Rules
1. The awards
The Talent in Sustainability Awards were created to recognize the work of
Votorantim employees, interns and contractors on innovative activities and projects that contribute
to demonstrate the companies’ commitment to sustainability.
The objective is to recognize people, from all levels, who contribute to the implementation of practices
that generate benefits to the business and to society, mobilize partners, create networks, and make a
difference, contributing towards excellence in management and sustainability.
It is important to highlight that the Talent in Sustainability Awards are not linked to
professional advancement or financial compensation of any kind.
2. Sponsor
The Awards are sponsored by the Votorantim Institute, with support from Votorantim Companies,
with the goal of strengthening the culture of sustainability at Votorantim. As such, this competition is both
a strategy to recognize people who contribute to it and also a map of good practices.
3. Context
The Talent in Sustainability Awards, now in their sixth consecutive year, aim to
enhance everyday actions and/or innovative projects already implemented or currently being implemented
that contribute to improving the performance of Votorantim companies and units and that strive for
a balance among economic, social and environmental results.
The analysis of the projects will take into account alignment with one or more of the following
categories, identified as issues of relevance to Votorantim businesses:
-
Environment: this category considers innovative projects
with factual and measured results and takes into account compliance with current legislation, maintenance
of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. The idea is that projects in this category relate
to concepts of a Circular Economy, which consists in the reduction, reuse, recovery and
recycling of materials and energy. In other words, they must propose a change in consumption, from raw material
to the final product, including the reuse of waste as raw material. The idea is to replace the end-of-life
concept that is part of a linear economy with new circular flows of reuse, restoration and renewal, in an
integrated process, contributing to disassociate economic growth from increased resource
consumption. Note that the award in this category does not compete with or replace recognition
initiatives already in place within the companies.
-
Social Engagement: innovative individual or group initiatives,
formally linked to Votorantim, such as those aimed at local education, which have contributed significantly and
directly to the social investment planned for your unit. This category also includes initiatives or activities
aimed at managing the unit’s social projects, initiatives to promote community relations, and volunteer work.
In addition, this category also considers the application of Votorantim Institute’s social technologies, such as
the Partnership for the Enhancement of Education (PVE), and the Engagement with Stakeholders project, among others.
Note that the award in this category does not compete with or replace
recognition initiatives already in place within the companies.
-
Productivity and Efficiency: innovative projects with solutions applied
to units that stand out for their operational efficiency and are noteworthy for the gain in competitiveness
delivered to the company over time, and that can serve as an example to other business units and Votorantim
companies. This category considers initiatives, processes, products and new or significantly improved methods that have
already been or are currently being implemented. This includes modifications in the unit’s activities, innovations in
the production line/process or in preventive maintenance, new projects or pioneering improvements in control systems,
or internal applications of external innovations, among other initiatives that contribute to increasing productivity and
efficiency in the unit. It would be interesting for projects in this category to include the concept of Shared
Value Creation, which involves the generation of economic value in a way that also creates value for society (by
addressing its needs and challenges). Note that the award in this category does not compete with or replace
recognition initiatives already in place within the companies.
-
Health and Safety: this category will consider innovative projects aimed
at preserving the health and physical safety of employees, contractors, interns and partners of the units and Votorantim
companies, that have directly impacted the results of the operation and that can be replicated. Projects can be based on
four pillars: (i) leadership and responsibility; (ii) system; (iii) behavior and performance; (iv) synergy and knowledge.
Note that the award in this category does not compete with or replace
recognition initiatives already in place within the companies.
In general, projects must consider “innovation” as a keyword. By innovation we mean the creation of and/or
change in initiatives, management models, techniques or processes that contribute to improve the initiative.
4. Scope
Aiming to promote the diversity of projects developed and implemented at Votorantim companies and units by employees, interns
and contractors of any rank or position, the Talent in Sustainability Awards accept the applications of projects that
are based on the sustainability principles, are aligned with the defined categories, and have generated benefits to
the business, to society and/or to the environment.
Projects for consideration must be formally linked to Votorantim and must be in progress or have been concluded after
2015. Projects completed prior to 2015 are not eligible to participate.
5. Participants
Employees, contractors and interns of Votorantim Cimentos, Nexa, Negócio Aço, CBA, Votorantim Energia, Banco Votorantim, Citrosuco,
Votorantim S.A, Reservas Votorantim, regardless of function, hierarchical level, years of employment with the company, or region,
are eligible to participate in the Talent in Sustainability Awards, individually or in teams, provided they have
conducted or participated in initiatives related to the theme of the contest.
In case of team entries, members can belong to different units; however, they must be from the same company.
In addition, all members should fulfill the requirements included in these Rules.
Upon registration, team members must elect from among themselves a representative that must be
formally linked to the company in which the project is being submitted. This will be the contact person. This
person does not necessarily need to have a specific position.
There is no limit on the number of entries per participant.
In case of multiple entries of the same project, only the last entry will be considered.
