Verification Statement

This is the fourth year that Arthur D. Little has undertaken the verification of these Awards. As a result, we have largely repeated the methodology used last year whilst at the same time following up issues and recommendations previously made.

• A thorough review of the mechanics of the Awards process;
• An examination of materials used for the marketing and promotion of the awards and briefing of entrants, assessors and judges;
• A review of the Awards surgeries to review draft submissions;
• A review of the management of data in the collation of submissions; 
• A detailed review of the robustness of the assessment and judging process including attendance at a sample of assessment and judging events;
• A review of the skills and resources applied throughout this process;
• The provision of independent advice where disputes or concerns arose;
• Scrutinising and challenging the working methods used by the Business in the Community Awards team on a regular basis.

Based on our observations, we conclude that the process followed for the Business in the Community 2006/7 Awards for Excellence continues to be inclusive, fair and objective. We also conclude that Business in the Community have applied an effective, robust and thorough process for managing the Awards for Excellence. 

• The professionalism and diligence of the Awards for Excellence team was again proved this year and they remain highly committed to ensuring that the Awards process is managed effectively. The team are effectively implementing recommendations from last year. 
• The Awards were marketed and promoted widely. This year a series of surgeries was run for the first time, whereby applicants can attend a one-to-one review of their initial submission with the awards team. We recommend that next year such surgeries are split according to whether a company is seeking advice on which category to enter or whether they seek advice on their draft submission in order to better address their needs.
• New awards, such as the EDF Energy Environmental Leadership Award and the Jubilee Award, generated significant interest and high quality entries. However, we recommend that Business in the Community make the eligibility criteria for new awards more explicit in 2008 as several companies misunderstood the criteria this year.
• We were satisfied with the assessment process for scoring submissions and observed greater rigour in ensuring consistency in scoring. Next year we recommend Business in the Community select assessment days more carefully to reduce the likelihood of assessors dropping out 
• The judging process was found to be impartial, objective and fair. Contenders were given sufficient time to present their case and Judges applied challenging questions and thorough selection techniques. 
• Any disputes arising from the Awards process were dealt with professionally as and when they arose.

We have submitted a detailed management report to Business in the Community to support this verification statement. This report includes a set of recommendations for further improvements to the awards for subsequent years.

Richard Clarke
Director of Sustainability and Risk
June 2007 

For queries and information on assurance matters, contact Rachel Batley on 0870 3366 735.