How to run an Employee Engagement
Employability Awards scheme nationally
A Toolkit
From the experience of 22 CSR360 Global Partner
Network Members who ran The European Employee
Volunteering Awards in 2010/2011.
EU Project VS/2010/0516 Award Category and
Measurement Tool for EU Employee Volunteering
Business in the Community (BITC)
International Campaign 2011
European Employee Volunteering Awards
© Copyright Business in the Community 2009 (Registered Charity No 297716). All Rights Reserved
Contents
Toolkit Background
How to run an Awards Scheme
1. Governance
2. Communications Strategy
a. Launching Awards
b. Generating Entries
3. Sponsorship
4. Judging
5. Measurement
6. Partners Training
7. Key material
Contact information: For further details on how to run an awards
scheme, please contact: Tessa Kipping, CSR360 GPN Manager.
[email protected] 020 7566 6642 visit www.csr360gpn.org or
www.eeva2011.org
European Employee Volunteering Awards
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Running a regional awards scheme contains a host of challenges. Communication,
divergence of opinion and even time differences can impede the efficiency of such a
programme. However with perseverance, commitment and a spirit of cooperation a
regional awards programme can be a huge success, create a number of wide
reaching benefits and directly influence policy and behaviour change on the key
issues you focus upon.
Toolkit Background
Business the Community International Campaign was granted funding from the
European Commission to support a group of 22 partners in running a national
Awards scheme with the aim to recognise companies of all sizes across Europe that
have developed schemes that help people facing barriers to work increase their
employability skills. The project was supported by a consortium of partners, including
four CSR360 GPN partners: UPJ (Germany), SMART Kolektiv (Serbia), Centrum
Wolontariatu (Poland), Forética (Spain), CSR Europe, Corporate Citizenship, the
East England Development Agency and a group of international practitioners from
KPMG and Freshfields. The programme of activities was closely aligned to the
European Year of the Volunteering 2011 (EYV) and was an excellent partnering
opportunity to offer value to our CSR360 GPN member companies’ members and
gain profile and visibility within the EYV. This funding will also support us to promote
measurement by allowing us to develop an Impact Measurement Toolkit and raise
more public awareness of how to measure impact, since at this stage very few
programmes are being comprehensively evaluated.
The European Employee Volunteering Awards Scheme was sponsored by Alliance
Boots, Tata Consultancy Services, and HP. The project is being managed by Flavia
Kraus and Tessa Kipping, CSR360 GPN Managers, supported by BITC Awards
Manager Claire Brady.
Here the findings from the experience of the BITC central team and all participating
partners.
How to run an Awards Scheme
1. Governance
All partners need to sign a memorandum of understanding before beginning to run a
regional awards process. This document needs to be read and understood by all
staff members working on the awards – and if necessary translated into the national
language.
All partners need to attend hub training workshops organised by the central team to
meet and discuss the logistics and concepts of the programmes ensuring harmony of
ideas and alignment around the practical arrangements. These workshops can be
held online to save on costs and reduce travel time.
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It is recommended that a follow up pack of materials should be provided for the staff
teams of partners so that the information in the workshop can be shared and used as
reference material.
2. Communications Strategy
a) Launching Awards
Organise a virtual launch by developing a specific web presence to promote the
Awards. Announce the launch via a variety of media tools to ensure European wide
visibility. In addition, pre-announce the launch date to get organisations excited and
"waiting in anticipation" and organise workshops as an engagement tool for potential
entrants.
For national awards events with increased visibility work with your sponsor to hold a
mini launch event and invite key stakeholders along to find out about the
programme. Aim to send associated press releases at the same time and have
media coverage of the event.
In addition, it is recommended that the Awards are launched using the following
communications and media tools:
Web presence: Develop a section on your own website to promote the Awards and
link it directly with the central team’s web presence. Ask your sponsors to
disseminate the information in their websites and use appropriate RSS. Promote the
awards via your social media channels.
Media:
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Utilise the support of the central team media packs
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Create advertising and media packs
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Press releases
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Announce the Awards in your newsletter, members’ news, etc.
