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at answer is Baldrige.
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Palo Alto, CA
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EXCELLENCE
2010–2018 award applicants represent
We believe that government
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roughly $7.9 million in

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services in 2018.
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Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
The Malcolm Baldrige
Created by Congress in 1987, the Baldrige Program is National Quality Award
Baldrige Performance Excellence Program managed by the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department
www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) • United States Department of Commerce
of Commerce. This unique public-private partnership
is dedicated to helping organizations improve their The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, created
performance and succeed in the global marketplace. by Public Law 100-107 in 1987, is the highest level of
The program administers the Presidential Malcolm national recognition for performance excellence that
Baldrige National Quality Award. In collaboration a U.S. organization can receive. The award promotes
with the greater Baldrige community, we address
critical national needs through • awareness of performance excellence as an
January 2019 increasingly important element in U.S.
• a systems approach to achieving organizational
competitiveness and
excellence;
To order copies of this publication or obtain other Baldrige Program products and services, contact
• organizational self-assessment tools and analysis • the sharing of successful performance strategies
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and on using the Baldrige Excellence Framework presents the award. A 22-karat, gold-plated medallion
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The Baldrige Excellence Framework® is an official publication of NIST under the authority of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality management and community excellence.
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is not subject to copyright protection in the United States under Section 105 of Title 17 of the United States Code. The U.S. Department eligibility categories: manufacturing, service, small
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Up to 18 awards may be given annually across
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®
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The Alliance (www.baldrigealliance.org) is a national National Harbor, Maryland (near Washington, D.C.)
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Suggested citation: Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2019. 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework: Proven Leadership
members with a mission to grow performance excellence
April 7–10, 2019
and Management Practices for High Performance. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards
and Technology. https://www.nist.gov/baldrige. in support of a thriving Baldrige community. Members March 24–27, 2020
contribute nearly 300,000 volunteer hours and more than April 11–14, 2021
$30 million per year in tools, resources, and expertise
to assist organizations on their journeys to excellence. Each year at The Quest for Excellence Conference,
The Baldrige Program thanks the Baldrige Foundation for supporting the program’s mission This includes annually evaluating and recognizing over
and the following organizations for supporting the publication of this booklet. Baldrige Award recipients share their exceptional
1,000 organizations that use the Baldrige Excellence
performance practices with leaders of business,
Framework and serving as the feeder system for the
national Baldrige Award. education, health care, and nonprofit organizations
and inspire attendees to apply the insights they
gain within their own organizations.
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process, to become the community for all who seek quality
concepts, technology, or tools to improve themselves and
their world.
For more information:

Contents
ii About the Baldrige Excellence Framework
The Baldrige framework empowers your organization to reach its goals, improve results, and become more
competitive. The framework consists of the Criteria, the core values and concepts, and the scoring guidelines.
v How to Use the Baldrige Excellence Framework

You can use this booklet as a reference, for self-assessment, or as the basis of an external assessment.
1 Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview and Structure

The Criteria include the Organizational Profile and seven interconnected categories.
3 Criteria for Performance Excellence Items and Point Values

4 Criteria for Performance Excellence
4 Organizational Profile
7 1 Leadership
10 2 Strategy
13 3 Customers
15 4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
18 5 Workforce
21 6 Operations
24 7 Results
29 Scoring System
Performance against Criteria items is scored on two evaluation dimensions: process and results.
32 Process Scoring Guidelines
33 Results Scoring Guidelines
35 How to Respond to the Criteria

This section explains how to respond most effectively to the Criteria item questions.
38 Core Values and Concepts

These embedded beliefs and behaviors form the foundation of the Criteria.
44 Changes from the 2017–2018 Baldrige Excellence Framework

46 Glossary of Key Terms
The glossary includes definitions of terms in small caps in the Criteria and scoring guidelines.
54 Index of Key Terms

58 List of Contributors
On the Web
Criteria Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-criteria-commentary)
This commentary provides the “why” behind the Criteria, as well as additional examples and guidance.
i
About the Baldrige Excellence Framework
The Baldrige Excellence Framework empowers your organization to reach its goals, improve
results, and become more competitive.
Thousands of organizations around the world use the Baldrige Excellence Framework to improve and get sustainable
results. Those recognized as national role models receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a Presidential
award. More than 100 recipients have broadly shared their best practices with others. Through that sharing, many
thousands of organizations have improved their operations and results, and thus their contributions to the U.S. and
global economies.
What can Baldrige do for my organization?

Whether your organization is new, is growing, or has existed for many years, it faces daily and long-term challenges. It
also has strengths that have served you well so far. The Baldrige Excellence Framework helps you identify and leverage
your strengths and prepare to face your challenges. It helps you address issues that are important to your organization:
• Understanding what it takes to be competitive and achieve long-term success in your environment
• Getting your leaders, managers, and workforce all on the same page
• Ensuring that your employees understand and can contribute to the drivers of your organization’s success
• Understanding, and meeting or exceeding, customer requirements and expectations
• Ensuring that your operations are efficient and lead to short- and long-term success
As a result, you will be better able to position your organization to succeed and accomplish your mission—with a
sense of greater clarity and with alignment among your leaders, employees, customers, and key partners.
How do I know if Baldrige is right for my organization?

Baldrige is adaptable to any organization’s needs. It does not prescribe how you should structure your organization or
its operations. In the Organizational Profile (pages 4–6), you describe what is important to your organization. Baldrige
encourages you to use creative, adaptive, innovative, and flexible approaches and to choose the tools (e.g., Lean,
Six Sigma, International Organization for Standardization [ISO] series, a balanced scorecard, Plan-Do-Check-Act
[PDCA]) that are best suited to your organization and are the most effective in driving improvements and sustainable
high performance
How does Baldrige work?

The Baldrige framework helps you answer three questions: Is your organization doing as well as it needs to? How do you
know? What and how should your organization improve or change?
The Baldrige framework helps you manage all the components of your organization as a unified whole to achieve
your mission, ongoing success, and performance excellence (called a systems perspective). The building blocks and
integrating mechanisms are the Baldrige core values and concepts, the seven interrelated Criteria categories, and the
scoring guidelines.
I see the Baldrige process as a powerful set of mechanisms for disciplined people
engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action to create great
organizations that produce exceptional results.
—Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . .
and Others Don’t
ii 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

Core values and concepts. The Criteria for Performance Excellence are based on a set of beliefs and behaviors found
in high-performing organizations (see pages 38–43):
• Systems perspective
• Visionary leadership
• Customer-focused excellence
• Valuing people
• Organizational learning and agility
• Focus on success
• Managing for innovation
• Management by fact
• Societal contributions
• Ethics and transparency
• Delivering value and results
Criteria for Performance Excellence. By answering the questions in the Criteria for Performance Excellence
(pages 4–28), you explore your strengths and your opportunities for improvement in seven critical aspects of managing
and performing as an organization (called categories):
1. Leadership: How do you share your vision and lead your organization? How do you ensure good governance?
2. Strategy: How do you prepare for the future?
3. Customers: How do you listen to, satisfy, and engage your customers?
4. Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management: How do you use reliable data and information to
make decisions?
5. Workforce: How do you engage and empower your people?
6. Operations: How do you ensure efficient and effective operations that deliver customer value?
7. Results: How well are you doing?
The linkages among these categories provide a systems perspective on your organization. Some of these linkages
are (1) the connections between your approaches in categories 1–6 and the results you achieve (category 7); (2) the
connection between workforce planning and strategic planning; and (3) the need for customer and market knowledge
in creating your strategy and action plans.
Scoring guidelines. With Baldrige, just having stated processes or sets of results is not enough. You can assess the
maturity of your responses based on four evaluation dimensions for the process categories and four for the results
category (see the scoring guidelines on pages 32–33).
Processes are the methods your organization uses to accomplish its work. With the Baldrige framework, you assess and
improve your processes along four dimensions:
1. Approach: How do you accomplish your organization’s work? How systematic and effective are your key
approaches?
2. Deployment: How consistently are your key approaches used in relevant parts of your organization?
3. Learning: How well have you evaluated and improved your key approaches? How well have improvements been
shared within your organization? Has new knowledge led to innovation?
4. Integration: How well do your approaches reflect your current and future organizational needs? How well are
processes and operations harmonized across your organization to achieve key organization-wide goals?
About the Baldrige Excellence Framework iii

With Baldrige, you assess your results along these four dimensions:
1. Levels: What is your current performance on a meaningful measurement scale?
2. Trends: Are the results improving, staying the same, or getting worse?
3. Comparisons: How does your performance compare with that of competitors, or with benchmarks or
industry leaders?
4. Integration: Are you tracking results that are important to your organization? Are you using the results in
decision making?
As you respond to the Criteria questions and assess your responses against the scoring guidelines, you will begin
to identify strengths and gaps—first within the Criteria categories and then among them. The coordination of key
processes, and feedback between your processes and your results, will lead to cycles of improvement. As you continue
to use the framework, you will learn more and more about your organization and begin to define the best ways to
build on your strengths, close gaps, and innovate.
What is the impact of Baldrige nationally and globally?

The Baldrige framework and Criteria play three roles in strengthening U.S. competitiveness:
• They help improve organizational processes, capabilities, and results.
• They facilitate the communication and sharing of best practices among U.S. organizations through the
Baldrige Award, the Quest for Excellence® Conference, the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, and other
educational offerings.
• They serve as a working tool for understanding and managing organizational performance, guiding your strategic
thinking, and providing opportunities to learn.
Baldrige works with public and private sector partners to address critical national needs related to long-term success
and sustainability, including cybersecurity risk management (see https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/products-services
/baldrige-cybersecurity-initiative) and excellence in U.S. communities (see Communities of Excellence 2026,
http://www.communitiesofexcellence2026.org).
Within the United States, state, regional, sector, and organizational performance excellence programs use the Baldrige
framework to help organizations improve their competitiveness and results. Globally, many performance or business
excellence programs use the Baldrige framework or a derivative as their organizational excellence model.
How do I get started?

However you plan use the Baldrige framework, the Baldrige community is there to help your organization learn, grow,
and improve. See the following pages and visit https://www.nist.gov/baldrige to see the possibilities.
The [Baldrige] Criteria help you link your strategy, your human capital process, your
leadership development process, and all of your core operations together and help them
focus on what your customers actually want.
—Scott McIntyre, President and CEO, Managing Partner, Guidehouse (formerly Baldrige Award
recipient PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector Practice)
iv 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

How to Use the Baldrige Excellence Framework
Whether your organization is large or small, you can use the Baldrige Excellence Framework for
improvement. Your experience with Baldrige will help you decide where to begin.
If your organization is in the education or health care sector, you should use the education or health care version
of this booklet, respectively. See https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications to obtain a copy.
If you are just learning about the Baldrige framework . . .

Here are some ways to begin using the Baldrige framework to improve your organization.
Scan the questions in the Organizational Profile (pages 4–6). Discussing the answers to these questions with your
senior leadership team might be your first Baldrige self-assessment.
Study the 11 Baldrige core values and concepts (pages 38–43). Consider how your organization measures up in
relation to the core values. Are there any improvements you should be making?
Answer the questions in the titles of the 17 Criteria for Performance Excellence items to reach a basic under-
standing of the Criteria and your organization’s performance.
See a simple outline of a holistic performance management system by reading the headings in blue in the
Criteria section of this booklet (pages 4–28). Are you considering all of these dimensions in establishing your leader-
ship system and measuring performance?
Use the Baldrige framework and its supporting material as a general resource on organizational performance
improvement. This booklet and the materials online (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications) may help you think
in a different way or give you a fresh frame of reference.
Attend the Quest for Excellence® Conference, the Baldrige Fall Conference, or a state or regional Baldrige-
based conference. These events highlight the role-model approaches of recipients of the Baldrige Award or Baldrige-
based awards. These organizations have used the Baldrige framework to improve performance, innovate, and achieve
world-class results. Workshops on Baldrige self-assessment are often offered in conjunction with these conferences.
Become an examiner or attend the Baldrige Examiner Training Experience (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige
/products-services). Examiners receive valuable training, evaluate award applications, and learn to apply the Criteria to
their organizations.
Become a Baldrige Executive Fellow. Baldrige Fellows (C-suite and rising executives) participate in an executive
development program (see https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/products-services), learning from each other and from
Baldrige Award recipients.
If you are ready to assess your organization using Baldrige . . .

To assess your organization with the Baldrige framework, follow one or more of the suggestions below.
Check your progress on achieving organizational excellence and improve communication among your work-
force members and leadership team with two simple questionnaires: Are We Making Progress? and Are We Making
Progress as Leaders? (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/self-assessing/improvement-tools).
Identify gaps in your understanding of your organization and compare your organization with others with
easyInsight: Take a First Step toward a Baldrige Self-Assessment (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/self-assessing
/improvement-tools). This assessment is based on the Organizational Profile.
Complete the Organizational Profile (pages 4–6). Have your leadership team answer the questions. If you identify
topics for which you have conflicting, little, or no information, use these topics for action planning. For many organi-
zations, this approach serves as a first Baldrige self-assessment.
Answer the questions in the Baldrige Excellence Builder (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications). This assess-
ment tool includes key questions for improving your organization’s performance. They are the questions in black
boldface in the Criteria section of this booklet.
How to Use the Baldrige Excellence Framework v

Use the full set of Criteria questions as a personal guide to everything that is important in leading your
organization. You may discover blind spots or areas where you should place additional emphasis.
Review the scoring guidelines (pages 32–33). They help you assess your organizational maturity, especially when
used in conjunction with “Steps toward Mature Processes” (page 31) and “From Fighting Fires to Innovation:
An Analogy for Learning” (page 34).
Answer the questions in one Criteria category in which you know you need improvement, either yourself or
with leadership team colleagues. Then assess your strengths and opportunities for improvement, and develop action
plans. Be aware, though, that this kind of assessment limits the benefits of the systems perspective embodied in the
Baldrige framework.
Have your leadership team assess your organization. At a retreat, have your leadership team develop responses to
the Organizational Profile and the seven Criteria categories using the Baldrige Excellence Builder (https://www.nist
.gov/baldrige/publications), and record the responses. Then assess your strengths and opportunities for improvement,
and develop action plans.
Conduct a full Baldrige self-assessment. Set up teams within your organization to develop responses to the
Organizational Profile and Criteria categories. For details, see https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/self-assessing and the
slide presentation “Self-Assessing Your Organization with the Baldrige Excellence Framework” (https://www.nist.gov
/baldrige/community/baldrige-ambassadors).
Contact your state, local, or sector-specific Baldrige-based program (see the Alliance for Performance Excellence,
https://www.baldrigealliance.org). Many programs provide networking opportunities, training, coaching, and self-
assessment services in addition to an award program.
Contact a Baldrige Award recipient. Organizations that receive the Baldrige Award advocate for performance
improvement, share their strategies, and serve as role models. Many undertake ongoing self-assessments of their
organizations and can share their experiences with you. See https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/award-recipients for award
recipients and their contact information.
If you are ready for external feedback . . .

Here are some resources for receiving external feedback on your organization’s strengths and opportunities for
improvement.
Apply to your state, local, or sector-specific Baldrige-based award program (see the Alliance for Performance
Excellence, https://www.baldrigealliance.org). A team of experts will examine your organization objectively and
identify your organization’s strengths and its opportunities to improve.
Arrange for a Baldrige Collaborative Assessment (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/products-services). In this on-site
assessment, a team of Baldrige examiners works with your leaders and staff to give your organization immediate,
actionable feedback.
Apply for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Once you meet eligibility requirements, apply for the
highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive: the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award.
Award applicants say that the Baldrige evaluation process is one of the best, most cost-effective, most comprehensive
performance assessments you can find, whether or not they receive the Baldrige Award. See https://www.nist.gov
/baldrige/baldrige-award for more information. In the Baldrige process, everyone is a learner.
vi 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

Criteria for Performance Excellence
Overview and Structure
Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview: A Systems Perspective

The performance system consists of the six categories in the center of the figure. These categories define your processes and
the results you achieve.
Performance excellence requires strong Leadership and is demonstrated through outstanding Results.
The word “integration” at the center of the figure shows that all the elements of the system are interrelated.
The center horizontal arrowheads show the critical linkage between the leadership triad (on the left) and the results triad
(on the right) and the central relationship between the Leadership and Results categories.
The center vertical arrowheads point to the Organizational Profile and the system foundation, which provide information on
and feedback to key processes and the organizational environment.
The Organizational Profile

sets the context for your The results triad (Workforce,
organization. It serves as the Operations, and Results)
The leadership triad (Leader- includes your workforce-focused
ship, Strategy, and Customers) background for all you do.
processes, your key operational
emphasizes the importance of processes, and the performance
a leadership focus on strategy results they yield.
and customers.
Organizational Profile
Strategy Workforce
Leadership Integration RESULTS
Customers Operations
Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
The system All actions

foundation lead to
(Measurement, Results—a
Analysis, and
Core s
Values and Concept
composite of product
Knowledge Management) and process, customer,
is critical to effective workforce, leadership
management and to a and governance, and
fact-based, knowledge- financial, market, and
driven, agile system for strategy results.
improving performance The basis of the Criteria is a set of Core Values and Concepts that
and competitiveness. are embedded in high-performing organizations (see pages 38–43).
Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview and Structure 1

Criteria for Performance Excellence Structure
The seven Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence categories are subdivided into items and
areas to address.
Items Areas to Address

There are 17 Criteria items (plus 2 in the Organizational Each item includes one or more areas to address (labeled a,
Profile), each with a particular focus. These items are divided b, c, and so on).
into three groups according to the kinds of information they
ask for: Item Questions
• The Organizational Profile asks you to define your Item questions are expressed on three levels:
organizational environment. • Basic questions are expressed in the item titles.
• Process items (categories 1–6) ask you to define your • Overall questions are expressed in boldface in the
organization’s processes. shaded box. These leading questions are the starting
• Results items (category 7) ask you to report results for point for responding.
your organization’s processes. • Multiple questions are the individual ones under each
See page 3 for a list of item titles and point values. area to address, including the one in boldface. That
first question expresses the most important one in
Item Notes that group.
Item notes (1) clarify terms or questions, (2) give instructions
and examples for responding, and (3) indicate key linkages
Key Terms
to other items. Item notes in italics pertain specifically to Terms in small caps are defined in the Glossary of Key
nonprofit (including government) organizations. Terms (pages 46–53).
Item title and Key term in Type of information

basic question small caps Item point value to provide in
response to this item
Item number
3.1 Customer Expectations: How do you listen to your customers and determine
products and services to meet their needs? (40 pts.)
Area to a. custoMer Listening
address (1) Current custoMers hoW do you listen to, interact with, and observe customers to obtain actionable infor-
PROCE S S
mation? how do your listening methods vary for different customers, customer groups, or market segments?
Headings how do your listening methods vary across the customer life cycle? how do you seek immediate and actionable
feedback from customers on the quality of products, customer support, and transactions?
summarizing (2) Potential custoMers hoW do you listen to potential custoMers to obtain actionable information? how do
multiple you listen to former customers, competitors’ customers, and other potential customers to obtain actionable Overall
information on your products, customer support, and transactions, as appropriate?
questions questions
Terms in small caps are defined in the Glossary of Key Terms (pages 46–53).
Notes Multiple
3.1. Your results on performance relative to key product 3.1a(1). The customer life cycle begins in the product questions
features should be reported in item 7.1. concept or pre-sale period and continues through all stages
3.1. For additional considerations on the products and business of your involvement with the customer. These stages might
of nonprofit (including government) organizations, see the include relationship building, the active business relation-
notes to P.1a(1) and P.2b. ship, and an exit strategy, as appropriate.
Item 3.1a(1). Your customer listening methods might include For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
notes social media and web-based technologies. Listening through
-criteria-commentary).
social media may include monitoring comments on social
media outlets you moderate and on those you do not.
Link to
Criteria
Commentary
Note in italics for nonprofit organizations
2 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

Items and Point Values
See pages 29–34 for the scoring system used with the Criteria items in a Baldrige assessment.
P Organizational Profile
P.1 Organizational Description
P.2 Organizational Situation
Categories and Items Point Values

1 Leadership 120
1.1 Senior Leadership 70
1.2 Governance and Societal Contributions 50
2 Strategy 85
2.1 Strategy Development 45
2.2 Strategy Implementation 40
3 Customers 85
3.1 Customer Expectations 40
3.2 Customer Engagement 45
4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 90

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of
Organizational Performance 45
4.2 Information and Knowledge Management 45
5 Workforce 85
5.1 Workforce Environment 40
5.2 Workforce Engagement 45
6 Operations 85
6.1 Work Processes 45
6.2 Operational Effectiveness 40
7 Results 450
7.1 Product and Process Results 120
7.2 Customer Results 80
7.3 Workforce Results 80
7.4 Leadership and Governance Results 80
7.5 Financial, Market, and Strategy Results 90
TOTAL POINTS 1,000
Criteria for Performance Excellence Items and Point Values 3

