2018 Organising Awards

Nomination forms

Award criteria

  1. Branches are entitled to submit only one nomination in each category.
  2. The same nomination cannot be submitted to two different categories.
  3. Nominations must come from the branch or group from which the campaign or strategy originates or from where the individual is a member.
  4. Campaigns or strategies should have commenced, been completed, or should have been ongoing during 2017.
  5. Campaigns, strategies and/or individuals should, in general, not be submitted by branches if they have been nominated previously. Such nominations will only be considered by the judging panel if there is substantive, demonstrable evidence that they are substantially different from previous applications in terms of work undertaken and/or outcomes achieved.
  6. Chaired by the Head of Organising and Development, the judging panel will consist of members of the UNISON NI Branch Development Group – a sub-group of the Regional Committee. The decision of the judging panel is final.
  7. Members of the judging panel are ineligible to consider the merits of applications from their own respective branches.
  8. Please answer every question and include all relevant information.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

1.ORGANISING & RECRUITMENT AWARD

Please give details of the organising and recruitmentcampaign the Branch has been running.
The focus here is on sustainable recruitment, which means recruiting new members using an organising approach; identifying and recruiting potential activists and stewards; and demonstrating how you and your Branch supports them.
For example, it might be about recruiting new members on a Green-field site or innovative ways of finding and supporting new stewards in a voluntary organisation or a branch-mentoring scheme for new stewards. / When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • Can other Branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Did the initiative involved members and activists?
  • Were new or innovative techniques used?
  • Did the Branch meet the targets set? For example, did the initiative include mapping the workplace? What was the potential recruitment per workplace? Did you reach your target? How many new activists were identified during the initiative?
Judges may take into account factors such as cost, Branch organisation,the number of workplaces, and the involvement of UNISON staff.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information:
  1. Name of Branch
......
  1. Please describe the key aimsof the campaign:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please give full details of:
  • the campaign plan, including its aims, objectives and targets;
  • the extent to which the campaign involved members and activists;
  • any new or innovative techniques that were used;
  • evidence of key outcomes achieved, including for example increased recruitment and the identification and recruitment of new activists and stewards;
  • any other comments. For example, can other branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Please include details of the costs / resources involved and how you assessed success.
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

2.MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION AWARD

Please give details of the membership participation strategy your Branch has been running.
Participation can mean, for example:
  • establishing a partnership with the employer that leads to greater membership involvement in the Branch, or
  • arranging union meetings at a place and time convenient for part-time as well as full-time workers.
/ When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • Can other Branches can adopt a similar approach?
  • Were new or innovative techniques used to involve members?
  • Did the strategy lead to greater involvement of, for example, young members, women, part-time workers or workers from black and ethnic communities?
  • Did the strategy led to greater involvement of members in Branch or workplace affairs?
Judges may take into account factors such as how information was disseminated to members, and how members are consulted and involved in decisions, which affect them at work.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information:
  1. Name of Branch
......
  1. Please describe the key aims of the strategy:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please give full details of:
  • the strategy plan, including its aims, objectives and targets;
  • any new or innovative techniques that were used;
  • the key outcomes achieved, including whether the strategy led to greater involvement of members in branch or workplace affairs, whether it led to greater involvement of women, members with a disability, LGBT members, young members, part-time workers or workers from black and ethnic minority communities;
  • any other comments. For example, can other branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Please include details of the costs / resources involved and how you assessed success.
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

3. NEGOTIATION AND REPRESENTATION AWARD

Please give details of the negotiation and representation strategy your Branch has been running.
Issues which might be covered in this category include
  • involving members in taking decisions about their own future rather than paid or lay officials doing it for them,
  • using case law and legislation as a negotiating tool to reach agreement,or
  • handling an individual grievance collectively.
/ When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • Can other Branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Were new or innovative techniques used by the Branch?
  • Did the strategy achieved the aims set by the Branch,
Judges may take into account factors such as equality, whether the employer or Branch initiated the bargaining issue, and the extent of membership involvement.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information:
  1. Name of Branch
......
  1. Please describe the key aims of the strategy:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please give full details of:
  • the strategy plan, including its aims, objectives and targets
  • any new or innovative techniques that were used
  • Any other comments. For example, can other branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Please include details of the costs / resources involved and how you assessed success.
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

4.CAMPAIGNING AWARD

Campaigning is a vital part of our work.
In the current climate, where a massive attack is being launched on public services and equality and human rights, campaigning and lobbying those in power has never been more important to advance the position of our members, their families and communities.
Branch-based campaigns could include. For example,
  • building alliances at the local level to fight cuts to health and education services, or in opposition to the privatisation of our NHS care homes; or
  • building local support for UNISON’s international global solidarity work.
/ When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • Can other Branches can adopt a similar approach?
  • Were new or innovative techniques used?
  • Has the campaign improved the lives of our members, their families and communities and/or raised awareness of health, education, equality, human rights, global solidarity or other public policy issues?
  • Has the campaign persuade people to take a particular course of action or change their attitudes or opinions?
  • Has the campaign ensured the participation of our members, groups affected by the policy, our allies and/or local communities?
  • Has the campaign resulted in increased recruitment and/or increased the public profile of UNISON.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information:
  1. Name of Branch
......
  1. Please describe the key aims of the campaign:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please give full details of:
  • the campaign, including its aims, objectives and targets;
  • any new or innovative techniques that were used;
  • the key outcomes achieved. For example, has the campaign improved the lives of our members, their families and communities and/or raised awareness of health, education, equality, human rights, global solidarity or other public policy issues? Has the campaign persuade people to take a particular course of action or change their attitudes or opinions? Has the campaign ensured the participation of our members, groups affected by the policy, our allies and/or local communities?Has the campaign resulted in increased recruitment and/or increased the public profile of UNISON.
  • Any other comments. For example, can other branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Please include details of the costs / resources involved and how you assessed success.
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