Partner networks: Gain visibility via extensive network of partners who will tap into
their communications channels to raise the scope, reach and credibility of the
awards. (CSR360 GPN, CEV & 2011 EYV Alliance, CSR Europe, etc).
Support from the central team: The virtual launch could be organised centrally for all
partners and standardised branded publicity packs should be supplied. The central
team will create a central web presence linked to all partners’ websites and promote
the awards through their social media presence. The central team will handle the
communications with all the partners within the network – this is a big job and needs
to be carefully managed so as not to create confusion and over communication.
b) How to generate entries
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Target members: If you are a membership organisation target your members.
Create a launch email that announces the awards and has key timeline dates and
contact information with links to web pages to download awards packs. Send this out
on the date of the launch or to all interested parties.
Communications: Publicise the awards in the appropriate forums. Use key
business and community spokespeople to promote the awards to their networks.
Target key organisations: Call key organisations in the field of CSR, employee
volunteering and employability to invite them to enter the awards. Use research and
information about their programmes to encourage them to enter.
Partners: Use partners to raise awareness, i.e. work collaboratively with other
organisations to get them to promote the awards and to raise awareness. Other
partners can target other areas within the field of CSR, employee volunteering and
employability.
Support system:
There is no guarantee that the support of a partner support will help a
company to win the awards. Offering a support system in the form of one to one
support, webinars or workshops may help turn some expressions of interest into full
applications and winning entries. The applications can be complex and time
consuming, ensure that each is filled to ensure maximum chance of these becoming
recognised by the judging panel and receiving their due attention.
Tracking: Track companies who download the awards form. Send them an
email to say “we see you have downloaded the form and we can help you fill it out”.
The awards are assessed independently, which means partners are able to support
companies during the application phase.
Company workshops: Holding workshops were companies can receive
specific support on their applications is useful. This will also be the time to explain
the awards criteria, judging guidelines, the meaning of the topic i.e. what do we take
employability to mean in (country) or (sector). It is recommended that at this
workshop all company requirements are communicated.
Company requirements include: Application sign off from the CEO and the
production of a case study with photos and logos if they win nationally.
Clear deadlines: We would suggest you set, and stick to, clear deadlines for the
awards process. It has been recommended that all national timelines are aligned so
that international companies entering in more than one location get the same amount
of time to complete the application; this ensures fairness and transparency.
Support from the central team: The central team will provide clear guidance on the
branding of the awards scheme. There will be a specific web presence to promote
the awards. Each partner will have a designated page on the website which can be
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linked back to the relevant website in that country. The designated page will host the
country specific version of the application form and all key details about how to apply
and when/where.
3. Sponsorship
It is recommended that national partners receive sponsorship for the awards.
Sponsors cannot enter the awards so they need to chosen carefully, either a clear
leader in the field of the topic or a newcomer to the topic who wishes to learn more
through a sponsorship opportunity.
How to generate sponsorship:

Approach member companies with a detailed sponsorship proposal outlining
the benefits of sponsoring this programme.

Please not if sponsoring the awards; the companies are not able to compete
themselves.

Approach companies with well established programmes who will sponsor the
awards with as a way to prove their competency in this field, or a company that has
no expertise in this area and would like to host the awards as a learning tool.
What do sponsors receive for their contribution: A company is offered widereaching benefits as a sponsor of the national awards programme which continues
for the duration of the Awards; from promotion for entries, to judging and hosting the
award celebration event. All these activities are designed to significantly increase
their visibility in this field. The Sponsor’s logo will be displayed with high levels of
visibility in all national communications next to the European Commission’s and Year
of the Volunteering 2011 logos and the awards will be named:
The [Insert National sponsor company name] Employee Volunteering Award – [insert
country]”, e.g. The KPMG Employee Volunteering Award – UK.
How much sponsorship is needed: It will be necessary to carry out an assessment
of costs to determine how much you want to charge for national sponsorship. This
will also depend upon how much you think a company would be willing to pay and
how many companies you are targeting. Please note: translation costs and event
costs can be variable and much higher than expected.
Support from the central team: The central team will supply a detailed sponsorship
proposal, outlining all benefits of sponsorship. For further questions on sponsorship,
please email or call the secretariat.
