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What is exceptional contribution?
| Exceptional contribution should be clearly recognisable and be well beyond simply exceeding the level agreed or anticipated for a role. Exceptional contribution is contribution far beyond the expectations of the grade, job role or SRDS objectives, within the last SRDS review year. Alternatively, it may be a particularly outstanding innovation or achievement. |
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What is sustained excellence?
| Sustained excellent contribution should be clearly recognisable and be well beyond simply exceeding the level agreed or anticipated for a role. Sustained excellent contribution is contribution beyond the expectations of the grade, job role or SRDS objectives, over the last few years (normally more than two). Excellent contribution is not as far beyond expectations as exceptional contribution, but it must be sustained to be rewarded with a sustained excellence ECA. |
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What is the link between SRDS and ECAs?
| Recommendations for ECAs can only be made for staff who have had an SRDS review, and received a rating of 1. Following the SRDS review, the Departmental Review Panel should meet to moderate local SRDS assessments and agree which of the 1 ratings are exceptional and should be put forward for an ECA. |
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Is someone who is consistently rated 1 in their SRDS review, but not considered exceptional, eligible for an ECA?
| It may be considered appropriate to make a recommendation for an Exceptional Contribution Award based on sustained excellence. |
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How long before I can recommend staff for an ECA on the basis of sustained excellence?
Reviewers and DRPs are encouraged to consider staff for an ECA who have contributed at a level that exceeds expectation over a number of years. There is no prescribed time frame for the number of years, although it would normally be expected to be for more than two, as it depends on the context in which the reviewee is working. For example a reviewee may receive an assessment of 1 and be recommended for an ECA in a relatively short period of time if the reviewee has been contributing excellently in very difficult circumstances.
Staff would not be expected to have had an ECA during the time period of the recommendation for sustained excellence. |
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What should be included in recommendations for an ECA?
Recommendations on the grounds of either exceptional contribution or sustained excellence should contain two elements:
1. they should describe what a person’s contribution consists of, giving specific examples;
2. they should explain why the department considers the recommendation to demonstrate exceptional or sustained excellent contribution. This could be based on a comparison to the expectations of the job role, grade or SRDS objectives, or by looking at the impact the contribution has had for the department, faculty or University.
What is imperative is that the case should not be based on pure assertions that a person's contribution is exceptional or demonstrates sustained excellence. Similarly, a case can't all be based on describing the context and the impact of someone's contribution without describing what the contribution was. A case should follow this general principle, "Person A did B, which demonstrates exceptional/sustained excellent contribution because of X, Y and Z".
A sustained excellence recommendation should contain evidence of the excellent contribution over a number of years. |
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Can externally funded contract staff be recommended for ECAs?
| As with all other staff, those on externally funded contracts can be recommended to receive an ECA based on evidence of exceptional contribution. Detailed information on the funding implications can be found from the link on the right. |
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Can staff on academic probation be recommended for ECAs?
| Yes, as long as they have had the appropriate probationary review meeting. The recommendation should go through the Departmental Review Panel as with other ECA recommendations. |
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If a member of staff has been given a University award, for example for Customer Service Award or Teaching Award, can they also be put forward for an ECA?
| Yes they can be put forward. The award, and the reasons why it was awarded, can be used alongside other examples as evidence of exceptional contribution; it should not be the sole basis of the case. |
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Can I put myself forward for an ECA?
| No, all recommendations for ECAs must be approved by the Departmental Review Panel, and come from the Head of Department. There is no self submission. |
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How are the cases assessed?
Assessment and approval of ECAs is carried out within faculties, by the faculty ECA panel.
The panel assesses the recommendation for an ECA to judge whether they feel it demonstrates either exceptional contribution or a sustained level of excellent contribution, taking into account the context, grade and brief outline of the job, in order to decide whether or not to approve the recommendation. |
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Is there a quota for ECAs?
| There is no quota for the award of ECAs; assessments are made on the basis of staff contribution. The total costs of awarding ECAs each year is kept under review. |
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How many staff receive an ECA each year?
| In each of the last three years, approximately 5% of staff on the University of Sheffield Grading Scheme received an ECA. |
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When will ECAs be paid?
| ECAs are paid in January each year. |
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What is the value of an ECA?
| The value of the ECA is equivalent to the next increment due to the member of staff for the job they were doing at the end of the year (31 December), and is pro-rated for part-time staff using an average of the FTE over the 12 months leading to 31 December. |
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| Yes, staff can be recommended for and receive both an ECA and a promotion in the same year. However, ECAs are not a substitute for promotion, and recommendations for ECAs should not be based on a growth of the job. |
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The faculty panel did not award me an ECA, can I appeal against their decision?
| No, there is no appeal against ECA decisions. |
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