Judging Criteria Glossary
Each award has specific Judging Criteria and many awards share similar criteria. For further clarity, these criteria are defined in detail below. Each criterion within a category needs to be addressed, however, the nominator reserves the right to only answer those bullet points deemed applicable to their submission. The judges welcome creative responses with quantifiable information. The online nomination form allows no more than 300 words per criterion. Criteria listing is in alphabetical order.
- Achievements
- Benefit to Community
- Challenges
- Commercial Availability
- Commercial Viability
- Communications Program
- Decisiveness
- Employee Participation
- Financial Results*
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Net Job Growth
- Operational Excellence and Adaptability
- Peer Recognition
- Results (Non-Financial)
- Scope
- Strategic Vision
- Technologically Proven
-
Benefit to Community
- 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 the size of the nominated company or organization
- Start and end date of the project(s)
- Examples of successes projected and achieved
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
Challenges
- Technical complexity
- Technical innovation (overcoming "it can't be done")
- Environmental, social, or political difficulties in the path of completing a project
- The complexity of the access to finance, where appropriate
- How did you overcome the challenges? What solutions were implemented toward crisis management?
In assessing challenges, judges will want to know about:
-
Commercial Availability
- What date did the technology begin generating revenue from third parties?
- Quantify the number of customers using or have implemented the technology, and the geographical footprint of your customer base.
- How much revenue has the solution generated?
Of technology, product, or solution:
-
Commercial Viability
- Must be tested and proven, pilot phases are considered
- Evidenced potential for financial success, market demand or response
- Overall practicality and usefulness
- Adaptability to market
Of technology, product, or solution:
-
Communications Program
- Internal and external communication
- Public relations outreach
- Innovative marketing strategies
- Creative marketing tactics, including TV, radio, social media, and direct marketing
Judges will want to know about:
-
Decisiveness
- Making effective decisions quickly, first movers
- Committing resources and manpower to a decision
- Ability to see the end-goal, making difficult decisions with resolve
Characterized by and judged on:
-
Employee Participation
- Percentage of employees actively involved in the program
- Person-hours devoted to the program
- Autonomy of employees in setting program goals, managing program
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
Financial Results*
- 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
- For projects specifically, sound financing
- In the case of energy-producing companies, reserve replacement figures
- A copy of the latest financial or annual report (URL is acceptable)
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered.
The below items can be displayed as percentages or hard data. Judges would like to see:
*Where financial results are a criterion for a Project or Grid Edge Award, a detailed summary of the cost-savings, increased profitability, increased customer capture, etc. should be submitted.
-
Innovation
- Creativity: Does the entry represent a clear departure from previously established methods or processes? Or is it simply an adaptation of an existing approach?
- Is the innovation cost-effective and sustainable? Does it reduce emissions?
- 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 s/he 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 in a given time period?
- For Deal of the Year, what creativity was used to close the deal?
A project, technology, or transaction will be judged "innovative" by using the following:
-
Integrity
- Overall ethical standards
- Commitment to a chosen path
- Communication and commitment to stated values
- Demonstration of stated values into actual behavior
- Environmental, regulatory, and social responsibility
Whether for a company or an individual, judges will evaluate integrity on:
-
Leadership
- 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 well-established leader and role model
- Demonstrating a visible presence and vocalizing clear communication to employees and the industry as a whole on the company's stance around global issues
Combining many of the characteristics of Strategic Vision and Decisiveness, this criterion is defined by:
-
Net Job Growth
- Permanent, sustainable positions; are they global and/or domestic?
- Not outsourced or imported in the country(ies) of operation
- In the case of technology, include efficiencies that have impacted net jobs
Judges want to know how many "real jobs" were created or saved. Jobs that are:
-
Operational Excellence and Adaptability
- Crisis Management: devising and implementing necessary protocols to deal with severe conditions, including pandemic and economic duress
- Safety: commitment to and record of safety for employees, environment, and local communities
- Data integrity: protection of customer information and data security
- Protection of virtual and physical systems from cyberattacks, including control systems and infrastructure
- Technical excellence and timely completion of projects
- The overall quality of project management
- Evidence of sustainable corporate growth
- Meeting of financial, business, construction, and other targets
- An account and details, where appropriate, of a company's risk management
Judges will look for, where appropriate:
-
Peer Recognition
- Visibility and presence within the industry
- Industry awards
- Published articles, papers, and media interviews
Judges will be influenced by the extent to which the candidate is well-known and admired in their chosen area of business, and the extent to which they are seen as a role model for others.
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Quantified results from a specific program or technology
- Positive impact on customers or the industry
-
-
Scope
- The need for this project; infrastructure, demand, growth
- Complexity: number of interlocking sub-projects
- Estimated completion time
- Geographical scope (single site/multi-site/multinational)
- Impact on employees
- Impact on communities (especially in Corporate Social Responsibility)
- Impact on the industries
Scope of projects will be judged on:
-
Strategic Vision
- Evidence of a long-term, coherent set of aspired goals
- Evidence of a planned series of steps leading to the achievement of the vision
- Evidence of real transformation due to a result of the "vision"
- In the case of a person, demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate the vision and inspire others
In judging the "vision" of a person, company, or project, judges will seek:
-
Technologically Proven
-
Results from extensive stress tests and any other testing
- Superior outcomes in energy efficiency compared to competing products, designs, and installations
- Reliable performance and practical application
-
-
Achievements
-
Achievements
This criterion is specific to all individual awards categories (e.g. Chief Executive). Judges will expect to review a résumé of notable business, academic or other achievements from the candidate.
