DEADLINE: 28 June 2019

In 2018, the Professional Committee established the IFLA Dynamic Unit and Impact Award to recognise the Professional Units who excel at putting the expectations of a Dynamic Unit into practice. A Dynamic Unit has the greatest impact on IFLA’s global work – engaging members, developing strong leadership and identity, delivering high-quality services with a measurable impact, and communicating activities within IFLA and beyond. This is not a personal award, but rather an opportunity to recogise exceptional teamwork.

The 2019 IFLA Dynamic Unit and Impact Award winner will be announced during the Closing Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in August. 

The Award intends to stimulate outstanding work by Professional Units by:

  • Recognising and promoting excellent examples of Professional Unit work;
  • Highlighting the impact of the work of IFLA's professional groups.

Who Can Enter?

The Award may be presented to one or more IFLA Professional Units:

  1. Divisions
  2. Sections
  3. Special Interest Groups
  4. Strategic Programmes
  5. Core Activities

NOTE: The winning Unit(s) is not eligible to be nominated again in the year immediately following their win. Instead, a representative from that unit will be invited to join the jury that year. They can once again be nominated in subsequent years.

How to apply

Describe how the Professional Unit is fulfilling the criteria of a Dynamic Unit listed below in 300 words or less. Highlight creative approaches and clearly state what the outcomes and impact has been. You may include photos, video (see instructions on the submission form).

Submit your application

Criteria for evaluation

In the previous two years, the winning Unit(s) should have demonstrated the following expectations of a Dynamic Unit at a superior level. The winning Unit(s) must also have shared their Action Plan for 2019 or a summary of the year’s planned objectives and activities on their IFLA webpage in order to be considered.

Criteria 1: Quality and impact of the work, for example:

  • Effectively networking with its community in order to define and develop the Unit’s role in line with IFLA strategy and the general expectations of an IFLA Unit;
  • Synthesizing ideas and suggestions into clearly expressed and communicated objectives for the Unit that reflect IFLA’s strategy and unique position as a global library organisation;
  • Identifying and carrying out a variety of activities that contribute to achieving the objectives of the Unit and are communicated through a well-formulated Action Plan;
  • Thinking about how the results of its work are communicated for maximum impact;
  • Regularly reviewing and updating its activities to ensure they meet the changing demands and changing environment.

Criteria 2: Communications and impact, for example:

  • Implementing a written communication plan
  • Having frequent and regular communication within its own committee, with at least one (possibly online) meeting between Congresses;
  • Frequently and regularly communicating with its Members:
  • Proactively communicating its activities widely and reach out to other IFLA Units or other stakeholders in order to identify synergies;
  • Facilitating ongoing discussion with its community of interest, especially in order to identify ‘hot topics’ and where IFLA might have a role to play; Communicating and discussing progress and challenges with its Division Chair.
  • Increase publication output via IFLA’s publication channels (IFLA Journal, Professional Report series (online, Open Access publications), IFLA Publications series).

Criteria 3: Membership and leadership engagement and development, for example:

  • Attracting new members at each election;
  • Having an inclusive process that involves all members in both planning and execution;
  • Achieving diversity in its membership, and if this is not possible, actively seeking diverse views and input to its work, for example, in relation to geographical representation, gender and age;
  • Having capable leaders that: ensure the Unit has a clear goal and sense of direction and produces quality work; identify roles and responsibilities for others; ensure all members have a voice; communicate progress and problems to the Division Chair.
  • Having succession planning and mentoring in place for both the Officer roles and the member roles;
  • Ensuring there is continuity of activities when membership or responsibilities change, and that the transition to the new Committee in an election year is smooth;
  • Articulating what value a member gains from involvement;
  • Functioning effectively using volunteers, encouraging remote participation either of members who cannot attend physical meetings or people beyond the committee where relevant and appropriate;
  • Having involvement, partnerships and communication with relevant non-IFLA partners;
  • Having an international community that identifies itself as an active supporter of the Unit’s objectives or an active contributor to the Unit’s work and includes individuals who regularly and actively engage with the Unit.

Timeline

  • 7 June: deadline for nominations
  • Mid-July: shortlist announced
  • 29 August: presentation of award at WLIC Closing Ceremony

Questions? Contact us at professionalsupport@ifla.org

IFLA Headquarters
The Hague, 7 June 2019