Celebrating Performance Usage Guidelines
Updated August 2008
Context:
The launch of Celebrating Performance has generated a great deal of positive feedback and excitement around
the intent and projected impact of the program. Overwhelming feedback has reflected the need to establish
usage guidelines for additional budgetary allocations to support new and existing recognition programs,
leveraging the technology. Examples of these requests have come from Diamond Client Partners, Community
Leads, Unit Leads, and Country HR, Retain Talent Leads and People Advocates.
The Need:
We have identified two categories of requests to leverage the program:
1. Ad-hoc awards: The desire to accommodate one-off instances of extraordinary effort and performance in
dealing with an isolated issue, e.g., a team working to restore client services following an unexpected
environmental event or simply a team or individual going above and beyond performance expectations to
deliver value.
2. Parallel programs: The desire to leverage the platform technology, points structure, and catalogs to
administer local recognition programs
Principles:
In evaluating the potential for leveraging the Celebrating Performance program, it is important to consider the
intent under which it was constructed.

Increase focus on day to day performance

Expand total rewards beyond the top 30%

Support the business model through cross geography and cross workforce recognition

Institutionalize Performance Factors

Improve Employee Engagement

Instill a culture of recognition

Provide a consistent measure for recognition

Increase management visibility to recognition spend

Provide a scalable platform to leverage technology for existing local recognition programs
Without another mechanism for expanding budgets or allowing local recognition efforts to leverage the platform,
recognition behaviors are likely to happen outside of the program. It is in the best interest of visibility and
measuring return on investment to drive those transactions through Celebrating Performance, thereby also
ensuring performance factors are used as a consistent basis for recognition.
That being said, usage of the current budget should operate under the principles of Total Reward Planning and
overall affordability and not be an added cost.
Leveraging the Celebrating Performance Platform
Process:
Currently, we receive ad hoc request from leaders, projects or geographies to purchase points for recognition.
We have established a process to provide additional budget to those requestors by accruing for the cost against a
cost center code provided for the purchase. This practice takes place outside of the Reward Planning process
and is tracked within a separate tool and communicated to Finance.
Similarly, we receive requests from local recognition programs already in place or new program approved by local
leadership to leverage the Celebrating Performance platform, point system and reward catalogs to support local
efforts. As with the ad hoc request, a cost center code is provided for the total point purchase and communicated
to Finance.
Evaluation Criteria:
Regardless of the origination of the request for additional points (ad hoc or local recognition program), we ask a
series of questions around the intent of program and/or team recognition and apply that context to the decision
matrix below. Approved requests are closely tracked and communicated monthly to Finance so that the
appropriate cost centers are charged.
Decision Matrix
Test Evaluation Criteria
1
Is the intent consistent with the objective of the
program, e.g., rewarding performance as described
through one or more performance factors?
2
Would the intent of the reward further uptake of the
Celebrating Performance platform?
3
Are the awards likely to be awarded in the requesting
entity (expense would stay with funding)?
4
Are the awards funded through an offset for an
existing reward program, e.g., through holdback?
5
If no to 4, are the awards one-time and for a specific
performance-related effort?
6
Are the awards and funding approved by local
leadership responsible for budget decisions?
Yes
Continue
Consideration
No
Discontinue
Consideration
Continue
Consideration
Continue
Consideration
Grant Allocation
Discontinue
Consideration
Discontinue
Consideration
Move to test 5
Continue
Consideration
Grant Allocation
Discontinue
Consideration
Discontinue
Consideration
Contingency Funds:
We also set aside a 1% contingency fund managed by the global recognition team to support extraordinary
awards for which a cost center code cannot be provided. The decision matrix is also applied to these allocations
which are approved by the global recognition manager. The budget allocations applied towards the contingency
fund are also closely tracked against budget and communicated to Finance.
Conclusion:
This approach allows the Celebrating Performance program to be flexible enough to accommodate one-time
extra-effort scenarios as while remaining cost effective and in line with affordability guidelines. It also allows
existing recognition programs to leverage the investment we have made in the technology, standardize
recognition criteria, as well as provide leadership increased visibility to recognition spend. We believe these
practices have a positive impact by driving recognition behaviors through a highly visible and measurable
program.