Award-Pathways to Excellence in Community Action Organizational Mini-Assessment Exercise AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR EMPLOYEES OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES If you are standing still, then you are falling behind. Making the right decisions at the right time is critical, but following through on those decisions is even more challenging. In fact, deploying strategy is three times more difficult than developing strategy. Since deployment is so challenging, ask yourself two key questions are: () Are we making progress?; and (2) How do we know? This assessment tool represents a Baldrige Type instrument (adapted from www.baldrige.nist.gov/progress.htm) that all staff, or a random sample of all staff levels might complete. It does not assess individual staff, but aggregate agency-wide scores covering all levels of the agency. It is not an in-depth assessment, but seeks to determine only point in time staff perceptions about their organization. It is a starting point leading to a more in-depth approach. This instrument integrates the thirty-four CAA Standards of Excellence within the Malcolm Baldrige Core Values and Performance Excellence Framework. It is designed to be useful agency exercise or tool that approximates but does not supplant the rigorous and comprehensive Award/Pathways to Excellence Self Study. Instructions: () For each response to a question, select a single score value, either,,,, or indicating the most appropriate score based on your own perception of your agency. For example, if you strongly agree with questions a put a in the box across from the question. If for question b you select strongly disagree, put a in the box next to the question. (2) Arrive at a Category Total by sum totaling the total points you inserted responding to all questions in the category. Insert the aggregate total in the space labeled Category Total the late line within each category section. () Compile an overall Agency Total score using the aggregate sum total points of all seven categories. (4) Offer brief comments-observations on each category as appropriate and overall in provided. What the Score Means: The maximum number of points is 400. The minimum is 40. Based on national Baldrige scoring methodology, agencies scoring above 60% of available points (In this case, an overall total of 240+) have some perception of excellence within the agency. A true agency of excellence would well exceed 60% in each of the seven categories. Again, keep in mind this is only a point-in-time perception, not a true assessment. Important: It is essential that this instrument be administered anonymously, and that staff are encouraged to offer their true perceptions about the agency
ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS AS AN AGENCY? Please consider your agency as a whole including the Board of Directors, Executive Director and Management Team. Think of the overall financial, human resource, client service, and data/performance management systems in your agency, as well as collaborations with partners that affect multiple programs and the overall community. Please use the point scale of - below as an indication of your perspective from strongly disagree to strongly agree with the statement about your agency s current state. Remember it is your initial perception of your agency; don t labor over your answers. There are no absolutely right or wrong answers -- only your honest perception of the agency. Please do not sign or include your name, but please fill in the demographic information at the end. CATEGORY : LEADERSHIP The Leadership Category examines how your agency s senior leaders address mission, values, direction, and performance expectations, while focusing on customers/stakeholders, as well as empowerment of staff, innovation, and learning within the organization. It also examines how your organization addresses community advocacy, and low-income constituency involvement. a Our organization s mission/vision (what it is trying to accomplish) is well understood by staff at every level. b Our senior (top) leaders communicate our organization s values to guide us. c Our senior leaders create a work environment that helps me do my job. d Our organization s leaders share information about the organization. e Our senior leaders encourage learning that will help me advance in my career. f Our organization makes it clear what our top priorities are, and what s most important. g I feel engaged with my organization and it regularly asks what I think. h Our Board and senior leaders actively advocate in behalf of the agency and those we serve. Category - Comments Does not Category Total CATEGORY 2: STRATEGIC PLANNING This area examines how your agency assesses needs, sets longer term/strategic direction and develops operational plans, updates these plans, and utilizes the strategic plan as a living document that guides the agency. It stresses that customer, community, and staff participation is an essential part of the planning process and that measures of progress must be incorporated and effectively utilized to assess progress over time. 2a As it plans for the future, my organization involves me and asks for my ideas. 2b I know about and have easy access to the parts of my organization s strategic plan that most affect me and my work. 2c Our plan uses substantive measures of success, and I know how to tell if we are making progress on key parts of the plan, especially those elements that I work on. 2d We engage and involve the community and stakeholders in planning our agency future. Does not 2
Category 2 Comments Category 2 Total CATEGORY : CUSTOMER AND MARKET FOCUS This area examines how your agency seeks to listen to and understand the voices of clients, customers, constituents, and stakeholders in the community, and examines how your organization builds relationships with clients/customers by using feedback and measured data (satisfaction) as essential information for agency wide improvement. a b c d e I know who our organization s most important customers are. Our agency stays in touch and listens to our customers. Our customers regularly tell us what they need and want and we actively use this information to improve services. We regularly ask our customers if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with our services/products. I have access to customer feedback, and am allowed to make decisions to solve problems for customers I focus on. Category Comments Category Total CATEGORY 4: MEASUREMENT, ANALYSIS, AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT This area examines your agency s information, technology, and performance measurement systems and how your organization analyzes performance data and information and utilizes it to improve performance. It stresses ROMA and the need for alignment between strategic and operational goals and day-to-day operations. 4a Our organization has a system, and the technology to systematically measures/track the overall quality/success of our work, services, and impact in the community. 4b 4c 4d 4e 4f We regularly analyze (review) the quality of our services and instigate changes as needed for improvement. I have consistent access to and use this data for making decisions about and improving my work. I know how the measures I use in my work fit into the organization s goals, and overall measures of improvement, including those related to ROMA. The agency uses ROMA concepts and I can see how the measures I use in my work fit into the overall measures of achievement or improvement. I regularly get the information about our organization s progress and success. Category 4 - Comments Category 4 Total
CATEGORY : HUMAN RESOURCE FOCUS This category examines how your agency s staff learning and work systems enable all employees to develop and utilize their full potential, aligning with your organization s overall mission, strategies, and action plans. It also examines how your organization seeks to build and maintain a healthy and safe work environment. a Our organization has current policies and makes frequent internal changes that improve my work. b I am encouraged and have access to the training I need to improve my work. c My boss encourages me to develop my job skills so I can advance in my career. d I am recognized for my good work. e I have a safe/productive and team oriented workplace. Category Comments Category Total CATEGORY 6: PROCESS MANAGEMENT This area examines your agency s key administrative support and program/service delivery processes and how your organization manages them to achieve overall agency growth and success. 6a I have quick access to the most important things I need to do my job. 6b I collect information (data) about and get feedback about the quality of my work. 6c My organization operates efficiently and has good systems and processes for doing our work. 6d I have the ability to change the work processes that most affect my work/success. 6e Our organization regularly assesses and improves its key administrative and work processes. 6f Our organization has strong financial and participant data systems. Point Totals Category 6 Comments Category 6 Total CATEGORY : RESULTS/OUTCOMES This area examines your agency s performance and improvements in key areas, including customer/client results, program results, financial health, overall accountability and impact. a Our organization regularly measures, tracks, and reports our results and impacts to our staff, Board and the community. 4
b c d e f Our agency results, services, and work products exceed all requirements. I know how well our organization is doing financially and programmatically. Our customers are highly satisfied with our services and the work we do. My organization obeys laws and regulations and has high ethical standards. My organization makes a substantive difference in our community. Point Total Category Comments Category Total Overall Agency Total (Category -) Overall Comments If Any Agency Demographic Profile (May be Customized to meet Agency Needs) This data allows the organization to analyze aggregate scores and pinpoint agency strengths or areas for improvement. Position Location Program Years of Service Board Executive Manager/ Supervisor Admin/Program Support Front Line Program Other Specify *Customize as needed. Main Admin Service Center County/City Specify Other Specify Function* Corporate Housing Head Start Weatherization Other Sub Units* 0- - - - +