Application Process Overview
Eligibility Categories
Organizations apply for the award in one of six eligibility categories:
- Manufacturing
- Service
- Small Business
- Education
- Healthcare
- Nonprofit
Whatever your organization’s award eligibility category or level (e.g. achievement, excellence or commitment), you will need both the Oklahoma Quality Award Intent to Apply form, as well as the appropriate Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence booklet for your eligibility category. You can download these documents from this website.
Application Process
Whichever award level your organization is seeking, applying for it is a two-step process:
- Submit an intent to apply form. In this first part, you provide information and agree to terms that determine whether your organization meets eligibility and other requirements.
- Submit either a Commitment level or an Achievement/Excellence level application. In the second part, you submit an award application that addresses the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence booklet for your eligibility category. If you are unsure which award level is appropriate for your organization, review the Award Level Matrix included in the Instructions accompanying the Intent to Apply form. Once you have determined which award level you are seeking, follow the application guidelines in the corresponding award level booklets which can be downloaded from this website.
Eligibility Requirements
Any organization operating in Oklahoma may apply for any level of the award. Eligibility is open to all organizations whose major functions are verifiable in Oklahoma. Oklahoma organizations apply for the award in “size,” “type” and “level” categories. The three “size” categories are small (50 or fewer employees); medium (51 to 250 employees); and, large (more than 250 employees). The “type” categories are: manufacturing; service; small business; health care; nonprofit; and, education. The “level” categories – achievement, excellence or commitment — are based on where the organization is on its quality journey. There may be an unlimited number of awards given in each size, type and level category each year.
Eligibility Restrictions
Award recipients serve as appropriate models of performance excellence for other Oklahoma organizations. Organizations participating in the Award process will follow the procedures outlined in this booklet.
The nature of some organization’s functions is such that the central purposes and requirements of the Oklahoma Quality Award cannot occur through their participation in the Award process; an organization whose activities cannot fulfill these purposes is not eligible.
Specifically, three conditions apply:
(1) An applicant is eligible if the quality practices associated with its major functions of the organization can be on-site verified in Oklahoma. Applicants with facilities located outside Oklahoma can receive site verification through either interview, organization-paid travel to sites, or coordination with another state quality award program.
(2) Applicants may be governmental (federal, state, county, city, town, district, authority, commission, or public corporation), for-profit organizations, not-for-profit organizations, educational (individual school, school district, vo-tech, college, university), or a health care provider.
(3) Subsidiary organizations can apply. A subsidiary and its parent organization may both apply for the Oklahoma Quality Award in the same year, and separate subsidiaries of an organization may apply for the Award in the same year in the same category.
Future eligibility restrictions
Recipients of the Oklahoma Quality Award for Excellence are ineligible to reapply for a period of five years. Recipients of the Oklahoma Quality Award for Achievement or Commitment are eligible to reapply in subsequent years.
Fees and Expenses
Applicant fees help finance award expenses. Contributions to the Oklahoma Quality Foundation, Inc. — a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting performance excellence practices in public and private organizations in Oklahoma – fund many of the expenses. Applicants pay fees as they proceed through each phase of the application and evaluation process.
- The Intent to Apply fee for all potential applicants is $200. It is refundable only to ineligible organizations. It covers expenses for the processing of the eligibility determinations and the training of an adequate number of examiners.
- The Application fee corresponds to the size of the applicant’s organization: small ($1850); medium ($2350); and, large ($2850). This fee partially covers expenses associated with the evaluation of applications and the development of feedback reports.
- Site Visit fees depend upon the number of visited sites, the number of examiners assigned, and the duration of the visit. Applicants must cover the cost of meals, lodging and transportation expenses related to the site visit.
**Note: Site visit fees for small and medium sized applicants with one site, or sites located in the same city or town, should not exceed $5500.
Application Review and Evaluation
Examiners familiar with performance excellence in Oklahoma and the nation conduct evaluations of applicants. The four phases of the application and evaluation process for all award levels are: an eligibility determination; a site visit; a feedback report; and, the awards presentations. All applicants receive feedback reports at the conclusion of the site visit phase. The organization’s responses in its application, and during the site visit, form the basis for the final feedback report.
Confidentiality
Strict rules regarding conflict of interest govern the assignments of examiners. Information from participants is confidential and not disclosed to those outside the award process.
Award Recipients
Award recipients may publicize and advertise their awards, while sharing information about their successful performance strategies with other Oklahoma organizations.
Applicant participation in providing examiners
Applicants will provide one (for small and medium sized organizations), or two (for large organizations) persons to be members of the 2012 Board of Examiners.
Timeline for 2012
Board of Examiners application deadline:
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Intent to Apply Form Deadline: Application Deadline (all levels): Evalutation/Scoring by Examiners: Site Visits Conducted: Award Recipients Selected: Feedback Reports Distributed: Awards Presentation: |
March 1, 2012 May 11, 2012 May-July 2012 August-September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 Late November/Early December 2012 |