Do you know someone eligible to be nominated for an IRMS Award?

The short answer is that you may well do! However, in order to ensure that awards are transparent and fair we do have some criteria for the sorts of things that we are looking for as worthy of special recognition. Each of our award types is laid out below. Have a read through and visit the case studies of previous award winners to see if it's something you'd like to go for! For all nominations, excluding the New Professional (further details can be found below) there are the same criteria:

1. The person nominating must be a member of the IRMS
2. The nominee doesn't have to be a member of the IRMS
3. Nomination statements should be no less than 600 words and no more than 800 words
4. With two exceptions (see self-employed professional and Digital Decarbonisation Champion Award), you cannot self-nominate
5. A seconder must be sought by the nominator/nominee for certain awards
6. Nominations should be based on contributions made over the 12 months prior to nomination.
7. Nominations have to be emailed to awards@irms.org.uk by the set deadline.
   

A seconder must be sought by the nominator/nominee for the Professional of the Year, Team of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Innovation of the Year awards. A seconder supporting statement of 40 to 50 words must be added to the nomination document. The seconder no longer needs to be an IRMS member. If the nominator is unable to find a seconder they can seek a member of the IRMS Executive to support the nomination. 

Self-employed professionals can self-nominate, however this will require a reference to back up your nomination - i.e. please ensure you provide details of someone we can contact to verify the statement in your nomination against the criteria outlined below. 

We have provided criteria for each award below; it would be great to see evidence-based submissions, please, that meet the context of the given award.

The Digital Decarbonisation in Action Award

We are excited to announce a new award being sponsored by Loughborough University Business School, who are leading work on digital decarbonisation research. 

Digital decarbonisation shines a light on the critical role of information and records managers and teams in reducing emissions associated with inefficient data practices. This award celebrates digital decarb initiatives to improve how data are created, processed, and stored to help achieve sustainability and economic goals within organisations. We are looking to celebrate an individual or team that has pioneered an initiative to champion digital best practices to these ends, this might have involved:

• Improving Knowledge Management Practices: Developing and implementing effective knowledge management systems that facilitate the sharing and reuse of information.
• Educating Staff: Training staff on the importance of responsible data usage and the environmental impact of digital practices.
• Incorporating AI Responsibly: championing a responsible approach by evaluating the environmental impact of AI during adoption and integration.
• Responsible Data Disposal: Implementing protocols for the timely disposal of data that is no longer needed, thereby reducing the energy consumed by storing obsolete data.
• Preventing Data Duplication: Establishing robust data governance practices to prevent unnecessary data duplication, which can significantly increase storage and energy costs.
• Managing Dark Data: Regularly auditing and managing dark data to ensure that it is either used effectively or disposed of responsibly.

Guidance notes: 

Information on how the initiative has progressed digital decarbonisation will help us to understand how the individual or team has been a champion of the movement. The initiative might have recently been launched, it might have been a transformation of an existing approach, it could have involved a new partnership or collaboration between departments, organisations, or supply chain actors. We are happy with self-nominations and projects that are either underway or completed, please provide evidence to support the case.

Professional of the Year

For professional of the year we are looking for someone exceptional. In 2016 we said that every information professional was an "Information Superhero" and we stand by that, so we are looking for the superhero of all superheroes. Someone who, in your opinion, has gone above and beyond expectations to achieve great things for their team, their organisation or the wider profession. If they have done anything that would fit any of the following, consider them for nomination!

• Far exceeded your or a customer’s expectations on service (customer can be someone in the business as well as an external person)
• Acted as an inspirational or motivational leader to the benefit of a team or a particular individual
• Created a product, service or approach that you believe is industry leading
• Contributed useful content and knowledge to the benefit of the profession

Guidance notes:

It will help us get a grasp of how great this person is if we can understand what makes them great. What makes them an asset to their organisation or even to you professionally? Do you have a fond memory as a good example of how they have helped you or been an inspiration to you? Help us get to know them through your experiences and views of them, as well as providing evidence, anecdotal or otherwise, of their being a subject matter expert.

Team of the Year

This award recognises teams that have overcome significant obstacles or have successfully utilised the skills of all members of the team and can demonstrate collaboration with others. We are looking for a team that has improved the standing and practice of IG/IM/RM within their organisation or has improved ways of working, to the benefit of their organisation. This could be a specific project or initiative or a string of successes over a set period of time. When writing your nomination we want to know:

• What did the team do that worked well?
• What were the outcomes of that activity?
• What knowledge was gained from what the team achieved?
• What examples do you have to demonstrate the achievement's success?