Begin with the Organizational Profile
The Organizational Profile is the most appropriate starting point for self-assessment and for writing an application. It is criti-
cally important for the following reasons:
• You can use it as an initial self-assessment. If you identify topics for which conflicting, little, or no information is available,
use these topics for action planning.
• It sets the context for understanding your organization and how it operates, and allows you to address unique aspects
of your organization in your responses to the Baldrige Criteria questions in categories 1–7. Your responses to all other
questions in the Criteria should relate to the organizational context you describe in this profile.
• It helps you identify gaps in key information about your organization and focus on key performance requirements
and results.
P Organizational Profile
The Organizational Profile is a snapshot of your organization and its strategic environment.
P.1 Organizational Description: What are your key organizational characteristics?

a. Organizational Environment
(1) Product Offerings What are your main product offerings (see the note on the next page)? What is the relative
importance of each to your success? What mechanisms do you use to deliver your products?
(2) Mission, Vision, Values, and Culture What are your mission, vision, and values? Other than values, what
are the characteristics of your organizational culture, if any? What are your organization’s core competencies, and
what is their relationship to your mission?
(3) Workforce Profile What is your workforce profile? What recent changes have you experienced in workforce
composition or in your needs with regard to your workforce? What are
• your workforce or employee groups and segments;
• the educational requirements for different employee groups and segments;
• the key drivers that engage them;
• your organized bargaining units (union representation), if any; and
• your special health and safety requirements, if any?
(4) Assets What are your major facilities, equipment, technologies, and intellectual property?
(5) Regulatory Environment What are your key applicable occupational health and safety regulations; accredita-
tion, certification, or registration requirements; industry standards; and environmental, financial, and product
regulations?
b. Organizational Relationships
(1) Organizational Structure What are your organizational leadership structure and governance structure? What
structures and mechanisms make up your organization’s leadership system? What are the reporting relationships
among your governance board, senior leaders, and parent organization, as appropriate?
(2) Customers and Stakeholders What are your key market segments, customer groups, and stakeholder
groups, as appropriate? What are their key requirements and expectations for your products, customer support
services, and operations, including any differences among the groups?
(Continued on the next page)
4 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

(3) Suppliers, Partners, and Collaborators What are your key types of suppliers, partners, and collaborators?
What role do they play in producing and delivering your key products and customer support services, and in
enhancing your competitiveness? What role do they play in contributing and implementing innovations in your
organization? What are your key supply-network requirements?
Notes
P.1a(1). Product offerings are the goods and services guidance. For some nonprofit (including government) organi-
you offer in the marketplace. Mechanisms for delivering zations, governance and reporting relationships might include
products to your customers might be direct or might be relationships with major funding sources, such as granting
indirect, through dealers, distributors, collaborators, or chan- agencies, legislatures, or foundations.
nel partners. Nonprofit (including government) organizations P.1b(1). The Organizational Profile asks for the “what” of
might refer to their product offerings as programs, projects, your leadership system (its structures and mechanisms).
or services. Questions in categories 1 and 5 ask how the system is used.
P.1a(2). If your organization has a stated purpose as well P.1b(2). For some nonprofit (including government) organiza-
as a mission, you should include it in your response. Some tions, customers might include members, taxpayers, citizens,
organizations define a mission and a purpose, and some use recipients, clients, and beneficiaries, and market segments
the terms interchangeably. In some organizations, purpose might be referred to as constituencies. For government agencies,
refers to the fundamental reason that the organization the legislature (as a source of funds) may be a key stakeholder.
exists. Its role is to inspire the organization and guide its
setting of values. P.1b(2). Customer groups might be based on common
expectations, behaviors, preferences, or profiles. Within a
P.1a(2). Your values are part of your organization’s culture. group, there may be customer segments based on differ-
Other characteristics of your organizational culture might ences, commonalities, or both. You might subdivide your
include shared beliefs and norms that contribute to the market into segments based on product lines or features,
uniqueness of the environment within your organization. distribution channels, business volume, geography, or other
P.1a(3). Workforce or employee groups and segments defining factors.
(including organized bargaining units) might be based on P.1b(2). Customer, stakeholder, and operational require-
type of employment or contract-reporting relationship, ments and expectations will drive your organization’s
location (including telework), tour of duty, work environ- sensitivity to the risk of product, service, support, and
ment, use of certain family-friendly policies, or other factors. supply-network interruptions, including those due to natural
Organizations that also rely on volunteers and interns to disasters and other emergencies.
accomplish their work should include these groups as part
of their workforce. P.1b(3). Your supply network consists of the entities
involved in producing your products and services and deliv-
P.1a(5). In the Criteria, industry refers to the sector in which ering them to your customers. For some organizations, these
you operate. Industry standards might include industrywide entities form a chain, in which one entity directly supplies
codes of conduct and policy guidance. For nonprofit (includ- another. Increasingly, however, these entities are interlinked
ing government) organizations, this sector might be charitable and exist in interdependent rather than linear relationships.
organizations, professional associations and societies, religious The Criteria use the term supply network, rather than
organizations, or government entities—or a subsector of one supply chain, to emphasize the interdependencies among
of these. Depending on the regions in which you operate, organizations and their suppliers.
environmental regulations might cover greenhouse gas
emissions, carbon regulations and trading, and energy For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
efficiency. Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
P.1b(1). The governance or oversight structure for privately
held businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government
agencies may comprise an advisory board, a family council,
or local/regional leaders who are assembled to provide
Organizational Profile 5
P.2 Organizational Situation: What is your organization’s strategic situation?
a. Competitive Environment
(1) Competitive Position What are your relative size and growth in your industry or the markets you serve? How
many and what types of competitors do you have?
(2) Competitiveness Changes What key changes, if any, are affecting your competitive situation, including changes
that create opportunities for innovation and collaboration, as appropriate?
(3) Comparative Data What key sources of comparative and competitive data are available from within your indus-
try? What key sources of comparative data are available from outside your industry? What limitations, if any, affect
your ability to obtain or use these data?
b. Strategic Context
What are your key strategic challenges and advantages?
c. Performance Improvement System
What is your performance improvement system, including your processes for evaluation and improvement of key
organizational projects and processes?
Notes
P.2a. Nonprofit organizations must often compete with other P.2c. The Baldrige Scoring System (pages 29–34) uses
organizations and alternative sources of similar services to performance improvement through learning and integration
secure financial and volunteer resources, membership, visibility as a dimension in assessing the maturity of organizational
in appropriate communities, and media attention. approaches and their deployment. This question is intended
P.2b. Strategic challenges and advantages might be in the to set an overall context for your approach to performance
areas of business, operations, societal contributions, and improvement. The approach you use should be related to
workforce. They might relate to products, finances, organi- your organization’s needs. Approaches that are compatible
zational structure and culture, emerging technology, digital with the overarching systems approach provided by the
integration, data and information security, brand recognition Baldrige framework might include implementing a Lean
and reputation, your supply network, globalization, and the Enterprise System, applying Six Sigma methodology, using
environment and climate. Throughout the Criteria, “business” PDCA methodology, using standards from ISO (e.g., the
refers to a nonprofit (or government) organization’s main mis- 9000 or 14000 series, or sector-specific standards), using
sion area or enterprise activity. decision science, or employing other improvement tools.
For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria

1 Leadership (120 pts.)
The Leadership category asks how senior leaders’ personal actions guide and sustain your organization. It also asks about
your organization’s governance system; how your organization fulfills its legal and ethical responsibilities; and how it makes
societal contributions.
1.1 Senior Leadership: How do your senior leaders lead the organization? (70 pts.)
a. Vision and Values
(1) Setting Vision and Values How do senior leaders set your organization’s vision and values? How do
P R O C ESS
senior leaders deploy the vision and values through your leadership system, to the workforce, to key
suppliers and partners, and to customers and other stakeholders, as appropriate? How do senior leaders’
personal actions reflect a commitment to those values?
(2) Promoting Legal and Ethical Behavior How do senior leaders’ personal actions demonstrate their
commitment to legal and ethical behavior? How do senior leaders promote an organizational environment
that requires it?
b. Communication
How do senior leaders communicate with and engage the entire workforce, key partners, and key customers?
How do they
• encourage frank, two-way communication;
• communicate key decisions and needs for organizational change; and
• take a direct role in motivating the workforce toward high performance and a customer and
business focus?
c. Mission and Organizational Performance
(1) Creating an Environment for Success How do senior leaders create an environment for success now
and in the future? How do they
• create an environment for the achievement of your mission;
• create and reinforce your organizational culture, and a culture that fosters customer and workforce
engagement;
• cultivate organizational agility, accountability, organizational and individual learning, innovation, and
intelligent risk taking; and
• participate in succession planning and the development of future organizational leaders?
(2) Creating a Focus on Action How do senior leaders create a focus on action that will achieve the
organization’s mission? How do senior leaders
• create a focus on action that will improve the organization’s performance;
• identify needed actions;
• in setting expectations for organizational performance, include a focus on creating and balancing value for
customers and other stakeholders; and
• demonstrate personal accountability for the organization’s actions?
Notes
1.1. Your organizational performance results should be 1.1b. Two-way communication may include use of social
reported in items 7.1–7.5. Results related to the effectiveness media, such as delivering periodic messages through inter-
of leadership and the leadership system should be reported nal and external websites, tweets, blogging, and customer
in item 7.4. and workforce electronic forums, as well as monitoring
1.1a(1). Your organization’s vision should set the context external social media outlets and responding, when
for the strategic objectives and action plans you describe in appropriate.
items 2.1 and 2.2.
1 Leadership 7
1.1b. Senior leaders’ direct role in motivating the workforce cal and organizational innovation. Other factors include
may include participating in reward and recognition risks and opportunities arising from emerging technology,
programs. data integration, data and information security, and environ-
mental considerations.
1.1b. Organizations that rely heavily on volunteers to
accomplish their work should also discuss efforts to com- 1.1c(2). Senior leaders’ focus on action considers your strat-
municate with and engage the volunteer workforce. egy, workforce, work systems, and assets. It includes taking
intelligent risks, implementing innovations and ongoing
1.1c(1). A successful organization is capable of addressing improvements in performance and productivity, taking the
current business needs and, by addressing risk, agility, and actions needed to achieve your strategic objectives (see
strategic management, is capable of preparing for its future 2.2a[1]), and possibly establishing plans for managing major
business, market, and operating environment. In creating organizational change or responding rapidly to significant
an environment for success, leaders should consider both new information.
external and internal factors. Factors might include risk
appetite and tolerance, organizational culture, work systems, For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
the potential need for transformational changes in structure Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
and culture, workforce capability and capacity, resource -criteria-commentary).
availability, core competencies, and the need for technologi-
1.2 Governance and Societal Contributions: How do you govern your organization and
make societal contributions? (50 pts.)
a. Organizational Governance
(1) Governance System How does your organization ensure responsible governance? How does your
PROC ESS
governance system review and achieve the following?
• Accountability for senior leaders’ actions

• Accountability for strategy
• Fiscal accountability
• Transparency in operations
• Selection of governance board members and disclosure policies for them, as appropriate
• Independence and effectiveness of internal and external audits
• Protection of stakeholder and stockholder interests, as appropriate
• Succession planning for senior leaders
(2) Performance Evaluation How do you evaluate the performance of your senior leaders and your
governance board? How do you use performance evaluations in determining executive compensation? How
do your senior leaders and governance board use these performance evaluations to advance their develop-
ment and improve the effectiveness of leaders, the board, and the leadership system, as appropriate?
b. Legal and Ethical Behavior
(1) Legal and Regulatory Compliance How do you address current and anticipate future legal, regulatory, and
community concerns with your products and operations? How do you
• address any adverse societal impacts of your products and operations,
• anticipate public concerns with your future products and operations, and
• prepare for these impacts and concerns proactively?
What are your key compliance processes, measures, and goals for meeting and surpassing regulatory and legal
requirements, as appropriate? What are your key processes, measures, and goals for addressing risks associated
with your products and operations?
(2) Ethical Behavior How do you promote and ensure ethical behavior in all interactions? What are your
key processes and measures or indicators for promoting and ensuring ethical behavior in your governance
structure; throughout your organization; and in interactions with your workforce, customers, partners, suppli-
ers, and other stakeholders? How do you monitor and respond to breaches of ethical behavior?
(Continued on the next page)

c. Societal Contributions
(1) Societal Well-Being How do you consider societal well-being and benefit as part of your strategy and daily
operations? How do you contribute to the well-being of your environmental, social, and economic systems?
(2) Community Support How do you actively support and strengthen your key communities? What are your
key communities? How do you identify them and determine areas for organizational involvement? How do your
senior leaders, in concert with your workforce, contribute to improving these communities?
Notes
1.2. Societal contributions in areas critical to your ongoing 1.2b(2). Measures or indicators of ethical behavior might
marketplace success should also be addressed in Strategy include the percentage of independent board members,
Development (item 2.1) and Operations (category 6). Key measures of relationships with stockholder and non-
societal results should be reported as Leadership and stockholder constituencies, instances of ethical conduct or
Governance Results (item 7.4). compliance breaches and responses to them, survey results
showing workforce perceptions of organizational ethics,
1.2. The health and safety of your workforce are not
ethics hotline use, and results of ethics reviews and audits.
addressed in this item; you should address these workforce
Measures or indicators of ethical behavior might also include
factors in items 5.1 and 6.2, respectively.
evidence that policies, workforce training, and monitoring
1.2a(1). The governance board’s review of organizational systems are in place for conflicts of interest; protection and
performance and progress, if appropriate, is addressed in use of sensitive data, information, and knowledge generated
4.1(b). through synthesizing and correlating these data; and proper
1.2a(1). Transparency in the operations of your governance use of funds.
system should include your internal controls on governance 1.2c. Some charitable organizations may contribute to society
processes. For some privately held businesses and nonprofit and support their key communities totally through the mission-
(including government) organizations, an external advisory related activities described in response to other Criteria ques-
board may provide some or all governance board functions. tions. In such cases, it is appropriate to respond here with any
For nonprofit (including government) organizations that serve “extra efforts” through which you support these communities.
as stewards of public funds, areas of emphasis are stewardship
1.2c(1). Areas of societal well-being and benefit to report
of those funds and transparency in operations.
are those that are in addition to the compliance processes
1.2a(2). The evaluation of leaders’ performance might be you describe in 1.2b(1). They might include organizational or
supported by peer reviews, formal performance manage- collaborative efforts to improve the environment; strengthen
ment reviews, and formal or informal feedback from and local community services, education, health, and emergency
surveys of the workforce and other stakeholders. For some preparedness; address societal inequities; and improve the
privately held businesses and nonprofit and government practices of trade, business, or professional associations.
organizations, external advisory boards might evaluate the
1.2c(2). Areas for organizational involvement in supporting
performance of senior leaders and the governance board.
your key communities might include areas that leverage
1.2b(1). Proactively preparing for any adverse societal your core competencies.
impacts and concerns may include conservation of natural
resources and effective supply-network management
processes, as appropriate. Nonprofit organizations should
report, as appropriate, how they meet and surpass regulatory
and legal requirements and standards that govern fundraising
and lobbying.
1 Leadership 9
2 Strategy (85 pts.)
The Strategy category asks how your organization develops strategic objectives and action plans, implements them,
changes them if circumstances require, and measures progress.
2.1 Strategy Development: How do you develop your strategy? (45 pts.)
a. Strategy Development Process
(1) Strategic Planning Process How do you conduct your strategic planning? What are the key process steps?
P R O C ESS
Who are the key participants? What are your short- and longer-term planning horizons? How are they addressed
in the planning process? How does your strategic planning process address the potential need for transforma-
tional change, prioritization of change initiatives, and organizational agility?
(2) Innovation How does your strategy development process stimulate and incorporate innovation? How
do you identify strategic opportunities? How do you decide which strategic opportunities are intelligent
risks to pursue? What are your key strategic opportunities?
(3) Strategy Considerations How do you collect and analyze relevant data and develop information for use in
your strategic planning process? In this collection and analysis, how do you include these key elements of risk?
• Your strategic challenges and strategic advantages
• Potential changes in your regulatory and external environment
• Potential blind spots in your strategic planning process and information
• Your ability to execute the strategic plan
(4) Work Systems and Core Competencies How do you decide which key processes will be accomplished
by your workforce and which by external suppliers, partners, and collaborators? How do those decisions
consider your strategic objectives, your core competencies, and the core competencies of potential suppli-
ers, partners, and collaborators? How do you determine what future organizational core competencies and
work systems you will need?
b. Strategic Objectives
(1) Key Strategic Objectives What are your organization’s key strategic objectives and timetable for
achieving them? What are your most important goals for these strategic objectives? What key changes, if any,
are planned in your products, customers and markets, suppliers and partners, and operations?
(2) Strategic Objective Considerations How do your strategic objectives achieve appropriate balance among
varying and potentially competing organizational needs? How do your strategic objectives
• address your strategic challenges and leverage your core competencies, strategic advantages, and
strategic opportunities;
• balance short- and longer-term planning horizons; and
• consider and balance the needs of all key stakeholders?
Notes
2.1. This item deals with your overall organizational prise risk. To make decisions and allocate resources, you
strategy, which might include changes in customer engage- might use various types of forecasts, projections, options,
ment processes and product offerings. However, you should scenarios, knowledge (see 4.2b for relevant organizational
describe the customer engagement and product design knowledge), analyses, or other approaches to envisioning
strategies, respectively, in items 3.2 and 6.1, as appropriate. the future. Strategy development might involve key sup-
pliers, collaborators, distributors, partners, and customers.
2.1. Strategy development refers to your organization’s
For some nonprofit organizations, strategy development might
approach to preparing for the future. In developing your
involve organizations providing similar services or drawing
strategy, you should consider your level of acceptable enter-
from the same donor population or volunteer workforce.

2.1. The term “strategy” should be interpreted broadly. Strat- ucts, services, or areas; your ability to prevent and respond
egy might be built around or lead to any or all of the follow- to disasters and emergencies; changes in the local, national,
ing: new products; redefinition of key customer groups or or global economy; requirements for and strengths and
market segments; definition or redefinition of your role in weaknesses of your partners and supply network; changes
your business ecosystem (your network of partners, suppli- in your parent organization; and other factors unique to
ers, collaborators, competitors, customers, communities, and your organization.
other relevant organizations inside and outside your sector 2.1a(3). Your strategic planning should address your ability
or industry that serve as potential resources); differentiation to mobilize the necessary resources and knowledge to
of your brand; new core competencies; revenue growth; execute the strategic plan. It should also address your ability
divestitures; mergers and acquisitions; new partnerships, to execute contingency plans or, if circumstances require, to
alliances, or roles within them; and new employee or volun- shift strategy and rapidly execute new or changed plans.
teer relationships. It might also be directed toward meeting
a community or public need. 2.1a(4). Your work systems are the coordinated combination
of internal work processes and external resources you need
2.1a(1). Organizational agility refers to the capacity for to develop and produce products, deliver them to your cus-
rapid change in strategy and the ability to adjust your opera- tomers, and succeed in your marketplace. External resources
tions as opportunities or needs arise. might include partners, suppliers, collaborators, competitors,
2.1a(3). Integration of data from all sources to generate customers, and other entities or organizations that are part
strategically relevant information is a key consideration. of your business ecosystem. Decisions about work systems
Data and information might relate to customer and market involve protecting intellectual property, capitalizing on core
requirements, expectations, opportunities, and risks; competencies, and mitigating risk.
financial, societal, ethical, regulatory, technological, security 2.1b(1). Strategic objectives should focus on your specific
and cybersecurity, and other potential opportunities and challenges, advantages, and opportunities—those most
risks; your core competencies; the competitive environment important to your ongoing success and to strengthening
and your performance now and in the future relative to your overall performance and your success now and in the
competitors and comparable organizations; your product life future.
cycle; technological and other key innovations or changes
that might affect your products and services and the way For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
you operate, as well as the rate of innovation; workforce and Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
other resource needs; your ability to capitalize on diversity; -criteria-commentary).
opportunities to redirect resources to higher-priority prod-
2 Strategy 11
2.2 Strategy Implementation: How do you implement your strategy? (40 pts.)
a. Action Plan Development and Deployment
(1) Action Plans What are your key short- and longer-term action plans? What is their relationship to your
PR O C ESS
strategic objectives? How do you develop your action plans?
(2) Action Plan Implementation How do you deploy your action plans? How do you deploy your action
plans to your workforce and to key suppliers, partners, and collaborators, as appropriate, to ensure that you
achieve your key strategic objectives? How do you ensure that you can sustain the key outcomes of your
action plans?
(3) Resource Allocation How do you ensure that financial and other resources are available to support the
achievement of your action plans while you meet current obligations? How do you allocate these resources to
support the plans? How do you manage the risks associated with the plans to ensure your financial viability?
(4) Workforce Plans What are your key workforce plans to support your short- and longer-term strategic
objectives and action plans? How do the plans address potential impacts on your workforce members and
any potential changes in workforce capability and capacity needs?
(5) Performance Measures What key performance measures or indicators do you use to track the achieve-
ment and effectiveness of your action plans? How does your overall action plan measurement system
reinforce organizational alignment?
(6) Performance Projections For these key performance measures or indicators, what are your performance
projections for your short- and longer-term planning horizons? If there are gaps between your projected per-
formance and that of your competitors or comparable organizations, how do you address them in your action
plans?
b. Action Plan Modification

