Communication Award

The Communication Award was introduced in 1998 to recognise excellence in communication with stakeholders. Separate Awards for communication are now offered for the private, public and not-for-profit (charities, clubs and community bodies) sectors.

The annual report should be easy to read and engage with the reader who might not be financially literate. The graphics and text should complement each other. Copy should be crisp and clear and avoid clichés. It should be written with enthusiasm and passion.

The report should be easy to navigate and the content capable of being skimmed. The report should focus on the reader and what the organisation wants the reader to get from the report.

The following criteria are specific to annual reports, printed/PDF.

Criteria specific to interactive annual reports are provided under Criteria for the Online Reporting Award.

The written component should:

Convey clearly the important messages.

• Are major events covered? Is the importance of each event well explained? Does it describe products or services well?

• Is there a comparison with at least last year’s performance? Are there any discrepancies? If so, what is being done about them?

• Is the writing clear and concise? Is the report written with vigour and pace? Is it technically correct (i.e. grammar, spelling, punctuation etc.)? Is it written in plain English with short words and short sentences? Does it use active rather than passive voice?

• Is it free of jargon? Are technical terms explained? Are figures presented in easy-to-understand format?

• Are headings and sub-headings more than just labels? Are they active and interesting?

• Is there balance between amount of words and visual layout?

Promote a sense of a strong corporate identity, values and culture?

• Does the report present a strong reflection of the organisation’s identity, values and culture?

Inspire confidence in the organization?

• Does the report convey an impression that the organization has a clear idea of what it is doing and where it is going?

The graphics and production components should:

Attract attention

• Does the design encourage the reader to open the report? Is there a strong cover statement?

• Does it hold the reader’s interest once inside?

• Does it support a theme or message?

• Is the design functional and help understanding?

Stimulate readership

• Are all four covers used to maximum advantage to encourage readership? Is the typeface readable? Is it of a suitable size? Are the headings and sub-headings active and interesting? Are they used to enhance the text and not just labels? Is information cross-indexed well? Are there effective readership-enhancing devices such as breakout quotes?

Facilitate comprehension and understanding

• Is the design functional and does it work in harmony with the text to make the report readable and assist in understanding? If colour is used, does it add to the communication? Can it be understood by readers who may not be financially literate? Are the figures presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format?

Facilitate navigation

• Does the design encourage selective reading (i.e. does it allow easy identification and selection of material of interest)?