-
-
Benefit to Community
-
Benefit to Community
- 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 the size of the nominated company or organization
- Start and end date of the project(s)
- Examples of successes projected and achieved
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
-
Challenges
-
Challenges
- Technical complexity
- Technical innovation (overcoming "it can't be done")
- Environmental, social, or political difficulties in the path of completing a project
- The complexity of the access to finance, where appropriate
- How did you overcome the challenges? What solutions were implemented toward crisis management?
In assessing challenges, judges will want to know about:
-
-
Commercial Availability
-
Commercial Availability
- What date did the technology begin generating revenue from third parties?
- Quantify the number of customers using or have implemented the technology, and the geographical footprint of your customer base.
- How much revenue has the solution generated?
Of technology, product, or solution:
-
-
Commercial Viability
-
Commercial Viability
- Must be tested and proven, pilot phases are considered
- Evidenced potential for financial success, market demand or response
- Overall practicality and usefulness
- Adaptability to market
Of technology, product, or solution:
-
-
Communications Program
-
Communications Program
- Internal and external communication
- Public relations outreach
- Innovative marketing strategies
- Creative marketing tactics, including TV, radio, social media, and direct marketing
Judges will want to know about:
-
-
Decisiveness
-
Decisiveness
- Making effective decisions quickly, first movers
- Committing resources and manpower to a decision
- Ability to see the end-goal, making difficult decisions with resolve
Characterized by and judged on:
-
-
Employee Participation
-
Employee Participation
- Percentage of employees actively involved in the program
- Person-hours devoted to the program
- Autonomy of employees in setting program goals, managing program
Specific to Corporate Social Responsibility, this criterion will be judged on:
-
-
Financial Results*
-
Financial Results*
- 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
- For projects specifically, sound financing
- In the case of energy-producing companies, reserve replacement figures
- A copy of the latest financial or annual report (URL is acceptable)
All financial results must be in US dollars to be considered.
The below items can be displayed as percentages or hard data. Judges would like to see:
*Where financial results are a criterion for a Project or Grid Edge Award, a detailed summary of the cost-savings, increased profitability, increased customer capture, etc. should be submitted.
-
-
Innovation
-
Innovation
- Creativity: Does the entry represent a clear departure from previously established methods or processes? Or is it simply an adaptation of an existing approach?
- Is the innovation cost-effective and sustainable? Does it reduce emissions?
- 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 s/he 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 in a given time period?
- For Deal of the Year, what creativity was used to close the deal?
A project, technology, or transaction will be judged "innovative" by using the following:
-
-
Integrity
-
Integrity
- Overall ethical standards
- Commitment to a chosen path
- Communication and commitment to stated values
- Demonstration of stated values into actual behavior
- Environmental, regulatory, and social responsibility
Whether for a company or an individual, judges will evaluate integrity on:
-
-
Leadership
-
Leadership
- 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 well-established leader and role model
- Demonstrating a visible presence and vocalizing clear communication to employees and the industry as a whole on the company's stance around global issues
Combining many of the characteristics of Strategic Vision and Decisiveness, this criterion is defined by:
-
-
Net Job Growth
-
Net Job Growth
- Permanent, sustainable positions; are they global and/or domestic?
- Not outsourced or imported in the country(ies) of operation
- In the case of technology, include efficiencies that have impacted net jobs
Judges want to know how many "real jobs" were created or saved. Jobs that are:
-
-
Operational Excellence and Adaptability
-
Operational Excellence and Adaptability
- Crisis Management: devising and implementing necessary protocols to deal with severe conditions, including pandemic and economic duress
- Safety: commitment to and record of safety for employees, environment, and local communities
- Data integrity: protection of customer information and data security
- Protection of virtual and physical systems from cyberattacks, including control systems and infrastructure
- Technical excellence and timely completion of projects
- The overall quality of project management
- Evidence of sustainable corporate growth
- Meeting of financial, business, construction, and other targets
- An account and details, where appropriate, of a company's risk management
Judges will look for, where appropriate:
-
-
Peer Recognition
-
Peer Recognition
- Visibility and presence within the industry
- Industry awards
- Published articles, papers, and media interviews
Judges will be influenced by the extent to which the candidate is well-known and admired in their chosen area of business, and the extent to which they are seen as a role model for others.
-
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Results (Non-Financial)
-
Quantified results from a specific program or technology
- Positive impact on customers or the industry
-
-
-
Scope
-
Scope
- The need for this project; infrastructure, demand, growth
- Complexity: number of interlocking sub-projects
- Estimated completion time
- Geographical scope (single site/multi-site/multinational)
- Impact on employees
- Impact on communities (especially in Corporate Social Responsibility)
- Impact on the industries
Scope of projects will be judged on:
-
-
Strategic Vision
-
Strategic Vision
- Evidence of a long-term, coherent set of aspired goals
- Evidence of a planned series of steps leading to the achievement of the vision
- Evidence of real transformation due to a result of the "vision"
- In the case of a person, demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate the vision and inspire others
In judging the "vision" of a person, company, or project, judges will seek:
-
-
Technologically Proven
-
Technologically Proven
-
Results from extensive stress tests and any other testing
- Superior outcomes in energy efficiency compared to competing products, designs, and installations
- Reliable performance and practical application
-
-