Judging Process 2023 - AUSactive

Judging Process

This document outlines the Judging process which will be used for the 2023 Awards and should be read in conjunction with the Awards’ terms and conditions.

Role of the Judging Panel

Entries are judged and awards are granted by the members of the Independent Industry Judging Panel.

The Judging Panel for each Award Category will consist of, but not limited to, ten voluntary head judges who are each accountable for 2-3 categories relevant.

Overall, there will be a team of more than sixty volunteer independent judges who we be allocated 2-3 categories each to judge and shortlist finalists and decide on State and National winners based upon a rigorous rubric marking system.

Each category will be assessed by 3 judges including a head judge.

No director or employee of AUSactive will be on the Independent Industry Judging Panel.

AUSactive’s Awards Team

The AUSactive Awards Team will approve the categories, review eligibility requirements and judging criteria for all 28 categories.

The Awards Team is also responsible for:

  • Addressing any questions regarding eligibility from entrants during the entry submission process
  • Selecting, approving and briefing all head judges and brief head judges
  • Ensuring the integrity and industry relevance of the judging process at all times

Head Judges

  • Informing and briefing all volunteer judges on the judging process, criteria and expected outcomes
  • Ruling on any real or perceived conflicts of interest in the judging panel
  • Leading the final judging meeting
  • Ensuring the integrity and industry relevance of the judging process
  • Providing input and advice on the direction of Awards generally
  • Appointing Industry experts as lead judges to groups of categories as determined by the AUSactive awards team

Judges

Each Judge assesses the entries assigned to them, scoring each entry against the criteria for its Category and providing comments to assist entrants with future entries.

As a Judge assesses further entries, they may wish to amend scores from previously-judged entries for consistency. This can be done at any time up until the close of the judging period.

Judges may use industry knowledge of the achievements when scoring each entry.

Category Allocation

The Judge’s application process will include a section where the applicant nominates up to 5 categories that they have interested in assessing. They will sign a disclaimer ensuring there are no conflicts of interest. Each judge will be introduced to their head judge and informed of the categories they have been allocated.

Each category will be assessed by 3 Judges including a head judge.

Scoring

Each Judge checks the entries assigned to them and confirms that he/she does not have any real or perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the assigned entries.

If a Judge identifies any real or perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the assigned entries, the Judge must immediately notify their head judge. The Head judge will then bring the conflict to the attention of the AUSactive Awards Team, who will evaluate the seriousness of the conflict and rule one of the following outcomes.

  1. No action is required
  2. The single entry should be reallocated to another Judge
  3. The conflicted Judge should be removed from judging any entries in that category

Judges are provided with a scoring guide such as the one below for the purposes of assessment:

SCORE RANGE (0-10) GUIDE

1-3 Demonstrates little or no understanding of the criteria or addresses it at an unsatisfactory level

4-6 Demonstrates satisfactory understanding of the criteria and addresses it at a satisfactory level

7-8 Demonstrates a good working understanding of the criteria and demonstrates a high level of achievement in addressing it

9-10 Demonstrates excellence around areas of the criteria and demonstrates outstanding achievements in their responses.

Finalist Baseline Score

The Finalist Baseline Score is set by the AUSactive Awards Team and Head Judges.

To be eligible to become a Finalist (including a State or Territory Finalist), an entry must achieve a weighted raw score that is at least equal to the Baseline Score.

The weighted raw score is calculated by:

  1. Adding the raw score from each judge for each criterion
  2. Multiplying by the weighting of each criterion
  3. Adding the resulting weighted score for each criterion
  4. Then dividing by the number of judges for that entry

Resulting in a single raw score for that entry.

Score Moderation

Scores for all entries are moderated using an academic scaling algorithm to remove any bias that may have been introduced by the use of different judges across the pool. 

The result is a score out of 100 for each entry.

National Finalists

The entries that receive the top eight scores in each category are automatic finalists in the 14 national categories, providing they meet the finalist baseline score.

State Winners

The entries that receive the highest score in the 10 State winner categories are automatically the State winner, providing they meet the finalist baseline score.

National Winners

The entries that receive the highest score in the 24 categories are automatically the National winner, providing they meet the finalist baseline score.

Confidentiality

  • AUSactive regards it as a privilege to have applicants share their journey and achievements with us.
  • AUSactive takes the confidentiality of information extremely seriously.
  • AUSactive will control the collection, security, quality, use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
  • All information collected by AUSactive will be kept confidential and will only be seen by those directly involved in the assessment of the entry for the purpose of the Awards.
  • Any person involved in seeing the information will sign a confidentiality agreement and will agree to declare any potential conflict of interest. Appropriate strategies will be implemented to minimise any conflicts.
  • All electronic information will be stored on a secure network.
  • Any nomination not complying with the Terms and Conditions is invalid. A nominee who has consented to taking part in the awards is deemed to be in acceptance of these.
  • For terms and conditions please see the different categories specific criteria.

Appeals

AUSactive does not have an appeal process. All decisions by the independent judging panel are final but the AUSactive Awards Team welcomes feedback and encourages constructive analysis that is focused on improving the 2023 program.

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