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EVENTS / LEADERSHIP / List of Awards and Nomination Criteria

List of Awards and Nomination Criteria

APEX Awards of Excellence

With the exception of the Public Service Citation Award and the APEX CEO Award, executives in the federal public service are invited to submit names of candidates who have excelled in any of the six award categories below. The eligibility criteria are defined below.

Nominations accepted for:

  1. Career Contribution Award
  2. Community Contribution Award
  3. Healthy Workplace Award
  4. Innovation Award
  5. Leadership Award
  6. Partnership Award
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Career Contribution Award

Recognizes an Executive who is a leader in their field and who, through exemplary work over the course of their career, has made a significant contribution to the Public Service. A minimum of 20 years in the federal public service, with at least five years as an Executive, is required for this award.

Criteria:

  • Achieved concrete results for Canadians throughout their entire career.
  • Demonstrates excellence in service delivery through tangible outcomes.
  • Demonstrates outstanding dedication in their work while maintaining a high level of commitment to public-service values and ethics (respect for others, integrity, professionalism).
  • Is an inspirational model for employees.

Community Contribution Award

(updated in June 2022)

Recognizes an Executive who has made exceptional contributions to their community and/or the public service by engaging in and/or leading a community initiative, a network, and/or a community of practice in supporting the Government of Canada’s efforts around inclusive leadership.

Criteria:

  • Has demonstrated commitment to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.
  • Volunteers their time to lead and/or promote organizations, communities, or networks
  • Demonstrates a sense of care for the public service community through their involvement in various activities, events, and leadership.
  • Is recognized by a community or network as a leader.  Inspires others to volunteer within a community or network.

Note: The Community Contribution Award is bestowed in memory of Pierre de Blois, a leader who has demonstrated exemplary achievements both at APEX and in the community.

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Healthy Workplace Award

Recognizes an Executive who engaged in and strongly supported the implementation of one or more initiatives designed to foster a healthy workplace.

Criteria:

  • Leads by example in fostering an inclusive work environment that is conducive to empowerment, engagement and commitment of staff.
  • Contributes to changing the culture of stigmatization through activities such as awareness, education and conversation on mental health and workplace well-being.
  • Embraces inclusive leadership in establishing diversity, a sense of belonging, and trust.
  • Dedicated to improving accessibility and accommodations in support for employees with disabilities or injuries.

Innovation Award

Recognizes an Executive who has demonstrated outstanding performance and achievement through innovative and creative approaches, resulting in new or improved programs, products, services or initiatives.

Criteria:

  • Generates new ideas, techniques, tools or solutions with practical applications.
  • Proactively and positively pursues opportunities, experimentation and new ways of doing business.
  • Creates an environment that encourages bold thinking and intelligent risk-taking.
  • Ensures value for money is achieved.
  • Results in an outcome that is recognized as a best practice.
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Leadership Award

Recognizes an Executive who continuously strives for excellence, best management practices and improvements in the workplace. Recognizes outstanding leadership that presents a role model for the Public Service, resulting in improved programs, services or initiatives.

Criteria:

  • Creates a shared vision for others of the direction of the organization.
  • Inspires and enables others through a spirit of collaboration, trust, human dignity and recognition of individual contributions.
  • Models the way by creating standards of excellence and setting an example for others to follow.
  • Mentors and developsothers.
  • Embodies fair and transparent decision-making, while taking calculated risks, and being accountable for their actions and decision.

Partnership Award

Recognizes an Executive who establishes effective partnerships and collaboration with a variety of stakeholders both within and outside government, such as with other levels of government, other departments and agencies, bargaining agents, private sector, academics, industry, and Canadians.

Criteria:

  • Creates and maintains trust-based relationships.
  • Is mindful of partners’ needs and constraints when seeking solutions to issues.
  • Looks for opportunities to increase collaboration and to establish partnerships.
  • Successful delivery of initiative, project, program or service is measured and recognized by partners, while lessons are learned and shared as to what could be done differently in the future.
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