The RMPEx Recognition Programs
RMPEx is a community of organizations and individuals dedicated to continuous improvement and performance excellence. Those that have adopted the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework demonstrate increased organizational learning and development, a sound leadership system, proven financial results, documented benefits to employees, customers, the community, and other stakeholders, and the opportunity to use the state award in their application to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
RMPEx recognizes organizations in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming for their achievements in performance excellence. Applicants receive extensive feedback, based on a written application and interviews, identifying the organization’s beneficial attributes and opportunities for improvement.
RMPEx also recognizes individuals for their personal achievements in demonstrating their understanding and application of the Baldrige framework.
RMPEx offers five levels of organizational award participation, designed to allow organizations to follow a process that sequentially builds to sustained peak performance excellence. Applicants receive formal recognition for their performance excellence achievements with one of five levels of award participation: Explorer, Pathfinder, Timberline, Summit, and Landmark.
RMPEx role-model organizations have achieved at least Timberline Award formal recognition and are eligible to participate in the Sustainable Excellence Community of Practice.
RMPEx is establishing a recognition system for organizations within its "Community of Practice" that successfully used assertion-based self-assessment tools to identify its strengths and opportunities, applied Baldrige framework thinking to improve their key processes, and delivered results to the satisfaction of their improvement plan and goals.
RMPEx is establishing a recognition process to award individuals for demonstrated understanding and application of the Baldrige framework to enhance their professional skill set, and participation on assessment teams.
Explorer
This level is for organizations who are interested in beginning self-assessment and beginning a journey toward performance excellence. These organizations complete an organizational profile that is a snapshot of the organization – describeing its operating environment, key relationships with customers, suppliers, partners, and stakeholders, competitive environment, key strategic challenges and advantages, and performance improvement systems. All applicants who submit a High Plains application receive recognition during the annual RMPEx Quest award ceremony.
Pathfinder
This level is for organizations who have not previously completed RMPEx/Baldrige assessments or have limited expertise or understanding of the linkages and alignment of the Baldrige criteria. The application includes information on the organization’s processes and systems. At this level, fewer criteria questions are asked than for higher levels and only the applicant’s approach is evaluated. Pathfinder awards are presented to those applicants that demonstrate systematic and mature approaches to the criteria questions.
Timberline
This level is for organizations who have gained expertise in the RMPEx/Baldrige criteria and feel they are ready for a detailed discussion of their processes. The discussion includes information on approach, deployment, learning, and integration. At this level, the applicant addresses all process questions in a full application, except for those concerning results. Timberline awards are presented to those applicants who demonstrate systematic and mature approaches, effective deployment, process learning, and process integration in their response to criteria questions.
Summit
The RMPEx Peak Performance Criteria includes questions on both processes and results. Results are stated in quantitative measures of key organizational metrics including trends and comparisons to best-in-class and leading competitor organizations. Organizations with strong internal performance excellence programs will receive the most benefit by selecting the Peak Performance level. Peak awards are presented to those applicants that demonstrate role-model results, plus systematic and mature approaches, effective deployment, process learning, and process integration in their response to the criteria questions.
Landmark
The RMPEx Landmark Award recognizes organizations that demonstrate role model attributes — serving as a reference point for other organizations pursuing performance excellence. It is not a higher version of the Summit Award; it is a different kind of recognition that requires demonstrated, sustained leadership and societal contributions. Available only to organizations that have already earned Summit regional recognition, or national recognition. Five or more years of results demonstrating high performance levels, favorable trends, and superior comparisons to top-tier benchmarks are required to attain this level of distinction.
The Assessment Process
Are you ready to effectively and efficiently meet your mission and achieve your vision for your organization? RMPEx is here to guide your organization, improve performance, and get sustainable results through our assessment & recognition program. The improvement and innovation framework used during our assessment process can be adapted to fit your unique challenges and culture while helping you evaluate performance, assess where improvements or innovation are most needed, and get results. At the end of the assessment cycle, applicants receive extensive feedback identifying the organization’s positive attributes and opportunities for improvement.
Ready to ignite your excellence journey?
Past Award Recipients
2020 RMPEx Award Recipients
Peak Level Award
Donor Alliance, Denver, Colorado
2019 RMPEx Award Recipients
Peak Level Award
Elevations Credit Union, Boulder, Colorado
Great Plains Health, North Platte, Nebraska
Foothills Level Award
RiverStone Health, Billings, Montana
Timberline Level Award
Campbell County Health, Gillette, Wyoming
High Plains Recognition
The Legacy Living and
Rehabilitation Center, Gillette, Wyoming
THE PETE REICKS
LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Pete Reicks Leadership Award, given by Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence, recognizes an individual whose performance excellence leadership and behaviors provide a role model for others. Performance excellence is not an individual achievement, nor a finite feat, but an organization’s intentional ambition for performance excellence requires strong vision and leadership. This award recognizes leaders who have notably contributed to the RMPEx vision to ignite, equip, and accelerate all organizations to achieve sustainable excellence.
RMPEx created the Pete Reicks Leadership Award in 2021, to honor an influencer, leader, and friend who challenged us all to be better every day. Pete Reicks personified the core values of RMPEx and the Baldrige program, leading Elevations Credit Union to national Baldrige award recognition twice and serving as a RMPEx Board member.
