This is the 5386th most frequent Russian word.
оценивались
"Оценивались" means "were evaluated" or "were assessed."
In this sentence, "оценивались" is used to denote the act of evaluating or appraising something, referring to the assessment of participants' efforts.
Все усилия участников оценивались высоко.
All participants' efforts were highly assessed.
Here, "оценивались" signals an evaluative process, with projects being the objects under consideration according to specified criteria.
Критерии, по которым проекты оценивались, были четко определены.
The criteria by which the projects were evaluated were clearly defined.
In this case, "оценивались" pertains to the judgment or assessment of skills by employers.