Sharjah 24: The Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA), with its various annual updates based on the highest international standards, has succeeded in improving the mechanisms and methods of government communication, making it a global platform and a prominent landmark for those seeking excellence in the world of government communication.
The 11th edition of the award will receive, until August 1, innovative contributions, projects and initiatives that contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of communication between the government and the public.
The award will continue its role in promoting best communication practices by raising the level of competitiveness between various governments and local and international institutions, as it is witnessing great interest from various countries of the world.
His Excellency Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said: “In this year’s edition, the Sharjah Government Communication Award continues its journey in keeping pace with the rapid transformations by introducing innovative updates to it, as it reshapes the features of global competition by removing geographical barriers, which opens the way for participants from all over the world to compete in all categories.”
He added that this expansion is a strategic step that reflects the global ambition of the award and consolidates its position as a global platform for excellence in the field of government communication, pointing out that the award enhances the role of individuals in the communication sector by adding 4 new categories dedicated to individual awards, as these categories honour individual creativity in various forms of communication. While the award attracts the private sector by allocating 6 new categories that motivate companies to develop distinct communication strategies and creative solutions that serve society.
He highlighted that the award concluded, in its 11th edition, new strategic partnerships with prestigious international organisations such as Apolitical, CSO NETWORK, and UN DESA within the “Partner Awards” categories, which is a step that confirms the award’s pioneering role in promoting effective and influential communication at the international level, as the partnerships are the culmination of a decade of innovation in the field of government communication represents the award’s commitment to keeping pace with rapid changes while maintaining its vision of celebrating meaningful and influential communication initiatives and achievements.
He stressed that since its launch in 2013, the Sharjah Government Communication Award has been moving forward in enhancing government communication standards, demonstrating a firm commitment to recognising the changing nature of communication and interacting with these changes, by constantly adding new categories, this ensures that the Sharjah Government Communication Awards remain relevant to issues that touch societies and governments and comprehensive of new innovations, as these categories recognise all types and forms of new and emerging communication strategies.
He explained that the award represents a platform for excellence and is a qualitative leap in communication, as it contributes to the development of categories and mechanisms that respond to current challenges and helps achieve future aspirations for government communication, thanks to the diversity of its categories and their renewal every year in line with successive developments, the award attracts participants from various segments, including governmental and private institutions and even individuals, in addition to international organisations, which enhances inclusiveness and expands areas of influence.
Over the course of a decade, the award encouraged transparency and credibility in media discourse and improved the efficiency of mass communication messages, which contributes to enhancing the developmental role of government communication, until it became a pioneer in highlighting unique models in the government communication sector, as it continues to stimulate innovation and excellence in this field as well. It contributes to advancing government communication to new levels that achieve the strategic visions and goals of governments and international institutions and enhances their role in building an aware and engaged society.
He pointed out that the award has received more than 4,336 accepted nominations since 2013, which reflects the great interest and broad participation from various government and private entities, whether within the Emirate of Sharjah with 605 participants or at the UAE level with 2,789 participants, and even international participations amounted to 942 participants.
The Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau said: “The expansion of the scope of the award to include the Gulf and Arab region two years after its launch, and later to include entries from various countries of the world, made it an important station for communication experts and content creators, which contributed to raising the standards of government communication and promoting innovation in this field.”
He stated that the award was not limited to honouring only, but was an engine for positive change by consolidating best practices and supporting distinguished communication campaigns and initiatives, as it was a catalyst for communication sector specialists, including young people, media professionals, experts, academics, students, and others, to produce communication initiatives, works, or projects to participate in the award.
He said that the results of the award were used in its various editions to honour and support the winners by introducing their initiatives, providing media promotion, participating in training events, documenting their work in special publications, providing accreditation certificates, and searching for supporters for their projects.
He added that these continuous efforts contribute to serving society through its involvement in developments in government work and enhance the role of government communication as a bridge for effective communication between governments and communities.
He stressed that the process of evaluating entries in the Sharjah Government Communication Award is characterised by a multi-stage system that ensures accuracy and transparency in selecting the winners by first sorting the files by a specialised committee whose mission is to ensure that the files meet the basic standards and controls for submission, such as including an executive summary, organisation of the file, and using titles, paragraphs, and illustrative images, in addition to the standards for each category. Then the participating files move to the second stage, where a second evaluation committee begins to carefully examine the files according to specific criteria and prepares a list of distinguished files, setting clear and specific percentages for the criteria for the main jury, which has extensive experience and diverse cognitive, scientific and professional backgrounds in the field of communication, to then be received to a list that will filtered to the shortlist.
He said: “The stage of preparing the short list is a crucial step towards selecting the winners. At this stage, the jury sorts and discusses the submitted files and determines the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. The results are also presented based on the award criteria in preparation for selecting the winners who will be honoured at the awards ceremony.”
The Sharjah Government Communication Award is considered a global event par excellence, as it receives entries from various continents, which enhances its position as an international platform for excellence in the field of government communication. In the previous year alone, the award witnessed a remarkable geographical diversity in entries, with a wide representation of the world’s continents.
The Sharjah Government Communication Award demonstrates a firm commitment to continuous development and adaptation to rapid changes in the field of communication. In its early years, the award focused on establishing the basic principles of interactive communication, enhancing the relationship between institutions and the public to contribute to promoting and supporting development. The award also played an important role in enriching regional and global partnerships, benefiting from technological developments to facilitate communication and cultural exchange.
Over time, the award has developed into a global platform that attracts participants from all over the world, which is evidence of its geographical expansion and its growing influence on anticipating global developments, challenges and opportunities in government communication. This highlights its pivotal role in shaping the future of this vital field. It also confirms the importance of institutions adapting to the times and the needs of beneficiaries, which are renewed with every innovation the world witnesses.
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