Evaluation criteria

The following set of guidelines outline the criteria for nominations to be considered. The HLA was established to recognize active or former public servants who must meet the following criteria:


A. Public Service in Canada (Federal, Provincial/Territorial, Municipal)

Held an influential key role within Canadian jurisdictions who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting citizen-centred service for Canadians.

B. Organizational role

Held a key leadership role throughout the service community, including policy leaders, operational leaders, technology leaders, and internal service leaders.

C. Outstanding and sustained leadership

The recipient has demonstrated an exceptional degree of leadership, relative to his or her peers, in the promotion of excellence with a focus on citizen-centred service. The leadership qualities must be reflected in any number of ways, including the following elements:

  • ability to articulate and promote a vision for citizen-centred service
  • strength of partnerships forged in the pursuit of service excellence
  • innovative projects the nominee launched throughout their career
  • demonstrated their leadership throughout his or her career and over a prolonged period

D. Transformational Influence

The recipient of the HLA must have led their organization(s) in a way that fundamentally changed the approach to public sector service delivery. This transformative change could be cultural or operational, but it must have reoriented the organization(s) toward serving the needs of their clients and the broader Canadian population.

E. Inter-department and inter-jurisdictional

The recipient of the HLA must have demonstrated leadership both across departmental boundaries within their own jurisdiction, and across jurisdictional boundaries. Such inter-departmental and inter-jurisdictional leadership must be demonstrated through collaborative projects and/or through active participation in cross-boundary communities of practice.

Checklist for submitting a nomination

Must meet all criteria, all required documentation, and meet deadline

Eligibility criteria:

[ ] Public Service in Canada (Federal, Provincial/Territorial, Municipal)

[ ] Organizational role

[ ] Outstanding and sustained leadership

[ ] Transformational Influence

[ ] Inter-departmental and inter-jurisdictional

Nomination documentation:

[ ] Electronic nomination application form

[ ] Nomination summary (max. 1000 words)

[ ] Support letters (max. 3 letters)

Deadline for submissions:

[ ] September 30, 2023, 11:50 p.m. ET