Young Planner of the Year Award

WELCOME

The search is on to find the Young Planner of the Year 2010

This award is in the gift of the Institute and is intended to seek out and acclaim the brightest younger planners in the profession. This could be in planning practice, innovation, enterprise or philosophy. If you are, or you know someone who is, a professional planner and who will be under the age of 35 on 31 December 2010 then you need to enter online.

HOW TO ENTER

Nominations will be accepted from employers, colleagues, friends or relations or any member of the Institute who believes a young planner’s particular contribution should be celebrated. Young planners can also put themselves forward for this award.

The nomination process is online. Before entering you must have saved as word documents to your desktop the following:

• A citation of no more than 100 words from the nominator, explaining what the young planner has achieved and promises for the future. (Save document as Citation)
• A summary of no more than 400-500 words, detailing the candidate’s professional qualifications including universities attended; employment history, including posts held and dates; experience acquired in previous posts and a job description of current post. Any relevant professional or other activities outside work; hobbies and interests. (Save document as Summary)
• A 100 word statement from the nominee, explaining how they would promote planning as a professional activity should they win (Save document as Nominee’s Statement)
• References – each nomination must include one referee who can vouch for the claims made in the submission. The referee must be different to the nominator.

JUDGING

Entries will be judged by a panel comprising nominees of the Institute and the publishers of Planning. Initially the judges will review all nominations. The impact made by the initial entry material is therefore of the utmost importance in compiling the shortlist.

CRITERIA

The judges will seek to identify younger planners who can be promoted as role models. They must have been born on or after 1 January 1975, have achieved a great deal in their career when compared with their contemporaries, and promise even more for the future. Candidates at the date of entry and of presentation must be members of the Institute (either a Student, Licentiate, Technical, Associate, Chartered, Fellow or a Legal Associate). In evaluating the candidates, the judges will take the following into account, as appropriate:

• The quality and reliability of their professional work
• The range and variety of their planning experience
• Involvement with professional institutes, associates, networks, events, outreach work or relevant voluntary activity
• Their enthusiasm and originality of approach
• Their personal and teamworking skills
• Their commitment to continuing professional development
• Most importantly, the extent to which they serve as a role model for other young professionals

A maximum of five entrants will be shortlisted and notified in late October. They may be approached by the judges at this point for further information, but there will be no interview as such. Short profiles of the candidates will appear in ‘Planning’ in November and their entry material will be placed on the Institute website at the same time. From this point all Institute members will be invited to vote for their preferred candidate electronically or by post. The winner will be announced at the RTPI Planning Awards ceremony on 3 February 2011 at the London Hilton, for which all shortlisted candidates will receive a complimentary invitation as guests of the RTPI.

Closing date Monday 27 September 2010

There is no fee for nominations.

The prize

The winner will receive a place at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference in Boston, Massachusetts from 9 – 13 April 2011. This will include flights, accommodation and £200.00 spending money. Please note the prize is not exchangeable for cash and is not transferable.

In addition, the winner will also receive a place at the Planning Summer School where he/she will be asked to give a talk on their experiences in Boston. They will also have the opportunity to speak at the annual RTPI Young Planners’ conference, held usually in October.

Contact us

For questions regarding the online entry process, please call Adele Durham on 020 8267 4312 or email adele.durham@haymarket.com

For questions regarding the entry criteria please call Kate Webster on 020 7929 9470 or email kate.webster@rtpi.org.uk