The International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), an initiative of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), continues to foster excellence and the global competitiveness of government communication professionals in the region, as it opened registrations to the 9th annual Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA) on today ( Tuesday 12th April ) with two new award categories targeting UAE university youth and women’s empowerment in the workplace.
The 16 categories of the region’s leading award in government communication span diverse geographies and themes. These aim to foster best professional practices in the field, locally, regionlly, and internationally, by recognising outstanding achievements by individuals and organisations, and providing a vibrant global platform for knowledge exchange in the field of government communication.
Registrations will close on July 14, and nominations are being accepted as follows – one category is dedicated to Sharjah, three for the UAE, six for the Arab world, while six categories will accept entries from around the world.
The award ceremony will be held on the sidelines of the International Government Communication Forum 2022, organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
Nominations for the 15 award categories can be made via direct submissions, could be chosen by partners, or decided by voting and an independent jury.
Two new award categories
In its 2022 edition, SGCA has expanded its scope with the addition of two new award categories. The Best University Student Initiative, held in partnership with the United Arab Emirates University, will see the 2022 edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) present a two-day challenge for university students to develop initiatives and programmes that upskill graduates in government communication technologies and skillsets of the future to enable them to compete in the job market.
The second award category titled, The Best Government Communication Initiative that Empowers Women Economically (Global), targets government, semi-government and private entities that employ government communication tools, methods, and objectives to understand and support the vital and often unpaid roles undertaken by women in the business and enterprise environment.
It seeks to highlight women’s economic rights and enhance their social and political opportunities through programmes and initiatives that aim to activate their leadership and societal role.
Award categories
Categories that are accepting nominations via direct submission are: Best Public Communication by a Government Agency – Emirate of Sharjah, Government Communication Model Employee – United Arab Emirates; Best Crisis Response – United Arab Emirates; Best Government Communication Systems – Arab World; and Best Government Communication in Digital Media – Arab World; Best Environmental Policies and Practices – Arab World; and Best Applied Scientific Research in Government Communication – Global.
The categories under which nominations are selected by SGCA partners include: Best Youth-targeted Government Communication – Arab World; The Programme with the Greatest Influence on Social Responsibility – Global; Best Economic Organisation Supporting Emerging Projects – Global; Best Photo in Government Communication – Global; and Best Innovations in Government Communication – Global.
The categories for which nominations are submitted by the jury or by voting include: Best Media and Drama Content – Arab World and Best Social Media Influencer – Arab World.
Celebrating creativity and innovation
Commenting on the launch of the 9th Sharjah Government Communication Award, HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of SGMB, asserted that the Award aims to honour the national, regional and global achievements and innovative initiatives which promote best practices in government communication and cements the position of Sharjah and the UAE as global role models in upholding creativity and innovation.
Investing in creative talent
“This year’s edition of the Award has introduced two new categories to recognise creativity in the academic sector and women in the workplace because both hold immense power and talent to inspire and develop government communication best practices. By turning to university students, SGCA seeks to heighten the youth’s awareness and interest in the field as we offer them an impetus to put their knowledge to practice with the new award catergory. Moreover, our decision to celebrate initiatives that support women in the workplace reiterates SGCA’s mission to invest in human capital and celebrate their commitment to acting as agents of holistic development,” Allay added.
Extensive range of benefits for winners
IGCC has announced that winners in the individual categories will receive cash awards in addition to a bouquet of other incentives. All winners will be showcased on SGMB’s website under the ‘Inspirational Story’ banner and promoted extensively on the entity’s social media platforms. Winners will also gain access to IGCC’s calendar of events and training workshops, and feature in an academic book to be published and promoted in universities as a resource for students of media and communication. The centre will also facilitate support to execute the winning initiatives and projects.
Applications for the SGCA awards must be submitted online through www.igcc.ae and should include a video – not exceeding 5 minutes that introduces the initiative, and a word document with the name and logo of the entity, name and a brief of the initiative, date of submission, table of contents, and a foreword. The document should also include details of strategies, goals, and results, in line with the submission criteria for each award category, and must not exceed 1,000 words.
