OSPRI
NAIT tutorial video — registering animals
Finalist: Best Plain English Turnaround
Judges' comment
The purpose is clearly stated at the beginning of the video, and the video covers what it says it will. The cover page (opening shot) is much more inviting and modern than the original. The original was very dated and technical looking.
The main message is clearly stated in the introduction and expanded on.
The tutorial has a logical flow, and is well paced. The feeling of the script is spacious and uncluttered.
Sentences are short and clear. The language in the new version is conversational, where the original sounded robotic. Small conversational flourishes lighten the technical detail without being superfluous. Best of all — the new version talks about animals! The original was all about the system.
The new video is a major improvement on the original. It would be interesting to do user feedback on your videos at some point to see how your users are finding the new ones.
The new video makes the task at hand feel easy. Nice work.
Media statement
OSPRI is delighted to be named a finalist in the WriteMark Plain English Awards for the Best Plain English Turnaround. As a first time entrant, this has given us confirmation that our communications are direct, effective, and easily understood.
OSPRI is a non-profit organisation managing New Zealand’s national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) programme and the TBfree programme. We communicate with the people who make up New Zealand’s agricultural backbone — farmers, landowners, contractors, and business owners.
We recently had an opportunity to reassess the way we communicate, to revisit our main documents and explore the use of online channels to convey important information. We approached our task with a fundamental commitment to using plain English to reinforce the accuracy, brevity, and clarity of all OSPRI collateral.
The language we use is often necessarily technical, and feedback from our farmer focus groups indicated a strong preference for simple, plain English to get the messages across. Because we’re making sure all our communications are easy to understand, farmers know how to meet their obligations. This supports our work towards livestock traceability and a TB-free New Zealand.