Become a
CAPE Examiner!
The California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) program offers an opportunity for you to become familiar with Baldrige concepts through participation in the program as a CAPE Examiner. This knowledge can be used both for internal assessment purposes and for developing concepts and processes to improve your organization. We encourage you to take advantage of this hands-on experience and opportunity.
Who Should Serve
Those with work experience in several of the Criteria categories (Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement, Analysis & Knowledge Management, Workforce, and Operations)
Manufacturing, Service, Health Care, Education, and Nonprofit (including Government) Industry Experts
Quality and Performance Excellence Professionals
Examiner Benefits
Examiner Benefits
Strengthens your ability to use the Baldrige Excellence Framework within your organization
Network with peers and enhance personal growth
Gain experience in organizational assessment by reviewing applications from organizations across California, and participating in Site Visit Review
Receive recognition at annual spring Celebrating Excellence Conference and Awards Ceremony
Gain experience in understanding the Baldrige Excellence Framework
Develop analytical and consensus-building skills and a systems perspective that can be applied within your organization
CAPE Examiner Role
evaluate an applicant organization for the CAPE Eureka Award for Performance Excellence — California’s top-tier Baldrige-based award for performance excellence
independently review your assigned CAPE Eureka Award application (Stage 1: Independent Review)
participate in a virtual evaluation team review of your assigned CAPE Eureka applicant organization (Stage 2: Consensus Review)
conduct an on-site review of the applicant organization (Stage 3: Site Visit)
prepare the written evaluation as a foundation for the feedback report that is sent to the applicant (completed during Stage 3)
2025 Examiner Time Commitment
Serving as a CAPE Examiner requires training for and participation in all three stages of the award evaluation cycles (Independent Review, Consensus Review, and Site Visit).
Stage 1: Independent and Stage 2: Consensus Review typically take about 150 hours.
Additionally, majority of CAPE Examiners participate in Stage 3: Site Visit. This is a commitment of up to 100 hours. Examiners will travel to the applicants site(s) for five-six days of interviews with the applicant organization. While participating in a site visit is a large time commitment, we strongly encourage all Examiners to be available for the entire week of site visit. Most Examiners say that Site Visit is the most rewarding part of an Examiner’s work.
Examiners must be able to accommodate the schedule set by the evaluation team during Consensus Review and Site Visit.
Below is an outline of the timeline for the 2024 CAPE Eureka Award Cycle.
| Evaluation Cycle Stage | Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Est. Time Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Assignment Notification | June 23 | June 23 | N/A |
| Stage 1: Independent Review (IR) | June 22 - July 26 | June 29 - August 2 | 50-70 hrs. |
| Stage 2: Consensus Review (CR) | July 27 - August 23 | August 3 - August 30 | 45-60 hrs. |
| Stage 3: Site Visit (SV) Prep | August 24 - September 20 | August 31 - September 27 | 20-30 hrs. |
| Stage 3: Site Visit (SV) | September 21 - 26 | September 28 - October 3 | Sunday-Friday 12-14 hrs/day |
Assignment of CAPE Examiners
We assign examiners to award applications with the goal of ensuring the fairest, most competent evaluation possible. If you are selected to the national Board of Examiners, you'll be assigned to an application based on your knowledge and experience and on the need to avoid conflicts of interest.
Term of Appointment
Examiners are appointed for approximately four months, beginning in July. Examiners must complete Stages 1 & 2 of the evaluation in order to receive credit for being a CAPE Examiner.
Code of Ethical Conduct
As a CAPE Examiner, you’ll be expected to observe the Code of Ethical Conduct.