Board Chair Message 1/16/2024
Since 1983, the US Senate Productivity and Quality Award (SPQA) has been recognizing organizations for outstanding performance.
The Medallion of Excellence was awarded in 1983 to Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA and to Philip Morris USA, Richmond, VA. The enduring testimony is that organizations want to improve using a disciplined approach. It is hard to count all the time spent to change organizations using the Baldrige framework. The journey is unique to every organization.
Central to this effort are SPQA examiners. January starts an annual cycle of welcoming back returning examiners and training of new examiners. All examiners receive essential training and experience in applying the Baldrige criteria to organizations. In the award process, running from January to June, they spend 80 hours on average doing independent reviews, team consensus reviews, and site visits of applicants. An examination team of 8 – 10 people, led by an experienced team leader, is responsible for the examination of one applicant. They are backed up by mentors, editors, and judges. Organizations gain valuable feedback on all areas of their operations and clear opportunities for further improvement. Examiners gain in learning a systems perspective, consensus building skills, and new methods of analysis that they can take back to their organization.
Reach out to me personally for additional information and how you and your organization can engage.
Sincerely,