| Who makes this decision? | Score Master and Tournament Director |
|---|---|
| Who needs to be informed? | Score Room Team |
While providing a stimulating competitive environment, we strive to protect the privacy of all competitors.
In this task, you consider the score features that affect the confidentiality of the scores and score results. Because there are no clear correct answers to these questions, it's important to consider the expectations and reactions of participants in your region when making these decisions.
This section includes the following topics:
Scores are both very private and obviously public. Scores deserve protection, both to shield the appraisers from challenge or retribution, and to protect the feelings of our young competitors. On the other hand, the teams have a right to see how their solutions were judged, which elements were strong, and which need improvement.
Destination Imagination allows teams to see their raw scores (after the scores of individual appraisers have been combined), and to see their final scaled scores. It is important that the scores are shared with the team. It is equally important that decisions of individual appraisers are strictly private.
As Score Master, you will have to balance these interests. Make sure that the score room is completely private. Emphasize to all score room personnel, including score runners, that they should never divulge internal score data or discuss conversations held in the score room.
Issues are particularly sensitive. Make sure that the issues raised are not shared with uninvolved parties. In so doing, we allow everyone to have their ideas heard without embarrassment.
The score room must protect the confidentiality of team paperwork and reports. Team paperwork should never be carried outside of the score room unless it is enclosed in a folder or envelope. Reports, particularly reports with appraiser's raw scores and reports of issues, must also be enclosed in a folder or envelope whenever they leave the score room.
Finally, be sure that the confidentiality rules for the score room are well known to all who enter, including tournament officials, Head Appraisers, and Challenge Masters.
Some reports are designed to be posted in public areas, such as in hallways or media information rooms, or on the World Wide Web. You can configure the reports to conform to your sense of what is appropriate to share.
In particular, you can configure the following report features:
In general, posted reports include ranking of the top scoring teams, but they do not include scores.
When the tournament is complete, you will be deluged with requests for the results. Consult with the Tournament Director and decide in advance how the results are to be delivered. Decide which reports will be distributed, and how and to whom they will go. Then, post the procedures for picking up score reports. Finally, be sure you have enough people to staff the distribution site.
Although special awards are not directly related to scores, the award nomination forms are often kept in the score room. These nominations should remain private.
Establish a location where award nominations are kept and make sure that the forms are not visible to passers by.
Also, establish specific confidentiality rules for the awards to protect the nominees and the nominators from embarrassment.
When your planning is complete, write a memo describing the policy, have it approved by the Tournament Director, and distribute it to all tournament staff. Then, have copies available and posted during the tournament.
Be sure that your policy is well known to the scoring room staff, and fully supported by the Tournament Director and other tournament officials. Most importantly, enforce your policy without exception. Remember that a good public relations policy protects the privacy of participants and tournament staff and shows respect for all involved.
When your public policy memo is approved by the Tournament Director, make a note of it on your Planning Worksheet and check off the Design a Scoring Room Public Relations Policy item.