How do you recognize and respond when circumstances require a shift in action plans and rapid execution of
new plans?
Notes
2.2. The development and deployment of your strategy and • Category 6: how you address changes to your work
action plans are closely linked to other Criteria items. The processes resulting from action plans
following are examples of key linkages:
• Item 7.1: specific accomplishments relative to your
• Item 1.1: how your senior leaders set and communi- organizational strategy and action plans
cate organizational direction
• Item 7.5: results for overall strategy and action plan
• Category 3: how you gather customer and market achievement
knowledge as input to your strategy and action plans
2.2a(6). Projected performance might consider new
and to use in deploying action plans
ventures; organizational acquisitions or mergers; new value
• Category 4: how you measure and analyze data and creation; market entry and shifts; new legislative mandates,
manage knowledge to support key information needs, legal requirements, or industry standards; and significant
support the development of strategy, provide an effec- anticipated innovations in services and technology. Your pro-
tive basis for performance measurements, and track cess for projecting future performance should be reported in
progress on achieving strategic objectives and action 4.1c(1).
plans
• Category 5: how you meet workforce capability and Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
capacity needs, determine needs and design your -criteria-commentary).
workforce learning and development system, and
implement workforce-related changes resulting from
action plans

3 3 Customers (85 pts.)
The Customers category asks how your organization engages its customers for ongoing marketplace success, including
how your organization listens to the voice of the customer, serves and exceeds customers’ expectations, and builds long-
term customer relationships.
3.1 Customer Expectations: How do you listen to your customers and determine
products and services to meet their needs? (40 pts.)
a. Customer Listening
(1) Current Customers How do you listen to, interact with, and observe customers to obtain actionable infor-
P R O C ESS
mation? How do your listening methods vary for different customers, customer groups, or market segments?
How do your listening methods vary across the customer life cycle? How do you seek immediate and actionable
feedback from customers on the quality of products, customer support, and transactions?
(2) Potential Customers How do you listen to potential customers to obtain actionable information? How do
you listen to former customers, competitors’ customers, and other potential customers to obtain actionable
information on your products, customer support, and transactions, as appropriate?
b. Customer Segmentation and Product Offerings
(1) Customer Segmentation How do you determine your customer groups and market segments? How do you
• use information on customers, markets, and product offerings to identify current and anticipate future
customer groups and market segments; and
• determine which customers, customer groups, and market segments to emphasize and pursue for business
growth?
(2) Product Offerings How do you determine product offerings? How do you
• determine customer and market needs and requirements for product offerings and services;
• identify and adapt product offerings to meet the requirements and exceed the expectations of your customer
groups and market segments; and
• identify and adapt product offerings to enter new markets, to attract new customers, and to create opportuni-
ties to expand relationships with current customers, as appropriate?
Notes
3.1. Your results on performance relative to key product 3.1b(2). In identifying product offerings, you should
features should be reported in item 7.1. consider all the important characteristics of products and
3.1. For additional considerations on the products and business services and their performance throughout their full life
of nonprofit (including government) organizations, see the cycle and the full consumption chain. The focus should be
notes to P.1a(1) and P.2b. on features that affect customers’ preference for and loyalty
to you and your brand—for example, features that differenti-
3.1a(1). Your customer listening methods might include ate your products due to their unique or innovative nature
social media and web-based technologies. Listening through or that differentiate them from competing offerings or other
social media may include monitoring comments on social organizations’ services. Those latter features might include
media outlets you moderate and on those you do not price, reliability, value, delivery, timeliness, product custom-
control. ization, ease of use, customer or technical support, and the
3.1a(1). The customer life cycle begins in the product sales relationship. Key features might also consider how
concept or pre-sale period and continues through all stages transactions occur and factors such as emerging technology
of your involvement with the customer. These stages might and the privacy and security of customer data.
include relationship building, the active business relation- For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
ship, and an exit strategy, as appropriate. Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
3 Customers 13
3.2 Customer Engagement: How do you build relationships with customers and
determine satisfaction and engagement? (45 pts.)
a. Customer Relationships and Support
(1) Relationship Management How do you build and manage customer relationships? How do you market,
P R O C ESS
build, and manage relationships with customers to
• acquire customers and build market share;
• manage and enhance your brand image;
• retain customers, meet their requirements, and exceed their expectations in each stage of the
customer life cycle?
(2) Customer Access and Support How do you enable customers to seek information and support? How do
you enable them to conduct business with you? What are your key means of customer support and communica-
tion? How do they vary for different customers, customer groups, or market segments, as appropriate?
How do you
• determine your customers’ key support requirements, and
• deploy these requirements to all people and processes involved in customer support?
(3) Complaint Management How do you manage customer complaints? How do you resolve complaints
promptly and effectively? How does your management of complaints enable you to recover your customers’
confidence, enhance their satisfaction and engagement, and avoid similar complaints in the future?
b. Determination of Customer Satisfaction and Engagement
(1) Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Engagement How do you determine customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction,
and engagement? How do your determination methods differ among your customer groups and market
segments, as appropriate? How do your measurements capture actionable information?
(2) Satisfaction Relative to Other Organizations How do you obtain information on customers’ satisfaction
with your organization relative to other organizations? How do you obtain information on your customers’
satisfaction
• relative to their satisfaction with your competitors; and
• relative to the satisfaction of customers of other organizations that provide similar products or to industry
benchmarks, as appropriate?
c. Use of Voice-of-the-Customer and Market Data

How do you use voice-of-the-customer and market data and information? How do you use voice-of-the-
customer and market data and information to build a more customer-focused culture and support operational
decision making?
Notes
3.2. Results for customer perceptions and actions 3.2c. Customer data and information should be used to
(outcomes) should be reported in item 7.2. support the overall performance reviews addressed in 4.1b.
Voice-of-the-customer and market data and information to
3.2b(1). Determining customer dissatisfaction should be use might include aggregated data on complaints and, as
seen as more than reviewing low customer satisfaction appropriate, data and information from social media.
scores. It should be independently determined to identify
root causes and enable a systematic remedy to avoid future For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
dissatisfaction. Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
3.2b(2). Information on relative satisfaction may include
comparisons with competitors, comparisons with other
organizations that deliver similar products in a noncompeti-
tive marketplace, or comparisons obtained through trade
or other organizations. Such information may also include
information on why customers choose your competitors
over you.

4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management (90 pts.)
The Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management category asks how your organization selects, gathers,
analyzes, manages, and improves its data, information, and knowledge assets; how it uses review findings to improve its
performance; and how it learns.
4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance:

How do you measure, analyze, and then improve organizational performance? (45 pts.)
a. Performance Measurement
(1) Performance Measures How do you track data and information on daily operations and overall organiza-
P R O C ESS
tional performance? How do you
• select, collect, align, and integrate data and information to use in tracking daily operations and overall organiza-
tional performance; and
• track progress on achieving strategic objectives and action plans?
What are your key organizational performance measures, including key short- and longer-term financial
easures?
m How frequently do you track these measures?
(2) Comparative Data How do you select comparative data and information to support fact-based decision
making?
(3) Measurement Agility How do you ensure that your performance measurement system can respond to rapid
or unexpected organizational or external changes and provide timely data?
b. Performance Analysis and Review
How do you review your organization’s performance and capabilities? How do you use your key organizational
performance measures, as well as comparative data, in these reviews? What analyses do you perform to support
these reviews and ensure that conclusions are valid? How do your organization and its senior leaders use these
reviews to
• assess organizational success, competitive performance, financial health, and progress on achieving your
strategic objectives and action plans; and
• respond rapidly to changing organizational needs and challenges in your operating environment?
How does your governance board review the organization’s performance and its progress on strategic objectives
and action plans, if appropriate?
c. Performance Improvement
(1) Future Performance How do you project your organization’s future performance? How do you use findings
from performance reviews and key comparative and competitive data in your projections?
(2) Continuous Improvement and Innovation How do you use findings from performance reviews to develop
priorities for continuous improvement and opportunities for innovation? How do you deploy these priorities
and opportunities
• to work group and functional-level operations; and
• when appropriate, to your suppliers, partners, and collaborators to ensure organizational alignment?
Notes
4.1. The questions in this item are closely linked to should inform your organizational performance
each other and to other Criteria items. The following are reviews (4.1b).
examples of key linkages:
• Organizational performance reviews (4.1b) should
• Your organizational performance measurement reflect your strategic objectives and action plans
(4.1a)—including the comparative data and informa- (category 2), and the results of organizational
tion you select, and the performance measures performance analysis and review should inform
reported throughout your Criteria item responses— your strategy development and implementation, and

your priorities for improvement and opportunities for processes or business models, new competitor offerings,
innovation (4.1c). or productivity enhancements. Responses to such changes
might involve, for example, adopting different performance
• Your performance projections for your key action plans
measures or adjusting the intervals between measurements.
should be reported in 2.2a(6).
4.1b. Performance analysis includes examining performance
• Your organizational performance results should be
trends; organizational, industry, and technology projec-
reported in items 7.1–7.5.
tions; and comparisons, cause-effect relationships, and
4.1a. Data and information from performance measurement correlations. This analysis should support your performance
should be used to support fact-based decisions that set and reviews, help determine root causes, and help set priorities
align organizational directions and resource use at the work for resource use. Accordingly, such analysis draws on all
unit, key process, department, and organization levels. types of data: product performance, customer-related,
financial and market, operational, and competitive. The
4.1a(2). The comparative data and information you select
analysis should also draw on publicly mandated measures,
should be used to support operational and strategic decision
when appropriate, and might also be informed by internal
making. Comparative data and information are obtained
or external Baldrige assessments.
by benchmarking and by seeking competitive comparisons.
Benchmarking is identifying processes and results that rep- 4.1b. Rapid response to changing organizational needs
resent best practices and performance for similar activities, and challenges may include responding to the need for
inside or outside your industry. Competitive comparisons transformational change in your organizational structure
relate your performance to that of competitors and other and work systems.
organizations providing similar products and services. For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
4.1a(3). Agility in your measurement system might be Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
needed in response to regulatory changes, other changes -criteria-commentary).
in the political environment, innovations in organizational

4.2 Information and Knowledge Management: How do you manage your information and
your organizational knowledge assets? (45 pts.)
a. Data and Information
(1) Quality How do you verify and ensure the quality of organizational data and information? How do you
P R O C ESS
manage electronic and other data and information to ensure their accuracy and validity, integrity and reliability,
and currency?
(2) Availability How do you ensure the availability of organizational data and information? How do you make
needed data and information available in a user-friendly format and timely manner to your workforce, suppliers,
partners, collaborators, and customers, as appropriate? How do you ensure that your information technol-
ogy systems are reliable and user-friendly?
b. Organizational Knowledge
(1) Knowledge Management How do you build and manage organizational knowledge? How do you
• collect and transfer workforce knowledge;
• blend and correlate data from different sources to build new knowledge;
• transfer relevant knowledge from and to customers, suppliers, partners, and collaborators; and
• assemble and transfer relevant knowledge for use in your innovation and strategic planning processes?
(2) Best Practices How do you share best practices in your organization? How do you identify internal and
external organizational units or operations that are high performing? How do you identify best practices for
sharing and implement them across your organization, as appropriate?
(3) Organizational Learning How do you use your knowledge and resources to embed learning in the way
your organization operates?
Notes
4.2a(2). Information technology systems include, for 4.2b(3). Embedding learning in the way your organization
example, physical devices and systems (hardware); software operates means that learning (1) is a part of everyday work;
platforms and applications; and externally based information (2) results in solving problems at their source; (3) is focused
systems, such as those stored in the cloud or outside your on building and sharing knowledge throughout your orga-
organization’s control. nization; and (4) is driven by opportunities to bring about
significant, meaningful change and to innovate.
4.2a(2). The security of your information technology sys-
tems is not addressed in this item. You should address this as For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
part of your overall security and cybersecurity management Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
in item 6.2. -criteria-commentary).
4.2b(1). Blending and correlating data from different
sources may involve handling big data sets and disparate
types of data and information, such as data tables, video,
and text, and may involve data analytics and data science
techniques. Organizational knowledge constructed from
these data may be speculative and may reveal sensitive
information about organizations or individuals that must be
protected from use for any other purposes.

5 Workforce (85 pts.)
The Workforce category asks how your organization assesses workforce capability and capacity needs and builds a
workforce environment that is conducive to high performance. The category also asks how your organization engages, man-
ages, and develops your workforce to utilize its full potential in alignment with your organization’s overall business needs.
5.1 Workforce Environment: How do you build an effective and supportive workforce
environment? (40 pts.)
a. Workforce Capability and Capacity
(1) Capability and Capacity Needs How do you assess your workforce capability and capacity needs? How
P R O C ESS
do you assess the skills, competencies, certifications, and staffing levels you need?
(2) New Workforce Members How do you recruit, hire, and onboard new workforce members? How do you
ensure that your workforce represents the diverse ideas, cultures, and thinking of your hiring and customer
communities? How do you ensure the fit of new workforce members with your organizational culture?
(3) Workforce Change Management How do you prepare your workforce for changing capability and
apacity needs? How do you
c
• balance the needs of your workforce and your organization to ensure continuity, prevent workforce reduc-
tions, and minimize the impact of any necessary reductions;
• prepare for and manage any periods of workforce growth; and
• prepare your workforce for changes in organizational structure and work systems, when needed?
(4) Work Accomplishment How do you organize and manage your workforce? How do you organize and
manage your workforce to
• accomplish your organization’s work,
• capitalize on your organization’s core competencies,
• reinforce a customer and business focus, and
• exceed performance expectations?
b. Workforce Climate
(1) Workplace Environment How do you ensure workplace health, security, and accessibility for the
orkforce? What are your performance measures and improvement goals for your workplace environmental
w
factors?
(2) Workforce Benefits and Policies How do you support your workforce via services, benefits, and policies?
How do you tailor these to the needs of a diverse workforce and different workforce groups and segments?
Notes
5. Results related to workforce environment and engage- 5.1a(3). Preparing your workforce for changing capability
ment should be reported in item 7.3. People supervised by a and capacity needs might include training, education,
contractor should be addressed in categories 2 and 6 as part frequent communication, consideration of workforce
of your larger work system strategy and your internal work employment and employability, career counseling, and
processes. For organizations that also rely on volunteers, outplacement and other services.
workforce includes these volunteers.
5.1a(3), 5.1a(4). Organizing and managing your workforce
5.1a(1). Your assessment of workforce capability and may involve organizing the workforce for change as you
capacity needs should consider not only current needs, but address changes in technology, your external environment,
also future requirements based on the strategic objectives culture, or strategic objectives.
and action plans you identify in category 2 and the future
performance you discuss in 4.1c(1).

5.1b(1). Workplace accessibility maximizes productivity by different workplace environments, you should include these
eliminating barriers that can prevent people with disabilities differences in your response. You should address workplace
from working to their potential. A fully inclusive workplace safety in item 6.2 as part of your overall safety system.
is physically, technologically, and attitudinally accessible. For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
5.1b(1). If workplace environmental factors and their Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
performance measures or targets differ significantly for your -criteria-commentary).
5.2 Workforce Engagement: How do you engage your workforce for retention and
high performance? (45 pts.)
a. Assessment of Workforce Engagement
(1) Drivers of Engagement How do you determine the key drivers of workforce engagement? How do you
P R O C ESS
determine these drivers for different workforce groups and segments?
(2) Assessment of Engagement How do you assess workforce engagement? What formal and informal assess-
ment methods and measures do you use to determine workforce satisfaction and workforce engagement?
How do these methods and measures differ across workforce groups and segments? How do you also use
other indicators to assess and improve workforce engagement?
b. Organizational Culture How do you foster an organizational culture that is characterized by open
communication, high performance, and an engaged workforce? How do you reinforce your organizational
culture? How do you ensure that your organizational culture supports your vision and values, and benefits from
the diverse ideas, cultures, and thinking of your workforce? How do you empower your workforce?
c. Performance Management and Development
(1) Performance Management How does your workforce performance management system support high
performance? How does it consider workforce compensation, reward, recognition, and incentive practices?
How does it reinforce intelligent risk taking, a customer and business focus, and achievement of your action
plans?
(2) Performance Development How does your learning and development system support the personal
development of workforce members and your organization’s needs? How does it consider the learning
and development desires of workforce members, support organizational performance improvement and
intelligent risk taking, and support ethics and ethical business practices?
(3) Learning and Development Effectiveness How do you evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your
learning and development system? How do you
• correlate learning and development outcomes with findings from your assessment of workforce
ngagement and with key business results, and
e
• use these correlations to identify opportunities for improvement both in workforce engagement and in
learning and development offerings?
(4) Career Development How do you manage career development for your workforce and your future lead-
ers? How do you carry out succession planning for management, leadership, and other key positions?
Notes
5.2a(1). Drivers of workforce engagement (identified in 5.2a(2). Other indicators to use in assessing and improving
P.1a[3]) refer to the drivers of workforce members’ commit- workforce engagement might include workforce retention,
ment, both emotional and intellectual, to accomplishing the absenteeism, grievances, safety, and productivity.
organization’s work, mission, and vision.
5.2c(1). In some government organizations, compensation
systems are set by law or regulation; therefore, reward and
recognition systems must use other options.
5 Workforce 19
5.2c(2). Your response should include how you address reinforcement of new knowledge and skills on the job. Your
any considerations for workforce development, learning, response should also consider the breadth of development
and career progression that are unique to your organiza- opportunities you might offer, including education, training,
tion. These might include development opportunities that coaching, mentoring, and work-related experiences.
address your organization’s core competencies, strategic
challenges, and action plans; organizational change and
innovation; improvements in customer focus; and the

6 Operations (85 pts.)
The Operations category asks how your organization designs, manages, improves, and innovates its products and work
processes and improves operational effectiveness to deliver customer value and achieve ongoing organizational success.
6.1 Work Processes: How do you design, manage, and improve your key products and
work processes? (45 pts.)
a. Product and Process Design
(1) Determination of Product and Process Requirements How do you determine key product and work
P R O C ESS
process requirements?
(2) Key Work Processes What are your organization’s key work processes? What are the key requirements for
these work processes?
(3) Design Concepts How do you design your products and work processes to meet requirements? How do
you incorporate new technology, organizational knowledge, product excellence, customer value, consideration
of risk, and the potential need for agility into these products and processes?
b. Process Management and Improvement
(1) Process Implementation How does your day-to-day operation of work processes ensure that they meet
key process requirements? What key performance measures or indicators and in-process measures do you
use to control and improve your work processes? How do these measures relate to end-product quality and
performance measures?
(2) Support Processes How do you determine your key support processes? What are your key support
processes? How does your day-to-day operation of these processes ensure that they meet key business
requirements?
(3) Product and Process Improvement How do you improve your work processes and support processes to
improve products and process performance, enhance your core competencies, and reduce variability?
c. Supply-Network Management
How do you manage your supply network? How do you select suppliers that are qualified and positioned to
meet your operational needs, enhance your performance, support your strategic objectives, and enhance your
customers’ satisfaction? How do you
• promote alignment and collaboration within your supply network;
• ensure supply-network agility in responding to changes in customer, market, and organizational requirements;
and
• communicate performance expectations, measure and evaluate suppliers’ performance, provide feedback to
help them improve, and deal with poorly performing suppliers?
d. Innovation Management
How do you pursue your opportunities for innovation? How do you pursue the strategic opportunities that
you determine are intelligent risks? How do you make financial and other resources available to pursue these
opportunities? How do you decide to discontinue pursuing opportunities at the appropriate time?
Notes
6.1. The results of improvements in product and process to change as a result of overall work system changes, such
performance should be reported in item 7.1. as bringing a supply-network product or process in-house
to avoid disruptions in supply due to unpredictable external
6.1a(3). Process design also includes the need to extensively
events, or outsourcing a product or process formerly carried
redesign a process due to changes in requirements or other
out in-house.
factors. Agility may be needed when work processes need
6 Operations 21
6.1b(2). Your key support processes should support your or form alliances among multiple organizations within
value-creation processes. They might include processes that the supply network for mutual benefit. Communication of
support leaders and other workforce members engaged in, expectations and feedback to suppliers should be two-way,
for example, product design and delivery, customer interac- allowing suppliers to express what they need from you and
tions, and business and enterprise management. Examples other organizations within the supply network. For many
might include accounting and purchasing. organizations, these mechanisms may change as market-
place, customer, or stakeholder requirements change.
6.1b(3). Your approaches to improve process performance
and reduce variability should be part of the performance 6.1d. Your process for managing opportunities for innova-
improvement system you describe in P.2c in the Organiza- tion should capitalize on strategic opportunities identified in
tional Profile. 2.1a(2).
6.1c. To ensure that suppliers are positioned to meet For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
operational needs and enhance your performance and your Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
customers’ satisfaction, you might partner with suppliers -criteria-commentary).

