Recognising exceptional achievement or service
Nomination process
There are two routes by which people enter the system:
-
Nomination by an individual or a public/private sector organisation
familiar with the work of the candidate.
-
Submission by a government department that has identified a candidate
doing good work within its sphere of interest. (Candidates may be
identified as a result of nominations sent to that department from public
or private sources.)
Each case may go through several stages before reaching the Ceremonial
Secretariat of the Cabinet Office.
-
Nomination forms sent directly (or indirectly via Buckingham Palace or 10
Downing Street) to the Nominations team of the Ceremonial Secretariat are
sifted and checked. Some cases are referred to the relevant government
department for them to consider. The remainder are dealt with centrally.
Comments and feedback are sought from Lord Lieutenants, outside bodies
and departments which may have an interest in an aspect of the
candidate's work. Once the case is ready it is sent to the Honours
team.
-
Candidates that have been identified by a department (together with
nominations cases) are also checked and sifted. The department's
cases are assessed by an internal committee. The department will then
submit its candidates to 10 Downing Street from where they go to the
Honours team of the Ceremonial Secretariat.
Once the case reaches the Honours team of the Ceremonial Secretariat it is
prepared for consideration by one of a series of specialist assessment
sub-committees. Similar candidates are submitted together so that each
committee may compare like with like. Each committee is composed of senior
civil servants and independent experts.
Their assessments are sent to the main selection committee. The main
committee considers the balance of the proposals and forwards its
recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary who, in turn, submits the list to
the Prime Minister for submission to The Queen.
Once The Queen has given her informal approval, letters are then sent to
each nominee asking them whether they would be willing to accept the
proposed award. Once they have replied a final list is submitted to The
Queen for formal approval.
The list is published in The London Gazette and the Central Chancery of the
Orders of Knighthood at St James's Palace arrange investitures for the
successful candidates.
The process of selecting people for the Prime Minister's list is
explained in the flow charts below.