Guidance notes:

It will help us get a grasp of how great they were if you can outline and evidence what happened, what was achieved and how it benefits the organisation/the profession/the public.

How has that team benefited their customers (internal or external, or both)? What has set them above the rest and makes them the go-to team for information and records management-related matters?

Supplier of the Year

Good customer service should be an expectation of every organisation that offers any sort of product or service. Therefore we want to recognise and know about suppliers in the IG/IM/RM world that go above and beyond normal expectations of customer service. In the last year, if the supplier you have in mind has done any of these things, they may well be worthy of nomination!

• Far exceeded your expectations on service and standards
• Delivered a service or product that you perceive to be great value for money
• Offered a service or product that you believe is industry-leading
• Contributed useful content and knowledge to the benefit of the profession

Guidance notes:

It will help us get a grasp of how great they were if you can outline and evidence what your expectations were and how the supplier exceeded them. What was it about them that made them stand out? How and why do customers of that supplier particularly benefit from working with them? In your opinion, what is it about them that sets them apart and above the rest?

We are keen to hear about suppliers of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Innovation of the Year

We come up with good ideas all the time (and some not so good!), so this award is looking for examples where something new has been created and it has worked to enhance something. That something could be a technology, a methodology, a service or just a new way of working to improve IG/IM/RM practices. This could be from a single organisation or a collaborative partnership. If the creation you have in mind has done any of the following over the last year, please consider nominating it for innovation of the year!

• Improved an existing product or service in a new way
• Created a new product or service to fill a gap that is of benefit to customers / users / wider society

Guidance notes:

It will help us get a grasp of how great this was if we can understand what makes it 'new' or 'innovative'. Is it a new approach to something? Or even an old approach re-hashed into something new? How has that innovation benefited your organisation, your customers or the wider community?

We would like to see evidence of outcomes and positive impacts as part of the nomination.

The Alison North New Professional of the Year

This award is only open to those who are either within the first three years of their career in information and records management or who are currently studying full time a subject relating to data, information and records management.

If this is you, in order to enter the New Professionals Award, you need to write a paper based on a topic of your choosing. The subject matter should be related to information, records or data, but can be about any aspect of it including imaginative future thinking or a different perspective on current practice, comment on the core fundamentals, a successful project or even a failed one and how it shaped your thinking. We would love to hear your new ideas on how to work with all things digital. The use of case studies is always welcome.  

More information on the Alison North New Professional Award and its criteria can be found at www.irms.org.uk/NewProfessionals.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Our profession is made up of people from all walks of life and in all stages of their career. This award does exactly what it says on the tin. If you know of someone that meets the criteria below they could well be worthy of a lifetime achievement award, one of our most prestigious and respected awards. We are looking for someone who:

• Has worked in the profession for a minimum of 20 years
• Would be considered, in your view, as someone who is respected in our profession
• Has made a significant contribution to their organisation(s)
• Has given back to the wider profession positively in some manner

Guidance notes:

It will help us get a grasp of how great this person is if we know more about their career, what they have achieved and why, in your opinion, they are someone among us who has earned the right to special recognition for their achievements to date.

How to Nominate

Nominating someone couldn't be easier if you follow these steps:

Step 1. Make sure the person / organisation you are nominating is happy to be nominated. Some people don't like the attention and that is absolutely fine, so please ensure you have spoken to them before you start this work.

Step 2. Write your nomination statement and ensure it is no less than 600 words and no longer than 800 words long, ideally in a word document and contains enough evidence to support your nomination. Include the seconder statement.

Step 3. Send a covering email containing the information below to awards@irms,org.uk before the deadline. DO NOT SEND TO MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE. Only nominations made to awards@irms.org.uk will be considered. Your nomination should contain:

• the name of the person or organisation you are nominating (and ideally contact details for them)
• the role/s and organisation (if applicable) of the nominee/s
• which award you are nominating them for
• the email contact details of the nominee/s
• a statement on why you are nominating them (between 600 and 800 words)
• a statement of 40 to 50 words from the seconder
• your name and membership number

Step 4. Sit back, enjoy a nice cuppa, and wait to hear from the Awards Panel. They may be in touch to ask for some more information or any clarifications. We can't tell you if you have won, but we do announce the finalists, all of whom are encouraged to attend our Conference and Awards Gala Dinner in May.

Please note: If any form of cheating, bribery or harassment of the awards panel members or fraudulent statement is found on a nomination or as part of the public vote, the Awards Panel reserves the right to void any such nomination and refer the matter to the IRMS Executive where further action may be taken. The IRMS is committed to fairness and transparency so any such behaviour will not be tolerated.