Extended deadline for Analysis in Government Award nominations
The deadline for nominations has now passed.
The Analysis in Government (AiG) 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. The awards recognise excellence and impact from members of the Analysis Function (those who work within government departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies), alongside recognising excellence beyond the Function in the ‘Collaboration’ award’.
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 in our article about the 2021 Analysis in Government Awards.
You can start nominating colleagues by filling in the 2022 Analysis in Government Awards nomination form.
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
- accessibility being at the heart of communicating the results of 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, 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, 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
The Professor Sir Ian Diamond Award of Excellence
This is 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 Award for Excellence will be an outstanding colleague who actively highlights analysis across government, developing our people, inspiring analysts, or delivering better outcomes for citizens.
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 the ability to actively inspire 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
How to nominate
It’s easy to nominate a team or individual for one of the awards. You can fill in our online form to submit your nomination. The deadline for nominations has now been extended until midnight on Friday 18 November 2022.
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, if you can make the evidence clear in less than 1,000 words even better.
Visit our article on Writing a winning nomination for the AiG Awards for more great tips.
When the winners will be announced
Nominations will be considered by our judging panel following the closing date on 18 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 on Awards Day which will take place in December.
If you are part of the Analysis Function and you would like to join the judging or sifting panel, email the team at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.
Hear from previous winners
You can hear more about previous winners by accessing the following resources: