(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- The panel of judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition for organizational performance excellence, has selected 15 organizations for the final review stage for the 2009 award. Starting this month, teams of experts in business/nonprofit, education, and health care criteria will make site visits to two organizations in the manufacturing category, two in small business, one in education, eight in health care, and two nonprofits. There were no organizations chosen for site visits in the service category.

The Baldrige Program received 70 applications in 2009 (two manufacturers, four service companies, five small businesses, nine educational organizations, 42 health care organizations, and eight nonprofit/governmental organizations). The applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; and process management and results. Examiners will provide each applicant receiving a site visit, 300 to 1,000 hours of review, and all applicants will receive a detailed report on the organization’s strengths and opportunities for improvement.

The 2009 Baldrige Award recipients are expected to be announced in late November.

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