5. COMMUNICATING AWARD

This category covers branch initiatives which use communications plans to support and develop their branch organising and recruitment work.
It’s great to produce a beautiful newsletter or a whizzy website, but it’s even better to make sure that you use your branch communications to recruit new members, encourage members to become stewards and build an organised branch.
The focus of this award will be on how your branch worked to develop a communications plan to achieve particular objectives.
It might be that you identified problems in reaching members in far-flung workplaces and set up an e-mail bulletin to link them with the rest of the branch; or maybe you developed a set of communications designed to attract new stewards; or planned a range of publicity to support a campaign.
Perhaps you recognised the need for a sustained programme of contact with members in order to keep them engaged with the branch. / When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • Can other Branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Were new or innovative techniques used?
  • Did the initiative recruited new members and/or encourage existing members to become more involved in the branch? For example, by taking on new roles as learning advisers / reps, stewards or health and safety officers,
  • What was impact of the campaign in reaching out to, for example, young workers, women, part-time workers or workers from black and ethnic communities?
  • Did the Branch set and measured their progress towards targets, such as membership gains, or numbers of new activists or reps, set out in the plan?
Judges may take into account factors such as cost, Branch organisation and the number of workplaces, and the involvement of UNISON staff.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information:
  1. Name of Branch
......
  1. Please describe the key aims of the strategy:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please give full details of:
  • the communications plan, including its aims, objectives and targets;
  • any new or innovative techniques that were used;
  • the key outcomes achieved. For example, did the initiative recruit new members or encourage existing members to become more involved in the branch? Was the initiative effective in securing, for example, the greater involvement of women, members with a disability, LGBT members, young members, part-time workers or workers from black and ethnic minority communities.
  • Any other comments. For example, can other branches adopt a similar approach?
  • Please include details of the costs / resources involved and how you assessed success.
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

6. AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

This award is made to an activist or member who you believe:
  • has made a real, significant difference to the lives of our members; and
  • has gone the extra mile for UNISON – over and above that expected ofsomeone in their role and position.
For example, it could be an individual who has shown real leadership to motivatemembers to participate in the life of the branch over a prolonged period.
It could be an individual who has come up with an innovative idea which has had a major impact on the lives of our members or other relevant group. / When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • What makes the actions of the member/activist differentor special? Is this activity significantly more than what is expected of an individual in their role or position?
  • Have their actions had a positive effect on the life of the branch, members or other relevant group?
  • Has this person’s leadership encouraged others to participate in campaigning or other UNISON priorities.
Judges may take into account factors such as leadership, organisation, innovative ideas, positive attitudeetc. The award for excellence should be about recognising those who have made a major, lasting difference to our member’s lives.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information.
  1. Name of person being nominated
......
  1. NominatingBranch
......
  1. Briefly describe the reasons why this individual has been nominated for an award:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please describe why this individual has made a difference to the lives of our members. In particular:
  • What makes the actions of the member/activist different or special? What makes this activity significantly more than what is expected of an individual in their role or position?
  • How have their actions had a positive effect on the life of the branch members or other relevant group??
  • How has this person’s leadership encouraged others to participate in the union?
Please attach additional information if required.

ENTRY FORM

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Organising our FUTURE

UNISON’s Organising & Recruitment Campaign

7. AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW STEWARD DURING 2017

This category is an award for the activist who has taken up the stewards role in 2017 and who has made a difference to the work of the branch.The difference should be evidenced.
Areas could include:-
  • Recruitment
  • Representation
  • Campaigning
  • Communications
  • Leadership
  • Mentoring members or other activists.
  • Work over and above their normal steward duties.
The activist can demonstrate their leadership skills by taking the lead throughout a campaign and successfully moving the campaign forward. They can have represented our members in complex cases.
Through their encouragement have motivated and supported other stewards or groups of members. It can be an innovative idea which has had a positive impact on our members’ lives.
It can be anyone who you believe has gone the extra mile for the branch or the extra mile for their union. /
When assessing the entrants, the judges will consider:
  • What were the actions of the steward that made a positive impact on the branch and it members?
  • How their actions have had a position effect on the life of the branch and its members.
  • Have they moved a campaign forward with successful results or organised successful recruitment drives?
  • How has this persons leadership encouraged others to participate in campaigning etc.
Judges may take into account factors such as leadership, organisation, innovative ideas, positive attitudeetc. The award for outstanding new steward should be about working with their members, showing initiative and making a difference to the life of the branch.
You may submit relevant materials to support your entry.
Please answer the following questions including all relevant information.
  1. Name of the steward who has taken up this role in 2017
......
  1. Nominating Branch
......
  1. Briefly describe the reasons why this individual has been nominated for an award:

Continued overleaf

  1. Please describe the actions of the steward that you believe have had an outstanding impact on the branch and it members?
  • What has made the actions of the member/activist different or special?
  • Have they moved a campaign forward or organised successful recruitment drives?
  • Please outline how the steward communicates with the branch and their workplace members.
  • Any other comments you may have on the skills that the steward has used?
Please attach additional information if required.

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