6.2 Operational Effectiveness: How do you ensure effective management of your
operations? (40 pts.)
a. Process Efficiency and Effectiveness
How do you manage the cost, efficiency, and effectiveness of your operations? How do you
P R O C ESS
• incorporate cycle time, productivity, and other efficiency and effectiveness factors into your work
processes;
• prevent defects, service errors, and rework;
• minimize warranty costs or customers’ productivity losses, as appropriate;
• minimize the costs of inspections, tests, and process or performance audits, as appropriate; and
• balance the need for cost control and efficiency with the needs of your customers?
b. Security and Cybersecurity
How do you ensure the security and cybersecurity of sensitive or privileged data and information and of
key assets? How do you manage physical and electronic data, information, and key operational systems to ensure
confidentiality and only appropriate physical and electronic access? How do you
• maintain your awareness of emerging security and cybersecurity threats;
• ensure that your workforce, customers, partners, and suppliers understand and fulfill their security and
cybersecurity roles and responsibilities;
• identify and prioritize key information technology and operational systems to secure; and
• protect these systems from potential cybersecurity events, detect cybersecurity events, and respond to and
recover from cybersecurity incidents?
c. Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(1) Safety How do you provide a safe operating environment? How does your safety system address accident
prevention, inspection, root-cause analysis of failures, and recovery?
(2) Business Continuity How do you ensure that your organization is prepared for disasters or emergencies?
How does your disaster and emergency preparedness system consider prevention, continuity of operations, and
recovery? How does your disaster and emergency preparedness system take into account your reliance on your
workforce, supply network, and partners? How do you ensure that your information technology systems
continue to be secure and available to serve customers and meet business needs?
Notes
6.2b. For examples of what your information technology 6.2c(2). Disasters and emergencies might be related to
systems might include, see the note to 4.2a(2). weather, climate, utilities, security, or a local or national
emergency. The extent to which you prepare for disasters
6.2b. Managing cybersecurity includes protecting against
or emergencies will depend on your organization’s
the loss of sensitive information about employees, custom-
environment and its sensitivity to disruptions of operations.
ers, and organizations; protecting assets, including intellec-
Acceptable levels of risk will vary depending on the nature
tual property; and protecting against the financial, legal, and
of your products, services, supply network, and stakeholder
reputational aspects of breaches. There are many sources for
needs and expectations.
general and industry-specific cybersecurity standards and
practices. Many are referenced in the Framework for Improv- For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
ing Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (https://www.nist Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
.gov/cyberframework). The Baldrige Cybersecurity Excellence -criteria-commentary).
Builder (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/products-services)
is a self-assessment tool incorporating the concepts of
the Cybersecurity Framework and the Baldrige systems
perspective.
6 Operations 23
7 Results (450 pts.)
The Results category asks about your organization’s performance and improvement in all key areas—product and process
results; customer results; workforce results; leadership and governance results; and financial, market, and strategy
results.
7.1 Product and Process Results: What are your product performance and process
effectiveness results? (120 pts.)
a. Customer-Focused Product and Service Results
What are your results for your products and your customer service processes? What are your results for
R E S U LT S
key measures or indicators of the performance of products and services that are important to and directly serve
your customers? How do these results differ by product offerings, customer groups, and market segments, as
appropriate?
b. Work Process Effectiveness Results
(1) Process Effectiveness and Efficiency What are your process effectiveness and efficiency results? What are
your results for key measures or indicators of the operational performance of your key work and support
processes, including productivity, cycle time, and other appropriate measures of process effectiveness,
efficiency, security and cybersecurity, and innovation? How do these results differ by process types, as
appropriate?
(2) Safety and Emergency Preparedness What are your safety and emergency preparedness results? What
are your results for key measures or indicators of the effectiveness of your organization’s safety system
and its preparedness for disasters or emergencies? How do these results differ by location or process type, as
appropriate?
c. Supply-Network Management Results
What are your supply-network management results? What are your results for key measures or indicators of
the performance of your supply network, including its contribution to enhancing your performance?
Notes
7. There is not a one-to-one correspondence between and by seeking competitive comparisons. In a few cases,
results items and Criteria categories 1–6. Results should be such as results for projects or processes that are unique to
considered systemically, with contributions to individual your organization, comparative data may not be available or
results items frequently stemming from processes in more appropriate.
than one Criteria category.
7.1a. Results for your products and customer service
The Baldrige scoring system (pages 29–34) asks for current, processes should relate to the key customer requirements
trended, comparative, and segmented data, as appropriate, and expectations you identify in P.1b(2), which are based
to provide key information for analyzing and reviewing your on information gathered through processes you describe
organizational performance (item 4.1), to demonstrate use in category 3. The measures or indicators should address
of organizational knowledge (item 4.2), and to provide the factors that affect customer preference, such as those listed
operational basis for customer-focused results (item 7.2) and in the notes to P.1b(2) and 3.1b.
financial, market, and strategy results (item 7.5).
7.1a. For some nonprofit (including government) organiza-
In a few areas, your results may be qualitative in nature or tions, funding sources might mandate product or service
not amenable to trending over time. Some examples are performance measures. These measures should be identified and
results for governance accountability, training hours for sup- reported here.
pliers on new products or processes, and results for limited 7.1b. Results should address the key operational require-
or one-time projects or processes. ments you identify in the Organizational Profile and in
Comparative data and information are obtained by bench- category 6.
marking (inside and outside your industry, as appropriate)

7.1b. Appropriate measures and indicators of work process 7.1c. Appropriate measures and indicators of supply-
effectiveness might include defect rates; rates and results network performance might include supplier and partner
of product, service, and work system innovation; results for audits; just-in-time delivery; and acceptance results for
simplification of internal jobs and job classifications; waste externally provided products, services, and processes.
reduction; work layout improvements; changes in supervi- Measures and indicators of contributions to enhancing your
sory ratios; Occupational Safety and Health Administration performance might include those for improvements in sub-
(OSHA)-reportable incidents; measures or indicators of the assembly performance and in supplier services to customers.
success of emergency drills or simulations, such as cycle For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
time, containment, and meeting of standards; and results for Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
work relocation or contingency exercises. -criteria-commentary).
7.2 Customer Results: What are your customer-focused performance results? (80 pts.)
a. Customer-Focused Results
(1) Customer Satisfaction What are your customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction results? What are your
R E S U LT S
results for key measures or indicators of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction? How do these results
differ by product offerings, customer groups, and market segments, as appropriate?
(2) Customer Engagement What are your customer engagement results? What are your results for key
measures or indicators of customer engagement, including those for building customer relationships?
How do these results compare over the course of your customer life cycle, as appropriate? How do these
results differ by product offerings, customer groups, and market segments, as appropriate?
Note
7.2. Results for customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
engagement should relate to the customer groups and Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
market segments you identify in P.1b(2) and the listening -criteria-commentary).
and determination methods you report in category 3.
7 Results 25
7.3 Workforce Results: What are your workforce-focused performance results? (80 pts.)
a. Workforce-Focused Results
(1) Workforce Capability and Capacity What are your workforce capability and capacity results? What are
R E S U LT S
your results for key measures of workforce capability and capacity, including appropriate skills and staffing
levels? How do these results differ by the diversity of your workforce and by your workforce groups and
segments, as appropriate?
(2) Workforce Climate What are your workforce climate results? What are your results for key measures or
indicators of your workforce climate, including those for workforce health, security, accessibility, and services
and benefits, as appropriate? How do these results differ by the diversity of your workforce and by your
workforce groups and segments, as appropriate?
(3) Workforce Engagement What are your workforce engagement results? What are your results for key
measures or indicators of workforce satisfaction and workforce engagement? How do these results differ
by the diversity of your workforce and by your workforce groups and segments, as appropriate?
(4) Workforce Development What are your workforce and leader development results? What are your
results for key measures or indicators of workforce and leader development? How do these results differ
by the diversity of your workforce and by your workforce groups and segments, as appropriate?
Notes
7.3. Results reported in this item should relate to the For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
processes, measures, and indicators you report in category 5. Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
Your results should also respond to the key work process -criteria-commentary).
needs you report in category 6 and to the action plans and
workforce plans you report in item 2.2. Organizations that
rely on volunteers or interns should report results for them,
as appropriate.

7.4 Leadership and Governance Results: What are your senior leadership and governance
results? (80 pts.)
a. Leadership, Governance, and Societal Contribution Results
(1) Leadership What are your results for senior leaders’ communication and engagement with the workforce,
R E S U LT S
partners, and customers? What are your results for key measures or indicators of senior leaders’ com-
munication and engagement with the workforce, partners, and customers to deploy your vision and values,
encourage two-way communication, and create a focus on action? How do these results differ by organizational
units and customer groups, as appropriate?
(2) Governance What are your results for governance accountability? What are your results for key measures
or indicators of governance and internal and external fiscal accountability, as appropriate?
(3) Law and Regulation What are your legal and regulatory results? What are your results for key measures
or indicators of meeting and surpassing regulatory and legal requirements? How do these results differ by
organizational units, as appropriate?
(4) Ethics What are your results for ethical behavior? What are your results for key measures or indicators
of ethical behavior, breaches of ethical behavior, and stakeholder trust in your senior leaders and
governance? How do these results differ by organizational units, as appropriate?
(5) Society What are your results for societal well-being and support of your key communities? What are your
results for key measures or indicators of your societal contributions and support of your key communities?
Notes
7.4. Responses should relate to the communication pro- 7.4a(4). For examples of measures of ethical behavior and
cesses you identify in item 1.1 and the governance, legal and stakeholder trust, see the note to 1.2b(2).
regulatory, ethics, and societal contribution processes and 7.4a(5). Measures of contributions to societal well-being
measures you report in item 1.2. Workforce-related occu- might include those for reduced energy consumption, the
pational safety and health results (e.g., OSHA-reportable use of renewable energy resources and recycled water,
incidents) should be reported in 7.1b(2) and 7.3a(2). reduction of your carbon footprint, waste reduction and
7.4a(2). Responses might include financial statement utilization, alternative approaches to conserving resources
issues and risks, important internal and external auditor (e.g., increased virtual meetings), and the global use of
recommendations, and management’s responses to these enlightened labor practices.
matters. Some nonprofit organizations might also report results For additional guidance on this item, see the Criteria
of IRS 990 audits. Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige
7 Results 27
7.5 Financial, Market, and Strategy Results: What are your results for financial viability
and strategy implementation? (90 pts.)
a. Financial and Market Results
(1) Financial Performance What are your financial performance results? What are your results for key
R E S U LT S
measures or indicators of financial performance, including aggregate measures of financial return, financial
viability, and budgetary performance, as appropriate? How do these results differ by market segments and
customer groups, as appropriate?
(2) Marketplace Performance What are your marketplace performance results? What are your results for
key measures or indicators of marketplace performance, including market share or position, market and
market share growth, and new markets entered, as appropriate? How do these results differ by market segments
and customer groups, as appropriate?
b. Strategy Implementation Results
What are your results for the achievement of your organizational strategy and action plans? What are your
results for key measures or indicators of the achievement of your organizational strategy and action plans? What
are your results for taking intelligent risks?
Notes
7.5a. Results should relate to the financial measures you 7.5a(2). For nonprofit organizations, responses might include
report in 4.1a(1) and the financial management approaches measures of charitable donations or grants and the number of
you report in item 2.2. new programs or services offered.
7.5a(1). Aggregate measures of financial return might 7.5b. Measures or indicators of strategy and action plan
include those for return on investment (ROI), operating achievement should relate to the strategic objectives and
margins, profitability, or profitability by market segment goals you report in 2.1b(1), the elements of risk you report
or customer group. Measures of financial viability might in 2.1a(3), and the action plan performance measures and
include those for liquidity, debt-to-equity ratio, days cash on projected performance you report in 2.2a(5) and 2.2a(6),
hand, asset utilization, and cash flow. For nonprofit (includ- respectively.
ing government) organizations, measures of performance to
budget might include additions to or subtractions from reserve
funds; cost avoidance or savings; responses to budget decreases;
lowering of costs to customers or return of funds as a result of
increased efficiency; administrative expenditures as a percent-
age of budget; and the cost of fundraising versus funds raised.

Scoring System
The scoring of responses to Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence items is based on two
evaluation dimensions: process (categories 1–6) and results (category 7).
To score Criteria responses, consider the following informa- • the sharing of refinements and innovations with
tion relative to the item questions and the scoring guidelines other relevant work units and processes in your
(pages 32–33): organization.
• The key business factors presented in the Organiza- See “From Fighting Fires to Innovation” on page 34, which
tional Profile illustrates a progression through the maturity levels for this
scoring dimension.
• The maturity and appropriateness of the approaches,
the breadth of their deployment, and the strengths of Integration is the extent to which
the learning and improvement process
• your approach is aligned with the organizational
• The level of performance and how results compare to needs identified in the Organizational Profile and
those of other, relevant organizations or benchmarks other process items;
• your measures, information, and improvement
Scoring Dimensions systems are complementary across processes and work
units; and
Process
• your plans, processes, results, analyses, learning, and
Process refers to the methods your organization uses and actions are harmonized across processes and work
improves. Processes address the questions in categories units to support organization-wide goals.
1–6. The four factors used to evaluate process are approach,
deployment, learning, and integration (ADLI). Baldrige-based In scoring process items, keep in mind that approach,
feedback reflects strengths and opportunities for improve- deployment, learning, and integration are linked. Descrip-
ment in these factors. A score for a process item is based on tions of approach should always indicate the deployment—
a holistic assessment of your overall performance, taking consistent with the specific questions in the item and your
into account the four process factors. organization. As processes mature, the description should
also show cycles of learning (including innovation), as well
Approach comprises as integration with other processes and work units (see
• the methods used to carry out the process, “Steps toward Mature Processes,” page 31).
• the appropriateness of these methods to the item Results

questions and your operating environment,
Results are the outputs and outcomes your organization
• the effectiveness of your use of the methods, and achieves, which address the questions in category 7. The
four factors used to evaluate results are levels, trends,
• the degree to which the approach is repeatable
comparisons, and integration (LeTCI). A score for a results
and based on reliable data and information
item is based on a holistic assessment of your overall perfor-
(i.e., systematic).
mance, taking into account the four results factors.
Deployment is the extent to which
Levels are your current performance on a meaningful
• your approach addresses item questions that are measurement scale.
relevant and important to your organization,
Trends comprise your rate of performance improvement or
• your approach is applied consistently, and continuation of good performance in areas of importance
(i.e., the slope of data points over time).
• your approach is used by all appropriate work units.
Comparisons comprise your performance relative to that
Learning comprises
of other, appropriate organizations, such as competitors or
• the refinement of your approach through cycles of organizations similar to yours, or benchmarks.
evaluation and improvement,
Integration is the extent to which your results measures
• the encouragement of breakthrough change to your (often through segmentation) address important per-
approach through innovation, and formance requirements relating to customers, products,
Scoring System 29
markets, processes, action plans, and organization-wide
goals identified in your Organizational Profile and in
How to Score an Item Response
process items. Follow these steps in assigning a score to an item response.
In the scoring of results items, look for data on performance Read the scoring guidelines (pages 32–33).
levels, trends, and relevant comparisons for key measures Choose the scoring range (e.g., 30–45%, 50–65%, or
and indicators of your organization’s performance, as well 70–85%) that is most descriptive of the organization’s
as integration with your organization’s key requirements. achievement level as presented in the item response.
Results items should also show data on the breadth of the
performance results reported. This is directly related to Choose this range based on a holistic view of either the four
deployment and organizational learning; if improvement process factors (ADLI) or the four results factors (LeTCI) in
processes are widely shared and deployed, there should be aggregate. In this holistic view, the scoring range to assign
corresponding results. is the one that best reflects the applicant’s response as a
whole; do not tally or average independent assessments of
each of the four factors. No one evaluation factor serves as a
“Importance” as a “gate” that keeps the score out of a higher range.
Scoring Consideration The “most descriptive” range is not necessarily a perfect
A critical consideration in Baldrige evaluation and feedback fit. It often reflects some gaps between the response and
is the importance of your reported processes and results to the description of one or more of the factors in the chosen
your key business factors. The areas of greatest importance scoring range.
should be identified in your Organizational Profile and
Read the next higher and the next lower scoring ranges.
in items such as 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 5.1, 5.2, and 6.1. Your key
Assign a score (e.g., 75% or 80%) within the chosen range
customer requirements, competitive environment, workforce
by evaluating whether the item response as a whole is
needs, key strategic objectives, and action plans are particu-
closer to the statements in the next higher or the next lower
larly important.
scoring range.

Steps toward Mature Processes
An Aid for Assessing and Scoring Process Items
Reacting to Problems Strategic

(0–25%) and Operational
Goals
Operations are characterized by activities rather than by processes, and

they are largely responsive to immediate needs or problems. Goals are
poorly defined.
Early Systematic
Strategic and
Approaches Operational
(30–45%) Goals
The organization is beginning to carry out operations with repeatable

processes, evaluation, and improvement, and there is some early coordination
among organizational units. Strategy and quantitative goals are being defined.
Aligned Strategic
and Operational
Approaches
Goals
(50–65%)
Operations are characterized by repeatable processes that are regularly

evaluated for improvement. Learnings are shared, and there is coordination
among organizational units. Processes address key strategies and goals.
Integrated Strategic
Approaches and Operational
Goals
(70–100%)
Operations are characterized by repeatable processes that are regularly

evaluated for change and improvement in collaboration with other affected
units. The organization seeks and achieves efficiencies across units through
analysis, innovation, and the sharing of information and knowledge.
Processes and measures track progress on key strategic and operational goals.
Scoring System 31
Process Scoring Guidelines (For Use with Categories 1–6)
SCORE DESCRIPTION
• No systematic approach to item questions is evident; information is anecdotal. (A)

• Little or no deployment of any systematic approach is evident. (D)
0% or 5%
• An improvement orientation is not evident; improvement is achieved by reacting to problems. (L)
• No organizational alignment is evident; individual areas or work units operate independently. (I)
• The beginning of a systematic approach to the basic question in the item is evident. (A)
• The approach is in the early stages of deployment in most areas or work units, inhibiting progress in
10%, 15%, achieving the basic question in the item. (D)
20%, or 25% • Early stages of a transition from reacting to problems to a general improvement orientation are
evident. (L)
• The approach is aligned with other areas or work units largely through joint problem solving. (I)
• An effective, systematic approach, responsive to the basic question in the item, is evident. (A)
• The approach is deployed, although some areas or work units are in early stages of deployment. (D)
30%, 35%, • The beginning of a systematic approach to evaluation and improvement of key processes is
40%, or 45% evident. (L)
• The approach is in the early stages of alignment with the basic organizational needs identified in
response to the Organizational Profile and other process items. (I)
• An effective, systematic approach, responsive to the overall questions in the item, is evident. (A)
• The approach is well deployed, although deployment may vary in some areas or work units. (D)
• A fact-based, systematic evaluation and improvement process and some organizational learning,
50%, 55%,
including some innovation, are in place for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of
60%, or 65%
key processes. (L)
• The approach is aligned with your overall organizational needs as identified in response to the
Organizational Profile and other process items. (I)
• An effective, systematic approach, responsive to multiple questions in the item, is evident. (A)

• The approach is well deployed, with no significant gaps. (D)
• Fact-based, systematic evaluation and improvement and organizational learning, including
70%, 75%,
innovation, are key management tools; there is clear evidence of refinement as a result of
80%, or 85%
organizational-level analysis and sharing. (L)
• The approach is integrated with your current and future organizational needs as identified in
• An effective, systematic approach, fully responsive to the multiple questions in the item, is
evident. (A)
• The approach is fully deployed without significant weaknesses or gaps in any areas or work units. (D)
90%, 95%, • Fact-based, systematic evaluation and improvement and organizational learning through
or 100% innovation are key organization-wide tools; refinement and innovation, backed by analysis and
sharing, are evident throughout the organization. (L)
• The approach is well integrated with your current and future organizational needs as identified in

Results Scoring Guidelines (For Use with Category 7)
SCORE DESCRIPTION
• There are no organizational performance results, or the results reported are poor. (Le)
• Trend data either are not reported or show mainly adverse trends. (T)
0% or 5% • Comparative information is not reported. (C)
• Results are not reported for any areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s
mission. (I)
• A few organizational performance results are reported, responsive to the basic question in the item,
and early good performance levels are evident. (Le)
10%, 15%, • Some trend data are reported, with some adverse trends evident. (T)
20%, or 25% • Little or no comparative information is reported. (C)
• Results are reported for a few areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s
mission. (I)
• Good organizational performance levels are reported, responsive to the basic question in the item.
(Le)
30%, 35%, • Some trend data are reported, and most of the trends presented are beneficial. (T)
40%, or 45% • Early stages of obtaining comparative information are evident. (C)
• Results are reported for many areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s
mission. (I)
• Good organizational performance levels are reported, responsive to the overall questions in the
item. (Le)
• Beneficial trends are evident in areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s
50%, 55%, mission. (T)
60%, or 65% • Some current performance levels have been evaluated against relevant comparisons and/or
benchmarks and show areas of good relative performance. (C)
• Organizational performance results are reported for most key customer, market, and process
requirements. (I)
• Good-to-excellent organizational performance levels are reported, responsive to multiple

questions in the item. (Le)
• Beneficial trends have been sustained over time in most areas of importance to the accomplishment of
your organization’s mission. (T)
70%, 75%,
• Many to most trends and current performance levels have been evaluated against relevant
80%, or 85%
comparisons and/or benchmarks and show areas of leadership and very good relative
performance. (C)
• Organizational performance results are reported for most key customer, market, process, and
action plan requirements. (I)
• Excellent organizational performance levels are reported that are fully responsive to the multiple
questions in the item. (Le)
• Beneficial trends have been sustained over time in all areas of importance to the accomplishment of
90%, 95%,
your organization’s mission. (T)
or 100%
• Industry and benchmark leadership is demonstrated in many areas. (C)
• Organizational performance results and projections are reported for most key customer, market,
process, and action plan requirements. (I)
Scoring System 33
From Fighting Fires to Innovation: An Analogy for Learning
1
Learning is an essential attribute of high-
performing organizations. Effective, well-deployed
organizational learning can help an organization
improve from the early stages of reacting to
problems to the highest levels of organization-
wide improvement, refinement, and innovation.
Reacting to the problem (0–5%)

Run with the hose and put out the fire.
2 3
General improvement orientation (10–25%) Systematic evaluation and improvement (30–45%)

Install more fire hoses to get to the fires quickly Evaluate which locations are most susceptible to fire.
and reduce their impact. Install heat sensors and sprinklers in those locations.
4 5
Learning and strategic improvement (50–65%) Organizational analysis and innovation (70–100%)
Install systemwide heat sensors and a sprinkler system Use fireproof and fire-retardant materials. Replace combustible
that is activated by the heat preceding fires. liquids with water-based liquids. Prevention is the primary
approach for protection, with sensors and sprinklers as the
secondary line of protection. This approach has been shared
with all facilities and is practiced in all locations.

