Assessment process and criteria 

Assessment process

The Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards are managed through a nationally administered call for nominations and a three-step assessment process: 

• First, the Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards will review each nomination form to ensure the nominees are eligible for consideration for an award.
• Second, volunteer representatives of award category areas from across the country will review nominations received for the Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards. These volunteer regional reviewers will include individual volunteers and representatives of not-for-profit organizations and businesses that use innovative approaches to address social challenges. The regional reviewers will assess nominations based on the set of established assessment criteria set out below and develop a list of top-ranked nominations for assessment by the National Advisory Committee.
• Third, up to 15 volunteer National Advisory Committee members-selected by the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada-will evaluate the top-ranked nominees (determined by the regional reviewers) and recommend award winners to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Members of the National Advisory Committee will represent the voluntary, private and not-for-profit sectors, and various regions of the country. 

Assessment criteria

In the second and third stages of the assessment process, the nominee will be assessed according to six assessment criteria. Descriptions of the six assessment criteria for each of the award categories are detailed below. As a nominator, you must provide clear evidence that the nominee's contribution has excelled in all six criteria:

1. Role
2. Impact
3. Reach
4. Engagement
5. Challenges
6. Inspiration

Role

This criterion is worth a maximum of five points. In describing the role of the nominee, remember that you are essentially painting a picture of the nominee's contribution. Provide a brief description of the nominee's community contribution that can be shared with the nominee's Member of Parliament, the public and the media to highlight the nominee's contribution. 

For Emerging Leader, Community Leader and Lifelong Achievement, please indicate how the nominee has shown leadership to help his or her community take action to solve local problems or address local priorities. Also, point out what the nominee has done to help his or her community sustain activities that have brought about community-wide benefits. Describe how the nominee has made the community or community organization stronger, and how he or she has demonstrated leadership in developing solutions to local problems or priorities. 

If you are nominating a not-for-profit organization for Social Innovator, please indicate what role the nominee played to make its community stronger, and outline how the nominee employed innovative practices and experimented with new approaches to find solutions to local challenges and priorities. 

If you wish to nominate a business for Business Leader, please indicate how the nominee played a leadership role to develop solutions to address local social problems or priorities. For instance, describe the role the nominee played in contributing its time, expertise and resources to improving its community. 

Impact

This criterion is worth a maximum of fifteen points. Impact is the depth of the nominee's contribution and is one of the key considerations in the assessment process. The nomination text for Emerging Leader, Community Leader, Lifelong Achievement, Social Innovator and Business Leader should describe how the nominee's contribution has made a difference in the community. In addition, describe how the nominee's actions have made a lasting impact. Provide the evidence that exists to support the impact and its immediate effect. Also indicate whether the nominee built sustainability into their activities and if so, in what way, whether these activities addressed a priority in their community and how that priority was identified. 

If nominating a not-for-profit organization for Social Innovator, your nomination should also indicate if the nominee accessed diverse sources of funding other than that from the federal government. 

Reach

This criterion is worth a maximum of fifteen points. Reach is the breadth of the nominee's contribution and is one of the key considerations in the assessment process.  In describing the reach of the contribution for Emerging Leader, Community Leader, Lifelong Achievement, Social Innovator and Business Leader, describe who benefitted from the nominee's contribution. For instance, specify whether the beneficiaries of the nominee's activities are individuals, groups or the community as a whole. Also point out the relevance and importance of the benefits to the community generated by helping these individuals or groups. If the nominee's contribution benefitted a group, indicate approximately how many people benefitted, whether the benefit has expanded to include other beneficiaries since the initial activity, and whether the contribution made by the nominee has expanded beyond the nominee's community to benefit other communities or groups. 

Engagement

This criterion is worth a maximum of five points. For Emerging Leader, Community Leader and Lifelong Achievement, describe how the nominee's contributions to his or her community sparked teamwork among others. For instance, describe how the nominee engaged others in his or her efforts to make a difference in the community. Indicate if the nominee leveraged resources from others to address social challenges. Point out whether the nominee mobilized other people and resources to work toward common goals and the degree to which other partners were involved in the nominee's contributions and actions. 

For Social Innovator, describe how the nominee engaged others in collective efforts to make a difference in the community. Indicate if the nominee leveraged resources from others to address social challenges. Point out whether the nominee mobilized other not-for-profits, community organizations and private-sector companies to work toward common goals and the degree to which other partners were involved in the nominee's contributions and actions. 

When nominating a business for Business Leader, indicate if the nominee leveraged resources from others to address social challenges.. Point out whether the nominee mobilized people and resources to work toward common goals. Reveal whether the nominee developed programs or put in place support measures to help employees volunteer in-or donate to-their community and, if so, describe how these programs and support measures work and the impact they had, if they are different from the activities described in the rest of the nomination. 

Challenges

This criterion is worth a maximum of five points. When nominating an individual for Emerging Leader, Community Leader and Lifelong Achievement, describe how the nominee has overcome challenges to make a contribution in his or her community. For instance, describe the personal challenges-such as challenging life circumstances and limitations to his or her participation or activities-the nominee has overcome to make a difference in his or her community. Indicate the external challenges-such as living in a remote or rural location-that the nominee has had to overcome to make a difference in his or her community. 

For Social Innovator and Business Leader, describe how the nominee has overcome challenges to make a contribution in the community. For instance, is the nominee a small organization or small business? Is the nominee located in a rural or remote area? 

Inspiration

This criterion is worth a maximum of five points. For Emerging Leader, Community Leader and Lifelong Achievement, describe how the nominee has become a role model to others in his or her community, or in the community group in which the nominee makes his or her contribution. For instance, describe to what extent the nominee mentored others, formally or informally, on how to become involved in helping the community. Indicate how the nominee shared his or her experiences and knowledge, and the people with whom the nominee shared it. 

If nominating a not-for-profit organization for Social Innovator, the nomination should describe how the nominee has become a role model within the community. For instance, indicate whether the nominee is a role model within the not-for-profit sector. Describe to what extent the nominee mentored others, formally or informally, on how to become involved in helping the community. Indicate how the nominee shared their experiences, knowledge and expertise with other not-for-profit and community organizations 

When nominating a business for Business Leader, describe how the nominee has become a role model within the community. For instance, indicate whether the nominee is a role model in terms of its business practices within the business community. Describe to what extent the nominee mentored others, formally or informally, on how to become involved in helping the community. Indicate how the nominee shared its experiences, knowledge and expertise with not-for-profit groups, community organizations and other businesses.

•  Eligibility, Award Categories and Recognition 
•  2012 Award Recipients