What is the Baldrige Framework?
Understanding the Baldrige Framework
The Baldrige Framework is the nation’s leading organizational excellence model—a comprehensive system for helping organizations understand how their key processes work together to achieve sustainable results. It’s not just a checklist or award program—it’s a holistic management framework for how high-performing organizations operate.
What the Baldrige Framework Is
• A systems-based model that helps organizations see how all their parts—leadership, strategy, customers, workforce, operations, and results—fit together.
• A diagnostic and improvement tool, not a prescription. It doesn’t tell you what to do; it helps you ask how well you’re doing it and how it all connects.
• A roadmap to excellence, used by role model organizations to align mission, vision, and values with measurable outcomes.
The Core Idea
At its heart, the framework asks and evaluates:
“How do you lead, plan, listen, measure, improve, and deliver results—consistently and systematically?”
The Seven Baldrige Categories
Leadership
Direction & Governance
How do senior leaders guide the organization and promote a culture of excellence?
Strategy
Planning & Execution
How do you set and deploy a strategy to achieve your mission and vision?
Customers
Listening & Engagement
How do you engage patients, partners, and communities to create loyalty and value?
Measurement
Data & Learning
How do you measure, analyze, and use information for improvement and decision-making?
Workforce
People & Culture
How do you engage and develop your workforce to achieve success?
Operations
Key Systems & Processes
How do you design, manage, and improve key work systems and processes?
Results
Performance & Outcomes
What outcomes demonstrate effectiveness in all key areas?
In One Sentence
The Baldrige Framework is a systems model for excellence that helps organizations turn mission and vision into measurable, repeatable, and sustainable results through leadership, learning, and alignment.
Ready to get started?
A great way to get started is by ordering a copy of the OQF Baldrige Excellence Framework. This book is the foundation of the OQF program and provides details regarding application and eligibility requirements, as well as the Criteria for Performance Excellence on which to base your self-assessment. Order your copy of the framework online here or by emailing the OQF office at oqf@oklahomaquality.com.