How to Respond to the Criteria
These guidelines explain how to respond most effectively to the questions in the 17 process and
results Criteria items. This information is intended mainly for applicants for Baldrige-based
awards, but it is also useful to organizations that are using the Criteria for self-assessment. See also
the Scoring System, including the scoring guidelines (pages 29–34), which describes how to assess
responses and determine your organization’s performance accomplishments.
First Steps performance management system, and the results of the

improvement process. The “goodness” of your responses to
the Criteria questions is determined through consideration
1. Learn about the Baldrige framework.
of the evaluation dimensions (ADLI/LeTCI; see “Respond-
Become familiar with the following sections, which provide ing to Process Items” and “Responding to Results Items”
a full orientation to the Baldrige framework: below).
• Criteria for Performance Excellence (pages 4–28)
4. Understand the meaning of key terms.
• Scoring System (pages 29–34)
Many terms in the Criteria and scoring guidelines have
• Glossary of Key Terms (pages 46–53) meanings that may differ somewhat from common mean-
ings. When this is the case, the term is printed in small
• Criteria Commentary (https://www.nist.gov/baldrige
caps and defined in the Glossary of Key Terms (pages
/baldrige-criteria-commentary)
46–53). Understanding these terms can help you accurately
self-assess your organization and communicate your
2. Understand how to read and
processes and results to those reviewing your responses and
respond to a Criteria item. planning your improvement efforts.
Review the Criteria for Performance Excellence Structure
(page 2), which shows the types of items, the different parts 5. Start with the Organizational Profile.
of the items, and the role of each part. Pay particular atten-
The Organizational Profile (pages 4–6) is the most appropri-
tion to the multiple questions within the areas to address
ate starting point. Whether you are using the Criteria as a
and the notes.
leadership and management guide, or for self-assessment,
Some item questions include multiple parts. To respond writing an application, or reviewing either of these, the
fully, address all the questions, as missing information will Organizational Profile helps you understand what is most
be interpreted as a gap in your performance management relevant and important to your organization’s business,
system. Taken together, the multiple questions express the mission, and performance.
full meaning of the area to address. In responding, you may
want to group responses to these questions in a way that is
appropriate to your organization. You do not need to answer
Responding to Process Items
each question separately. Although the Criteria focus on key organizational
performance results, these results by themselves offer little
3. Review the scoring guidelines. diagnostic value. For example, if some results are poor or are
Consider both the Criteria and the scoring guidelines (pages improving at rates slower than your competitors’ or com-
32–33) as you prepare your responses. In responding to parable organizations’ results, you need to understand why
the questions in the process items (categories 1–6), include this is so and what you might do to accelerate improvement.
information on the process evaluation factors in the scoring Your responses to process items (categories 1–6) permit
guidelines: the maturity of your approaches, the extent of you or those who are reviewing your responses to diagnose
their deployment, the extent of learning, and the extent your organization’s most important processes—the ones
of integration with other elements of your performance that contribute most to organizational performance
management system. improvement and result in key outcomes or performance
Similarly, in responding to the questions in the results items results. This diagnosis and the quality of the feedback you
(category 7), include information on the results evaluation receive depend heavily on the content and completeness of
factors in the scoring guidelines: the actual performance your responses. For this reason, respond to these items by
levels, the significance of the results trends, relevant com- providing information on your key processes. Guidelines for
parative data, integration with important elements of your organizing and reviewing such information follow.
How to Respond to the Criteria 35

1. Understand the meaning of how. Responding to Results Items
In responding to questions in process items that begin with
how, give information on your key processes with regard 1. Focus on your organization’s
to approach, deployment, learning, and integration (ADLI; most critical performance results.
see the Scoring System, page 29). Responses lacking such Report results that cover the most important requirements
information, or merely providing an example, are referred to for your organization’s success, as highlighted in the
in the scoring guidelines as anecdotal information. Organizational Profile and in the Leadership, Strategy,
Show that approaches are systematic. Systematic approaches Customers, Workforce, and Operations categories.
are repeatable and use data and information to enable learn-
ing. In other words, approaches are systematic if they build in 2. Report levels, trends, and
the opportunity for evaluation, improvement, innovation, and comparisons, and show integration.
knowledge sharing, thereby enabling a gain in maturity. Report performance levels on a meaningful measurement
Show deployment. In your responses, summarize how scale.
your approaches are implemented in different parts of your Report trends to show the directions of results and rates
organization. of change in areas of importance. A minimum of three
Show evidence of learning. Give evidence of evaluation historical data points is generally needed to ascertain the
and improvement cycles for processes, as well as the beginnings of a trend. Trends represent historic and current
potential for innovation. Show that process improvements performance, not projected (future) performance.
are shared with other appropriate units of your organization There is no minimum period for trend data; time intervals
to enable organizational learning. between data points should be meaningful for the
Show integration. Integration is alignment and harmo- measure(s) you report. Trends might span five or more years
nization among processes, plans, measures, actions, and or less than one year, depending on what is meaningful. For
results. This harmonization greatly increases organizational important results, include new data even if trends are not
effectiveness and efficiencies. yet well established. Explain trends that show a significant
beneficial or adverse change.
Showing alignment in the process items and tracking
corresponding measures in the results items should improve Report comparisons to show how your results compare
organizational performance. In your responses, show align- with those of other, appropriately selected organizations or
ment in four areas: benchmarks.
• In the Organizational Profile, make clear what is Show integration by including all results that are important
important to your organization. to your organization and segmenting them appropriately
(e.g., by important customer, workforce, process, and
• In Strategy (category 2), including the strategic objec- product-line groups, usually outlined in the Organizational
tives, action plans, and core competencies, highlight Profile).
your organization’s areas of greatest focus and
describe how you deploy your strategic plan.
Responding Efficiently
• In describing organizational-level analysis and review
(item 4.1), show how you analyze and review perfor- 1. Cross-reference when appropriate.
mance information as a basis for setting priorities. Ensure that each item response is as self-contained as
• In Strategy (category 2) and Operations (category 6), possible and that responses to different items are mutually
highlight the work systems and work processes that reinforcing. To accomplish this, refer to other responses
are key to your organization’s overall performance. rather than repeat information. In such cases, give key pro-
cess information in the item requesting that information. For
2. Understand the meaning of what. example, you would describe workforce development and
learning systems in item 5.2. Discussions about workforce
What questions set the context for showing alignment
development and learning elsewhere in your application
and integration in your performance management system.
would then reference but not repeat details given in
For example, when you identify key strategic objectives,
item 5.2.
your action plans, some performance measures, and some
results in category 7 are expected to relate to those strategic
objectives.
2. Use a compact format.
To make the best use of space, use flowcharts, tables, and
Two types of questions in process items begin with what. lists to present information concisely. Page limits for Baldrige
The first requests basic information on key processes and Award and Baldrige-based award applications are designed
how they work. The second asks you to report key findings, to force your organization to consider what is most impor-
plans, objectives, goals, or measures. tant in managing your enterprise and reporting your results.

3. Use graphs and tables. • The organization projects improved performance,
You can report many results compactly by using graphs including discontinuous or breakthrough improve-
and tables. When you report results over time or compare ment in 2019 relative to prior performance for product
them with others, “normalize” them (i.e., present them in line B. The text should explain this breakthrough
a way—for example, as ratios—that takes size factors into change and might refer to critical learning from
account). For example, if the number of employees has product line A as the basis for the projected change.
varied over the period or if you are comparing your results Interpreting the graph with the scoring guidelines in mind
to those of organizations differing in size, safety trends will would result in the following observations on the organiza-
be more meaningful if you report them as lost workdays per tion’s performance and maturity level:
100 employees rather than as total lost workdays.
• The current overall organizational performance level
The graph below shows one part of a possible response to is excellent. This conclusion is supported by company
item 7.1, Product and Process Results. In the Organizational performance trends, the comparison with industry
Profile, the organization has identified Six Sigma as a key competitors, and a “world-class” level for product
element of its performance improvement system. Defects line A.
per million opportunities is one of its measures.
• The overall organization shows beneficial improve-
The graph illustrates a number of characteristics of clear and ment trends sustained over time.
effective results reporting:
• Product line A is the current performance leader—
• Both axes and units of measure are clearly labeled. showing sustained high performance (at approxi-
• Levels and trends are reported for a key performance mately 5 defects per million) since 2015. Product
measure—defects per million opportunities. line B shows rapid improvement. Its performance is
close to that of the best industry competitor but trails
• Results are presented for several years. product line A.
• An arrow indicates that a downward trend is good for • Product line C—identified in the text as a new
this measure. product—is having early problems with defects but
• Appropriate comparisons are shown clearly. is projecting a turnaround. (The organization should
briefly explain these problems and the basis for the
• In a single graph, the organization segments its results turnaround.)
for its three product lines, showing that they are
tracked separately. • The organization has projected improvements in the
defect rates of all its product lines. Product line C
continues to lag behind the others; product line A is
projected to meet its Six Sigma goals by 2020.
Figure 7.1-3 Defects per Million Opportunities
50
Good
45
40
Defects/Million Opportunities
35
Product line A
30
Product line B
25
Product line C
20
15 Overall company
10 Best competitor
3.4 5 World-class level
(6σ)
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
(proj.)
(proj.)
Year
How to Respond to the Criteria 37

Core Values and Concepts
These beliefs and behaviors are embedded in high-performing organizations. They are the
foundation for integrating key performance and operational requirements within a results-oriented
framework that creates a basis for action, feedback, and ongoing success.
The Baldrige Criteria are built on the following set of inter- arise and needs change. For your business ecosystem,
related core values and concepts: synthesis means understanding your organization as part
of a larger whole. It incorporates the key attributes that you
• Systems perspective
contribute to and need from your partners, collaborators,
• Visionary leadership competitors, customers, communities, and other relevant
organizations.
• Customer-focused excellence
These concepts are depicted in the Baldrige Criteria
• Valuing people
overview (page 1). When your organization takes a systems
• Organizational learning and agility perspective, your senior leaders focus on strategic directions
and customers. Your senior leaders monitor, respond to,
• Focus on success and manage performance based on your results. With a
• Managing for innovation systems perspective, you use your measures, indicators, core
competencies, and organizational knowledge to build your
• Management by fact key strategies, link these strategies with your work systems
• Societal contributions and key processes, manage risk, and align your resources
to improve your overall performance and your focus on
• Ethics and transparency customers and stakeholders. The core values and concepts,
• Delivering value and results the seven Criteria categories, and the scoring guidelines are
the system’s building blocks and integrating mechanism.
Systems Perspective
A systems perspective means managing all the components
Visionary Leadership
of your organization as a unified whole to achieve your Your organization’s senior leaders should set a vision for
mission, ongoing success, and performance excellence. A the organization, create a customer focus, demonstrate
systems perspective also means managing your organization clear and visible organizational values and ethics, and set
within the context of an interconnected ecosystem of orga- high expectations for the workforce. The vision, values,
nizations that presents opportunities for new and possibly and expectations should balance the needs of all your
innovative relationships. stakeholders. Your leaders should also ensure the creation
of strategies, systems, and methods for building knowledge
Successfully managing overall organizational performance and capabilities, stimulating innovation, managing risk,
requires realization of your organization as a system with requiring accountability, achieving performance excellence,
interdependent operations. Organization-specific synthesis, and thereby ensuring ongoing organizational success.
alignment, and integration make the internal system suc-
cessful. Synthesis means understanding your organization The values and strategies leaders define should help guide
as a whole. It incorporates key business attributes, including all of your organization’s activities and decisions. Senior
your core competencies, strategic objectives, action plans, leaders should inspire and encourage your entire workforce
work systems, and workforce needs. Alignment means to contribute, to develop and learn, to be innovative, and
using key organizational linkages to ensure consistency to embrace meaningful change. Senior leaders should be
of plans, processes, measures, and actions. Integration responsible to your organization’s governance body for their
builds on alignment, so that the individual components of actions and performance, and the governance body should
your performance management system operate in a fully be responsible ultimately to all your stakeholders for your
interconnected, unified, and mutually beneficial manner to organization’s and its senior leaders’ ethics, actions, and
deliver anticipated results. performance.
In addition, your organization exists within a business Senior leaders should serve as role models through their
ecosystem—a network of organizations, including your ethical behavior and their personal involvement in planning,
partners, suppliers, collaborators, competitors, customers, providing a supportive environment for innovation, commu-
communities, and other relevant organizations inside and nicating, coaching and motivating the workforce, developing
outside your sector or industry. Within this larger system, future leaders, reviewing organizational performance, and
roles between organizations may be fluid as opportunities recognizing workforce members. As role models, they can

reinforce ethics, values, and expectations while building
leadership, commitment, and initiative throughout your
Valuing People
organization. Senior leaders should demonstrate authentic- An organization’s success depends on an engaged workforce
ity and admit to their missteps and opportunities for that benefits from meaningful work, clear organizational
improvement. direction, the opportunity to learn, and accountability for
performance. That engaged workforce must also have a safe,
trusting, and cooperative environment. The successful orga-
Customer-Focused Excellence nization has a culture of inclusion that capitalizes on the
Your customers are the ultimate judges of your performance diverse backgrounds and characteristics, knowledge, skills,
and the quality of your products and services. Thus, your creativity, and motivation of its workforce, partners, and col-
organization must consider all product and service features laborators. Such an organization values all people who have
and characteristics and all modes of customer access a stake in the organization, including customers, community
and support that contribute value to your customers. members, stockholders, and other people affected by the
Such behavior leads to customer acquisition, satisfaction, organization’s actions.
preference, and loyalty; positive referrals; and, ultimately,
Valuing the people in your workforce means committing to
the ongoing success of your business. Customer-focused
their engagement, development, and well-being. Increas-
excellence has both current and future components:
ingly, this may involve offering flexible work practices that
understanding today’s customer desires and anticipating
are tailored to varying workplace and life needs. Major
future customer desires and marketplace potential.
challenges in valuing your workforce members include
Many factors may influence value and satisfaction over the (1) demonstrating your leaders’ commitment to their
course of your customers’ experience with your organization. success, (2) providing motivation and recognition that go
These factors include your organization’s customer relation- beyond the regular compensation system, (3) offering devel-
ship management, which helps build trust, confidence, opment and progression within your organization, (4) shar-
and loyalty. ing your organization’s knowledge so that your workforce
can better serve your customers and contribute to achieving
Customer-focused excellence means much more than reduc- your strategic objectives, (5) creating an environment that
ing defects and errors, merely meeting specifications, or encourages intelligent risk taking to achieve innovation,
reducing complaints. Nevertheless, these factors contribute (6) developing a system of workforce and organizational
to your customers’ view of your organization and thus are accountability for performance, and (7) creating an inclusive
also important parts of customer-focused excellence. In environment for a diverse workforce.
addition, your success in recovering from defects, service
errors, and mistakes is crucial for retaining customers and The success of your workforce members—including
engaging them for the long term. The security and privacy of your leaders—depends on their having opportunities to
customer information are necessary attributes for customer learn. This learning includes preparing people for future
retention. organizational core competencies. On-the-job training offers
a cost-effective way to cross-train and to link training more
A customer-focused organization addresses not only closely to your organization’s capacity needs and priorities.
the product and service characteristics that meet basic If your organization relies on volunteers, their personal
customer requirements but also those unique features development and learning are also important to consider.
and characteristics that differentiate the organization from
competitors. This differentiation may be based on innovative To accomplish their overall goals, successful organizations
offerings, combinations of product and service offerings, build internal and external partnerships and multilateral
price, customized offerings, multiple access and outward alliances with people and with other organizations. Internal
communication mechanisms, rapid response, or special rela- partnerships might include cooperation between labor and
tionships, such as participation in alliances or collaborative management. Forming internal partnerships might also
networks of organizations that drive efficiency, effectiveness, involve creating network relationships among people across
and innovation. work units and locations or between employees and volun-
teers to improve flexibility, responsiveness, and knowledge
Customer-focused excellence is thus a strategic concept. It is sharing.
directed toward customer acquisition, retention and loyalty,
stronger brand recognition, market share gain, and growth. As products and services become more and more multidis-
It demands constant sensitivity to changing and emerging ciplinary, organizations may need new alliances, partnership
customer and market requirements and to the factors that arrangements, consortia, value networks, and business
drive customer engagement. It demands close attention models to accomplish their goals. All of these arrangements
to the voice of the customer. It demands anticipating can contribute to your organization’s ongoing success.
changes in the marketplace. Therefore, customer-focused
excellence demands a customer-focused culture and
organizational agility.
Core Values and Concepts 39

