The National Institute of
Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Baldrige National Quality Program
(BNQP) has announced that four state quality programs will receive
funding for the development of Baldrige-based and performance excellence
curricula targeted at education or manufacturing organizations. The
awards, totaling $160,000, advance one of the BNQP’s strategic
priorities—supporting the Baldrige-based state and local quality
programs.
MassExcellence (Massachusetts), the Tennessee Center
for Performance Excellence, the Vermont Council for Quality and the
Washington State Quality Award will develop the new curricula. The
Massachusetts and Tennessee recipients will focus their performance
excellence outreach on manufacturing firms while the ones in Vermont and
Washington will direct their efforts toward educational institutions.
Eight proposals for curriculum development were submitted in a
competition for the funds; the four organizations receiving awards were
selected based on evaluations done by the Alliance for Performance
Excellence, a nonprofit network of state and local Baldrige-based award
programs.
Among the plans for the four curricula are: course
modules on leadership, communication and strategic planning; Web-based
video lessons with self-paced learning; protocols for implementing the
Baldrige Criteria; “train the trainer” programs; and descriptions of
real-life case studies and best practices. The new curricula are
expected to be in place by Dec. 31, 2010. Although they are being
created primarily for the 40 state and local quality programs now in
existence, the curricula will be made available by the BNQP to any group
wishing to make use of them.
The one-time awards will be managed by a contractor,
Key Teknowledgy Corp.
For more information, contact Bob Fangmeyer, robert.fangmeyer@nist.gov,
(301) 975-4781.
Media Contact: Michael E. Newman, michael.newman@nist.gov, (301)
975-3025
