Examiners

Volunteer Examiners, the Key to our Award Program

SPQA’s success, and the success of the organizations it serves, depends on the dedication and the service of its volunteer Examiners. We want to thank the recent Examiners and congratulate them for the completion of their service. Examiners who complete the consensus phase of the examination process are eligible for the Board of Examiners.

Examiners are trained to assess and provide feedback to Award Applicants and to Discovery Program Participants through the lens of the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Being selected to serve as an SPQA Examiner is an honor. It means you have learned and applied the Baldrige framework. It also is a tremendous learning and professional development opportunity. Examiners dedicate an average of 80 -120 hours (Discovery is at the low end) each year to review SPQA applications (i.e., an organization’s self-assessment), participate in site visits, and write detailed feedback reports that help an organization evolve to the next level.

Examiners come from all professions, yet all share a common interest in organizational performance excellence and improvement. To ensure expertise is present and consistently applied, Examiners participate in extensive Baldrige criteria and Baldrige assessment training prior to being assigned to an application review team. New Examiners are supported by a mentor and paired with more experienced Examiners in evaluation teams. Examiner applications are generally accepted from October through December. All Examiners (new and returning) must apply each year they wish to serve and are trained each year they serve.

To learn more about becoming an Examiner, contact programs.services@spqa-va.org. You may apply to be an examiner here. We look forward to having you join us on this very important venture.

Examiner Roles

• • SPQA Experience Examiner

An entry level for the examiner’s body of work and for those that do not think they can commit to the full award process. Examiners at the experience level receive full training with the award examiners and continue through

independent review. Training is in January and independent review is in February. Experience level examiners leave the program after independent review and are not eligible for the Board of Examiners.

• • SPQA Award Examiner

This is the full examiner experience from training, independent review, consensus, and site visit. Examiners work on a team to review an award application, develop feedback comments based on the Baldrige Framework, and participate in an applicant site visit. Examiners get in-depth experience with an applicant organization. The timeframe is from January through April. Examiners cycle through the stages of training, independent review, consensus, and site visit. SPQA site visits are hybrid with part online and the other on site with the applicant. Not all examiners go on the on-site applicant site visit.

• • SPQA Mentor Examiner

Award Examiners with two or more cycles of experience are eligible to become mentors in the Pathways to Excellence Program. The role of a mentor is to assist applicant organizations with the Interest, Commitment, and Discovery levels of Pathways. Applicants may facilitate organizations to complete an organizational profile, use results from Baldrige self-assessment tools to identify performance improvements, and to complete a Discovery application. A time commitment is identified when a potential applicant completes a Service Agreement with SPQA.

Join us in this very worthy endeavor and build your professional experiences. Examiners are entitled to documentation on request to meet professional development and recertification needs.

2024 Board of Examiners