Baldrige National Quality Award

In Paul Borawski's recent View from the Q blog, he told us that the Commission on Federal Spending in the USA had the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award on the chopping block. Paul suggested this program was too valuable to discontinue. I just read in this morning's ASQ Friday Fast Facts:

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is in danger of being cut in an effort to reduce government spending. ASQ has joined with NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) and other organizations to keep the Baldrige Program alive.  

Sellery Associates (ASQ's Washington [DC] strategists) and ASQ are implementing activities strategically. ASQ member comments will serve as an essential listening post for future activities—which may include enlisting ASQ members in a grassroots campaign.

Paul asked us if the national quality or excellence award programs have value. I would like to respond.

It is my belief that the value of these programs comes from their principles, their discussion, and their community. I also believe that the award itself has little effect on our profession, our nation, or our world.

Quality and excellence programs have value. Baldrige, Six Sigma, TQM, and other quality management systems contribute to many aspects of our society by giving us an opportunity to define the principles. PDCA didn't just happen by magic. These programs promote discussion and dissemination, through articles, papers, blogs, standards, regulations, and manuals. Lastly, the Baldrige program has embedded knowledge in the hundreds of local examiners around our nation. This is all good.

So, the statements made by Paul in support of Baldrige are all true. Excellence sells.

As a government program and/or award, the value of Baldrige is marginal at best.

Ability of winning organizations to sustain their excellence programs over several years is quite low. Sometimes politics seems to get in the way. The Baldrige program is hidden within NIST. I wonder how many people know what a "NIST" is. I wonder how many people under 30 know who Malcolm Baldrige was.

Let's face it, elimination of the Baldrige program is low hanging fruit. Removal will have absolutely no effect on our nation's massive debt associated with Social Security, Medicare, and the Military.

If we truly believe continuation of the Baldrige program will help our nation and our global community, we should fund and administer it. Call off our efforts to protect it from government elimination and bring it internal. Let Baldrige mix with ISO 9001, Lean Six Sigma, and Social Responsibility. To lobby the politicians for continued funding in these troubled times makes our professional society look small.

“I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.”