Employees who leave the company before the date when the awards are presented (even if by their own will) will
be automatically disqualified. If he/she is part of a team, the team may continue to participate, however, he/she
will not be considered part of it. If the employee leaving the company is the team representative, the team must
name another team representative from among its members.
Employees, contractors and interns of the Votorantim Institute are ineligible to
participate in the competition. In addition, members of the Judging Committee of any of the
phases of the Talent in Sustainability Awards are not allowed to submit projects.
Winning projects of the Votorantim phase (formerly known as the Group phase) in previous years cannot participate
in the Talent in Sustainability Awards. Finalists and participants in previous years can apply again, provided they
meet all the selection criteria of the current competition.
5.1 Participating Countries
All countries in which Votorantim companies operate are eligible to participate in the Talent
in Sustainability Awards, as indicated in the first paragraph of item 5.
6. Submission
Submissions for the Talent in Sustainability Awards were extended until September 16th 6:00PM Brasília time (-3 GMT),
2019, exclusively via the electronic form available on the contest website, at
www.talentoemsustentabilidade.com.br.
Submissions for the Talent in Sustainability Awards will be made through the SurveyMonkey platform. The registration form must
be completed in a single session, since the system will not store information of unfinished registrations.
To submit a project, participants must have the contact information of the project Representative, including country, state,
town/city, company and unit where he/she works, number of team members and name of the project. The representative must also
indicate the category in which the project falls and the sustainability principle(s) to which the project relates, and fill
out the fields with information on the following topics:
a. Project presentation:
What does the initiative consist of? What does it propose to do? Which audiences are the actions intended for? What
actions are happening right now? What are the steps completed and actions already taken?
b. Motivating factor:
What motivated the development of this initiative? Provide a brief explanation of the proposal, describing local context and needs.
c. Innovation and differentiation:
What makes this initiative unique and innovative when compared to other initiatives that are/were already in place?
d. Leadership and proactivity:
What was the motivation of the project leader and team members to participate in this initiative? What is the role
of the project leader and team members in implementing activities for the success of the project?
e. Potential for mobilizing stakeholders:
Which stakeholders (internal and external) were mobilized by the project and what activities were developed for
them? How did they participate in the initiative? Describe specific actions – if any – aimed at employee engagement.
f. Commitment to targets and results monitoring:
How does the project propose to monitor and measure its contributions to the company and to society?
g. Project results:
How did this project benefit the company? How did this initiative contribute to improve the company’s
performance? And how did it benefit society? In what ways was this initiative able to generate a positive
impact on the environment and/or the community?
h. Entrepreneurial attitude:
How will this project be sustained in the long run? How does Votorantim support the implementation of this initiative?
In addition to the form, participants can also submit documentation of activities. Materials that illustrate or
attest to the carrying out of initiatives, such as pictures, videos, testimonials, communication materials, and results, among
others, will be considered for analysis. Materials must be sent together with the submission form, in a single .PDF, .DOC or .DOCX
file, which may not exceed 16 MB.
Upon completion, a message confirming the entry will appear on the screen.
If the same project is submitted more than once, for evaluation purposes only the last entry will be considered.
6.1 Changes in the submissions
Changes can only be made to the contact information of participants. If needed, changes must be sent via e-mail,
together with the project, to contato@institutovotorantim.org.br
7. Evaluation criteria
The evaluation process will consider the benefits generated by the project, both to the business and to society. The initiatives
will be analyzed in light of their transformative potential for the company, its production chain and the community where it operates.
In practice, the Talent in Sustainability Awards will recognize employees according to the following criteria:
-
Alignment with the Sustainability Principles and the categories of the Awards: how does the
initiative contribute to the fulfillment of the Sustainability Principles, in the categories of Environment, Social Engagement,
Productivity and Efficiency, and Health and Safety, and to what extent does the initiative fit with the company’s field of activity;
-
Innovation and differentiation: how does the initiative propose a new approach and create
opportunities for an area, unit or business, and in which ways is it differentiated from other initiatives;
-
Potential for mobilization: how does it mobilize and encourage the participation of various
stakeholders (internal and external) and how does it get disseminated internally, encouraging the participation of employees;
-
Benefits to the business and society: how is the initiative placed within the local context,
which demands does it address, and which measurable contributions does it bring to the company and to society;
-
Commitment to goals and monitoring results: how does the project propose to monitor
and measure its contributions to the company and to society;
-
Entrepreneurial attitude: how is the initiative sustainable in
the long run and what is its potential for replication;
-
Leadership and proactivity: what is the role of the team members in the process and
how do they contribute to the success of the initiative.
8. Evaluation phases
The evaluation of the Talent in Sustainability Awards entries will take place between September and
November 2019, and will be divided into two phases:
-
Company Phase
-
Votorantim Phase
8.1 Company Phase
In this phase, projects compete only with those submitted within the same company.