Organizational Learning process or one location to another. A cross-trained and
empowered workforce and effective management of up-
and Agility to-date organizational knowledge are vital assets in such a
Success in today’s ever-changing, globally competitive demanding environment.
environment demands continual organizational learning Organizational learning includes both continuous improve-
and agility. Agility requires a capacity for rapid change and ment of existing approaches and significant change or
for flexibility in operations. Organizations face ever-shorter innovation, leading to new goals, approaches, products,
cycles for introducing new or improved products and and markets.
services, and nonprofit and government organizations
are increasingly being asked to respond rapidly to new Learning needs to be embedded in the way your organiza-
or emerging issues. Disruptive events are occurring more tion operates. This means that learning (1) is a regular
frequently, triggered by innovative technologies or product part of daily work; (2) results in solving problems at their
introductions, economic upheaval or stress, major weather source (root cause); (3) is focused on building and sharing
events, or social or societal demands. Organizations must knowledge throughout your organization; and (4) is driven
be capable of managing risk and making transformational by opportunities to effect significant, meaningful change
changes on an ever-shorter cycle time. Major improvements and to innovate. Sources for learning include employees’
in response times often require new work systems, the and volunteers’ ideas, research and development, customers’
simplification of work processes, agile supplier and partner input, best-practice sharing, competitors’ performance, and
networks, or the ability for rapid changeover from one benchmarking.
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Organizational learning can result in (1) enhanced value including changing economic conditions; workforce capacity
to customers through new and improved products and and capability needs; the competitive global marketplace;
customer services; (2) the development of new business technological developments; security and cybersecurity risks;
opportunities; (3) the development of new and improved changes in customer and market segments; new business
processes or business models; (4) reduced errors, defects, models; evolving regulatory requirements; changes in com-
waste, and related costs; (5) increased productivity and munity and societal expectations and needs; and strategic
effectiveness in the use of all your resources; (6) enhanced moves by competitors. Your strategic objectives and resource
performance in making societal contributions; and allocations need to accommodate these influences. A focus
(7) greater agility in managing change and disruption. on success includes developing your leaders, workforce,
and suppliers; accomplishing effective succession planning;
A major success factor in meeting competitive challenges
creating a supportive environment for taking intelligent
is design-to-introduction time (the time it takes to initiate
risks and encouraging innovation; and anticipating areas for
a product or service feature) or innovation cycle time.
societal contributions and societal concerns.
To meet the demands of rapidly changing markets, your
organization needs to carry out stage-to-stage integration of
activities from research or concept to commercialization or Managing for Innovation
implementation.
Innovation means making meaningful change to improve
All aspects of time performance are now more critical, your organization’s products, services, programs, processes,
and cycle time is a key process measure. Other important operations, and business model, with the purpose of creat-
benefits can be derived from this focus on time; time ing new value for stakeholders. Innovation should lead your
improvements often drive simultaneous improvements or organization to new dimensions of performance. Innovation
changes in your work systems, organization, quality, cost, requires a supportive environment, a process for identifying
supply-network integration, productivity, and ongoing suc- strategic opportunities, and the pursuit of intelligent risks.
cess in a challenging economy. Innovation and incremental continuous improvement are
different, but complementary, concepts. Successful organiza-
Organizational learning and agility can also be achieved tions use both approaches to improve performance.
through strategic partnerships or alliances, which might
offer complementary core competencies that allow entry Innovation is no longer strictly the purview of research and
into new markets or a basis for new products or services. development departments; innovation is important for all
Partnerships and alliances might also permit you to address aspects of your operations and all work systems and work
common issues by blending your organization’s core processes. Your organization should be led and managed so
competencies or leadership capabilities with other organiza- that identifying strategic opportunities and taking intelligent
tions’ complementary strengths and capabilities, creating risks become part of the learning culture. Innovation should
a new source of strategic advantage. The result may be be integrated into daily work and be supported by your
broad, interdependent collaborative networks that include performance improvement system. Systematic processes for
traditional partners and collaborators as well as competitors, identifying strategic opportunities should reach across your
customers, communities, and organizations outside the entire organization and should explore strategic alliances
sector or industry. with complementary organizations and with organizations
that have historically not been a part of your collaborative
network.
Focus on Success
Innovation may arise from adapting innovations in other
Ensuring your organization’s success now and in the future
industries to achieve a breakthrough in your industry. It
requires an understanding of the short- and longer-term
builds on the accumulated knowledge of your organization
factors that affect your organization and its marketplace.
and its people and the innovations of partners, collaborators,
Ensuring this ongoing success requires managing
competitors, customers, and other relevant organizations.
uncertainty in the environment, as well as balancing some
It may involve collaboration among people who do not
stakeholders’ short-term demands with the organization’s
normally work together and are in different parts of the
and stakeholders’ needs to invest in long-term success. The
organization, as well as people in different organizations
pursuit of sustained growth and performance leadership
within a collaborative network. Therefore, the ability to
requires a strong future orientation and a willingness to
rapidly disseminate and capitalize on new and accumulated
make long-term commitments to key stakeholders—your
knowledge is critical to driving organizational innovation.
customers, workforce, suppliers, partners, and stockholders;
the public; and the community. It also requires the agility
to modify plans, processes, and relationships when circum- Management by Fact
stances warrant.
Management by fact requires you to measure and analyze
Your organization’s planning and resource allocation should your organization’s performance, both inside the organiza-
anticipate many factors, such as customers’ short- and tion and in your competitive environment. Measurements
long-term expectations; new business models; new col- should derive from business needs and strategy, and they
laboration and partnering opportunities; potential crises, should provide critical data and information about key

processes, outputs, results, outcomes, and competitor Your organization should meet all local, state, and federal
and industry performance. Organizations need many laws and regulatory requirements and should also treat
types of data and information to effectively manage their these and related requirements as opportunities to excel
performance. Data and information may come in many beyond minimal compliance. Considering societal well-
forms, such as numerical, graphical, or qualitative, and from being and benefit means leading and supporting—within
many sources, including internal processes, surveys, and the the limits of your resources—the environmental, social, and
Internet (including social media). Performance measurement economic systems in your organization’s sphere of influence.
should include measurement of customer, product, and Such leadership and support might include improving edu-
process performance; comparisons of operational, market, cation, health care, and other services in your community;
and competitive performance; supplier, workforce, partner, pursuing environmental excellence; being a role model for
cost, and financial performance; governance and compliance socially important issues; practicing resource conservation;
results; and accomplishment of strategic objectives. reducing your carbon footprint; performing community ser-
vice and charity; improving industry and business practices;
A major consideration in performance improvement and
and sharing nonproprietary information.
change management is the selection and use of performance
measures or indicators. The measures or indicators you For a role-model organization, leadership also entails influ-
select should best represent the factors that lead to improved encing other organizations, private and public, to partner for
customer, operational, financial, and societal performance. A these purposes.
comprehensive yet carefully culled set of measures or indicators
Managing societal contributions requires your organization
tied to customer and organizational performance requirements
to use appropriate measures and your leaders to assume
provides a clear basis for aligning all processes with your orga-
responsibility for those measures.
nization’s goals. You may need measures and indicators to
support you in making decisions in a rapidly changing envi-
ronment. By analyzing data from your tracking processes, Ethics and Transparency
you can evaluate the measures or indicators themselves and
Your organization should stress ethical behavior in all stake-
change them to better support your goals.
holder transactions and interactions. Your organization’s
Analysis means extracting larger meaning from data governance body should require highly ethical conduct and
and information to support evaluation, decision making, monitor all conduct accordingly. Your senior leaders should
improvement, and innovation. It entails using data to deter- be role models of ethical behavior and make their expecta-
mine trends, projections, and cause-and-effect relationships tions of the workforce very clear.
that might not otherwise be evident. Analysis supports a
Your organization’s ethical principles are the foundation
variety of purposes, such as planning, reviewing your overall
for your culture and values. They distinguish right from
performance, improving operations, comparing your perfor-
wrong. Clearly articulated ethical principles, along with
mance with competitors’ or with best-practice benchmarks,
your organizational values, empower your people to make
and managing change. To facilitate analysis, data may need
effective decisions and may serve as boundary conditions for
to be aggregated from various sources. Data may also need
determining organizational norms and prohibitions.
to be segmented by, for example, markets, product lines, and
workforce groups to gain deeper understanding. Transparency is characterized by consistently candid and
open communication, accountability, and the sharing
Societal Contributions of clear and accurate information by leadership and
management. The benefits of transparency are manifold.
Your organization’s leaders should stress contributions to Transparency is a key factor in workforce engagement and
the public and the consideration of societal well-being and allows people to see why actions are being taken and how
benefit. Leaders should be role models for your organization they can contribute. Transparency and accountability are also
and its workforce in the protection of public health, safety, important in interactions with customers and other stake-
and the environment. This protection applies to any impact holders, giving them a sense of involvement, engagement,
of your organization’s operations, as well as the life cycles and confidence in your organization.
of your products. Also, your organization should emphasize
Ethical behavior and transparency build trust in the
resource conservation, recycling, and waste reduction at
organization and its leaders and engender a belief in the
the source. Planning should anticipate adverse impacts
organization’s fairness and integrity that is valued by all key
from the production, distribution, transportation, use, and
stakeholders.
disposal of your products. Effective planning should reduce
or prevent problems; provide for a forthright response if
problems occur; and make available the information and
support needed to maintain public awareness, safety, and
confidence.

Delivering Value and Results Your organization’s performance measurements need to
focus on key results. Results should be used to deliver and
By delivering and balancing value for key stakeholders, balance value for your key stakeholders—your customers,
your organization builds loyalty, contributes to growing the workforce, stockholders, suppliers, partners, and collabora-
economy, and contributes to society. To meet the sometimes tors; the public; and the community. Thus results need to
conflicting and changing aims that balancing value requires, be a composite of measures that include not just financial
your organizational strategy should explicitly include key results, but also product and process results; customer and
stakeholder requirements. This will help ensure that plans workforce satisfaction and engagement results; and leader-
and actions meet differing stakeholder needs and avoid ship, strategy, and societal performance.
adverse impacts on any stakeholders. A balanced composite
of leading and lagging performance measures is an effective
means to communicate short- and longer-term priorities,
monitor actual performance, and provide a clear basis for
improving results.

Changes from the 2017–2018
Baldrige Excellence Framework
Revisions have one overarching purpose: for the framework and the Criteria to reflect the leading
edge of validated leadership and performance practice while ensuring that they are as concise and
user-friendly as possible.
Over the more than 30 years since their creation, the Criteria Supply network. Related to the concept of ecosystems,
for Performance Excellence have evolved along with the organizations’ means of producing products and services
drivers of organizational competitiveness and long-term and delivering them to their customers increasingly involve
success. Through this gradual evolution, today the Baldrige more than a simple chain from supplier, to supplier, to
Excellence Framework offers organizations of all kinds a organization. Complex organizations may coordinate the
nonprescriptive leadership and management guide that activities of many suppliers, and some organizations may
facilitates a systems approach to achieving organization- be a part of a complex network of organizations, each with
wide excellence. a vital role in production or delivery. Increasingly, these
entities are interlinked and exist in interdependent rather
As the Baldrige framework and the Criteria evolve, they
than linear relationships. Success depends on recognizing
must balance two important considerations. On the one
and managing these interdependencies to achieve align-
hand, the Criteria need to reflect a national standard for
ment. The Criteria now use the term supply network to
performance excellence, educating organizations in all
refer to the entities involved in producing an organization’s
aspects of establishing an integrated performance manage-
products and services and delivering them to customers.
ment system. On the other hand, the Criteria need to be
There is increased emphasis on supply-network alignment,
accessible and user-friendly for a variety of organizations at
collaboration, and agility.
varying levels of maturity.
Culture. Organizational culture—the shared beliefs, norms,
To strike this balance, changes reflected in the 2019–2020
and values that create the unique environment within
Baldrige Excellence Framework focus on raising organizations’
an organization—can have a profound effect on decision
awareness of business ecosystems, organizational culture,
making, workforce engagement, customer engagement, and
supply networks, and cybersecurity, and on making the
organizational success. Since 2000, the Criteria have asked
Criteria more accessible from the users’ perspective. For
about organizational values, a key element of organizational
organizations that prefer an abridged version of the Baldrige
culture. In the years since then, questions relating to
framework, a new Baldrige Excellence Builder based on the
culture—some using the term, and some referencing
2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework will be published
behaviors underlying culture—have been incorporated into
in early 2019.
the Criteria. The Criteria now ask explicitly about other
Business ecosystems. As organizations increasingly offer characteristics of your organizational culture and how lead-
multidisciplinary products and services, leaders need to lead ers and the organization create and reinforce that culture.
their organizations as part of interrelated cross-industry,
Security and cybersecurity. The Criteria have addressed
domestic and sometimes global systems—called ecosystems.
the security of information systems and the confidentiality
These broad, interdependent collaborative networks may
of information since 2001, with a significant expansion of
include traditional partners and collaborators, but also
these considerations in 2017–2018. As cybersecurity con-
competitors, organizations outside the sector, communities,
tinues to grow in importance to all organizations, Criteria
and customers. Organizational growth may depend on the
questions on cybersecurity have been expanded.
collective growth of the ecosystem and its ability to prepare
for the future. And as competition comes from organizations Simplification. Several Criteria items have been simplified,
in different industries, organizations may be able to stand and some questions and notes have been removed, reorga-
out from their competitors through new and novel offerings, nized, streamlined, moved, or the wording changed to aid
possibly through the ecosystem. In an expansion of the understanding. The content from some questions has been
systems perspective offered by the Criteria, the term appears moved to notes as examples for organizations to consider.
in the Core Values and Concepts section and in notes to the
Criteria questions (formerly requirements). The basic,
Criteria. In the Criteria themselves, the addition of consider-
overall, and multiple questions in the Criteria items ask
ations for suppliers, partners, collaborators, customers, and
about processes, practices, and results found in high-
competitors to some questions and notes emphasizes the
performing organizations. These questions vary in their
importance of thinking broadly about business ecosystems.
importance to different organizations depending on the

factors that enable and ensure that organization’s success tion and Product Offerings. Item 3.2, Customer Engagement,
and sustainability. Especially at the multiple level, these includes three areas to address: Customer Relationships
questions are not a checklist of requirements that all and Support, Determination of Customer Satisfaction
organizations must meet. To better convey this idea, these and Engagement, and Use of Voice-of-the-Customer and
questions are no longer called “requirements” but simply Market Data.
“questions.” Baldrige Award applicants are still expected to
respond to these questions, but if they believe that some are Category 5: Workforce
not important to their current or future success, they should Item 5.2, Workforce Engagement, now asks how you
indicate why. As subject-matter experts, Baldrige examiners reinforce your organizational culture. In recognition of the
should consider that explanation but also use their industry close relationship between performance management and
and Criteria knowledge to make their own judgment workforce development, a newly titled area to address,
about the importance of the questions to the applicant (see Performance Management and Development, includes
“‘Importance’ as a Scoring Consideration,” page 30). questions on learning and development, learning and
development effectiveness, and career development.
The most significant changes to the Criteria items and
related sections are summarized as follows. Category 6: Operations
In item 6.1, Work Processes, the third area to address, now
Organizational Profile
called Supply-Network Management, includes questions on
Item P.1, Organizational Description, now asks about the supply-network alignment, collaboration, and agility, and
characteristics of your organizational culture in addition to on communication with your suppliers.
values, and about the structures and mechanisms of your
leadership system. In item 6.2, the second area to address now includes ques-
tions about the roles of your workforce, customers, partners,
Category 1: Leadership and suppliers in ensuring cybersecurity and about the
protection of key assets.
Item 1.1, Senior Leadership, now includes questions about
creating and reinforcing your organizational culture.
Category 7: Results
In item 1.2 and elsewhere in the Criteria, societal respon- The Baldrige scoring system (pages 29–34) asks for current,
sibilities are now referred to as societal contributions. As trended, comparative, and segmented data in response
the concept of corporate social responsibility has become to results items. To reduce confusion about redundancy
accepted, high-performing organizations see contributing to between the Criteria questions and the results scoring
society as more than something they must do. Going above guidelines, terms reflecting the evaluation factors of levels,
and beyond responsibilities in contributing to society can trends, and comparisons have been removed from the
be a driver of customer and workforce engagement and a results items. Organizations should still include this infor-
market differentiator. mation, as appropriate, in their responses.
Category 3: Customers Item 7.5, now called Financial, Market, and Strategy Results,
asks for your results for implementing your strategy,
The areas to address in category 3 have been reorganized
recognizing that strategy implementation is closely related
to make the Criteria more logical from a user’s perspective.
to financial and market success.
Item 3.1, retitled Customer Expectations, includes two areas
to address: Customer Listening, and Customer Segmenta-
Changes from the 2017–2018 Baldrige Excellence Framework 45

Glossary of Key Terms
The terms below are those in small caps in the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and
scoring guidelines. Each term is followed by a definition in boldface. The rest of the first paragraph
elaborates on this definition. The paragraphs that follow provide examples, descriptive information,
or key linkages to other information in the Baldrige framework.
ACTION PLANS. Specific actions that your organization ANECDOTAL. In a response to a Criteria item, informa-
takes to reach its strategic objectives. These plans specify tion that lacks specific methods; measures; deployment
the resources committed to and the time horizons for mechanisms; and evaluation, improvement, and
accomplishing the plans. Action plan development is the learning factors. Anecdotal information frequently consists
critical stage in planning when you make strategic objectives of examples and describes individual activities rather than
and goals specific so that you can effectively deploy them systematic processes. For example, in an anecdotal response
throughout the organization in an understandable way. In to how senior leaders deploy performance expectations,
the Criteria, deploying action plans includes creating aligned you might describe a specific occasion when a senior
measures for all affected departments and work units. leader visited all of your organization’s facilities. On the
Deployment might also require specialized training for some other hand, in describing a systematic process, you might
workforce members or recruitment of personnel. include the methods all senior leaders use to communicate
performance expectations regularly to all locations and
For example, a strategic objective for a supplier in a highly
workforce members, the measures leaders use to assess the
competitive industry might be to develop and maintain price
effectiveness of the methods, and the tools and techniques
leadership. Action plans could entail designing efficient
you use to evaluate and improve the methods.
processes, creating an accounting system that tracks activity-
level costs, and aligning processes and accounting systems See also systematic.
across the organization. To deploy the action plans, the
supplier might need to train work units and teams in setting APPROACH. The methods your organization uses to
priorities based on costs and benefits. Organizational-level carry out its processes. Besides the methods themselves,
analysis and review would likely emphasize productivity approach refers to the appropriateness of the methods
growth, cost control, and quality. to the item questions and your organization’s operating
environment, as well as how effectively your organization
See also strategic objectives.
uses those methods.
ALIGNMENT. A state of consistency among plans, Approach is one of the factors considered in evaluating pro-
processes, information, resource decisions, workforce cess items. For further description, see the Scoring System
capability and capacity, actions, results, and analyses (pages 29–34).
that support key organization-wide goals. Effective align-
ment requires a common understanding of purposes and BASIC QUESTION. The most central concept of a Criteria
goals. It also requires the use of complementary measures item, as presented in the item title question. For an
and information for planning, tracking, analysis, and illustration, see Criteria for Performance Excellence Structure
improvement at three levels: the organizational level, the (page 2).
key process level, and the work unit level.
BENCHMARKS. Processes and results that represent
See also integration.
the best practices and best performance for similar
activities, inside or outside your organization’s industry.
ANALYSIS. The examination of facts and data to provide
Organizations engage in benchmarking to understand the
a basis for effective decisions. Analysis often involves
current dimensions of world-class performance and to
determining cause-effect relationships. Overall organiza-
achieve discontinuous (nonincremental) or “breakthrough”
tional analysis guides you in managing work systems and
improvement.
work processes toward achieving key business results and
attaining strategic objectives. Benchmarks are one form of comparative data. Other forms
include industry data collected by a third party, data on
Although individual facts and data are important, they do
competitors’ performance, and comparisons with similar
not usually provide an effective basis for acting or setting
organizations that are in the same geographic area or that
priorities. Effective actions depend on an understanding
provide similar products and services in other geographic
of relationships, which is derived from the analysis of facts
areas.
and data.

