The following outlines the Selection Criteria and considerations that are applied during the Premier’s Awards nomination review, evaluation, and selection process.

Nominations are rated across each of the following criteria. In order to be considered for a Premier's Award, a nomination must meet at least three of the five listed criteria.

1. Innovation and Creativity

Recognizes outstanding performance and achievement through innovative approaches and creativity to new and sustainable projects, systems and technologies that provide improved performance and service. This includes nominees who:

• demonstrate effectiveness in generating new ideas, techniques or solutions with practical applications;
• respond positively to new beginnings, attitudes, behaviours, and/or changing technologies and demographics; and
• invite challenge and challenge others in a positive manner, promote and try new ideas and encourage colleagues to think boldly to implement new ways of doing business.

2. Exceptional Performance and Service Excellence

Recognizes outstanding commitment to the Public Service and workplaces that deliver outstanding performance. This includes nominees who:

• offer solutions resulting in improvements to government-wide systems or processes;
• deliver exceptional performance on an ongoing basis, which goes above and beyond the normal expectations and requirements of their position; and
• show outstanding commitment to complex projects or ongoing activities.

3. Leadership and Organizational Excellence

Recognizes outstanding leadership that presents a role model for the Public Service through leadership and cross-agency collaboration, resulting in improved organizational productivity and improved provision of services. This includes nominees who:

• inspire a shared vision by creating for others an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become;
• inspire and enable others through a spirit of collaboration, trust, human dignity and recognition of individual contributions; and
• model the way by creating standards of excellence and setting an example for others to follow.

4. Partnerships

Recognizes effective team projects or initiatives that enhance Government
programs or services. This includes nominees who:

• achieve improvements in the level of inclusion and communication between the public service and its clients and/or communities in the development of government policy, processes or decisions;
• increase the access of citizens and communities to government services and policy processes; and
• implement improvements in services that strengthen and enhance the social infrastructure of the NWT.

5. Inclusion and Traditional Knowledge

Recognizes teams and individuals that distinguish, celebrate, promote and/or incorporate cultural inclusion as well as honour the long-standing traditions and practices of the North and its diverse population into Government programs or services. This includes nominees who: 

• take proactive steps to ensure a more inclusive GNWT that embraces both visible and non-visible aspects of individuals’ identities. 
• respect, honour, preserve and maintain traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and local communities, by incorporating these into government practices and services. 
• lead in modelling inclusive behaviours that empowers everyone to contribute to an environment of listening, openness, authenticity, trust and respect to better serve the diverse residents of the NWT.