1. Deadline for nominations: 31st March 2008
2. Eligibility: Individuals and organizations implementing HIV/AIDS strategies, campaigns and tools that advance the field of strategic communication and can be evaluated, adapted and applied as best practices.
3. Award categories:
   1. Best mass media strategy, campaign or tool.
   2. Best community/interpersonal strategy, campaign or tool.
   3. Best folk media strategy, campaign or tool.
   4. Best social marketing strategy, campaign or tool.
   5. Best multi-channel strategy, campaign or tool.
4. Award ceremony: June 2008, Kampala, Uganda
   Forms for nominations can be downloaded at AfriComNet website: http://www.africomnet.org or can be requested by email from AfriComNet secretariat information desk: infodesk@africomnet.org

More details about the second AfriComNet Annual Award for Excellence in HIV and AIDS Communication in Africa

Introduction

The African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet) is an association of strategic communication practitioners who reside, work or have a primary interest in Africa. 

The Network was born out of a close collaboration amongst common thinkers, all volunteers in effect, working in or close to the HIV-AIDS treatment, care or education arena in Africa. There was recognition of the severity of the continent’s HIV and AIDS epidemic and the need for a renewed emphasis on high-quality strategic communications as critical to the response.  AfriComNet was launched in October 2001 at a consultative meeting in Nairobi, Kenya as of December 2007 has approximately 758 members in 43 countries. This membership has a broad profile across all sectors working with HIV - AIDS. It comprises individuals, associations, governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community and faith-based organizations and educational institutions. Membership is currently free.

The vision of AfriComNet is “People in Africa making informed choices and taking action to improve their wellbeing”. Its mission is to “strengthen capacity in and commitment to strategic communication for health and development in Africa”. One of AfriComNet’s strategic objective is to promote effective Strategic Communication practices. In order to achieve this objective, AfriComNet has established an Award for Excellence in Strategic Communication. This will be an annual event in recognition of both individuals and organizations that would have made significant contribution to innovating, strengthening and popularizing strategic communication as a necessary tool for health and development.

2. Purpose of AfriComNet award is fivefold:

1. To recognize outstanding contributions made by individuals/organizations in strengthening and popularizing strategic communication as a necessary tool for health and development.
2. To encourage innovation and the highest standards of performance in strategic communication as a necessary tool for health and development.
3. To enhance appreciation of strategic communication as a necessary tool for health and development.
4. To attract outstanding individuals and organizations to advance careers in strategic communication.
5. To highlight strategies, programs and tools that advance the state-of-the-art in strategic communication and can be adapted and applied as best practices.

3. Award Categories

There are five award categories:

a.      Best mass media strategy, campaign or tool.
b.      Best community/interpersonal strategy, campaign or tool.
c.      Best folk media strategy, campaign or tool.
d.      Best social marketing strategy, campaign or tool.
e.      Best multi-channel strategy, campaign or tool.

4.         Eligibility

Strategic communication strategies, campaigns and tools will be judged according to the following criteria.

• The strategy, campaign or tool has made significant contribution to innovating, strengthening and popularizing strategic communication as a necessary tool for health and development.
• The creative individual behind the strategy, campaign or tool should be an African citizen or have worked in Africa for a period of more than two years.
• If a creative team is behind the communication initiative, at least one member of the team should be an African citizen.
• The initiative should have demonstrated success in communities, workplaces and organizations, meaning it has contributed to behavior change, better understanding of health, and improved well-being of the target audience.
• There should be measurable outcomes to show success of the strategic communication tools used to achieve improved well-being of the community.
• Communication interventions must have followed a strategic communication process including formative research and evaluation.

5. Nomination process

Strategic communication strategies, campaigns or tools will have to be nominated to receive an award.

The following procedure will be followed:

• Any person or organization can nominate an initiative.
• The nominator must describe his or her association with the nominated initiative.
• A summary of what the initiative has accomplished, and any impact documented, shall accompany the nomination.
• Two referees (individual, company or organization) shall be submitted as referees for the nominated initiative. The references shall have worked or associated with the creative individual/team for at least two years.
• The nominator will complete a standardized nomination form to help with consistency in the judging process.

Nomination forms can be downloaded at AfriComNet website:  www.afriomnet.org or  can be requested  by email from the  network secretariat  information desk: infodesk@africomnet.org

One soft copy or two hard copies of the nomination, with supporting materials as well as a photograph of the nominee or creative team, should be sent to: 

Executive Director, AfriComNet
Plot 77, Lithuli Avenue Bugolobi
P.O Box 3495
Kampala, Uganda.
Email: infodesk@africoment.org

Nomination Guidelines

1. Each entry requires a separate nomination form.
2. A product or campaign nominated for this award in a previous year does not qualify.  However, if the product is a regularly released series (e.g. radio, TV, column), and was nominated in a previous year, new material produced from 1^st Jan 2007 to –date, may be nominated for this year’s award.
3. All submitted materials will remain the property of AfriComNet.
4. AfriComNet reserves the right to disseminate, reproduce or publish any entry without payment for the purpose of sharing a particular innovative communication tool.
5. Participation in this competition will be deemed to constitute full and unconditional acceptance of its terms and conditions.
6. No responsibility is taken for entries lost, delayed or misdirected or incomplete due to server functions, virus, bugs, post delays, or any other cause outside AfriComNet’s control.
7. The competition will be judged by an assigned selection panel and the judges’ decision is final, no negotiation will be entered into.
8. Contact with any judges or AfriComNet staff for the purpose of securing favor for a nominee may subject that nominee to disqualification.
9. One prize will be awarded for each of the five categories.
10. Deadline for receiving the nominations is 31 March 2008.
11. Winners from each category will be contacted to let them know that their initiative is being considered for an AfriComNet Award. AfriComNet will meet the costs of one representative to travel to the selected venue where the annual award ceremony event will take place.
12. Announcement of the AfriComNet Annual winners will be made at a presentation dinner to be held in Kampala, Uganda in June 2008 (date to be determined).

If you have queries on any aspect of the competition, please send an email to: infodesk@africomnet.org.

5. The Prize

The AfriComNet award in each category shall be a fully paid trip to the award ceremony, as well as a plaque recognizing the contribution to strategic communication for health and development. No prize money will be offered.