CAPABILITY, WORKFORCE. See workforce capability. CYCLE TIME. The time required to fulfill commitments
or complete tasks. Cycle time refers to all aspects of time
CAPACITY, WORKFORCE. See workforce capacity. performance, such as time to market, order fulfillment time,
delivery time, changeover time, customer response time,
COLLABORATORS. Organizations or individuals who and other key measures of time. Improvement in cycle time
cooperate with your organization to support a particular might involve any or all of these.
activity or event or who cooperate intermittently when
Time performance and speed are important to improving
their short-term goals are aligned with or are the same
competitiveness and overall performance.
as yours. Typically, collaborations do not involve formal
agreements or arrangements.
DEPLOYMENT. The extent to which your organization
See also partners. applies an approach in addressing the questions in a
Criteria item. Evaluation of deployment considers how
CORE COMPETENCIES. Your organization’s areas of broadly and deeply the approach is applied in relevant work
greatest expertise; those strategically important, pos- units throughout your organization.
sibly specialized capabilities that are central to fulfilling
Deployment is one of the factors considered in evaluating
your mission or that provide an advantage in your
process items. For further description, see the Scoring
marketplace or service environment. Core competencies
System (pages 29–34).
are frequently challenging for competitors or suppliers and
partners to imitate, and they may provide an ongoing com-
DIVERSITY. Personal differences among workforce
petitive advantage or create opportunities in your business
members that enrich the work environment and are
ecosystem. The absence of a needed core competency may
representative of your hiring and customer communi-
result in a significant strategic challenge or disadvantage for
ties. These differences address many variables, such as race,
your organization in the marketplace.
religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual ori-
Core competencies may involve technological expertise, entation, age and generation, education, geographic origin,
unique service offerings, a marketplace niche, or business and skill characteristics, as well as ideas, thinking, academic
acumen in a particular area (e.g., business acquisitions). disciplines, and perspectives.
The Criteria refer to valuing and benefiting from the diver-
CUSTOMER. An actual or potential user of your organi-
sity of your workforce hiring and customer communities.
zation’s products, programs, or services (all referred to
Capitalizing on both in building your workforce increases
as products in the Criteria). Customers include the end
your opportunities for high performance; customer,
users of your products, as well as others who are immedi-
workforce, and community satisfaction; and customer and
ate purchasers or users, such as distributors, agents, or
workforce engagement.
organizations that process your product as a component of
theirs. The Baldrige framework addresses customers broadly,
EFFECTIVE. How well a process or a measure addresses
referencing your current and future customers, as well as
its intended purpose. Determining effectiveness requires
your competitors’ customers.
(1) evaluating how well the process is aligned with the
Customer-focused excellence is a Baldrige core value organization’s needs and how well it is deployed, or
embedded in the beliefs and behaviors of high-performing (2) evaluating the outcome of the measure as an indicator
organizations. Customer focus impacts and should be a of process or product performance.
factor in integrating your organization’s strategic directions,
work systems and work processes, and business results. EMPOWERMENT. Giving people the authority and
responsibility to make decisions and take actions. When
See also stakeholders for the relationship between cus-
people are empowered, decisions are made closest to the
tomers and others who might be affected by your products.
front line, where work-related knowledge and understand-
ing reside.
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT. Your customers’ investment
in or commitment to your brand and product offerings. The purpose of empowering people is to enable them to
It is based on your ongoing ability to serve their needs and satisfy customers on first contact, improve processes and
build relationships so that they will continue using your increase productivity, and improve your organization’s
products. Characteristics of engaged customers include performance results, as well as to encourage collaboration.
retention, brand loyalty, willingness to make an effort to An empowered workforce requires information to make
do business—and increase their business—with you, and appropriate decisions; thus, your organization must provide
willingness to actively advocate for and recommend your that information in a timely and useful way.
brand and product offerings.
ENGAGEMENT, CUSTOMER. See customer engagement.
ENGAGEMENT, WORKFORCE. See workforce

engagement.
Glossary of Key Terms 47

ETHICAL BEHAVIOR. The actions your organization document the rights and responsibilities of each of the
takes to ensure that all its decisions, actions, and parties and describe how they will direct and control your
stakeholder interactions conform to its moral and organization to ensure (1) accountability to owners/share-
professional principles of conduct. These principles holders and other stakeholders, (2) transparency of opera-
should support all applicable laws and regulations and are tions, and (3) fair treatment of all stakeholders. Governance
the foundation for your organization’s culture and values. processes may include the approval of strategic direction, the
They distinguish right from wrong. monitoring and evaluation of the CEO’s performance, the
establishment of executive compensation and benefits, suc-
Senior leaders should be role models for these principles
cession planning, financial and other fiduciary auditing, risk
of behavior. The principles apply to all people involved in
management, disclosure, and shareholder reporting. Ensur-
your organization, from temporary workforce members to
ing effective governance is important to stakeholders’ and
members of the board of directors. These principles benefit
the larger society’s trust and to organizational effectiveness.
from regular communication and reinforcement. Although
the Baldrige framework does not prescribe a particular
HIGH PERFORMANCE. Ever-higher levels of overall
model for ensuring ethical behavior, senior leaders have the
organizational and individual performance, including
responsibility for the alignment of your organization’s mis-
quality, productivity, innovation rate, and cycle time.
sion and vision with its ethical principles. Ethical behavior
High performance results in improved service and value for
encompasses interactions with all stakeholders, including
customers and other stakeholders.
your workforce, shareholders, customers, partners, suppliers,
and local community. Approaches to high performance vary in their form, their
function, and the incentive systems used. High performance
Well-designed and clearly articulated ethical principles
stems from and enhances workforce engagement. It involves
empower people to make effective decisions with great
cooperation between the management and the workforce,
confidence. In some organizations, ethical principles also
which may involve workforce bargaining units; cooperation
serve as boundary conditions restricting behavior that
among work units, often involving teams; empowerment
otherwise could have adverse impacts on your organization
of your people, including personal accountability; and
and/or society.
workforce input into planning. It may involve learning
See also the related core value, Ethics and Transparency and building individual and organizational skills; learning
(page 42). from other organizations; creating flexible job design and
work assignments; maintaining a flattened organizational
EXCELLENCE. See performance excellence. structure, where decision making is decentralized and
decisions are made closest to the front line; and effectively
GOALS. Future conditions or performance levels that using performance measures, including comparisons. Many
your organization intends or desires to attain. Goals can organizations encourage high performance with monetary
be both short and longer term. They are ends that guide and nonmonetary incentives based on factors such as orga-
actions. Quantitative goals, frequently referred to as targets, nizational performance, team and individual contributions,
include a numerical point or range. Targets might be desired and skill building. Also, approaches to high performance
performance based on comparative or competitive data. usually seek to align your organization’s structure, core
Stretch goals are goals for desired major, discontinuous competencies, work, jobs, workforce development, and
(nonincremental) or “breakthrough” improvements, usually incentives.
in areas most critical to your organization’s future success.
HOW. The systems and processes that your organization
Goals can serve many purposes, including
uses to achieve its mission requirements. In responding
• clarifying strategic objectives and action plans to to “how” questions in Criteria categories 1–6, you should
indicate how you will measure success, include information on approach (methods and measures),
deployment, learning, and integration.
• fostering teamwork by focusing on a common end,
• encouraging out-of-the-box thinking (innovation) to INDICATORS. See measures and indicators.
achieve a stretch goal, and
INNOVATION. Making meaningful change to improve
• providing a basis for measuring and accelerating
products, processes, or organizational effectiveness
progress.
and create new value for stakeholders. Innovation
See also performance projections. involves adopting an idea, process, technology, product, or
business model that is either new or new to its proposed
GOVERNANCE. The system of management and controls application. The outcome of innovation is a discontinuous
exercised in the stewardship of your organization. Gov- or “breakthrough” improvement in results, products, or
ernance includes the responsibilities of your organization’s processes. Innovation benefits from a supportive environ-
owners/shareholders, board of directors, and senior leaders. ment, a process for identifying strategic opportunities, and a
Corporate or organizational charters, bylaws, and policies willingness to pursue intelligent risks.

Successful organizational innovation is a multistep process ents, databases, documents, guides, policies and procedures,
of development and knowledge sharing, a decision to imple- and technical drawings. Knowledge assets also reside within
ment, implementation, evaluation, and learning. Although customers, suppliers, and partners.
innovation is often associated with technological innovation,
Knowledge assets are the know-how that your organiza-
it is applicable to all key organizational processes that
tion has available to use, invest, and grow. Building and
can benefit from change through innovation, whether
managing knowledge assets are key components of creating
breakthrough improvement or a change in approach or
value for your stakeholders and sustaining a competitive
outputs. Innovation could include fundamental changes in
advantage.
an organization’s structure or business model to accomplish
work more effectively.
LEADERSHIP SYSTEM. The way leadership is exercised,
See also intelligent risks and strategic opportunities. formally and informally, throughout your organization;
the basis for key decisions and the way they are made,
INTEGRATION. The harmonization of plans, processes, communicated, and carried out. A leadership system
information, resource decisions, workforce capability includes structures and mechanisms for making decisions;
and capacity, actions, results, and analyses to support ensuring two-way communication; selecting and develop-
key organization-wide goals. Effective integration goes ing leaders and managers; and reinforcing values, ethical
beyond alignment and is achieved when the individual behavior, directions, and performance expectations.
components of an organizational performance management
An effective leadership system respects workforce members’
system operate as a fully interconnected unit.
and other stakeholders’ capabilities and requirements, and
Integration is one of the factors considered in evaluating it sets high expectations for performance and performance
both process and results items. For further description, see improvement. It builds loyalties and teamwork based
the Scoring System (pages 29–34). on your organization’s vision and values and the pursuit
of shared goals. It encourages and supports initiative,
See also alignment.
innovation, and appropriate risk taking; subordinates
organizational structure to purpose and function; and avoids
INTELLIGENT RISKS. Opportunities for which the poten-
chains of command that require long decision paths. An
tial gain outweighs the potential harm or loss to your
effective leadership system includes mechanisms for leaders
organization’s future success if you do not explore them.
to conduct self-examination, receive feedback, and improve.
Taking intelligent risks requires a tolerance for failure and
an expectation that innovation is not achieved by initiating
LEARNING. New knowledge or skills acquired through
only successful endeavors. At the outset, organizations must
evaluation, study, experience, and innovation. The
invest in potential successes while realizing that some will
Baldrige framework refers to two distinct kinds of learning:
lead to failure.
organizational learning and learning by the people in your
The degree of risk that is intelligent to take will vary by the workforce. Organizational learning is achieved through
pace and level of threat and opportunity in the industry. In research and development, evaluation and improvement
a rapidly changing industry with constant introductions of cycles, ideas and input from the workforce and stakeholders,
new products, processes, or business models, there is an the sharing of best practices, and benchmarking. Workforce
obvious need to invest more resources in intelligent risks learning is achieved through education, training, and devel-
than in a stable industry. In the latter, organizations must opmental opportunities that further individual growth.
monitor and explore growth potential and change but, most
To be effective, learning should be embedded in the way
likely, with a less significant commitment of resources.
your organization operates. Learning contributes to a
See also strategic opportunities. competitive advantage and ongoing success for your organi-
zation and workforce.
KEY. Major or most important; critical to achieving your
For further description of organizational and personal learn-
intended outcome. The Criteria, for example, refer to key
ing, see the related core values and concepts: Valuing People,
challenges, plans, work processes, and measures—those that
and Organizational Learning and Agility (pages 39–40).
are most important to your organization’s success. They are
the essential elements for pursuing or monitoring a desired Learning is one of the factors considered in evaluating pro-
outcome. Key is generally defined as around the most cess items. For further description, see the Scoring System
significant five (e.g., around five key challenges). (pages 29–34).
KNOWLEDGE ASSETS. Your organization’s accumulated LEVELS. Numerical information that places or positions
intellectual resources; the knowledge possessed by your your organization’s results and performance on a
organization and its workforce in the form of informa- meaningful measurement scale. Performance levels permit
tion, ideas, learning, understanding, memory, insights, evaluation relative to past performance, projections, goals,
cognitive and technical skills, and capabilities. These and appropriate comparisons.
knowledge assets reside in your workforce, software, pat-

MEASURES AND INDICATORS. Numerical information The Criteria address four types of performance: (1) product,
that quantifies the input, output, and performance (2) customer-focused, (3) operational, and (4) financial and
dimensions of processes, products, programs, projects, marketplace.
services, and the overall organization (outcomes). Product performance is performance relative to measures
Measures and indicators might be simple (derived from one and indicators of product and service characteristics that are
measurement) or composite. important to customers. Examples include product reliability,
The Criteria do not distinguish between measures and on-time delivery, customer-experienced defect levels, and
indicators. However, some users of these terms prefer “indi- service response time. For some service organizations,
cator” (1) when the measurement relates to performance but including nonprofit organizations, examples might include
does not measure it directly (e.g., the number of complaints program and project performance in the areas of rapid
is an indicator but not a direct measure of dissatisfaction) response to emergencies, at-home services, or multilingual
and (2) when the measurement is a predictor (“leading services.
indicator”) of some more significant performance (e.g., Customer-focused performance is performance relative to
increased customer satisfaction might be a leading indicator measures and indicators of customers’ perceptions, reac-
of market share gain). tions, and behaviors. Examples include customer retention,
complaints, and survey results.
MISSION. Your organization’s overall function. The
mission answers the question, “What is your organization Operational performance is workforce, leadership, and
attempting to accomplish?” The mission might define cus- organizational performance (including ethical and legal
tomers or markets served, distinctive or core competencies, compliance) relative to measures and indicators of effective-
or technologies used. ness, efficiency, and accountability. Examples include cycle
time, productivity, waste reduction, workforce turnover,
MULTIPLE QUESTIONS. The details of a Criteria item, as workforce cross-training rates, regulatory compliance, fiscal
expressed in the individual questions under each let- accountability, strategy accomplishment, and community
tered area to address. The first question in a set of multiple involvement. Operational performance might be measured
questions expresses the most important one in that group. at the work-unit, key work process, and organizational
The questions that follow expand on or supplement that levels.
question. For an illustration, see Criteria for Performance Financial and marketplace performance is performance
Excellence Structure (page 2). relative to measures of cost, revenue, and market position,
Even high-performing, high-scoring users of the Baldrige including asset utilization, asset growth, and market share.
framework are not likely to be able to address all the Examples include returns on investments, value added per
multiple questions with equal capability or success. employee, debt-to-equity ratio, returns on assets, operating
margins, performance to budget, the amount in reserve
OVERALL QUESTIONS. The most important features of funds, cash-to-cash cycle time, other profitability and liquid-
a Criteria item, as elaborated in the first question (the ity measures, and market gains.
leading question in boldface) in each paragraph under
each lettered area to address. For an illustration, see PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE. An integrated approach
Criteria for Performance Excellence Structure (page 2). to organizational performance management that results
in (1) delivery of ever-improving value to customers and
PARTNERS. Key organizations or individuals who are stakeholders, contributing to ongoing organizational
working in concert with your organization to achieve a success; (2) improvement of your organization’s overall
common goal or improve performance. Typically, partner- effectiveness and capabilities; and (3) learning for
ships are formal arrangements for a specific aim or purpose, the organization and for people in the workforce. The
such as to achieve a strategic objective or deliver a specific Baldrige Organizational Profile, Criteria, core values and
product. concepts, and scoring guidelines provide a framework and
assessment tool for understanding your organization’s
Formal partnerships usually last for an extended period and strengths and opportunities for improvement and, thus, for
involve a clear understanding of the partners’ individual and guiding your planning toward achieving higher performance
mutual roles and benefits. and striving for excellence.
See also collaborators.
PERFORMANCE PROJECTIONS. Estimates of your
PERFORMANCE. Outputs and their outcomes obtained organization’s future performance. Projections should
from processes, products, and customers that permit be based on an understanding of past performance,
you to evaluate and compare your organization’s results rates of improvement, and assumptions about future
to performance projections, standards, past results, internal changes and innovations, as well as assumptions
goals, and other organizations’ results. Performance can about changes in the external environment that result in
be expressed in nonfinancial and financial terms. internal changes. Thus, performance projections can serve as
a key tool in managing your operations and in developing
and implementing your strategy.

Performance projections state your expected future parisons; the rate, breadth, and importance of performance
performance. Goals state your desired future performance. improvements; and the relationship of results measures to
Performance projections for your competitors or similar key organizational performance requirements.
organizations may indicate challenges facing your orga-
Results are one of the two dimensions evaluated in a
nization and areas where breakthrough performance or
Baldrige-based assessment. This evaluation is based on four
innovation is needed. In areas where your organization
factors: levels, trends, comparisons, and integration. For
intends to achieve breakthrough performance or innovation,
further description, see the Scoring System (pages 29–34).
your performance projections and your goals may overlap.
See also goals. SEGMENT. One part of your organization’s customer,
market, product offering, or workforce base. Segments
PROCESS. Linked activities with the purpose of produc- typically have common characteristics that allow logical
ing a product or service for a customer (user) within or groupings. In Criteria results items, segmentation refers
outside your organization. Generally, processes involve to disaggregating results data in a way that allows for
combinations of people, machines, tools, techniques, materi- meaningful analysis of your organization’s performance. It is
als, and improvements in a defined series of steps or actions. up to each organization to determine the factors that it uses
Processes rarely operate in isolation and must be considered to segment its customers, markets, products, and workforce.
in relation to other processes that impact them. In some
Understanding segments is critical to identifying the distinct
situations, processes might require adherence to a specific
needs and expectations of different customer, market, and
sequence of steps, with documentation (sometimes formal)
workforce groups and to tailoring product offerings to meet
of procedures and requirements, including well-defined
their needs and expectations. For example, you might seg-
measurement and control steps.
ment your market based on distribution channels, business
In the delivery of services, particularly those that directly volume, geography, or technologies employed. You might
involve customers, process is used more generally to spell segment your workforce based on geography, skills, needs,
out what delivering that service entails, possibly including a work assignments, or job classifications.
preferred or expected sequence. If a sequence is critical, the
process needs to include information that helps customers SENIOR LEADERS. Your organization’s senior manage-
understand and follow the sequence. Such service processes ment group or team. In many organizations, this consists
also require guidance for service providers on handling of the head of the organization and his or her direct reports.
contingencies related to customers’ possible actions or
behaviors. STAKEHOLDERS. All groups that are or might be
affected by your organization’s actions and success. Key
In knowledge work, such as strategic planning, research,
stakeholders might include customers, the workforce, part-
development, and analysis, process does not necessarily
ners, collaborators, governing boards, stockholders, donors,
imply formal sequences of steps. Rather, it implies general
suppliers, taxpayers, regulatory bodies, policy m
akers,
understandings of competent performance in such areas
funders, and local and professional communities.
as timing, options to include, evaluation, and reporting.
Sequences might arise as part of these understandings. See also customer.
Process is one of the two dimensions evaluated in a
Baldrige-based assessment. This evaluation is based on four STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES. Those marketplace benefits
factors: approach, deployment, learning, and integration. For that exert a decisive influence on your organization’s
further description, see the Scoring System (pages 29–34). likelihood of future success. These advantages are
frequently sources of current and future competitive success
relative to other providers of similar products. Strategic
PRODUCTIVITY. Measures of the efficiency of resource
advantages generally arise from either or both of two
use.
sources: (1) core competencies, which focus on building and
Although the term is often applied to single factors, such expanding on your organization’s internal capabilities, and
as the workforce (labor productivity), machines, materials, (2) strategically important external resources, which your
energy, and capital, the concept also applies to the total organization shapes and leverages through key external
resources used in producing outputs. Using an aggregate relationships and partnerships.
measure of overall productivity allows you to determine
When an organization realizes both sources of strategic
whether the net effect of overall changes in a process—
advantage, it can amplify its unique internal capabilities
possibly involving resource trade-offs—is beneficial.
by capitalizing on complementary capabilities in other
organizations.
PROJECTIONS, PERFORMANCE. See performance
projections. See strategic challenges and strategic objectives
for the relationship among strategic advantages, strategic
RESULTS. Outputs and outcomes achieved by your challenges, and the strategic objectives your organization
organization. Results are evaluated based on current articulates to address its challenges and advantages.
performance; performance relative to appropriate com-

STRATEGIC CHALLENGES. Those pressures that exert a TRENDS. Numerical information that shows the direc-
decisive influence on your organization’s likelihood of tion and rate of change of your organization’s results
future success. These challenges are frequently driven by or the consistency of its performance over time. Trends
your organization’s anticipated competitive position in the show your organization’s performance in a time sequence.
future relative to other providers of similar products. While
Ascertaining a trend generally requires a minimum of three
not exclusively so, strategic challenges are generally exter-
historical (not projected) data points. Defining a statistically
nally driven. However, in responding to externally driven
valid trend requires more data points. The cycle time of the
strategic challenges, your organization may face internal
process being measured determines the time between the
strategic challenges.
data points for establishing a trend. Shorter cycle times
External strategic challenges may relate to customer or mar- demand more frequent measurement, while longer cycle
ket needs or expectations; product or technological changes; times might require longer periods for a meaningful trend.
or financial, societal, and other risks or needs. Internal
Examples of trends called for by the Criteria and scoring
strategic challenges may relate to capabilities or human and
guidelines include data on product performance, results
other resources.
for customer and workforce satisfaction and dissatisfaction,
See strategic advantages and strategic objectives financial performance, marketplace performance, and opera-
for the relationship among strategic challenges, strategic tional performance, such as cycle time and productivity.
advantages, and the strategic objectives your organization
articulates to address its challenges and advantages. VALUE. The perceived worth of a product, process, asset,
or function relative to its cost and possible alternatives.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. The aims or responses that
Organizations frequently use value considerations to deter-
your organization articulates to address major change
mine the benefits of various options relative to their costs,
or improvement, competitiveness or social issues, and
such as the value of various product and service combina-
business advantages. Strategic objectives are generally
tions to customers. Your organization needs to understand
focused both externally and internally and relate to
what different stakeholder groups value and then deliver
significant customer, market, product, or technological
value to each group. This frequently requires balancing value
opportunities and challenges (strategic challenges). Broadly
among customers and other stakeholders, such as your
stated, they are what your organization must achieve to
workforce and the community.
remain or become competitive and ensure its long-term suc-
cess. Strategic objectives set your organization’s longer-term
VALUES. The guiding principles and behaviors that
directions and guide resource allocation and redistribution.
embody how your organization and its people are
See action plans for the relationship between strategic expected to operate. Values influence and reinforce your
objectives and action plans and for an example of each. organization’s desired culture. They support and guide the
decisions made by every workforce member, helping your
STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES. Prospects for new or organization accomplish its mission and attain its vision
changed products, services, processes, business models appropriately. Examples of values include demonstrating
(including strategic alliances), or markets. They arise integrity and fairness in all interactions, exceeding customer
from outside-the-box thinking, brainstorming, capitalizing expectations, valuing individuals and diversity, protecting
on serendipity, research and innovation processes, nonlinear the environment, and striving for performance excellence
extrapolation of current conditions, and other approaches to every day.
imagining a different future.
VISION. Your organization’s desired future state. The
The generation of ideas that lead to strategic opportunities
vision describes where your organization is headed, what it
benefits from an environment that encourages nondirected,
intends to be, or how it wishes to be perceived in the future.
free thought. Choosing which strategic opportunities to
pursue involves consideration of relative risk, financial and
VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER. Your process for capturing
otherwise, and then making intelligent choices (intelligent
customer-related information. Voice-of-the-customer
risks).
processes are intended to be proactive and continuously
See also intelligent risks. innovative to capture stated, unstated, and anticipated
customer requirements, expectations, and desires. The goal
SYSTEMATIC. Well-ordered, repeatable, and exhibiting is to achieve customer engagement. Listening to the voice of
the use of data and information so that learning is the customer might include gathering and integrating vari-
possible. Approaches are systematic if they build in the ous types of customer data, such as survey data, focus group
opportunity for evaluation, improvement, and sharing, findings, social media data and commentary, warranty data,
thereby permitting a gain in maturity. To see the term in use, marketing and sales information, and complaint data, that
refer to the Process Scoring Guidelines (page 32). affect customers’ purchasing and engagement decisions.

