Preparing for the Assessment

These questions are designed to provide a comprehensive look at your organization on the macro level. That is, it is assessing your organizations major processes, how they work, and how well they work in conjunction with other processes.

It will take time to complete the survey, and you might need to talk to others in your organization that are knowledgeable on the way the processes work to provide the most accurate answers. Some organizations set up teams by Category to gather responses to the questions and then discuss what is the appropriate response before making the entry into the Navigator.

Read each question carefully. If you are new to the Baldrige process, there may be terminology that is not understood. To provide assistance, a glossary is available. To access the glossary, click on the Glossary of Key Terms link. Also, the glossary will be automatically accessed when you begin the assessment. If further assistance is needed, contact the Excellence in Missouri Foundation by phone at (573) 526-1725, or by e-mail at contact.us@mqa.mo.gov.

This questionnaire varies from traditional surveys in that there is no benefit in trying to guess the "right answer" or selecting the one that might produce the highest score. In order to gain maximum benefit from the survey, choose the answer that most closely resembles the activity in your organization. This will result in feedback that will suggest the most appropriate actions for improved performance. Answering questions that suggest a higher level of performance than where you are currently will result in inappropriate performance improvement suggestions.

Once the meaning of a question is understood, examine each of the four possible answers carefully. In reading the options, it is possible to feel as though there is not a "perfect fit" for the level of activity in your organization. It is important to understand that responses of "c" or "d" -- more advanced responses -- leave less room for interpretation. If you can answer a question "c" or "d', you should feel confident that the answer completely reflects what is happening in your organization. It is more likely to get "stuck" selecting between an "a" and "b" response, which offer a wider range for interpretation. If that situation occurs, ask to what extent that is described in a "b" response is true for your organization. If you have some level of activity to what "b" describes, but it is in the early stages of development, an answer of "a" might be more appropriate. If much of what is described in the "b" response is being done, but perhaps not all, it would be appropriate to answer "b."

If, when reading any of the questions or responses, you are unsure of what is meant by a specific term, please consult the Glossary of Key Terms for clarification. It is important that you understand the exact meaning of each question and response as your feedback will be tailored within the context of each question.

Once you determine the most appropriate response, simply double click on the box. Do this for each question until you have completed the survey. If you have an opportunity, return to the questionnaire two to three days after you finish it and scan the questions and answers to confirm that they best reflect your operations. Once you select "submit," your feedback will be generated and you will not be able to change your answers. A feedback report will provide the fundamental strengths and opportunities for improvement to guide your next steps. The Excellence in Missouri Foundation can provide further personalization of the report.

If you have finished preparation and are ready to begin the assessment please click on the link below.

When your assessment is complete, you will recieve your feedback report in PDF format 2-3 days after submission.

Begin the Assessment

Northwest Missouri State University

Preparing for the Assessment