Sharjah Media Centre has announced a three-phase evaluation mechanism for each of the nine categories of the Sharjah Government Communication Award 2015. The winners will be honoured at a gala awards ceremony that will be held in early 2015 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council.
The judging process will include preliminary sorting, shortlisting and final selection. The first phase will end two weeks following the closing of submissions on October 31, 2014. In this phase, a selected team from Sharjah Media Centre will examine all submissions to ensure their compliance with the award submission criteria. Entries that make the grade will then be submitted to the selection panel (committee).
In the second phase, three to five entries will be shortlisted in each category. The selected entries will be forwarded to the judging panel for further assessment and final selection of winners.
Each category will be graded on a 100 point grading system, based on three key criteria. The distribution of points varies in each of the nine categories.
For Best Government Communication Practice - Sharjah, 40 points have been earmarked for planning, while 30 points will be given for vision and 30 for effectiveness. For Best Official Spokesperson - Sharjah, 40 points will be awarded for accuracy, 35 for communication skills and 25 for effectiveness. This category mandates the submission of five samples that highlight the spokesperson's achievements (in writing , audio or video format). One of the five samples must focus on the area of crisis handling.
For Best Government Website - Sharjah, 40 points will be assigned for content, 35 for communication and 25 for the design. In the category of Best Media Crisis Management - UAE, 25 points are assigned for planning and strategy, 40 for interactivity and performance, and 35 for effectiveness.
For the category of Best Government Communication Strategy - UAE, 45 points are allocated to planning, 25 for effectiveness, 15 for innovation and 15 for leadership. For Best Government Social Media Practice - UAE, 40 points are allocated for content, 40 for communication and 20 to design.
