2011 Application Materials

There are four ways to apply for the Wisconsin Forward Award:

• Challenger profile: a streamlined organizational profile along with key results designed for organizations new to WFA/Baldrige. Click here for more information.
• Wisconsin Fast Forward: a 25-page narrative focusing on the basic and overall requirements of the Criteria designed for organizations in the early-to-mid-stages of the performance excellence journey. Click here for more information.
• Wisconsin Forward Award (narrative): a 50-page narrative focusing on all requirements of the Criteria similar to the Baldrige National Quality Award application process, designed for organizations in the mid-to-advanced stages of the performance excellence journey. Click here for more information.
• Wisconsin Forward Award (Baldrige Express survey): an expanded organizational profile and key results presented in conjunction with the Baldrige Express survey, designed for organizations in the to mid-to-advanced stages of the performance excellence journey who have limited  time or resources to write a full 50-page narrative. Click here for more information.

Click here for a summary of all four application pathways as well as a stand-alone Baldrige Express survey option. Click here to download the Forward Continuum for Performance Excellence, describing our various learning and evaluative opportinities.

Wisconsin Forward Award

Click here for instructions on how to apply for the Wisconsin Forward Award, including intent-to-apply and application forms.

If you are applying using the narrative pathway, please use the 2009–2010 Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence appropriate to your organization.

2009–2010 Business/Nonprofit Criteria for Performance Excellence (.pdf)
2009–2010 Education Criteria for Performance Excellence Booklet (.pdf)
2009–2010 Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence Booklet (.pdf)
Note that WFA is using the 2009–2010 Criteria for our 2011 winter review and recognition cycle. Summer applicants will have the choice of using the 2009–2010 or 2011–2012 Criteria.

If you applying using the Baldrige Express survey pathway, use these adapted Criteria questions to develop an expanded Organizational Profile and present key results. Contact the WFA Office at (608) 663-5300 or menzer [at] forwardaward [dot] org to arrange for your organization to take the Baldrige Express survey.

Other documents that may be useful to you include:
• Tips for Applicant Organizations (.pdf)
• A Guide to the WFA Review Process (.pdf)

You can also download a guide to WFA scoring bands and recognition levels, which includes characteristics of each scoring band in terms of both process and results.

Sample Application Materials
Application summaries for many Baldrige-winning organizations can be found here, on the Baldrige National Quality Program website.

A fictitious non-profit Baldrige Award application (for the Flagstaff District of the U.S. Water Resource Agency) is also available here on the the BNQA website.

Wisconsin Fast Forward

Click here to download the Fast Forward intent-to-apply form. The intent-to-apply should be submitted to Wisconsin Forward Award no less than 30 days and no more than six weeks before you submit your application.

Use this workbook (including further instructions) as your application guide and submit three copies of your application along with one copy of this application form.

Challenger Application

Click here for the Challenger application form and questions. Refer to the NAICS codes in this document for section 3 of the application form.