The Pathways to Excellence Program serves as a valuable resource for organizations seeking to enhance their performance and achieve excellence in their operations. Our structured framework, tiered assessment process, and emphasis on continuous improvement, the program helps organizations at all levels drive positive change and deliver greater value to their stakeholders.

Our program is a comprehensive framework designed to help organizations in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland improve their performance and achieve excellence. Pathways is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and aims to recognize organizations that demonstrate outstanding performance in various aspects such as leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis, and knowledge management, workforce focus, operations focus, and results.

Four Tiers: Pathways consists of four tiers based on the maturity of organizations in applying the Baldrige Framework. 
 

1. Interest level targets organization new to the process. They are assigned a mentor to assist in completion of an organization profile.
2. The next level is Commitment. Organizations build on the organization profile and complete a self-assessment with the help of a mentor.
3. Discovery Program is the third level. Organizations complete a Baldrige based application addressing specific criteria areas. Feedback is provided on the application by a team of experienced examiners.
4. The highest level is the annual Award Program. Organizations complete a full Baldrige based application and receive a site visit and feedback from an examiner team.