WORK PROCESSES. Your organization’s most important WORKFORCE CAPABILITY. Your organization’s ability
internal value-creation processes. They might include to accomplish its work processes through its people’s
product design, production, and delivery; customer support; knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies.
supply-network management; business; and support
Capability may include the ability to build and sustain rela-
processes. They are the processes that involve the majority
tionships with customers; to innovate and transition to new
of your organization’s workforce and produce customer,
technologies; to develop new products and work processes;
stakeholder, and stockholder value.
and to meet changing business, market, and regulatory
Your key work processes are always accomplished by your demands.
workforce. They frequently relate to your core competencies,
the factors that determine your success relative to competi- WORKFORCE CAPACITY. Your organization’s ability
tors, and the factors your senior leaders consider important to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its
for business growth. In contrast, projects are unique work work processes and deliver your products to custom-
processes intended to produce an outcome and then go out ers, including the ability to meet seasonal or varying
of existence. demand levels.
WORK SYSTEMS. The coordinated combination of inter- WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT. The extent of workforce
nal work processes and external resources that you need members’ emotional and intellectual commitment to
to develop and produce products, deliver them to your accomplishing your organization’s work, mission, and
customers, and succeed in your marketplace. Within vision. Organizations with high levels of workforce engage-
your work systems, internal processes are those that involve ment are often characterized by high-performance work
your workforce. External resources may include processes environments in which people are motivated to do their
performed by your key suppliers, partners, contractors, and utmost for their customers’ benefit and the organization’s
collaborators, as well as other components of your supply success.
network needed to produce and deliver your products
In general, workforce members feel engaged when they
and carry out your business and support processes. These
find personal meaning and motivation in their work and
internal processes and external resources function together
receive interpersonal and workplace support. An engaged
to accomplish your organization’s work.
workforce benefits from trusting relationships, a safe
Decisions about work systems are strategic, as you must and cooperative environment, good communication and
decide whether to use internal processes or external information flow, empowerment, and accountability for per-
resources for maximum efficiency and sustainability in your formance. Key factors contributing to engagement include
marketplace. These decisions involve protecting intellectual training and career development, effective recognition and
property, capitalizing on core competencies, and mitigating reward systems, equal opportunity and fair treatment, and
risk. The decisions you make have implications for your family-friendliness.
organizational structure, people, work processes, and
equipment/technology.
WORKFORCE. All people actively supervised by your

organization and involved in accomplishing your
organization’s work, including paid employees (e.g.,
permanent, part-time, temporary, on-site, and remote
employees, as well as contract employees supervised by
your organization) and volunteers, as appropriate. Your
workforce includes team leaders, supervisors, and managers
at all levels.

Index of Key Terms
Page numbers in boldface indicate definitions in the Glossary of Key Terms (pages 46–53).
A community support, 9, 11, 41, 42 D

comparisons, iv, 6, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16,
About the Baldrige Excellence 24, 29, 30, 33, 35, 36, 37, 42, 45, 46, data
Framework, ii–iv 48, 49, 50, 51 analysis and use of, iii, 9, 10, 11, 12,
action plans, iii, v, vi, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15, competitors, iv, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 36, 42, 45, 46,
16, 18, 19, 26, 28, 30, 33, 36, 38, 46, 29, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 51, 52
48, 52 47, 51, 53 comparative/competitive, iv, 6, 11,
development and deployment of, complaints, management of, 14, 39 12, 14, 15, 16, 24, 29, 30, 33, 35,
vi, 10, 12, 46 compliance, legal and regulatory, 8, 36, 37, 42, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51
ADLI (approach, deployment, 9, 42, 50 delivering value and results, iii, 38,
learning, integration). See Scoring core competencies, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 40, 43
System and individual terms 20, 21, 36, 38, 39, 41, 47, 48, 50, 51, deployment, iii, 6, 7, 12, 14, 15, 27, 29,
agility, iii, 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 16, 21, 38, 53 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 46, 47, 48, 51
39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 49 Core Values and Concepts, 38–43 diversity, 11, 18, 19, 26, 39, 47, 52
alignment, ii, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, 29, 32, Criteria for Performance Excellence,
36, 38, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 4–28 E
analysis, iii, 1, 3, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 23, items and point values, 3 ecosystem (business), 11, 38, 44, 47
24, 29, 31, 32, 36, 40, 41, 42, 46, 49,
overview and structure, 1 effective (meaning of), 47
51
culture, organizational, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, emergency preparedness, 9, 23, 24, 25
anecdotal, 32, 36, 46
14, 18, 19, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 48, 52 empowerment, iii, 19, 40, 42, 47, 48,
approach (as evaluation factor), iii,
customer-focused excellence, iii, 38, 53
29, 32, 35, 36, 46, 48, 51, 52
39, 40, 47 engagement
area to address, 2, 35, 50
Customers (category 3), iii, 1, 3, 12, of customers, 7, 10, 13, 14, 25, 39,
13–14, 24, 36, 40, 45 43, 44, 45, 47, 52
B customers, iii, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, of workforce, 3, 4, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26,
basic (item) questions, 2, 32, 33, 46 12, 13–15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 53
benchmarks, iv, 14, 16, 24, 29, 33, 36, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 36, 38, 39, environment
40, 42, 46, 49 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, competitive, 6, 11, 30, 40, 41
best practices, ii, iv, 16, 17, 40, 42, 46, 51, 52, 53 organizational/operating, 1, 2, 4, 5,
49 dissatisfaction of, 14, 25, 50, 52 7, 8, 9, 15, 18, 19, 23, 29, 38, 41,
engagement of, 7, 10, 13, 14, 25, 39, 42, 46, 47, 50
C 43, 44, 45, 47, 52 protection of, 5, 6, 8, 9, 42, 52
groups (segments), 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, regulatory, 4, 10
capability and capacity, workforce, 8, 24, 25, 27, 28, 36, 41, 45, 51
12, 18, 26, 41, 46, 49, 53 workforce, 3, 18, 19, 38, 39, 41, 47,
listening to, 13, 45, 52. See also 48, 52, 53
Changes from the 2017–2018 voice of the customer
Criteria, 44–45 ethics
loyalty of, 39, 47 and ethical behavior, 13, 14, 15, 17,
collaborators, 5, 10, 11, 15, 17, 38, 39, relationships with, 13, 25, 39, 45, 53
41, 43, 44, 47, 51, 53 19, 27, 38, 39, 40, 42, 48, 49, 50
requirements and expectations of, and transparency, iii, 38, 40, 42, 48
communication ii, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24,
with customers, 7, 14, 27, 39, 42 evaluation factors, iii, iv, 29–30, 35–36
30, 33, 39, 41, 42, 51, 52 excellence. See performance
by senior leaders, 7, 8, 12, 27, 38, retention of, 39, 50
42, 48, 49 excellence
satisfaction of, 13, 14, 21, 22, 25, 39,
with suppliers, partners, and 43, 45, 47, 50, 52
collaborators, 7, 21, 22, 27, 45 F
support of, 5, 13, 14, 39, 45, 53
with the workforce, v, 7, 8, 18, 19, cybersecurity, iv, 17, 23, 24, 41, 44, 45 focus on success, iii, 38, 40, 41
38, 42, 53 cycle time, 23, 24, 25, 40, 41, 47, 48, From Fighting Fires to Innovation, 34
communities, key, 9, 27 50, 52

G L P
Glossary of Key Terms, 54–56 leaders. See senior leaders partners, ii, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17,
goals, ii, iii, 8, 10, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31, leadership, visionary, iii, 38, 40 23, 25, 27, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,
36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, Leadership (category 1), iii, 1, 3, 5, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53
50, 51 7–9, 36, 40, 45 performance, 50
governance, iii, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, leadership system, v, 4, 5, 7, 8, 45, 49 customer-focused, 24, 25, 50
24, 27, 38, 40, 42, 48, 51 learning, iii, vi, 6, 7, 17, 19, 20, 29, 30, financial market, and strategy, 28,
31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 46, 42, 52
H 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 improvement of, iii, iv, v, vi, 1, 3, 6,
organizational, 17, 30, 32, 34, 36, 7, 8, 15, 24, 29, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41,
high performance, ii, iii, 1, 7, 17, 18,
38, 40, 41, 49, 50 42, 47, 49, 50
19, 37, 38, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51
learning and development, measures and indicators of, 8, 9,
how (meaning of), 36, 48
workforce, 12, 19, 20, 36, 39, 45, 49, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 26,
How to Respond to the Criteria,
50 27, 28, 29, 30, 36, 38, 42, 43, 46,
35–37
legal and regulatory compliance, 8, 9, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51
How to Use the Baldrige Excellence
42, 50 operational, 24, 50, 52
Framework, v–vi
LeTCI (levels, trends, comparisons, product, 13, 16, 21, 24, 37, 42, 47, 50
integration). See Scoring System projections of, 10, 12, 15, 16, 28, 33,
I and individual terms 36, 37, 42, 49, 50–51, 52
improvement levels (as evaluation factor), iv, 29, 30, workforce, 19, 42, 50
breakthrough, 29, 37, 46, 48, 49, 51 33, 35, 36, 37, 45, 48, 49, 51 performance excellence, ii, iv, vi, 1,
continuous, 21, 40, 41 38, 44, 50, 52
cycles of, iv, 29, 35, 36, 49 M process (meaning of), 51
opportunities for, iii, vi, 19, 29, 36, Process Scoring Guidelines, 32
management by fact, iii, 38, 41–42
39, 50, 52 processes. See also support processes;
managing for innovation, iii, 38, 40,
of performance, iii, iv, v, vi, 1, 3, 6, work processes
41
7, 8, 15, 24, 29, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, design of, 21, 46
Measurement, Analysis, and
42, 47, 49, 50 improvement of, iii, iv, 6, 21, 22, 36,
Knowledge Management
of products and processes, iii, iv, 6, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48
(category 4), iii, 1, 3, 12, 15–17, 40
13, 21, 22, 36, 40, 41, 46, 47, 48 management of, 23
measures and indicators (of
tools for, ii, 6, 46 requirements for, 21, 30, 33, 51
performance), 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18,
indicators. See measures and 19, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 36, productivity, 8, 16, 19, 23, 24, 41, 46,
indicators of performance 38, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 47, 48, 50, 51, 52
information technology, 17, 23 mission, ii, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 19, 33, 35, 38, products, iii, 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13,
innovation, iii, iv, v, vi, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 36, 37,
11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50,
multiple (item) questions, 2, 32, 33,
29, 31, 32, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 51, 52
35, 50
48, 49, 50, 51, 52 design of, 10, 13, 21, 22, 41, 53
managing for, iii, 38, 40, 41 improvement of, 13, 21, 40, 41, 48
O
integration, iii, iv, 1, 6, 29, 30, 31, 32, performance of, 13, 16, 21, 24, 37,
33, 35, 36, 38, 41, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 Operations (category 6), iii, 1, 3, 9, 12, 42, 47, 50
intelligent risks, 7, 8, 16, 19, 21, 28, 19, 21–23, 24, 25, 36, 40, 45 requirements for, 21, 29
39, 41, 48, 49, 52 opportunities for improvement, iii, vi, projections of performance, 10, 12,
items (Criteria), 2, 3 19, 20, 29, 36, 39, 50, 52 15, 16, 28, 33, 36, 37, 42, 49, 50–51,
organizational learning and agility, iii, 52
K 38, 40–41, 49
organizational learning, 17, 30, 32, R
key (meaning of), 49 34, 36, 38, 40, 41, 49, 50
knowledge, organizational, 10, 17, 21, Organizational Profile (preface), ii, v, recruitment of workforce, 18, 46
24, 38, 39, 40, 41 vi, 1, 2, 3, 4–6, 22, 24, 29, 30, 32, 35, regulatory and legal compliance, 8, 9,
knowledge assets, 15, 17, 49 36, 37, 45, 50 42, 50
knowledge management, iii, 1, 3, 12, overall (item) questions, 2, 32, 33, 50 requirements
15, 17, 40 of customers, ii, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 21,
22, 23, 24, 30, 33, 39, 41, 42, 51, 52
Index of Key Terms 55

legal and regulatory, 4, 8, 9, 12, 27, segment, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 24, V
41, 42 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 36, 37, 41, 42, 45,
for processes, 21, 30, 33, 51 51 value, 7, 12, 13, 21, 22, 39, 41, 43, 48,
for products, 21, 29 senior leaders, v, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 49, 50, 52, 53
resource allocation, 10, 11, 12, 16, 21, 27, 38, 39, 42, 45, 46, 48, 51, 53 delivering, iii, 43
38, 41, 52 societal contributions, iii, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, values, 4, 5, 7, 19, 27, 38, 39, 42, 44,
results, ii, iii, iv, v, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 27, 38, 40, 41, 42, 45 48, 49, 52
13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24–28, 29, 30, stakeholders, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, valuing people, iii, 38, 39, 40, 47, 49
33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 42, 43, 45, 46, 27, 38, 41, 42, 43, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, vision, iii, 4, 7, 19, 27, 38, 48, 49, 52,
47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 53 53
customer, 1, 3, 14, 24, 25, 40, 43 Steps toward Mature Processes, 31 visionary leadership, iii, 38–39, 40
financial, market, and strategy 1, 3, strategic advantages, 6, 10, 41, 51 voice of the customer, 13, 14, 39, 45,
12, 24, 28, 40, 43, 45 strategic challenges, 6, 10, 20, 47, 52 52
leadership and governance, 1, 3, 7, strategic objectives, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, volunteers, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 18, 26, 39,
9, 24, 27, 40 15, 18, 21, 28, 30, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 40, 53
product and process, 1, 3, 13, 24, 46, 48, 50, 52
37, 40, 43 strategic opportunities, 10, 21, 22, 41, W
workforce, 1, 3, 18, 24, 26, 40, 43 48, 52 what (meaning of), 36
Results (category 7), iii, 1, 3, 24–28, strategic planning process, iii, 10, 11, work processes, 3, 11, 12, 18, 21, 23,
29, 35, 36, 40, 45 17 24, 25, 26, 36, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 49,
Results Scoring Guidelines, 33 Strategy (category 2), iii, 1, 3, 10–12, 50, 53
retention 15, 18, 36, 40 work systems, 8, 10, 11, 16, 18, 21, 25,
customer, 39, 50 strengths, ii, iii, iv, vi, 11, 29, 41, 50 36, 38, 40, 41, 46, 47, 53
workforce, 19, 50 succession planning, 7, 8, 19, 41, 48 workforce
risk, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 21, 23, 27, 28, suppliers and supply network, 5, 6, 7, capability and capacity of, 8, 12, 18,
38, 40, 41, 48, 49, 52 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 41, 46, 49, 53
intelligent, 7, 8, 16, 20, 21, 28, 39, 25, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, engagement of, 3, 4, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26,
41, 48, 49, 52 48, 49, 51, 53 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 53
support processes, 21, 22, 24, 53 learning and development of, 12,
S systematic, iii, 14, 29, 31, 32, 34, 36, 19, 20, 36, 39, 45, 49, 50
40, 41, 46, 52 performance of, 19, 42, 50
safety, 4, 9, 19, 23, 24, 25, 27, 37, 39, systems perspective, ii, iii, vi, 1, 23,
42, 53 recruitment of, 18, 46
38, 40, 44 retention and turnover of, 19, 50
Scoring Guidelines
Process, 32 Workforce (category 5), iii, 1, 3, 5, 12,
T 18–20, 26, 36, 40, 45
Results, 33
Scoring System, 29–34 trends, iv, 16, 29, 30, 33, 35, 36, 37, 42, workforce environment, 3, 18, 19, 38,
45, 51, 52 39, 41, 47, 48, 52, 53

List of Contributors
The Baldrige Program thanks the following groups and individuals for contributing to the
development of the 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework.
Diane Akers Maureen Frye John Molenda

Alliance for Performance Excellence Chris Gallegos Sharon Muret-Wagstaff
Jelili A. Apalara Dawn Garcia Joe Muzikowski
Caroline Bartha Janice Garfield Suresh Nirody
Daniel Barton Linda Parker Gates Michael Novak
Michael Belter Gregory Gibson Larry Owen
Mark Blazey Douglas Gilbert Tamera Parsons
Board of Examiners of the Malcolm Baldrige Kathie Gilbert Theron Post
National Quality Award Toby Gouker Larry Potterfield
Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldrige Paul Grizzell MaryAnn Pranke
National Quality Award Glenn Hamamura Bruce Requa
Glenn Bodinson Marcia Harrington Rob Rouzer
Steven Bonk Denise Haynes Terri Runyan
Linda Bounds Robert Henke C. W. Russ Russo
Sherry Bright Deanna Herwald Lara Salazar
Cheryl Brown Margot Hoffman Jerry Salkowe
Debbie Cardello Cary Hill Conley Salyer
Allison Carter Tim Holtsman Robert Scanlon
Candy Cates Jerry Isikoff Doug Serrano
M. M. “Mickey” Christensen Cheryl Jones Janoski Denise Shields
Ceu Cirne-Neves Kathy Jenson Patricia Skriba
Adam Cohen Jan Johnson Morgan Smyth
William Craddock Nancy Jokovich Efrain Solis
Catherine Craver Marylynne Kelts Kristin Stehouwer
Glenn Crotty Kay Kendall Henry Stevenson-Perez
Jake Dablemont Nusrat Noureen Khan James Swofford
Michele Dane Joe Kilbride JoAnn Tipton
Stephen Davidow Reatha Clark King Sam D. Turner Jr.
Kenneth Dean Laura Kinney James Turnham
Albert Doeve Lori Kirkland John Vinyard
Margaret Dospiljulian Miriam Kmetzo Polly Walker
Tammy Dye Raina Knox Anne Warner
Cyrus Engineer Sandra Kube Robert W. Warren
Mark Erath Pat Lapekas Steffani Webb
Joel Ettinger Brian Lassiter Jeffrey Weinrach
Craig Fairlee Jack Lynch Vicki Wetenkamp
Joel Felten Cindy Manjounes Phil Wilson
Matt Fleming Deborah Manzo Sonja Wulff
Eric Fletcher Anita Marx James Youngquist
Gary Floss Donald McCary
Stan Frink Emily Miller

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Created by Congress in 1987, the Baldrige Program is National Quality Award
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Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department
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The program administers the Presidential Malcolm national recognition for performance excellence that
Baldrige National Quality Award. In collaboration a U.S. organization can receive. The award promotes
with the greater Baldrige community, we address
critical national needs through • awareness of performance excellence as an
January 2019 increasingly important element in U.S.
• a systems approach to achieving organizational
competitiveness and
excellence;
To order copies of this publication or obtain other Baldrige Program products and services, contact
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Suggested citation: Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2019. 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework: Proven Leadership
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What People Are Saying

I have always envisioned

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roughly $7.9 million in

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v How to Use the Baldrige Excellence Framework

1 Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview and Structure

3 Criteria for Performance Excellence Items and Point Values

35 How to Respond to the Criteria

38 Core Values and Concepts

44 Changes from the 2017–2018 Baldrige Excellence Framework

54 Index of Key Terms

What can Baldrige do for my organization?

How do I know if Baldrige is right for my organization?

How does Baldrige work?

ii 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

About the Baldrige Excellence Framework iii

What is the impact of Baldrige nationally and globally?

How do I get started?

iv 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

If you are just learning about the Baldrige framework . . .

If you are ready to assess your organization using Baldrige . . .

How to Use the Baldrige Excellence Framework v

If you are ready for external feedback . . .

vi 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview: A Systems Perspective

The Organizational Profile

Leadership Integration RESULTS

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

The system All actions

Criteria for Performance Excellence Overview and Structure 1

Items Areas to Address

Item title and Key term in Type of information

2 2019–2020 Baldrige Excellence Framework

Categories and Items Point Values

4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 90

TOTAL POINTS 1,000

Criteria for Performance Excellence Items and Point Values 3

P.1 Organizational Description: What are your key organizational characteristics?

(Continued on the next page)

4 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

6 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

• Accountability for senior leaders’ actions

(Continued on the next page)

8 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

10 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

b. Action Plan Modification

12 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

c. Use of Voice-of-the-Customer and Market Data

14 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

4.1 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement of Organizational Performance:

4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 15

16 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

4 Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 17

18 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

20 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

22 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

24 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence

26 2019–2020 Criteria for Performance Excellence