Nominations for Analysis in Government Awards 2021

Nominations for the Analysis in Government Awards 2021 are now closed and the winners have been announced. You can find a full list of winners in our news article.

These awards are the perfect opportunity to recognise, celebrate and reward the exceptional work being undertaken across the Analysis Function. There are six different award categories, celebrating teams or individuals who have made a real difference and those people who deserve an award for their achievements.

This launch page includes detail on how to nominate, including information on each of the categories, what the judging panel will be looking for and some tips on writing a winning entry. You can also read about previous winners and find inspiration on the Analysis in Government Awards 2020 article.

Emma Lake from the Analysis Function planning team recommends nominating and makes comparisons with some of the challenging work undertaken by analysts, to technical challenges faced in her favourite show, the Great British Bake Off. Read her article on Celebrating star analysts.

Award categories

Collaboration

Do you know an individual or team who has collaborated between teams, departments, other professions, external organisations or researchers to deliver a piece of analysis or analytical project or know of others that have? Then why not submit a nomination form for the Collaboration Award?

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Collaboration which improved data and methods
• Ways of working which enabled effective collaboration
• Collaboration which enhanced the insight and understanding of the findings
• Successful collaboration with stakeholders such as other analytical professions, other teams in your department, other government departments, organisations outside government, topic and method experts, policy professionals, producers of related analysis, international organisations and researchers

Innovative Methods

This award recognises innovative methods or techniques of analysis.   Have your colleagues or team used methods which led to new insight, answered complex questions, or improved efficiency? Nominate them for the Innovation Award to ensure their work is recognised and rewarded.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Innovative analytical methods and techniques used
• Methods which led to new insight, answered complex questions, or improved efficiency
• The strengths and limitations of the methods used were considered, and communicated effectively to users
• Feedback from peer reviewers and experts was invited and acted upon to refine the methods

Communication

This award celebrates those who have successfully used clear communications to present analysis, considering needs of the audience. This could be an example of public-facing or internal communication within teams, departments or across professions. Do you know someone who has demonstrated the story of data analysis using commentary, visualisations, ‘interactives’ or social media?   If so, then submit a nomination for the Communication Award.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Use of innovative methods of communicating and disseminating analysis
• Analysis presented clearly and explained meaningfully for all users
• The needs of different types of users and potential users were considered when determining how the analysis would be communicated

Impact

Has your colleague or team’s outstanding analysis helped influence a policy decision? Has it met an identified knowledge gap? This award will recognise analysis which has made an impact through use, influenced decision-making and/or has contributed to public debate in the Impact Award category.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• A demonstrable link between the analysis and impact; for example, is there evidence to show that the analysis influenced a policy decision?
• The nature and significance of the impact from the users’ point of view; actual delivered impact will be considered more effective than anticipated or future potential impact
• The nominee is pro-active in ensuring the analysis has impact
• New analysis developed to meet an identified knowledge or information gap

Inclusion

This award recognises an outstanding contribution in making the Analysis Function a more inclusive Function, reflective of the citizens we serve.  Nominate an individual or team who consistently act as a role model to champion the development of colleagues from different backgrounds, someone who uses their own experiences to bring unique viewpoints to their teams, departments and/or the Function. Celebrate those who have built an inclusive culture by nominating them for the Inclusion Award.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Acting as a role model and championing the development of colleagues from different backgrounds and with different thought processes and experiences to bring unique viewpoints across their team, department and/or the Analysis Function
• Building an inclusive culture by challenging inequalities, barriers and bias to reflect the experiences of everyone
• Evidence of real impact due to interventions or actions

New: The Professor Sir Ian Diamond Excellence Award 2021

New for 2021, an award that will recognise an individual that has displayed excellence in championing or promoting the Analysis Function. The winner of The Professor Sir Ian Diamond Excellence Award will be an outstanding colleague who actively highlights analysis across government, developing our people, inspiring analysts, or delivering better outcomes for the citizen.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• The promotion of analytical development across teams or departments, ensuring that learning is captured and shared, helping focus on good practice and making lasting change
• Strong influencing skills and actively inspiring the next generation of analysts by undertaking related professional outreach to promote the range of opportunities within the Analysis Function
• Exceeded expectations and made a special or unique contribution when resolving a particular problem or situation to make a long-lasting change
• The championing of analysis within the public sector and the role analysts can play in the design and delivery of public policy to better outcomes for citizens

Tips for writing a great nomination

Use Plain English by writing in short, clear sentences and using everyday words without acronyms and unnecessary jargon. Remember that the judges may not be familiar with your topic area, so use simple language.

Use the STAR method by explaining the Situation, Task, Action and Result of your work. In particular, judges really want you to showcase the impact of the nominee’s work.

Be clear on the criteria and address each point of the award you are nominating for. These can be found in the nomination form.

Include any appropriate links to your work to demonstrate any outputs you may want to showcase.

Keep within the word count of 1,000 words.

When will the winners be announced?

Nominations will be considered by our judging panel following the closing date on 12 November. The six highest scoring nominations will then be passed to an expert judging panel to decide on two highly commended nominations, one runner-up and one winner in each of the six categories. These winners will be announced at an exclusive awards ceremony in December.

If you are part of the Analysis Function and you would like to join the judging panel, email the team at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Previous winners

You can watch a video from a previous winner in the ‘Collaboration’ category on our YouTube channel.

You can also watch a video from a previous winner in the ‘Innovative Methods’ category on our YouTube channel.