Awards FAQ

DRI CANADA - Awards of Excellence Program FAQ


Q: What are the DRI CANADA Awards of Excellence?
A: DRI Canada is committed to recognizing excellence through the annual Awards of Excellence Program. These awards honour individuals and organizations who are leaders and innovators in the fields of business continuity, disaster recovery, and emergency management. 


Q: What are the Categories of DRI CANADA Awards?
A: The 2022 awards categories are:

  • The Lifetime Achievement Award is granted to an individual who has led an exemplary career. Submissions must demonstrate a record of professional success, contribution to the industry, expertise in the use of the common body of knowledge (DRII Professional Practices), and advocacy for the DRI Canada mission.
  •  The DRI CANADA Builder Award is granted to an individual who has exemplified steady commitment and inspired leadership in DRI CANADA or has transformed or improved DRI CANADA through a significant project or initiative. 
  • The Volunteer of the Year Award is granted to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional achievement and commitment to the industry through volunteer efforts.
  • The Student Award and Scholarship recognizes a post-secondary student who has, in the past year, presented an exceptional scholarly work (academic paper, report, project, presentation, etc.) that is relevant and adds value to the business continuity, disaster recovery, or emergency management industry.
  • The Response and Recovery Award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a capability to meet the challenges presented by an emergency or disaster.
 
Q: Who is eligible for the DRI CANADA Awards of Excellence?
A: Applicants for Lifetime Achievement, DRI CANADA Builder, and Volunteer of the Year must be DRIC certified professionals, in good standing. Applicants for the Response and Recovery Award must be nominated by a DRIC certified professional in good standing.
  • Lifetime Achievement: nominees will have at least the CBCP or CFCP certification and will have made a significant contribution in the BC/DR/EM industry
  • DRIC Builder: nominees may be active or retired members
  • Volunteer of the Year: nominees will be active in the BC/DR/EM industry
  • Student Award and Scholarship will be in a relevant post-secondary program and have endorsement from their academic institution.

 

Q: What is the value of the scholarship associated with the Student Award and Scholarship?
A: $2,000 + complimentary enrollment in a BCLE 2000 course.

In addition, for 2022 all applicants will be entered into a draw for admission to the BCLE 2000 course.


Q: Are eligible candidates for the DRI Canada Awards of Excellence allowed to nominate themselves?
A: Yes.  However, applicants for all awards require a reference. A third person nominating a candidate can serve as that reference. 


Q: May I nominate an individual even though I am not a DRI CANADA certified professional?
A: Anyone is eligible to submit nominations for the Lifetime Achievement, DRIC Builder, Volunteer of the Year, and the Student Award and Scholarship.

Only DRI CANADA certified professionals in good standing are eligible to submit nominations for the Response and Recovery Award.


Q: For the Response and Recovery Award, what level of Senior Leadership is required for Sign-Off?
A: It should be signed off by someone in a senior leadership position, such as the individual accountable for the business continuity program or someone they report to. The title will vary depending on the organization. Examples include VP in a private company, BCM sponsor on the Steering Committee or Executive Team, Deputy Minister or Assistant Deputy Minister for a federal or provincial government department or ministry.


Q: How are applications submitted?
A: The Awards of Excellence application forms are available on the DRI Canada website. Submission instructions are listed there.


Q: How are the award winners determined?
A:  The DRI Canada Awards of Excellence Committee, comprising senior members of the professional community, judge the submissions in all categories against pre-defined criteria.


Q: When will the awards be decided and presented?
A: Judging will take place following the submission deadline. Award recipients will be notified on Oct 31, 2022. The awards will be presented during the Continuity and Resiliency Today (CRT) Conference in Toronto (Nov 16-17, 2022).  


Q: When is the nomination deadline?
A: The application form must be received by Friday, September 16, 2022. 


Q: Can an individual who has been recognized as the Lifetime Achievement recipient be nominated again?
A:  An individual is only eligible to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award once. However, an individual who was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award and was not successful can be nominated again in subsequent years.


Q. Can an individual or organization previously recognized for one of the following awards - DRI Canada Builder Award, Volunteer of the Year Award, Student Award and Scholarship, Response and Recovery Award - be recognized for the same award in a subsequent year?
A. Yes 


Q. Can an individual who has been recognized in one award category be nominated in a different category?
A. Yes.


Q: What makes an effective application for DRIC Award of Excellence?
A: An effective application is ultimately based on the quality of the accomplishments of the applicant. It is, moreover, complete and contains a logical, well-structured statement of accomplishment, with the following elements.

  • It answers the question: "Why should this individual or organization be considered for an award"
  • It responds to the specific requirements identified in the application form. However, the applicants are not expected to fulfill every requirement. The Awards Committee is looking for an accurate, compelling submission that outlines the applicant’s qualifications for the award.
  • It demonstrates how individual award applicants meet the needs of the organization or situation, or how an organization’s response aligned with the impacts of the emergency or disaster. It also demonstrates that they went beyond the standard to achieve excellence.
  • It makes its case with concrete, meaningful data, examples, and metrics.
 

Q: How can I learn more about the DRI CANADA Awards of Excellence?
A: Please call 1-844-228-8135 or e-mail awards2022@dri.ca.