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Baldrige Program Seeks Examiners for 2015 Board

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) is seeking applicants for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners for the 2015 award cycle.

The Examiner Application is now available online and will be open until January 8, 2015.

Serving as a Baldrige examiner is an opportunity for personal and professional development and growth. It is an opportunity to work as part of a diverse team of professionals from all sectors of the U.S. economy. Examiners are volunteers who want to make a difference and help drive breakthrough improvement in their own organizations, as well as learn and promote identified role-model practices to advance the nation.

Baldrige examiners are part of an elite group of more than 400 professionals who commit their knowledge, skills, and time to help evaluate applicants for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—the only Presidential award for organizational performance excellence. The board is composed of senior leaders and experienced management professionals from across all sectors of the U.S. economy, including manufacturing, service, small business, health care, education, government, and nonprofit. Examiners make a major contribution to the national effort to recognize and promote performance excellence, and they benefit from an unparalleled networking and educational experience.

BPEP has a particular need for examiners who are physicians; senior leaders of medium and large organizations; community college faculty and administrators; K-12 principals, administrators, and superintendents; and financial professionals. In addition, BPEP is seeking individuals with senior-level experience in nonprofit organizations, particularly utilities and other government organizations, as well as charities.

Examiners have the unique opportunity to explore in-depth examples of best practices, innovation, planning strategies, and ways to engage customers and the workforce, which builds their professional acumen. A Baldrige examiner brings back all of that valuable learning to his or her own organization.

Examiners are selected based on knowledge of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, industry expertise, good oral communication, good written communication, skills at leading a team, and team-participation experience. More information on who should apply is available online.

As part of the Examiner Preparation course, examiners evaluate a case study (a fictitious Baldrige application) and engage in peer learning; in-depth Criteria training; and facilitated team, leadership, and technical writing training. Baldrige examiners then volunteer 100+ hours in the evaluation of an actual Baldrige Award applicant, which includes independent and consensus reviews, and may include a site visit review.

In 2014, BPEP received the first place award in the government and military category of the Leadership 500 Excellence Awards, an annual recognition of the world's best leadership development programs and initiatives. The success and impact of both the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program and Baldrige examiner training were acknowledged as major reasons for the honor.

Read testimonials of why others serve and watch a video that features Baldrige examiners sharing their experiences on the board.

The application for appointment to the 2015 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners will close Thursday, January 8, 2015, at 6 p.m. ET. Complete information is available on the Become a Baldrige Examiner page. Contact examappl [at] nist.gov (examappl[at]nist[dot]gov) for more information.

For those professionals who don't have the time to commit to being a Baldrige examiner this year, they can still benefit from the training by participating in the Baldrige Examiner Training Experience (BETE). Registration for the BETE opens January 12, 2015.

Released December 1, 2014, Updated September 21, 2016