NACM’s Enhancing Justice Award was established to publicly recognize courts and related organizations for commendable projects and exemplary accomplishments that enhance the administration of justice.
Criteria:
Projects must be operational, have produced results, and cannot be in the planning stages. Any organization, from large to small, is encouraged to submit applications for the Enhancing Justice Award. The following criteria will be used to review/evaluate to what degree the nomination:
- Identified a specific problem or problems;
- Identified target groups, their needs, and how the project would address those needs;
- Considered alternatives and demonstrated that the project was a more efficient and/or more effective way of solving the identified problem(s);
- Described the details of project implementation;
- Evaluated the project’s outcomes by measuring its effectiveness through time/money/resource savings, meeting previously identified needs, or improving service delivery; and
- Demonstrated that the project could be replicated by other jurisdictions.
Recognition:
A project description will appear in the Enhancing Justice Award section of the NACM website, as well as the award submission. The winner(s) will be requested to write a more detailed description for inclusion in NACM’s publications The Court Manager and Court Express.
The winner(s) of the Enhancing Justice Award will be recognized at the NACM Annual Conference by being presented with the award and given the opportunity to describe the project during the award ceremony. Winners will be requested to have a representative present at the conference to receive the award.
NACM retains discretion to determine if there are to be multiple winners or no suitable projects for the Award.
General Instructions:
The evaluation committee requests that materials address the established criteria and be consistent with the project narrative.
Cover Page
The cover page should include the following information only:
- Title of project or program.
- Name of the court, agency, or organization submitting the nomination, the person submitting the award, andtheir contact information.
- Name of the project director, if different from the nominating entity, and contact information.
- Project or program summary, which is a one-paragraph description of the project.
Project Narrative
The narrative should address each of the criteria briefly described below:
The Existing Process and Specific Problem
Describe how the existing process operates. This section provides the basis and background for consideration of the application. Also, describe what is wrong or inadequate with the existing process.
Target Group
Describe the individuals or groups who receive services from or are affected by the project or program. Also, describe the target group’s needs and how the project addresses them.
Work Team
Describe who was involved in the project’s planning, design, and implementation.
Alternatives and Selected Solution
Describe any alternative solutions that were considered and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Also, describe the selected solution and why it is/was considered superior to the alternatives. The degree to which the selected solution is judged to be innovative or creative will be considered.
Project Details
Describe what the project does, how it was put together, who was involved in the implementation, the length of planning and implementation, how much it cost to implement, and the cost to operate it each year.
Evaluation
Describe how the project was evaluated and identify performance measures used in the evaluation. Describe the extent to which the changes have been accepted and institutionalized. Indicate what feedback was solicited and received by the target group after implementation.
Transfer or Replication Characteristics
Share the degree to which the project could be replicated in another jurisdiction.
Additional Process Analysis
Describe any additional information you feel would be beneficial to the evaluation committee in making its decision. Examples include creativity, originality, collaboration, and customer satisfaction. Also, please make mention of any unforeseen drawbacks resulting from the project.