4. Judging
National Judging process: The entries can be judged two ways. Which option one
selects depends on the number of applications and the uptake for participating in the
judging panel.
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
Option 1: Gather applications; select judging panel; run one round of judging;
select winners.

Option 2: Gather applications; select judging panel; run a two stage judging
process with an assessment process first to select a short list and then a judging
process to select the final winner.
Judging panels: Select senior representatives from your company contacts and
public authorities. The judging should be peer assessed by professional who work in
similar fields and have experience of similar programmes. This process needs to be
transparent and the judges list published on the website at the beginning of the
project to increase the credibility of the awards. Judging panels should be gender
balanced.
How to train assessors/judges: Judges/assessors need to be trained beforehand
by providing them with guidance notes and if possible, run a training session or
webinar with them to inform of the process.
Logistics: A separate judging panel will be needed for each award category. Select
an odd number of judges so you will always reach a decision. Use scoring materials
from the central team. A strong facilitator will be needed for each panel to guide the
judges. Judges need to read and score the entries, discuss their scores
collaboratively and reach a consensus on a winning entry. The applications need to
be modified so that the company cannot be identified to ensure no vested interest in
the result.
The facilitator should take time at the beginning of the day to explain the project and
what is being looked for in a winning entry i.e. it needs to be a company representing
excellence in the field of the award and appropriate for the category. If the category
is ambiguous or a new field a consensus between the judges will have to be reached
as to what demonstrates excellence within that category.
It is recommended that a structured feedback form is filled out by each judge to
assist in the company feedback.
Results announcements: The results should be announced at the national
celebration. Company feedback should be given within a short timeframe; this can
be done in the form of feedback meetings with companies (recommended) or as a
document.
Support from the central team: Management of the regional judging process
Submissions: National winners’ applications should be submitted to the central
team at the same time. All national winners’ applications need to be translated into
the common language of the project. They may be a short listing process if the
applications are many. This should be done by national partners who will score other
nations’ entries. This can be done via email. The top 6 scoring entries from each
category will go forward to the regional panel.
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Selection of judges: Each partner will be able to nominate a judge. Judges from the
funding bodies, sponsors and key business personnel should be approached. The
judging should be peer assessed by professional who work in similar fields and have
experience of similar programmes; if possible the winners of the previous years
should be invited to be judges. This process needs to be transparent. It is
recommended that the judges are selected early in the project and announced and
the list published on the website at the beginning of the project. This lends the
project credibility and helps when encouraging company admissions. Judging panels
should be gender balanced.
Logistics: A separate judging panel will be needed for each award category. Select
an odd number of judges so you will always reach a decision. Use scoring materials
from the central team. A strong facilitator will be needed for each panel to guide the
judges. Judges need to read and score the entries, discuss their scores
collaboratively and reach a consensus on a winning entry. The applications need to
be modified so that the company cannot be identified to ensure no vested interest in
the result.
The facilitator should take time at the beginning of the day (or in a separate judges
briefing webinar)to explain the project and what is being looked for in a winning entry
i.e. it needs to be a company representing excellence in the field of the award and
appropriate for the category. If the category is ambiguous or a new field a consensus
between the judges will have to be reached as to what demonstrates excellence
within that category. Defining how to score the entries, how we understand the
categories and the different approaches countries take is extremely important for a
region award programme.
It is recommended that a structured feedback form is filled out by each judge to
assist in the company feedback. Quotes from the judges and the chair of the panel
are useful for the company, and publicity campaigns.
Judging across regions: In order to ensure fairness it is recommended a
contextual assessment is carried out across the region, i.e. could we argue that is
harder to run employee volunteering programmes in Serbia than in Germany? Can
we judge a company of 500 against a company of 50,000? There can be a weighting
system with a score attached to each country and added to the scoring process. This
will in some way level the playing field. However this can be subjective and difficult,
suggestions have been to measure countries by the Human Development Index,
GDP or to take statistics from international research institutions. This will also help
assist the judges in judging – for instance what makes a programme innovation in
their specific context (e.g. legal structures and bureaucracy relating to employee
varies widely across Europe).
