Achievement, Contribution and Excellence (ACE) scheme

• Communicate information about the scheme to Faculties and Directorates. 
• Review EDI data to identify whether nominations are representative (e.g in relation to gender, ethnicity, disability, roles and grades) and support Heads of School and Directors with ensuring equality.
• Collate nominations and organise the ACE panels. 
• Communicate outcomes to nominees and line managers.
• Action changes to pay.  

• May wish to raise with the line manager that they would like to be nominated for an ACE point. 
• Work collaboratively with the line manager to develop answers to the two evidence-based questions for nominees.

• May wish to nominate a team member/s who are demonstrating outstanding performance.
• Discuss team member requests to be nominated, providing effective feedback and support as required.
• Discuss nominations with the Head of School or Director to establish whether the request is supported. 
• Feed back to those whose nominations are not supported.
• Complete the two evidence-based questions for line managers. 
• Support team members with the process and to answer the nominee’s questions.

• Establish the internal deadlines required to facilitate a review of nomination requests.
• Ensure the scheme is promoted consistently, equitably and fairly across the department / school.
• Review nomination requests and ensure that only colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding performance are nominated for an award. 
• Consider nomination requests, and -
  • tell line managers whether they can prepare and submit a nomination form, or
  • provide brief feedback to line managers as to why nomination requests are unsupported and therefore can not progress.

• Panel members to review nominations and decide if an ACE award is appropriate.
• Ensure evidence-based and fair outcomes are provided.

The ACE scheme runs between April and July, with outcomes communicated during August. Awards are applied from 1 August.

Faculties and Directorates should identify nominations, complete internal checks, and send nomination forms to the People Directorate by 1 July 2026.

• The ACE timeline provides further information on timescales throughout the scheme.
• The ACE Process Chart provides guidance on each step of the process.

Prior to nominating members of their team, managers are asked to ensure that the nominee meets the eligibility criteria. 

We are unable to provide an ACE award to colleagues who are:

• Currently within their probationary period (NB an additional increment is already applied after successful completion)
• Receiving salary protection.
• Are subject to formal people processes (e.g performance, grievance, capability)
• Are paid at a single fixed point (and therefore do not progress within a payscale.)

Colleagues with less than 12 months’ service cannot be nominated for a permanent increment. This is because it is intended to recognise colleagues who consistently demonstrate outstanding performance, where the line manager has a reasonable expectation that they will continue to work at this level going forwards.

A non recurring award

A non recurring award recognises outstanding contributions linked to a specific project or time limited activity. This contribution should be demonstrated over the course of at least six months.

ACE awards are provided to acknowledge those colleagues who go the extra mile within their role to deliver outstanding results. 

Indicators of outstanding performance include:

• Significant achievement beyond normal expectations
• An exceptional contribution to work or projects completed or to the team or department.
• Demonstrating a highly positive impact on the team’s work or stakeholders, or on other members of the team. 
• Contributing and delivering in a highly original and innovative manner, exceeding identified targets and outcomes.
• Demonstrating a consistent approach of supportive challenge to deliver high impact results.
• Driving positive change through behaviour, and the application of the guiding principles.
• Greatly exceeding PDR objectives.

This does not mean that colleagues should be working beyond the responsibility provided within their job descriptions or working more hours to achieve an award.

The panel will assess whether individual contributions or performance are deemed to be outstanding in the context of performance across the University.

Example 1

• The team member is always the first person to get involved in resolving challenges and takes a leading role in driving a high-quality solution.
• They are highly proactive in identifying and assessing issues, going the extra mile to gather further information and formulate solutions. 
• Despite complexity, they always remain positive and highly motivated, and they support other members of the team to navigate challenges.
• They greatly exceed all expectations, for example in terms of timescales and other measures of success for projects or services, and the impact of their actions can be clearly evidenced.

Example 2

• Projects completed by the team member have had a very significant impact on an area of activity.
• By being creative / innovative and stepping outside of the expected channels of communication, this individual has greatly raised awareness and trust in the area.  
• The high level of dedication and drive demonstrated by the team member has resulted in service expectations being greatly exceeded and positive feedback being received from senior or external stakeholders.
• The individual goes above and beyond in acting as a positive role model, engaging and motivating the team delivering the service. 

The ACE nomination form (Brookes login required) gathers evidence of exceptional performance to allow the ACE panel to make an informed decision.

If a nomination request is supported by the Director or Head of School, the line manager is responsible for completing and sending this form to the People Directorate.

• Sections 1, 2, 3 and 5 are to be completed by line managers. 
• Section 4 is to be completed by the nominee.

Both line managers and nominated team members are asked to provide separate responses to two questions that ask for a description of the outstanding performance and how this demonstrates one of our guiding principles.

Summaries are limited to 3000 characters (that is, approximately 500 words) per question. 

It is therefore important that answers are concise and clearly evidence exceptional performance, with measures of impact where appropriate. Bullet points are encouraged.

Line managers are asked to share the relevant questions (provided within the nomination form), with the nominee, collate their response and then add this to section 4 of the form.

Line Managers should then send the nomination form to the People Directorate.

Our guidance on answering the ACE questions provides further information on how responses could be shaped.

We are committed to ensuring that the scheme offers a fair and inclusive opportunity to celebrate performance.

On receipt of nominations, the People Directorate will review these against EDI data profiles and share this analysis with the ACE panel. Information will also be shared with Faculties/Directorate if any issues are identified. 

Working hours

Staff working on a part time or variable hours basis will not necessarily produce the same volume of output or have the same visibility as full time colleagues.

This does not mean that colleagues working on a part time or flexible basis do not offer an exceptional contribution and therefore this group of staff must be considered for nomination on an equal basis. ACE rewards quality rather than quantity.

Long-term absences

Staff who are or have been absent from work, e.g. for family-related or health reasons, should be considered in the same way as other staff, and their contributions considered on a proportionate basis. 

Adjustments to the process

Line managers should consider whether their team members might require additional support to complete the nominations form. 

Please contact payandreward@brookes.ac.uk if you require the nomination form in an alternative format. 

If a nomination request is not progressed by the Faculty/Directorate, feedback should be provided to the nominee to explain why.  

Colleagues should receive quality feedback that enables professional development, and supports successful nomination in the future. Our guidance on making the most of feedback offers hints and tips on how to positively move forward through self reflection, as well as how to utilise suggestions. Line managers may wish to direct colleagues to this guidance once feedback has been given, or utilise the document whilst giving feedback.

The ACE panel will provide feedback when an award is not made.

Good feedback should: 

• Acknowledge positive performance.
• Provide one or two concrete development points.
• Be concise, clear and relate to the criteria for outstanding performance.
• Be personable - acknowledge likely disappointment whilst encouraging looking to the future.

A Recognition Award provides a great way for line managers to celebrate colleagues who are working hard to support the University and deliver successful outcomes. It can be used where the contribution is not sufficiently outstanding or sustained over a long enough period to justify a nomination for an ACE award.

Please contact our Reward and Recognition Manager at payandreward@brookes.ac.uk if you have any queries about the scheme.

IGrow - A tool that can be used for self reflection, identifying career objectives and actions.

Coaching - This can help you identify your career objectives, and further develop skills, knowledge and behaviours.

Recognition award