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Become a Baldrige Examiner

Woman sitting at a table while leaning on her hand and using her laptop to apply to become a Baldrige examiner.
Credit: GaudiLab/Shutterstock

Baldrige Award Process Update - Examiner Recruitment and Selection for 2024 

The Baldrige Program has made the decision to streamline the examiner application, selection, and training processes for 2024 by only selecting master, senior, and returning Baldrige examiners  who served in 2021 or 2022. This will help ensure we can focus our time and efforts on effectively designing and rolling out the revised award process itself. Should it be necessary, we will do some targeted recruitment of experienced examiners who served prior to 2021 to ensure appropriate balance, sector representation, and industry expertise on the Board of Examiners. 

While we do not yet know the number and type of applicant organizations who will apply in 2024, we do know that the streamlined award evaluation process will utilize smaller examiner teams, limiting the number of examiners that can serve during the 2024 award process. We will broaden recruitment and selection for 2025 and beyond. Although you may not serve as an examiner during the 2024 award process we encourage you to support your state Baldrige-based Alliance program.

Examiner Role | Qualifications| Apply | Testimonials | Award

Enrich Your Career and Improve Organizational Performance

If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind professional development and networking opportunity, and the chance to make a meaningful contribution to organizational improvement and U.S. competitiveness, apply to serve as a volunteer on the Baldrige Board of Examiners.

Each year, leading experts from U.S. business, health care, education, and nonprofit organizations are chosen from industry groups, professional and trade organizations, government agencies, and other nonprofit groups. They become Baldrige Examiners®, an elite group of leaders who help drive organizational performance excellence across the country.

    Baldrige Examiners participate in Award-winning training and learn about the Baldrige Excellence Framework® and Criteria. Using the Baldrige Criteria, examiners evaluate and provide feedback to organizations across the United States. The feedback report is a key reason why organizations apply for the Baldrige Award.

    Who Should Apply

    • U.S. Citizen or permanent resident of the United States
    • Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement, Analysis & Knowledge Management, Workforce, and Operations Category Experts
    • Manufacturing, Service, Health Care, Education, and Nonprofit (including Government) Industry Experts
    • Quality and Performance Excellence Experts

    EXAMINER BENEFITS

    • Strengthens your ability to use the Baldrige Excellence Framework within your organization
    • Network with peers and enhance personal growth
    • Gain experience in organizational assessment by reviewing applications from organizations across the United States, and participating (if assigned) in Site Visit Review
    • Be recognized for service by the Secretary of Commerce and the NIST Director
    • Attend ceremony for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipients
    • Receive award-winning Examiner Preparation Course training
    • Gain experience in understanding the Baldrige Excellence Framework and Criteria
    • Develop analytical and consensus-building skills and a systems perspective that can be applied within your organization

    Members of the Board of Examiners are not compensated for their time; they serve on a voluntary basis. In "Baldrige Examiners: Patriots, Community Members, Elite Quality Professionals," Baldrige examiners themselves provide additional reasons for service to Baldrige. 


    What Baldrige Examiners Are Saying

    most practical and impactful training ever received

    Dr. Terry Holliday, Commissioner of Education Commonwealth of Kentucky
    (Former Superintendent, Iredell-Statesville Schools, NC, 2008 Baldrige Award Recipient in Education)
    _______________________________________________

    As a leader, the most practical and impactful training I have ever received was through the Baldrige examiner program. Our success in improving education in Iredell-Statesville [school district] and now in Kentucky can certainly be attributed to lessons learned from examiner training and the implementation of the Baldrige Criteria.
     

    Related Links

    Board of Examiners Listing
    Judges Panel Listing and Charter
    Examiner Resource Center

    Contacts

    • Baldrige Customer Service
      (301) 975-2036
      NIST/BPEP
      100 Bureau Drive, M/S 1020
      Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020
    Created February 19, 2010, Updated January 4, 2024