Frequently Asked Questions

Question The application says to answer the question in 300 words or less. Please clarify.
Answer

You may use 300 words or less PER question. And, if the question has two parts - such as 1a and 1b, for instance - then you get 600 words or less for that question(s).

Question We have won the Website award in the past; are we allowed to submit our website to the Best Practices, Website category again?
Answer No, you may not submit the same site again. However, if your website has undergone significant changes, then you may submit it. Please provide clear analysis of what changes were made in order to qualify.
Question Under "Eligibility" on the application, it says "submission materials must have been prepared by an internal employee" but under the Best Practices, Website Criteria, it states the project could be done by a contractor. What is the difference? Please clarify.
Answer All local governments hire outside agencies for one thing or another. For example, many smaller communities have to hire a contractor or outside agency to develop their website. As long as the content of the site is controlled and directly supervised by the local government, it is acceptable as a Best Practices, Website entry. However, the developer of the website cannot be the one to write up the Excellence Awards application. An internal employee of the local government must generate the application form and the required reports for making the application.
Question Under "Additional Information" on the application, it states "UBCM welcomes multiple applications to all Excellence Awards categories. However, each application must be about a different program or project. No one project or program may be submitted under multiple categories." Please clarify this.
Answer UBCM welcomes multiple applications, but some rules apply; for example, Community A's project on improving local government service provision to people with disabilities could be submitted to either the Best Practices category or the Leadership and Innovation category, but not to both of these. As another example, Community A could submit the improving service provision to people with disabilities project to the Leadership and Innovation category, its website development project to the Best Practices - Website category, its annual report to the Best Practices - Annual Reporting category, and its partnership with the local community centre to provide fitness classes to seniors to the Partnerships category.