This template was designed in 2014 and placed into the revised Preservation Iowa Handbook to be a guide to future administrators who will be approved by the board to oversee the annual Preservation at its Best Award program. This template is only a guide and is subject to change upon the board/administrative suggestions.
Step 1: During the annual Meeting Decide who will head the awards initiative and then whom will volunteer to be judges on a (4) person judging panel for Preservation at its Best awards.
Step 2: Send out a Call for nominations April 1st, which includes projects completed within 2.5 years of June of the current Year. In effect if the year is 2015 then projects started in January 2013 to June 30, 2015 would be accepted. This call for nominations letter is a saved document template. This document should specify when all applications are due and what format to submit them in. Limit submittals to 6 pictures, 1 application, and 1 narrative. The application should be attached with this Call for nominations form. The application is also a saved form. If technically feasible, the website may also be used to accept nominations.
It is advised at this time that you order enough material to develop 30 certificates (certificate holders, seal stickers, and blank certificates to print award information on). This may cost up to $1,000. Request that projects be submitted by email and if the files are too large of for email use the Preservation Iowa Dropbox account.
Step 3: After receiving all applications by the deadline determined on the Call for Nominations, send your judges two documents: “scoring sheets” and the, “how to score projects outline”, document. Both of these are saved document template. Judges should receive these 1 week before nominations are due. When addressing your judges make sure that they return their scoring sheets by no later than the end the first week after submittal or whatever you decide. After all submittals are received make them accessible to the judging panel through Dropbox or other electronic means. Also set up a teleconference meeting to take place with the panel after you have totaled the numbers of their scoring sheets on a comprehensive score sheet.
Step 4: At this time you must score all of the Judging panel sheets yourself. Score these sheets by placing project names under the categories assigned to them by the panel. Some projects may fit under more than one category due to the individual judges discernment on their placement. No matter, you must list them in the numerical order that the judges placed them on their score sheets. (IE: if one judge places a project under the category sustainability and ranks it as their first pick that project receives a score of 1 on your comprehensive scoring sheet, however if another judge scores it in the same category as their third pick then that project also gets a score of 3). The final step is to add all projects scores up under each category to see which project has the lowest score.
The lowest scoring number wins the category as it is closest to the number one pick averaged by the judges scoring. Now in the event a project ties or wins more than one category don’t sweat it because your job at this point is to present the facts from your comprehensive score sheet to the Panel. Make sure to discuss with the judging panel any ties, close runners up, or multiple winners for same categories.
It is best to send out your final comprehensive score sheet to all panel judges before the meeting via teleconference. At this point the judges will make the final decision on winners as a panel, even if it differs from the results of the comprehensive score sheet you have given them. Just remember the combine score sheet is a way to aid the decision making process, not the final rule. At this time it is advisable to request that one of the judges volunteer to complete a slide show for the ceremony (more on that in step 6) and also a judge or board member to present the awards at the ceremony unless you plan to present awards yourself.
Step 5: After the panel has selected its winners, multiple winners, and potential honorable mentions, draft a hard copy of the awards winners, listing them under their categories. Email this list to your board to make them aware of the outcomes and remind them to keep the information confidential until you have notified all applicants. This is also when you may need to develop the awards recipients’ brochure with this year’s winners and honorable mentions. This is a saved document template. We create this document for attendees of the awards ceremony. Sometimes the event coordinator will not know to request this brochure for the awards ceremony, so remind them.
Step 6: You will have to create a slide show it will need to include a couple of pictures per project, before/after pictures preferably. You will also need to include text to summarize each project. Keep this presentation to no more than 30min max if possible. This slide show will have to be passed off to the master of ceremony ASAP to be incorporated in their slide program before the Summit. We recommended that you reach out to a board member to complete this portion of the Awards program. Just make sure they have access to the information they need. It is also advised this person be on the Judging panel. The master of ceremonies will give the presenter the template needed for their presentation.
Step 7: After winners have been selected by the judging panel you will need to inform award applicants of their winning, honorable mention, or non-winning entry. This will take some time, which is why we suggest you work on the technical specifications of the awards, (notifying applicants and preparing awards), and have a judge work on the power point presentation. Judges are the most knowledgeable of the projects anyway. Documents for winners, honorable mentions, and non-winning projects are saved templates as well. These emails should give the applicant the information they need to successfully attend the event and receive their award without having to pay an admission fee to the Awards event/dinner. These awardees all paid the price in hard work to get their awards. The least we can do is make them feel welcome and assist them by helping their evenings run seamlessly. These emails should also request information about who will be available to receive the award at the event and how many guests will be attending. Preservation Iowa provides 2 tickets, for admission to the evening events, at our expense.
Step 8: After confirmation emails have been received from attendees you should begin immediately to print your certificates for winners and honorable mentions. These award certificate documents are also save templates. Preservation Iowa will provide any project up to two certificates at no cost to the awardee. Any certificates in addition to the two given can be purchased for an additional of $30. Make sure you have enough certificates and plaques to cover your core group of winners and honorees before printing extra awards and using up your plaques for these additional awards. Never underestimate how quickly your supplies will run out. After printing and framing certificates box them carefully for travel so they can be taken to the ceremony safely. We recommend you estimate 3-5 plaques beyond what you think you will need because of potential damage or additional award requests.
Step 9: Coordinate with the master of ceremony to dry run the ceremony and make sure to place the awards on ceremony table in the order of reception. Alphabetically list the categories and list projects under their category by place, 1st, 2nd, etc. Make sure that this order coincides with the Power Point Presentation and that the presenter(s) of the awards are aware of this order as well.
Step 10: Do the Awards Ceremony (don’t forget the Preservation Iowa Banner to be placed in the back ground and someone to take pictures of winners as they are presented awards.) The president or other executive committee member should present awards while the presenter announces the projects with the slide show.
Step 11: Prepare a Press release email to go out to all your award winners only. Ask them where they would like information to be sent for local news coverage. Attach the press release to this email. (Offer them the opportunity to either pass this information to their local news or request they give you a place to forward the information onto.) This press release stays fairly similar each year but will need updating and new drafting. This document is also a saved template.
Step 12: Send additionally requested awards to winners at this time if not already done at the ceremony. This is also the time you will need to get Preservation Award winners’ press release and information posted to the Preservation Iowa Webpage and Facebook page.
Step 13: Finally, if you have questions reach out to former members who have conducted this initiative and receive their input. Good luck on a great Awards Ceremony!
Additional Pointers:
- Send a confirmation email to each project applicant letting them know you have received there submission regardless of its level of completion. There is a template document saved for this correspondence.
- Have applicants submit projects in a word format. Try to avoid receiving project information in a PDF format as it is difficult to pull information out of these formats for use in documents and presentations.
- Don’t forget reserve seating for all your attendees (including presenters) in front of the auditorium to help the speed of the awards ceremony. Bring reserved seating signs and tape which should be pre-discuss this with the master of ceremony.
- Print 100 copies of the award ceremony Brochure to be placed at the entrance of the event.
- Stay on top of things and try to get as far ahead as you can on these steps so that you are waiting on other steps and deadlines to keep proceeding. Time runs out very quickly as you finalize awards and you may need to make several last minute adjustments.
- Lastly this initiative is a large and important commitment. Take yourself and the presenters for the awards, whom volunteered, out to a good meal, on Preservation Iowa. Reward them for their hard work. At the very least thank all those who helped you get the awards ceremony together.
Document Redrafted fall 2015 by Caleb Giesel Executive Director
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