Judging Criteria Glossary
Each award is allocated specific judging criteria, and many awards share similar criteria. In the interests of clarity, these one-word criteria are for the first time defined in detail here. These are the guidelines the judges will refer to when they make their decisions. Listing is in alphabetical order.
Achievements
This criterion is specific to the Lifetime Achievement and CEO awards. Judges will expect to review a resume of notable business, academic or other achievements from the candidate
Benefit to Community
Specific to the Community Development Program award, this criterion will be judged on:
- Definition of a target community (generalized charity-giving will not be accepted)
- Size of community
- Measured improvements in the quality of life of the defined community
- Improvements achieved relative to size of nominee company or organization
Challenges
In assessing challenges, judges will want to know about:
- Technical complexity
- Technical innovativeness (overcoming "it can't be done")
- Environmental, social or political difficulties in the path of completing a project
- Complexity of access to finance (where appropriate)
Commercial Availability
Of product or design:
- Must be in production and generating revenue from third parties
Commercial Viability
Of product or design:
- Potential for financial success
- Overall practicality and usefulness
- Adaptability to market.
Customer Care
Will be judged on:
- Evidence of an embedded progressive strategy to improve the customer's experience
- Customer satisfaction levels (for businesses with retail customer exposure)
- Value for money
- Quantified research on brand perception
Decisiveness
Characterized by and judged on:
- Making decisions faster than competitors
- Committing resources and manpower to a decision
Employee Participation
Specific to the Community Development Program award of the Year, this criterion will be judged on:
- Percentage of employees actively involved in program
- Person-hours devoted to program
- Autonomy of employees in setting program goals, managing program
Financial Results
Judges would like to see:
- A detailed summary of revenue and net operating income (profits) for the different divisions of a business and the business as a whole over five years
- Growth figures and forward growth projections
- Customer growth figures where appropriate
- Figures for debt, credit-rating, market capitalization, and capital assets
- In the case of energy-producing companies, reserve replacement figures
- A copy of the latest company or annual report
- Where financial results are a criterion for a specific project or initiative, a detailed summary of the cost-savings / increased profitability / increased customer capture, etc.
Innovation
A project, piece of technology, or business process will be judged innovative using the following guidelines.
- Creativity: Does the entry represent a clear "break" with previously established methods or processes? Or is it simply an adaptation of existing techniques?
- Does the entry radically simplify or improve something? Or does the "innovation" simply consist of novelty?
- Is the innovation cost-effective and sustainable?
- Is the innovation likely to establish itself as standard industry practice within five years?
In the case of an individual, judges will look at the management style of the candidate:
- Does he or she propel their business through inventiveness?
- Does the individual encourage new ideas and risk-taking in their organization?
- How has the candidate demonstrated an ability to implement change?
Integrity
Whether for a company or an individual, judges will judge integrity on:
- Overall ethical standards
- Commitment to chosen courses
- Clarity of stated value
- Translation of stated values into actual behavior
- Environmental and social responsibility
Leadership
Combines many of the characteristics of vision and decisiveness. Judging criteria include:
- Demonstrated ability to persuade others to "buy into" a change or a new initiative
- Ability to work with diverse teams and sets of skills
- Ability to inspire emotional commitment, and respect for the person
- Commitment to serving and helping employees
- Seen by competitors as a leader and role model
Operational Excellence
Judges will look, where appropriate, for:
- Evidence of sustainable corporate growth
- Timely completion of projects
- Overall quality of project management
- Meeting of financial, business, construction and other targets
- Technical excellence
- Staff retention and turnover
- Safety record
- Environmental stewardship record
- An account and details, where appropriate, of a company's risk management strategy
Peer Recognition
Judges will be influenced by the extent to which the candidate company or person is well-known and admired in their chosen area of business and the extent to which the candidate is seen as a role model for others.
Results (non-Financial)
Means what it says:
- Quantified results from a specific program, initiative or activity
Scope
Scope of projects will be judged on:
- Complexity: number of interlocking sub-projects
- Estimated completion time
- Geographical scope (single site/multi-site/multinational)
- Impact on employees
- Impact on others (especially in Community Development program of the year award)
Sound Financing
The judges would like to know how the financing supports the business case for the project.
Provide a detailed summary of the following:
- Project Finance
- Return on Investment
- Cost-savings / increased profitability / increased customer capture, etc.
Strategic Vision
In judging the "vision" of a person, company or project, judges will look for:
- Evidence of a long-term, coherent set of aspirational goals
- Evidence of a planned series of steps leading to achievement of the vision
- Evidence of real transformation as a result of the "vision"
- In the case of a person, ability to communicate the vision and inspire others with it
Technologically Proven
- Subjected to extensive stress and other testing
- Superior in energy efficiency to competing products/designs/installations
- Superior in other efficiencies to competing products/designs/installations
- Reliable
- Practical
