Who can apply
Open to project/programme leaders with responsibility for a substantial initiative completed or materially delivered within the eligibility period.
PMI membership and certification are generally optional. Work must be authorised for submission and capable of evidencing outcomes. General and category-specific eligibility both apply.
Evidence to prepare
Project context and complexity; leadership decisions; stakeholder environment; team-development evidence; outcomes; sponsor/client reference.
Link each claim to a labelled exhibit, baseline and measurable result. Redact confidential and unnecessary personal data. The evidence pack is limited to 10 pages or equivalent.
Presentation template for this award
Use the Individual Professional Excellence template. It contains 15 editable slides with prompts suited to this award family, an outcomes table, evidence references and declarations.
The presentation supports the written nomination and evidence package. Follow the category requirements and any finalist invitation for the required format and timing.
How this award is evaluated
Scroll the table horizontally to see additional columns, if needed.
| Criterion | Weight | What the jury looks for |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership in complexity | 25% | How the leader created direction and maintained delivery through ambiguity and complexity. |
| Stakeholder alignment & influence | 20% | Evidence of difficult alignment, negotiation and trust building. |
| Delivery outcomes | 15% | Measurable outcomes and value under the nominee’s leadership. |
| Project management discipline | 15% | Governance, risk, decision quality and delivery practices. |
| Team capability & culture | 15% | How the leader built capability, ownership and a high-performing culture. |
| Resilience & adaptability | 5% | Response to disruption, setbacks and changed conditions. |
| Ethics & accountability | 5% | Integrity and ownership of decisions/results. |
Each criterion uses a 1–5 evidence scale. Recommended weighted score = Σ(weight × score ÷ 5). A 70/100 quality threshold informs jury judgement, with the option to confer no award.
How to apply
- Check eligibility and select this category. For a project, confirm that it is not entered in another competitive project or domain category.
- Prepare the common nomination and the category evidence listed above. Download a draft and attach the final, authorised package to an email when nominations open.
- The Secretariat acknowledges receipt, assigns an application ID and checks completeness, eligibility and classification.
- Three independent reviewers assess the evidence under the proposed 2027 review standard. The category jury moderates scores and identifies up to three finalists.
- Only shortlisted entrants receive fee or waiver instructions and an invitation to submit their final dossier and present.
- Attend the scheduled jury session. Format proposed for this category: 10-minute presentation and 10-minute Q&A.
- Verification, procedural review and ratification precede the 30 January 2027 announcement.
Post-shortlisting fee
Any payment applies to the further assessment process and does not guarantee a finalist award or winning outcome. Conference registration, travel and accommodation are separate.
View every category and the fee policyBefore applying, check the final nomination window, geographic eligibility and fee or waiver terms. Category scoring criteria and weightings will be frozen before nominations open.