All projects will be reviewed by Evaluation Committees, formed by employees within each of the companies, who will
verify compliance with the Rules, exclude from the selection process projects that do not qualify, and select, based
on the evaluation criteria, the winning projects of each participating company. Each company may select up
to four winning projects, restricted to one from each category (Environment, Social Engagement, Productivity and Efficiency,
and Health and Safety). The winners of the Company Phase will automatically qualify to compete in the Votorantim phase.
If in any of the companies no project qualifies to be the winner of the Company phase, no project will be nominated.
8.2 Votorantim Phase
In this phase, representatives of qualified projects must submit a video of up to three minutes about the
project. A guide with the information that should be included in the video will be sent to the project teams
that will compete in this phase. The video must be submitted between October 28 and 6:00 PM Brasília
time (-3 GMT) on November 12, 2019, via e-mail to
contato@institutovotorantim.org.br.
Along with the video, the representative must submit information regarding the other members of his/her team, if there are any.
If the file is larger than 5MB, it must be sent via WeTransfer (https://wetransfer.com/)
or similar services (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), or uploaded to YouTube, with the link shared by e-mail with the Talent in
Sustainability Awards Organizing Committee, respecting the deadline.
In this phase, finalists will compete among themselves in two categories:
-
Final Jury
-
People’s Choice
8.2.1 Final Jury
Finalists in the Votorantim Phase will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria by a jury formed by the Talent in
Sustainability Awards Organizing Committee and sustainability experts.
This Jury will be responsible for selecting the four best projects (one from each category: Environment,
Social Engagement, Productivity and Efficiency, and Health and Safety), which will be considered winners
of the Votorantim Phase, in no specified order.
The decision of the Jury and Votorantim Institute is final and the outcome of the awards cannot be appealed.
8.2.2 People’s Choice
Finalist of the Votorantim Phase will be featured on the Talent in Sustainability Awards website – People’s Choice.
Any employee, trainee and contractor has a right to vote. To do so, they must indicate their company, name and ID.
Only one vote per person will be considered. In case of duplicate votes, the last one will be considered. To ensure
fairness, scoring will be based on the ratio between the number of votes and the number of company employees.
The project with the highest vote ratio will be considered winner of the Votorantim Phase – People’s Choice.
If the winning project was submitted individually by an employee who leaves the company before the date of the award
announcement (even if by his/her own will) the winning project will be the one with the second-highest vote ratio.
In case of team projects, if one of the members of the team leaves the company before the date of the award announcement
(even if by his/her own will) the team will still be eligible for the award, provided that another employee working for
that same company is also part of the team. However, the former employee will no longer be considered part of that team.
IMPORTANT: the same project can win both the Jury and the People’s Choice awards.
9. Awards
Prizes in the Company Phase are optional and will be decided by each participating company. The Talent in
Sustainability Awards Organizing Committee suggests that the members of winning project teams in this phase receive:
-
Certificate of recognition for all team members, in an event to be defined by each company;
-
Recognition plaque for the winning team, with the words “Company Phase”.
Authors of winning projects in the Votorantim Phase (Final Jury and People’s Choice) will receive the following prizes:
-
Participation of the Representative or team members in a one-day training course on Sustainability, to be held in São Paulo;
-
Certificate of recognition for all team members;
-
Recognition trophy for the winning team in each category.
The one-day training will take place in December 2019 (date to be announced). Travel, accommodation and food expenses
of the winning project representative will be paid by the company where he/she works.
9.1 Other considerations
If the team members of the winning projects cannot or will not receive the prizes offered, they will
not be entitled to any other prize as a replacement or compensation.
10. Competition timeline
Submission period: Extended until September 16, 2019
Company Phase – Jury: september and october, 2019
Company Phase – Announcement of winners: starting on october 29, 2019
Votorantim Phase - Video: october 28 through november 12, 2019
Votorantim Phase - Final Jury: starting on november 25, 2019
Votorantim Phase - People’s Choice voting: november 14 through november 28, 2019
Votorantim Phase - Announcement of Winners: starting on december 09, 2019
NOTE: When necessary, dates might be changed with previous notice.
11. Consent to use of image
Participants in the Talent in Sustainability Awards authorize the use of their image
to promote and publicize the Awards. The consent to use of image is free of
compensation, according to Law nº 9.610, from 2/19/1998.
12. Final information
By entering the Talent in Sustainability Awards competition, participants agree entirely with
its rules and authorize the use of the information provided at registration by the Votorantim Institute, for
non-commercial purposes. Their project submissions are under the custody and responsibility of the Votorantim Institute.
Suspected unethical conduct in the development of initiatives, as well as disrespect of these rules will be reviewed and
judged by the sponsor and may result in disqualification of the competitor.
Each participant is responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the information provided,
as well as the authenticity of the submitted initiatives.
Decisions taken during the evaluation phases, as well as decisions taken by the Talent in
Sustainability Awards Organizing Committee are final and undisputable; competitors are
not allowed to challenge such decisions or their results.
For questions, comments or suggestions, please send an e-mail to:
contato@institutovotorantim.org.br.
Download rules in PDF