AXIS AWARDS APPLICATION PREPARATION DOCUMENT INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE READ CAREFULLY This document lists all the questions in the online application form. Use this document to help prepare your application answers before entering them into the online application form. 1. All applications must be submitted by August 31, 2015 through the online application form found on http://tddallas.org/axisawards in the How to Apply section. Ensure all questions in the online application form are completed. Your organization can submit multiple online applications; one online application for each category you believe is worthy of being recognized. The work highlighted in the online application should be in place for a minimum of one year at the time of application submission, and be taking place in the DFW area. Consulting companies can partner with clients to apply, however the application must be under the client's name. Consulting companies may apply for an AXIS Award in their own name if their focus is on their own internal talent development efforts or if their work has positively shifted and influenced the Talent Development profession. If your organization is selected as a finalist, you will be asked to participate in a video for the awards ceremony. ATD Dallas will coordinate with a professional production organization to come to your site to film members of your staff prior to the gala. 2. Refer to the Tips for Completing the AXIS Award Application on the following page for suggestions about how to prepare your answers. 3. Supporting documents/examples/artifacts can be uploaded with your application. Please upload no more than five supporting documents/examples/artifacts with your application. Uploaded attachments should only be included to give us a more complete picture of your approach, and may be used, with your permission, to highlight your work during the gala if your organization is chosen as an award finalist or winner. Examples include: screenshots from a mobile app or blended learning solution, a copy of your leadership development model, talent mobility framework, or talent assessment collateral. The option to upload supporting material is embedded into the online application process via an Upload button. Ensure you upload all applicable attachments at the time of application submission. This completed document is not considered an applicable attachment or application submission.
In order for us to best track and consider your uploaded attachments, please use the following file naming convention prior to uploading: Your organization name Award Category Document Name e.g: ABC Organization LeadershipDevelopment LeadershipModel.pdf Maximum file size 20 MB TIPS FOR COMPLETING THE AXIS AWARDS APPLICATION: 1. Start preparing early so you have time to submit a well written online application. 2. Strong applications tell a story that ties needs identification to the evaluation strategy and the results achieved at the end. 3. Avoid using industry or organization jargon as much as possible. Make it easy for reviewers to understand what your organization did, why they did it, and how the pieces fit together. 4. The stronger the metrics showing your company s starting and ending points, the stronger the application will be. 5. Make sure the business needs identified in the beginning of the application are addressed in the evaluation strategy and results sections. 6. Every part of the application is important. Answer all questions as completely as possible. Pay attention to supporting questions that ask for additional details. 7. Provide examples (qualitative) and data (quantitative) where possible. 8. Proof read nominations. Entries should be carefully and thoroughly edited before submission. While grammar, spelling, and flow are not specifically evaluated, they do impact a reviewer s perception of the application and submitting organization. 9. If you have questions while preparing or submitting your application, please email axis@tddallas.org.
ATD Dallas AXIS Award Categories: Talent Management 1) Talent Assessment applying a systematic approach for implementing individual and organizational assessments that support the facilitation of the career development planning process and succession planning efforts. 2) Succession Planning applying a systematic approach for identifying and developing employees with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the organization. 3) Leadership Development applying a systematic approach to educate, grow and enrich the skills, mindsets and knowledge of existing and emerging leaders. 4) Coaching applying a systematic approach to improve others ability to set goals, take action and maximize strengths. 5) Talent Mobility applying a systematic approach for facilitating career transitions that support engagement and retention efforts. Organizational Development 6) Performance Improvement applying a systematic approach for analyzing human performance gaps and closing them. 7) Change Management applying a systematic approach to shift individuals, teams and organizations from a current state to a desired state. 8) Diversity and Inclusion a systematic approach to creating a workplace environment and organizational culture with practices that encourage growth and development, learning from others and capturing the advantage of diverse perspectives. Learning Solutions 9) Learning Technology applying new technology or using technology in an innovative way to address specific learning needs. 10) Design and Delivery designing and delivering formal and informal blended learning solutions using a variety of methods so the training is both engaging and effective. 11) Knowledge Management capturing, distributing, and archiving intellectual capital to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration. Managing Learning Programs and Teams 12) Strategic Planning an approach of defining an organization s (or a subset of the organization s) strategy, making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, and guiding the implementation of the strategy. This can include how talent strategy aligns with and/or enables organizational strategy. 13) Evaluating Learning Impact using metrics and analytics to measure the value of workplace learning and talent development solutions to the organization.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS These questions are for background. They will not be scored by the reviewers. 1. Organization Name 2. Please list the award category you are applying for from the list above. 3. Describe the purpose of the approach that was used. 4. Provide a brief summary of the approach. 5. When was this approach implemented? 6. Who is the target audience and why was this group selected? How many total employees does it support and how many have been selected? 7. Please tell us why you think this approach is an excellent submission and deserving of a ATD Dallas AXIS Award.
The following questions will be scored by the reviewers. Each section is weighted for scoring purposes and the percent of the total score s weight is indicated in each section. Needs Identification 15% The purpose of this section is to understand the business need and how it was determined this approach would address it. 8. What business problem, opportunity or need was this approach designed and implemented to address? Explain the issue and how it was identified, providing any benchmarking data or metrics that were used to determine the business problem or opportunity. Give sufficient justification to ensure that the importance of the issue to the business is clearly stated. How was it determined that this solution was an appropriate response to the need or problem (what assessment approaches were used and why)? Alignment 15% The purpose of this section is to learn the background related to the process of aligning the approach to meet business needs and goals. 9. How does the approach align with organizational objectives and goals? 10. How does the approach support the overall talent strategy of your organization?
Design Approach 15% The purpose of this section is to understand why the approach was designed in the manner it was. 11. Describe the design of the approach. Innovation should be addressed, if applicable. If this approach is especially innovative for your organization, industry or the Talent Management field, please elaborate by providing relevant data and metrics. Evaluation Strategy 25% Evaluation approaches should be tailored to specific business needs and goals. A best practice is to evaluate the changes in behavior and the impact of the approach on business goals. 12. How and how often is the approach evaluated? Describe the elements/steps/process (not results) of the evaluation strategy. What evidence, benchmarking data and/or metrics do you use to evaluate the value added to the business? How do you know how far you have come and how far you have to go? 13. How do you hold your participants accountable for their development?
Results 30% The purpose of this section is to provide the results of the approach for both business impact and impact on participant behavior. Include actual figures where possible. Provide evidence that demonstrates these results have added value to the business. 14. Business Impact: How did the implementation impact individuals and the organization? Include short and long term business impacts and provide evidence to support your conclusion. What ROI results describe your success story? Describe how the value added to your business resulted from the approach and not external factors. Align your response to the business need(s) you identified in the needs assessment section. 15. Participant Behavior: What specific participant behaviors resulted from the implementation of this approach and how do these behaviors contribute to the goals of the talent strategy and organization s goals? Both metrics and concrete examples are helpful here. 16. What additional results/outcomes (tangible or intangible) occurred as a result of this approach? Contact Information: Organization: Physical Address: Primary Contact Person for this application: Phone: Email: Application prepared by: Name: Title: Organization: Phone: Email: