The Criteria for Performance Excellence used in the Forward Award process provide the standard used by Examiners to evaluate, validate and provide feedback on applicant achievement. They include seven broad Categories and 17 Category-related Items. Applications must respond to each Category Item. The Criteria provide a clear perspective for comparing usual performance with high performance. They give an unbiased view of current capability as measured against rigorous standards. The Criteria are designed to be a standard for excellence in organizations seeking the highest levels of customer- driven quality, performance and competitiveness. Taken together in an integrated manner, the seven Criteria Categories and 17 Category Items describe what well-run companies do.
2011–2012 Criteria for Performance Excellence are now available
The new 2011-2012 Criteria for Performance Excellence have been posted here. Hard copies of the Criteria are available from the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence.
If you would like to purchase printed copies of any Criteria book for $4 each plus actual shipping costs, contact the WFA Office at info [AT] wisquality [DOT] org or at (608) 663-5300.
Summer 2011 applicants and all 2012 applicants should use the 2011-2012 Criteria.
Changes to the 2011-2012 Criteria
There were two over-arching themes in the revisions: (1) dealing with complexity in enterprise leadership and management, and (2) customer engagement. Some of the key changes include:
- To improve usability, each group of questions has a subhead summary of the content. The Category, Item, Area-to-address, and these new sub-heading titles form a short-version, outline-based set of Criteria.
- Introduction of the concept of intelligent risk, and an improved line of sight from strategic challenges and advantages to core competencies, to strategy, and then to work systems and processe
- Category 3 (Customer Focus) has been reorganized to improve logic flow, and the responsibility for creating a customer-focused culture has been moved to the Senior Leadership item; the category also includes use of social media to capture the voice of the customer
- Category 7 (Results) has been reduced to five items, combining product and process outcomes, since they frequently are indistinguishable in service environments and should be clearly aligned in all environments.
- Category 5 (Workforce Focus) has been re-ordered and consolidated to improve logic flow.
- Category 6 has been renamed “Operations Focus” from “Process Management,” to clearly focus on organizational operations and since Categories 1-6 all are about process.
- Performance projections have been included as a strategic consideration in categories 2 (Strategic Planning) and 4 (Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management) and the emphasis has been greatly reduced in the Results Scoring Guidelines.
The 2009-2010 WFA/ Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence are available by free download (.pdf) for business/non-profit, education, and health care organizations.
