Volunteers can fulfil five main roles on the day of a competition:
Each role throughout the duration of the competition can accumulate various other minor roles and responsibilities, such as: leading Tech Talks, organising elections and organising food arrangements. Additionally, volunteers can also take on administrative roles in assisting the SSEF in setting up events, producing newsletters, constructing RFPs etc. A strong relationship between CEOs and TAs/Red Reviewers is critical to ensuring the smooth running of a Space Design Competition. CEOs should encourage their company to make use of the TAs at all opportunities. Similarly, TAs should validate the advice provided by a CEO if it is not being taken into consideration by competitors.
All volunteers should work together to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of students is kept to the fore of activity throughout the course of a competition. All volunteers should be able to identify when students are overwhelmed by the task, the behaviour of teammates or the conditions of the room. It is perfectly normal for a student to feel stressed or overwhelmed. In instances where a student is feeling unwell, volunteers should discreetly pass their name and school to the SSEF staff present so that they can then contact the particular adult supervisor for that student.
This competition cycle welcomes the roles of the Advisor and the Client representative. The roles CEO and TA will transition into the roles of an Advisor and a Client Representative respectively.
Presenters are volunteers who conduct the Induction Briefings and Tech Talks held at the start of the competition. The induction Briefing, which typically lasts 25-30 minutes, gives a brief overview of the task, the timetable of the day, how a company is structured, final presentation requirements and the space quiz . A Tech Talk, which typically lasts 7-8 minutes, covers each department’s responsibilities and design considerations. Presenters should deliver informative, punctual and engaging presentations that should aim to not only but also students.
CEOs are volunteers assigned to a company to guide the students through the competition without directly contributing to their proposal. You should be the first port of call for all students about technical, organisational and operational advice. You should foster an environment where competitors make use of your services by working with the executives to set internal deadlines, check for compliance and comment on the presentation quality.
Technical Advisors, TAs, are volunteers who float around the companies acting as sounding boards for competitor design ideas. During this, they answer queries about the Request for Proposal, the compliance of designs and the quality of designs. A TA’s main aim is to allow the students to think through the technical feasibility and justification of their design choices. You should foster an environment where competitors make use of your services by supporting good ideas with enthusiasm, proving tactful criticism of design ideas that require development and ensuring competitors return to work with a clear understanding of what they should do next.
Red Reviewers, a role used at nationals only, are volunteers which conduct a 30 minute review of the proposal, split into 20 minutes of reviewing the design and 10 minutes for questions. The Red Reviewer also has the ability to act as a Judge or a TA at various points in the competition. You should foster an environment where competitors feel comfortable to make full use of your service by providing points of constructive criticism, praise and questions aimed to develop design concepts or highlight areas of improvement. There should be an emphasis placed on the fact that the purpose of the review is for the competitors to receive feedback and that this is not part of the judging process.
Judges are experienced volunteers and representatives of industry and academia who asses company proposals during their final presentations. These final Presentations typically last for 20 minutes at regional events with 5 minutes for questions and 35 minutes with 10 minutes for questions at the National final . Judges should asses proposals on their ability to fulfil the RFP. This includes the feasibility and creativity of the proposal as well as individual, detailed solutions.
Advisors, a role implemented at the larger competitions , are volunteers assigned to a company to guide the students through the competition without directly contributing to their proposal. You should be the first port of call for all students about technical, organisational and operational advice whilst directing students to Client Representatives for a more in depth technical analysis. You should foster an environment where competitors make use of your services by working with the executives to set internal deadlines, check for compliance and comment on the presentation quality.
Purpose: It should be to assess the progress of a company’s proposal at the halfway point of the competition.
Duration: It should be no longer than 20 minutes.
Who: It should be chaired by the Company Advisor.
Preparation:
During the review:
Client Representatives, a role implemented at the larger competitions, are volunteers who answer queries about the Request for Proposal, the compliance of designs and the quality of designs. You will be located in one place throughout the completion so that they are accessible to all companies. You should foster an environment where competitors make use of your services by supporting good ideas with enthusiasm, proving tactful criticism of design ideas that require development and ensuring competitors return to their company with a clear understanding of what they must do next.
1. You should make a note of the student’s name, company and details of their query.
2. The Client Representative should allow the participant to outline their problem and ask questions to clarify that they understand the participant’s problem in its entirety.
3. Work with the student to break down the problem and help them solve the first step.
4. The Client Representative should prompt the student about what they think should be done next to continue working on the problem. (EG: “what would you do next now that we have solved this first step?”)
Primary role: Client Representative
Secondary role: Advisor
Primary role: Judge
Secondary role : Advisor, Client Representative
Primary role: Presenters
Secondary role: Client Representatives
Primary role: Advisor, Client Representative
Secondary role: Judge
Primary role: Advisor
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Advisors should remind them that they have an internal design review. Once they've read through the RFP, competitors should work with you to establish what they wish to deliver in the review.
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Primary role: Client representative
Whilst elections take place, set up the Client Representatives room/ booth/ table. The SSEF organisers on the day of the competition will help you with setting up.
You will be notified when this has been released on the day.
Both Client Representatives and Advisors should at the appropriate time read the RFP themselves.
Primary role: Advisor
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Primary role: Advisor
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Client Representatives during work periods should be present at their meeting location throughout the day and should take it in turns to deal with multiple requests from competitors.
Primary role: Client Representatives
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Both Client Representatives and Advisors should ensure that students have lunch during the day.
Secondary role: Advisor
Advisors should constantly be present in the company room and ready to answer competitor queeries.
Primary role: Advisor
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Client Representatives during work periods should be present at their meeting location throughout the day and should take it in turns to deal with multiple requests from competitors.
Primary role: Client Representative
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This is a 20 minute internal review where Client Representatives and Advisors can give competitors feedback on previously determined deliverables.
Primary role: Advisor, Client Representative
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Advisors should constantly be present in the company room and ready to answer competitor queeries.
Client Representatives during work periods should be present at their meeting location throughout the day and should take it in turns to deal with multiple requests from competitors.
Primary role: Client Representative
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Secondary role: Client Representative
Primary role: Advisor
Secondary role: Client Representative
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Judges asses presentations which typically last and then answer 10 minutes of Questions following the proposal.
Primary role: Judge
Secondary role: Advisor, Client Representative
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Primary role: Judge
Secondary role: Client Representative