Planning Consultancy Award

Planning consultants play a crucial role in the success of efforts to improve the environmental, social and economic quality of life. Consultancy involvement is often a key element in getting development or regeneration projects off the ground, formulating policy or uncovering new and better ways of setting about the task of planning. Every year, planning consultancies feature prominently among the teams behind the winning entries in the annual RTPI Planning Awards, and planners working in consultancies account for a growing proportion of the RTPI’s membership.

In parallel with the main awards, the Royal Town Planning Institute promotes this award to recognise the contribution made by consultants to better planning practice in the UK and Ireland.

The Planning Consultancy of the Year Awards seek to identify exemplary practice that meets the requirements of clients and the wider community and carries weight within the profession at large. The awards recognise the diversity of the planning consultancy sector and its clients and the variety of work involved. All types of planning consultancy activity and businesses are equally eligible. Entries may be based on a broad range of different types of work or on a narrower specialist area. Generalist and specialist entries will be given equal consideration. The emphasis in the assessment process will be on the quality of work, not on the size, scale, value or geographical spread of projects undertaken or on the commercial performance.

As with the RTPI Planning Awards, the Planning Consultancy of the Year Awards are managed and promoted by the publishers of Planning, the official journal of the RTPI. The RTPI retains full control over the entry criteria and over the judging process. The judges reserve the right to decline to make an award in any category in the event that no submission of sufficient merit is received. The judges’ decision on any matter relating to the awards will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into on their decision.

CLOSING DATE: MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2010

It is anticipated that at least three awards will be made.

• Planning Consultancy of the Year
• Small Planning Consultancy of the Year
• Planning Consultant of the Year

ELIGIBILITY

• At least one chartered town planner (MRTPI or FRTPI) who is a principal, partner, director or in permanent employment (including self-employment) at 1 September 2010.
• A permanent trading address in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man at 1 September 2010.

For the purposes of this award scheme, a Small Planning Consultancy is defined as a practice employing no more than 10 chartered town planners. A ‘Planning Consultant’ is defined as a chartered town planner who is the sole fee-earner in the practice.

PUBLICITY

Winners will be announced at the RTPI Planning Awards presentation on 3rd February 2011 and will feature in the awards supplement published by Planning. The RTPI will distribute details of the winners to national and regional media.

HOW TO ENTER

Before beginning the online entry process you should have payment ready by invoice (requiring a Purchase Order) or credit card. Costs of entry are:

What to Enter

Please supply a General Statement, details of four projects together with the names of three referees. See details below.

1. General statement: A summary of no more than 500 words explaining the consultancy’s approach, its capacity to undertake planning and related work, its planning experience and its commitment to improved planning practice. It is essential that the summary explains how the entry fulfils the judging criteria. The summary should detail, as of 1 September 2010.

• the total number of staff employed in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
• The number of staff employed in the planning team (if different).
• The number of chartered town planners (MRTPI or FRTPI) employed, specifying whether these are full-time, part-time or advisory.

Where appropriate, please supply separate figures for staff employed outside the areas mentioned above.

2. Project details: Description of four specific projects on which significant consultancy input has been required during the year ending 1 September 2010. These summaries should consist of no more than 300 words. The judges recognise that some projects by their nature may have long lead-in times. The RTPI wishes to promote schemes which are on the ground so they may, at their discretion, look at projects which have achieved consent/implementation and which may have been commissioned in previous years. The summaries must explain how the projects selected meet the judging criteria as appropriate. Each project summary must list the project director, the project manager and all chartered town planners involved. Colour photography, plans or other illustrations may be incorporated into the project summary text.

Please supply four copies of each project summary so that each judge can receive an original copy. These should be posted to:

Kate Webster
The Awards Office
RTPI
41 Botolph Lane
London EC3R 8DL

2. Referees: Contact details for at least three referees who have indicated their willingness to answer such questions about the consultancy’s performance as may assist the judges in their assessment. At least two of the referees must be clients for specific projects covered in the entry submission.

CRITERIA

To merit an award, entrants must be able to demonstrate exemplary good practice in planning consultancy. Entries will be assessed on the basis of evidence of the consultancy’s capacity to provide high-quality planning services, its contribution to the development of sound professional planning practice and its track record in implementation as demonstrated in up to four specific projects. It is for entrants to decide whether to submit projects that reflect the breadth of their work or that focus on a particular area of expertise.

The following criteria will be taken into account and should be specifically addressed wherever relevant in entry submissions

• The development and application of innovative approaches and techniques to achieve high-quality and imaginative planning solutions which promote sustainable development and equity;
• Achievement of exemplary standards in established or mature areas of work;
• Influence and standing within the planning profession and the public, private and community organisations that it serves;
• Client satisfaction in terms of the service provided. Relevant factors may include timeliness, flexibility, ability to respond imaginatively to a brief, quality of presentation and communication and the value added to projects through the appointment of consultants;
• The ability of chartered town planners to manage multi-disciplinary projects or to work within a multi-disciplinary environment;
• A commitment to professional ethics;
• A commitment to professional and business development extending beyond the immediate requirements of particular clients. An important dimension of this is the value placed on research and knowledge and underpinning practice and evidence of reflective learning. Relevant factors may include staff development, training and quality assurance certification;
• A commitment to participation in professional and educational activities and the long-term development of the planning profession. Relevant factors may include representation on official or voluntary bodies, involvement in Planning Aid, links with educational institutions and participation in the affairs of professional bodies. Judges may also take into account a consultancy’s work in relation to particular categories in the RTPI Planning Awards including work in relation to climate change, proposals to reduce energy use and emissions, equality and diversity, community planning and engagement. Evidence of achievement in these areas may be addressed both in general statements about the consultancy and through material on up to four specific projects. In addition to the entry material submitted, assessment will also be based on feedback from clients and other referees on the performance record of shortlisted consultancies.

JUDGING

The awards will be judged by a panel of widely experienced practitioners nominated by the RTPI.

Stage 1 Initial submissions must be received by Monday 27 September 2010. The impact made by the initial entry material is of the utmost importance in compiling the shortlist.

Stage 2 The judges will announce a shortlist in November/December 2010. It is anticipated that this shortlist will including at least one Planning Consultancy, one small Planning Consultancy and one Planning Consultant. Clients and other referees will be approached for their views on the shortlisted consultancies. Referees’ responses will be treated as confidential and will not be disclosed to entrants or to other parties.

Stage 3 Shortlisted consultancies will be invited to make presentations to the judging panel in November or December. The panel will not undertake site visits.

Stage 4 The winners will be announced at the main RTPI Planning Awards presentation ceremony on 3rd February 2011.

All enquiries about entry arrangements should be made to the Awards Office: