TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR MEDIA JUDGES

Habitat for Humanity Uganda – National Awards under the Home Equals Campaign.

1. Overview

Habitat for Humanity Uganda (HFHU) is organizing the National Media and Innovative Students Awards, a prestigious event aimed at recognizing excellence in media reporting and student innovation that aligns with HFHU’s mission of promoting sustainable housing and community development. To ensure fairness and credibility, HFHU seeks qualified individuals to serve as judges for the awards.

2. Purpose of the Judges Panel

The judges will be responsible for assessing entries in designated categories, ensuring an impartial and professional evaluation of the submissions. Judges will select three (3) winners from each category who exemplify creativity, impact, and alignment with HFHU’s Home Equal campaign objectives as well as the mission and vision.

3. Objectives

• To evaluate and score submissions based on predefined criteria.
• To provide fair and constructive feedback on entries.
• To contribute to the integrity and credibility of the awards process.

4. Scope of Work

Judges will undertake the following tasks:

Pre-Evaluation

Orientation Session:

• Attend a briefing session to understand HFHU’s mission, award objectives, and judging criteria. Review of Guidelines:
• Familiarize themselves with judging guidelines, scoring rubrics, and entry requirements.
• Evaluation Process

Assessment of Entries:

• Review media submissions across the different categories (e.g., articles, videos, projects).
• Evaluate based on criteria such as relevance, creativity, innovation, impact, and adherence to HFHU themes (e.g., access to basic services in informal settlements, coverage on tenure security, empowered participation, affordable housing, community impact, and sustainability).

Scoring and Feedback:

• Assign scores based on the rubric provided by HFHU.
• Provide written feedback on submissions, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement.

Deliberations:

• Participate in panel discussions to determine winners and resolve scoring discrepancies.
• Event Participation

Award Ceremony:

• Attend the event as part of the judging panel (in person or virtually, as applicable).
• Present awards or provide brief remarks, if requested.

5. Deliverables

• Completed evaluation forms for all assigned entries.
• Summary of scores and comments for each submission.
• A consensus on the winners in all assigned categories.

6. Criteria for Judges

The ideal judge must have:

• Expertise in media, journalism, communication, education, or related fields.
• Knowledge of community development issues, including housing and sustainability.
• Proven track record of impartiality and professional judgment.
• Strong analytical and evaluative skills.
• Availability during the evaluation and awards timeline.

7. Key Dates

Judges Orientation Session: 27th January 2025. Entry Evaluation Period: 28th to 29th January 2025. Panel Deliberation Meeting: 30th January 2025. Awards Ceremony: Friday, 31st January 2025

8. Roles and Responsibilities

9. Confidentiality

Judges are required to:

• Maintain confidentiality of all entries and deliberations.
• Avoid any conflict of interest by declaring any potential biases prior to evaluation.

10. Compensation

Judges will receive:

• Compensation for any pre-approved expenses incurred during the evaluation process.

11. Application Process

Interested candidates should submit:

A brief bio (2 pages) highlighting relevant expertise and experience, interest of undertaking the assignment and past experience serving as a judge or evaluator

Submission Deadline: 22nd January 2024.

Submit To: procomm@hfhuganda.org

12. Evaluation Criteria for Judges’ Selection

Judges will be selected based on:

• Relevant professional experience.
• Understanding of media and innovation issues.
• Demonstrated ability to provide fair and constructive evaluations.