & Innovation
This award recognises how innovative techniques contribute to the economic performance of industry
and solve unusual problems.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Applying (or creating business(es) to exploit) new applications, tools, products, technologies in a
commercial industry sector
• Methods, practices and integrated spatial solutions involved as well as overall technical challenge
• Degree of intellectual stringency applied and lateral and/or original thinking used
• Inspirational context of the original concept and its application
• Demonstrated growth by and in the target industry sector(s)
• Demonstrated economic benefits and/or efficiency gains to the industry sector
Environmentally Sustainable Development
This award recognises the skills, knowledge and management used in the fields of civil engineering
design, planning and the solving of environmental issues as applied to land development projects.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Natural resource management and the effect on the environment
• Design and execution with regard to natural land form and function
• Innovative application of emerging or developing new technologies
• Community enrichment through sustainable design, planning and project management
• Original solutions which exemplify professional knowledge and skills
• High design standards incorporating exceptional spatial applications
Spatial Information
This award recognises how innovative techniques in surveying, mapping, cartography, design, planning and software development achieve exceptional outcomes.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Complexity, size or scope of the original problem or project brief
• Innovative or unorthodox methodology employed
• Degree of applied lateral thinking
• Media, tools and project management techniques used
• Degree to which the process and outcome exemplifies professional knowledge and skill
• Resulting increased awareness of the industry by the community or allied professions
Cadastral Surveying & Land Titling
This award recognises an individual’s or organisation's ability to solve the complexities and overcome the difficulties encountered in the definition of boundaries and the creation of land titling in NSW.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• The particular complexities of the project, the methodology applied and the creative approach
used to achieve the solution
• Complexity and extent of the cadastral surveying component of the project and where relevant the use of precedents, principles and practices to justify and determine the solution
• Resulting increased awareness of the Industry by the community or allied professions as a result of the project
• Plan preparation and presentation
Mining Surveying
This award recognises those projects that have been carried out for either coal or metaliferous mining
operations that use innovative techniques to achieve the objectives.
Specific criteria
Judges will consider projects against the following specific criteria:
• Complexity and/or scope of the original problem or project brief
• Innovative or unorthodox methodology employed
• Economic, environmental or safety benefits of the project
• Results and data presentation
Final Entry Information
|
DEADLINE : Tuesday, 11 July 2011
|
Entrants are encouraged to provide sufficient evidence to fully answer the category criteria. However, entrants should note that presenting too much material may be as counter-productive to their interests as providing too little.
Each entry must:
• Include the name or title for the project entered,
• The name of a company/department/organization or individual resident in NSW and
• The name of a nominated person to be a resident in NSW and their contact details
• Provide a concise overview of the project in approximately 200 words
• A written entry of 3000 words or less. This written component of the final entry should not exceed
3000 words or 12 pages in length however these parameters are recommended rather than
prescriptive and do not include information pages such as cover sheets, contents pages,
testimonials, etc.
• Include a statement that permission has been given by any relevant organization/person to enter
the project
• Address the criteria for the category entered
• Be formatted in either Word.doc and/or Adobe.pdf file
• Include at least one image that represents the project (minimum 300dpi jpeg)
• Contain a cover Page, Statement of Excellence and contents Page
• Be burnt/copied to CD and delivered to the ACS NSW office by Tuesday 11 July 2011
In addition to addressing the specific criteria, each entry should demonstrate
• Why the project has achieved excellence • How it delivers outcomes above and beyond the ordinary
• How it contributes to the growth and maturity of the industry and the economy
Entries should also provide, where applicable:
• Lists of participating organizations
• Full description of project
• Information about resources used
• Particulars about technical and other data
• Specifics about other awards/accolades won
• Evidence of endorsements, testimonials, referees
• Press announcements
• All/any other relevant information
Entrants may provide relevant complementary material including website links, CDs, DVDs, lists, illustrations, product samples etc in addition to and in support of the written entry. However, entrants should note that it is in their interests to make sure such material is sufficiently compact and/or concise as to be easily transmitted, posted, compressed and accessed.
Judges reserve the right to not consider cumbersome or poorly presented material. The copyright of all entries remains with the authors, however the Committee reserves the right to reproduce any entry to promote the industry.
The Committee accepts no responsibility for any damage or loss to entries. Entries are not returned unless specifically requested at the time of submitting.
Click here for Information Kit.pdf