Award Categories
Awards will be presented in the following categories. The person or organisation being nominated must operate from the ACT and can work for or be part of a national organisation. The product or service being awarded can be delivered locally, nationally or internationally and must have been completed or delivered prior to nomination.
Recognising Excellence – The 2012 ACT Pearcey Award
The ACT Pearcey Award is aimed at encouraging and rewarding fresh and innovative talent in the ICT and digital media professions. It is awarded to an individual in mid-career who has demonstrated innovative and pioneering achievement and contribution in their chosen industry. Invariably, the selected individual has also made a substantial industry contribution "beyond their day job". All the previous year State Pearcey Winners are finalists for the Tony Benson National Entrepreneur Award.The call for nominations for the Pearcey Award will close on 31 October 2012. For further information on the award and examples of previous winners please visit www.pearcey.org.au.
Download the Pearcey Award Nomination Form.
Nominations for other categories listed below are now closed.
Telecommunications Award
The Telecommunications Award recognises excellence and/or innovation in a telecommunications project or product. This broad category may include, but is not limited to, new applications of telecommunications services, products or projects that deliver new features or performance levels and methodologies for improving the use and application of telecommunications technologies.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefit to individuals/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up
Cyber Security
The Cyber Security Award recognises an individual or organisation (including teams) from the ACT who are able to demonstrate leadership and/or excellence in cyber security. This includes:
- The development of computer products and services considered ‘in use’ (production)
- The development and implementation of better practice cyber security policy and procedures
- Other outstanding contributions to cyber security practice will be considered.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Online Award
The Online Award recognises excellence in the use of ICT to provide information and services to clients in either the public or private sectors through the online medium. The emphasis in this award is on the customer interface, ease of use, user acceptance, and innovation, rather than on the implementation process. This category also includes commercial transactions or application of systems in the ACT that enable electronic business transactions, including transmission of commercial data, business-to-business electronic trading, services and sales via the Internet.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Education Award
The Education Award recognises an innovative program, course or activity design for the teaching and learning of ICT in primary or secondary schools or tertiary education. The emphasis is on programs, courses and activities that attract and support student participation in learning about ICT. A program could be one that aims to attract students into IT. A course could be an innovative one (at any level) that sees ICT in a “new” way that addresses student (pupil), community or employer needs. An activity could be a new way to engage students with ICT and related social issues. Any program, course or activity that aims to encourage more girls, women or students from socially disadvantaged or indigenous groups into ICT would be relevant.
Nominations should be for a program, course or activity designed and offered in ACT-based schools or tertiary education institutions.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Community Award
The Community Award recognises a community organisation or individual that has used IT in innovative ways to deliver not for profit services or provide benefit to the community. The award also recognises community organisations that promote the use of IT in the wider community.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Green ICT Award
The Green ICT Award recognises an individual or organisation who has shown leadership in the ACT to implement (an) initiative(s) to persuade organisations or the community to use ICT to contribute to the health of our environment. The initiative(s) should provide long-term sustainability either directly, using ICT, or through the reduction of the environmental impact of ICT use.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Best Practice Improvement Award
The Best Practice Improvement Award recognises organisations that have completed internal process improvement projects that use IT to provide benefit to any area in the organisation. Projects don’t necessarily have to involve cutting edge technology but the improvement should be novel and be primarily due to improvements in IT processes or technology.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation
- Methodology and documentation
- Demonstrated effectiveness of the solution
- Benefits to students/organisations/community
- Difficulty and complexity
- User acceptance and take-up.
Innovation Award
The Innovation Award recognises the development of a product or service in the ACT that breaks new ground. It may not yet be proven in the marketplace but an understanding of the potential market must be demonstrated. The product or service could include hardware, software, services – such as training or support, telecommunications, new techniques - or any similar innovation. Innovation may consist of a unique combination of technologies that have been combined for the first time.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Innovation approach
- Present and future practical application, expected effectiveness
- Potential benefits to students/organisation/community
- Difficulty and complexity of taking the concept through to trial
- Potential market and take-up.
ICT High Achiever Award
The ICT High Achiever Award is awarded to an individual who has provided a significant contribution to the ICT industry. Emphasis is placed on achievements throughout an extensive career and those beyond the normal expectations of the role(s) the individual has held.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Significance of the individual's contribution to the ICT industry
- Record of achievements above and beyond normal duties and/or expectations
- Demonstrated ICT leadership qualities and ability to positively influence and motivate team members/peers/business partners/clients.
Student Project Award
The Student Project Award recognises a student project, up to and including undergraduate or honours level, undertaken at an ACT secondary or tertiary education institution during the year. Emphasis is placed on practical ICT applications. Nominations for this award may be made from either individual students or a team of students from an ACT educational institution.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Approach and justification supporting project identification and commencement
- Expected/demonstrated effectiveness of the project concept
- Present and future practical application and benefits of project concept
Leoni Warne Promotion of Women in ICT Medal
The Leoni Warne Commemorative Medal recognises the contribution of individuals to the promotion of women in the ICT industry. Achievements in this endeavour should be made by ACT-based individuals acting above and beyond their actual employment (which may be in any industry).
A person who supports the role of women in the ICT industry through:
- Being a positive role model to women in the industry and/or
- Providing support to the careers of women in the industry
- Above and beyond normal duties and expectations.
CIO of the Year
The Chief Information Officer of any organisation is at the helm of innovative development and change within that organisation and it is their vision and willingness to move forward and take risks that can set their company ahead of the field.
By demonstrating substantial improvement in the performance of their organisation based on excellence in ICT leadership and innovation, the CIO directs and implements ICT operations with a view to budgetary and performance targets while also looking for that innovative edge to increase competitiveness.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Excellence – demonstrated excellence in delivery of ICT services to their stakeholders
- Leadership – outstanding leadership of their organisations ICT resources
- Innovation – delivered substantial innovation in the application of ICT resources
- Professional skills – outstanding professional skills in accordance with the SFIA Framework version 5.
ICT Professional of the Year
Awarded to an ICT industry professional for outstanding innovation, commitment and achievement in their field and dedication to promoting the ICT profession.
The nominee has personally, and not just as a part of a team, made thoughtful, innovative and successful contributions to their ICT passion be it on the job or engagement in the community.
The following criteria are used in judging submissions:
- Demonstrated commitment and contribution to the ICT profession
- Record of promotion, engagement and positive influence on best practice take-up in the ICT domain
- Notable leadership within the ICT profession at work or in the community.
Judging Process
All nominations are read by all judges. Each nomination is considered carefully against the published criteria for the relevant category and overall. Judges draw upon their experience in and insights into the IT profession to assess how well the nomination explains the person or project achieving against the criteria. Nominations are discussed by the panel of judges and those that are agreed as worthy of award by all judges are eligible for an award. Judging is not comparative between nominations but against a yardstick of excellence in the relevant category. Nominations are considered only on the basis of the information provided in the nomination itself.
Judges make an award in a category if there is a nomination that demonstrates excellence against the category criteria and reflects the importance of the ACS Canberra ICT Awards. There is only one award per category, per year.
Judges will recognise a nomination with a highly commended award when the nomination demonstrates excellence against most criteria or when the relevant person or project has not yet had sufficient time to prove the effectiveness of the person’s work or the project’s output.