Are the Awards making a difference?
The overwhelming message from the feedback we received in our most recent survey was ‘YES’ — the Awards are clearly continuing to make a difference to New Zealand organisations and to the public.
This brief report summarises the feedback and includes the actual survey responses at the end.
PDF of the 2015 survey report, including actual survey responses
PDF of the 2010 survey summary
We monitor the effect of the Awards through surveys
As organisers of the Plain English Awards, the WriteMark Trust follows the progress of entrants and sponsors with a keen eye — we’re always eager to hear of continued post-award success.
One of the ways we do this is by surveying past winners, finalists, and sponsors of the Awards. It’s our way of checking that the Awards continue to have an impact on the New Zealand public and the organisations that serve them.
Our thanks to all those who completed the survey. We were heartened by the feedback we received and the helpful suggestions for future Awards.
Survey looked into motivations and benefits
In the most recent survey we asked people who had participated in the 2014 and earlier Awards:
- What motivated you to enter the Awards?
- What benefits do you believe the Awards bring to New Zealand organisations?
- What benefits do you believe the Awards bring to the New Zealand public?
- Do you have any other comments and suggestions?
- When we asked you to be a sponsor, what motivated you to say yes?
- What are the benefits of sponsoring the Awards to your organisation?
A premier industry benchmark that reflects high standards and benefits everyone
As one respondent said, ‘The Awards are the premier industry benchmark for high standards and achievement in plain English. Success in the Awards shows we’re not only doing it [plain English], but doing it well and our expertise is being recognised.’
Another reported: ‘The Awards give us a standard of plain English excellence to aim for.’
Speaking of the impact on the public, another said, ‘The New Zealand public benefit from organisations that improve the quality of their writing and information design because it makes it easier for people to access information. The Awards also act as a public watchdog, highlighting examples of poor writing that are barriers to good communication and people achieving what they want to do.'
The overwhelming message from the feedback we received in our most recent survey was ‘YES’ — the Awards are clearly continuing to make a difference to New Zealand organisations and to the public.
As one respondent said, ‘The Awards are the premier industry benchmark for high standards and achievement in plain English. Success in the Awards shows we’re not only doing it [plain English], but doing it well and our expertise is being recognised.’
Another reported: ‘The Awards give us a standard of plain English excellence to aim for.’
Speaking of the impact on the public, another said, ‘The New Zealand public benefit from organisations that improve the quality of their writing and information design because it makes it easier for people to access information.