Results announcements: The results should be announced to all partners privately.
Company feedback should be given within a short timeframe; this can be done in the
form of feedback meetings with companies (recommended) or as a document. The
partners will be responsible for discretely telling their winning companies to attend
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the final celebration event. The central team will produce an embargoed press
release to be released after the celebration event.
Admin support from the central team: Detailed guidance on the options for judging
will be provided. Score sheets, guidance documents and press released will also be
supplied. Support by phone/email to address questions or queries to ensure the
overall success of the awards will be supplied. The short listing process will be
managed centrally.
5. Measurement
In order to create a region initiative, a centralised Impact Measurement Toolkit
developed by the central team should be disseminated to all coordinating partners.
Partners will be trained centrally on a webinar presented by the Toolkit creator.
Partners should organise national webinars with all member companies and/or
applicants to train and develop their measurement capacity.
Support from the central team: The measurement tool should be developed and
funded centrally.
6. Partners Training
Explanatory Partners’ workshops: All partners need to attend hub training
workshops organised by the central team to meet and discuss the logistics and
concepts of the programmes ensuring harmony of ideas and alignment around the
practical arrangements. It is important to meet and develop relationships in order to
strengthen the credibility and scope of the awards and increase our professionalism.
This could be done online.
Webinars or Workshops: Webinars are an effective way to disseminate vital
information if people are widely dispersed or have limited time or resources to travel.
Webinars can be held as workshops. It is suggested that the following webinars are
needed during a regional awards programme:
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Hub workshops held online – make sure the topic is discussed in depth as
well as the logistics and practicalities of the awards scheme
Impact Measurement Toolkit training for coordinating partners – organised
centrally
Impact Measurement Toolkit training for companies – organised nationally
Awards application guidelines and instructions for interested companies –
organised nationally
Judging facilitators briefing calls – organised nationally and centrally
Assessors briefing calls – organised nationally and centrally
Company feedback meetings – organised nationally with central support in
the form of judges structured feedback forms and signed minutes of the panel.
This feedback should be technical, prescriptive and practical
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Follow up meeting: For relationship building it is important to hold a face to face
meeting at the end of the project. This will be to share experiences, discuss future
plans and celebrate the success of the project.
7. Key material
This should be supplied by the central team and be standardised across the
participating countries. These documents could be reviewed by a team of
coordinating partners to ensure they are context appropriate, relatively easy to fill in
and that all coordinating partners are fully aware of how to use them.
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Memorandum of Understanding
Application Forms (for companies and for public authorities)
Guidance Document for Partners
Press releases and publicity packs for: Launch event, announcing national
winners, announcing European winners and celebration event.
Sponsorship Proposal
Measurement Toolkit
Scoring Grid and Guidance Document
Judging options
Judges structured feedback forms (brief explanations for use in company
feedback meetings)
Q&A doc
Publication: It has been extremely valuable to have a final publication to showcase
the company winners, thanks the funders and sponsors and encourage lesson
learning. Sponsors need to submit logos, photos and messages, winning companies
can display their case studies with logos and photos, funding bodies can be thanked
and given space for messages, partners can be promoted and judges listed and
thanked. This greatly increases the impact of the project.
It is recommended that this is planned and published during the programme and
launched at the regional awards celebration.
Support from the central team: The central team will organise all regional webinars
and workshops, produce the key material and organise the final publication.
Many thanks to all partners who contributed to the success of the European
Employee Volunteering Awards and to the development of this Toolkit: Asociatia
Pentru Relatii Comunitare (ARC), Business and Society Belgium, Business in The Community,
Business in the Community Ireland, Business Leaders Forum Serbia, Community Partnership
Consultants, CSR Turkey, Czech Donors Forum, East Europe Foundation, Eurasia Partnership
Foundation, Finnish Business and Society, Forética, Hellenic Network for CSR, Hungarian
Business Leaders Forum, IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité, Philias Foundation, Pontis Foundation,
Responsible Business Forum in Estonia, Scottish Business in The Community, Sodalitas
Foundation, The Volunteer Centre, Poland and UPJ.
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