KYCPE ~ Award Application & Criteria
Criteria for Performance Excellence
The Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence, (KYCPE) was founded to promote and support performance
improvement for all organizations across the Commonwealth.  Its history began when Governor Ernie Fletcher
unveiled the KYCPE awards program. The awards program was established as an economic development tool
to stimulate Kentucky business and industry to improve quality, productivity, and achieve world-class
standards of excellence.

The mission of KYCPE includes communicating the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to all
organizations across Kentucky, helping them to understand and apply the criteria, promoting the sharing of
best practices, and providing recognition for organizations who set an example of success.

Organizations participate by making an application at one of the four levels of the Kentucky Award process.
Upon receipt of the application, a team of examiners review, evaluate, and score the organization using the
Criteria for Performance Excellence. Because of the learning inherent in completing the application and in the
feedback received from KYCPE, the effort that goes into the self-assessment and applying for the Award
traditionally result in a significant return on investment.

The process will help prioritize opportunities for improvement  and identify strengths to celebrate and build
upon. As a result, the rate at which an organization improves should accelerate.  Each applicant gains an
outside perspective of its organization based on hours of review by members of the Board of Examiners and
the Panel of Judges. The results of this review are synthesized  in a feedback report outlining strengths and
opportunities for improvement based on the Criteria. Feedback reports are often used by organizations as part
of their strategic planning process to focus on their customers, strategies, and to improve results. Traditionally
the process helps to energize and guide their organizational improvement
effort.  

Every organization that completes the application procedures outlined by this process and meets the criteria
of the Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence Award Program will be recognized in one of the four award
categories: Interest, Commitment, Achievement, or Excellence. Annually, KYCPE recognizes and celebrates
the organizations for their endeavor in the pursuit of performance excellence. To submit an application in the
Kentucky Award process, download the Application Booklet.  All applicants must submit the Intent to Apply
forms and applications to KYCPE by the dates indicated in the booklet.




Level I – Interest
This level is designed for organizations in the beginning phases of the performance excellence journey. The
applicant is required to complete the Baldrige Booklet Criteria five page maximum Organization Profile. No
formal feedback report is provided, but a KYCPE representative will visit with the applicant to address the
responses to the Organizational Profile.

Level II – Commitment Award
This level is designed for organizations who have begun their performance excellence journey. It is designed
to create awareness of the Criteria. The applicant is required to submit an Organizational Profile (not to
exceed five pages) as described in the applicable Criteria booklet. The Categories of the Criteria are then
addressed in a written application report of no more than 15 pages.

Level III – Achievement Award
This intermediate level is intended for organizations that have progressed to a point of demonstrating a higher
level of performance excellence than those at Level 2. Site visits are not included in this level, however, the
applicant has the option to purchase a site visit. The applicant is required to submit an Organizational Profile
(not to exceed five pages) as described in the applicable Criteria booklet. The Categories and Items of the
Criteria are then addressed in a written application of no more than 35 pages.

Level IV – Excellence Award
Organizations applying at this level will be expected to explain their progress toward building sound and
notable processes as measured against the Criteria. Site visits are included at this level. The Excellence
Award applicant is required to create an Organizational Profile (not to exceed five pages) as described in the
Criteria booklet. The Categories, Items, and Areas of the Criteria are then addressed in an application report
of no more than fifty pages.
The highest level of recognition is presented to organizations that have demonstrated, through their practices
and achievements, a high level of performance excellence.

The KYCPE Panel of Judges makes a recommendation of organizations earning the Kentucky Award for
Performance Excellence. Organizations applying for recognition may be eligible to receive an award at a lower
level than applied subject to the determination of the Judges.
©2007 Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence. All rights reserved.
The KYCPE Award Program
2008 Application Booklet
Coming soon!
2005 Kentucky Award for
Performance Excellence

Recipients

Kentucky Excellence Award
Saint Joseph Health Care

Commitment Award
Clark Memorial Hospital
Mainline Communications, Inc.
I.B. Moore Company, LLC

Interest Award
Tube Master, Inc.
2006 Kentucky Award for
Performance Excellence

Recipients

Achievement Award
Ebonite International

Commitment Award
Madison County Health

Interest Award
Hematology & Oncology Center,
LLC

Panasonic Home Appliances
Company of America

Pikeville Medical Center