Merit Awards - Contribution Related Points and Accelerated Advancement Points

Introduction

Contribution Related Points (CRPs) are the salary levels beyond the top of each grade (up to Grade 9) on the University pay scales. Contribution Related Points are awarded exceptionally on a permanent basis to recognise sustained outstanding performance.  Accelerated Advancement Points (AAs) provide for additional increments within each grade on the University pay scales.  Accelerated Advancement awards are also awarded exceptionally to recognise outstanding performance.

CRPs and AAs will be considered on an annual basis and will be available to all groups of staff.

CRPs and AAs will be awarded based on evidence of particular success, effectiveness or merit in leadership, learning and teaching, research skills and strategies, administration, teamwork, job related skills enhancement, meeting of goals and targets, and customer satisfaction.

Contribution needs to be both measurable and demonstrable in order to ensure the award process is fair and equitable to all staff. Any award will be based on written evidence and should relate clearly to the objectives of the post. In all cases a report and recommendation from the Dean/School Manager/Director will be required in addition to a copy of the individual’s current HERA role outline form and/or job description.

Individuals must be nominated by their Dean/School Manager/Director for CRPs/AAs and there is no self-nomination process.

Procedure

There will be two Committees to consider the nominations for CRPs and AAs and these will be called Merit Award Committees:

Academic and Research roles

The Academic Merit Award Committee will consider all requests for CRPs and AAs for academic and research staff.  The Committee will comprise the Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Provost and the Deans. The Reward & Recognition Manager will attend to note the decisions and to advise on procedure.

Professional Services roles (Academic Related, Technical, Clerical, Manual)

The Professional Services Merit Award Committee will consider all requests for CRPs and AAs for staff within Professional Services (whether based in the Schools or Directorates). The Committee will comprise the University Secretary (Chair), the Director of People (or Deputy), 2 other Directors, a Dean and a School Manager. The Reward & Recognition Manager will attend to note the decisions and to advise on procedure.

In submitting any case for consideration for CRPs and AAs, the Dean/School Manager/Director must be satisfied that the individual is excelling in one or more areas of his or her work. For CRPs, this means they must be significantly outperforming the requirements within their current role profile.  For AAs, this means that they must be significantly outperforming the requirements normally expected of an individual at their stage of progression within their current role profile.

It should be noted that progress through the incremental points of the University pay scale grade rewards staff for their contribution, delivery and output and once they arrive at the top of their grade, they are expected to be fully competent in all aspects of their job, experienced and able to deal with a number of exceptional circumstances that arise in the course of their work. This should be considered normal, satisfactory performance.

To be considered for a CRP beyond the top of the pay scale grade, or an AA within the pay scale grade, the Dean/School Manager/Director must be able to describe how they have significantly outperformed the requirements of their current role profile, or the requirements normally expected at their stage of progression within their current role profile, in one or more areas and the extent to which this has benefited the Discipline/ School/Directorate/University.

It is also important to ensure that the types of outcomes that are taken into account are likely to be sustainable from one year to the next.

To be eligible for a Merit Award, staff must have completed the University's mandatory online Health and Safety (H&S), Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and Information Security Awareness (ISAT) training. Applications for members of staff who have not completed the mandatory modules will not be put forward to the Committee for consideration. There is no opportunity to rectify this after the Committee, mandatory modules are expected to be completed for staff being nominated for an AA or CRP.  The Reward and Recognition Team will check submitted applications and return any where the mandatory modules have not been completed. The application will be eligible to go forward to Committee if the modules have not been completed.   

In considering nominations for CRPs and AAs, Deans/School Managers/Directors are requested to consider staff at all levels within their School/Directorate, but giving particular attention to staff undertaking important but routine (and sometimes less visible) roles.  It is also important that if Deans/School Managers/Directors feel that they have experienced an outstanding level of support and/or an excellent level of service from someone who works within another area, this feedback is provided to the respective Dean/School Manager/Director. This may support a case for a CRP or AA that this Dean/School Manager/Director may wish to put forward for their member of staff and/or allow appropriate feedback to be given to the member of staff.

Nominations Process

For nominations to be considered for a Merit Award - Contribution Related Points (CRPs)/Accelerated Advancement (AAs)‌, and detailed information provided about one or more substantial pieces of work that merits one or more contribution points or accelerated advancement. In addition, the individual’s current HERA form and/or job description, together with an organisational chart must be attached in order to assess excellent sustained performance against the requirements of the current job role.

Please note that for CRPs it is only staff who are at the top of their grade in the current year (i.e. at 1 January 2023) or staff who are already on a CRP that are eligible.

Date of Implementation of CRPs/AAs

If a CRP/AA is awarded, it will be effective from the following dates:

Looking to this current year for CRPs

Only staff who are at the top of their grade as at 1 January 2024, or staff who are already on a CRP, are eligible. 

If a staff member has not been at the top of their grade since January 2024, they will not be eligible for a CRP.  They also won’t be eligible for an AA because they are at the top of their scale. 

If a CRP/AA is awarded, it will be effective from the following dates:

Please note that a HERA role outline form or current job description, together with an organisational chart, must form part of this submission to be considered.

All submissions must be received by the Reward & Recognition Manager by 30 April 2024 at 17:00.  Please email applications to rewardandrecognition@dundee.ac.uk  

Dates for Merit Award Committees in 2024

• Professional Services: 17 & 25 June 2024
• Academic & Research: 29 August & 3 September 2024

Evidence for Nomination

Please see the Manager’s Guide to Merit Awards for further information regarding Criteria for nominations.