Excellence in Digital Planning Practice
Overview
This award celebrates the outstanding use of digital technology. We're looking for exceptional work in areas such as:
- Local Plans and policy writing
- Masterplanning and design codes
- Housing land availability studies and other baseline evidence
- Development Management
- Consultation and community engagement
- Improved back-office processes
- Improved public access to planning information
- Tools for evidence-based decision-making
All submissions will need to show how the preparation and/or content of the digital approach goes above and beyond good practice: why does it warrant an award for excellence?
Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:
- Statistical data
- Qualitative assessments
- Survey results
- Visual documentation
- Testimonials
Eligibility
The technology / digital approach must have been adopted/implemented between 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2024. Digital approaches that have previously won an RTPI Award for Planning Excellence cannot be resubmitted. Digital approaches that were previously shortlisted or commended may be resubmitted.
Projects must have been completed in accordance with the approved plans and in compliance with any planning conditions and must not be subject to ongoing formal enforcement action. If this arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing [email protected]
Judging Criteria
The following questions include prompts to help you answer – these are to provide a guide and you only need to answer the ones relevant to your submission.
Where possible, please link your answers to the UN sustainable development goals.
Important: All entries must provide evidence of success, not just intentions. We accept both quantitative metrics and qualitative evidence, including but not limited to:
- Statistical data
- Qualitative assessments
- Survey results
- Visual documentation
- Testimonials
Projects must have been completed in accordance with the approved plans and in compliance with any planning conditions and must not be subject to ongoing formal enforcement action. If this arises following submission, you are required to notify us by emailing [email protected]
Assessment Areas
1. Project Excellence
Explain how your project demonstrates excellence in digital technology, including:
- Meeting user needs
- Addressing some of planning’s biggest challenges
- Evidence of positive impact
- Improving access to information, data and evidence to inform decision-making
- Improving access to information or services for stakeholders or customers
- Making planning services inclusive and accessible
- Easy data portability, data sharing and/or flexible licencing
- Engagement with the wider community
- Showcasing cutting-edge innovation
- Efficiency/cost savings
- Managing – carbon footprint
2. The role of planners
Highlight the specific contribution of planners to your project’s success and long-term benefits relevant to this category.
- What lessons / best practice could be taken away from your project and applied elsewhere?
- How did planners demonstrate leadership and/or work collaboratively with other professionals?
3. User and Stakeholder Engagement
Describe your user and stakeholder engagement approach relating to your digital project, highlighting:
- Innovation and reach
- Evidence of the scope and success of the engagement
- Approaches/methods used to ensure the digital project is accessible and inclusive
- How user feedback and responses have shaped the project
- How the digital project addresses barriers and promotes inclusivity
- Please include any relevant statistics and reference how the project responded to that feedback