Purpose

The Community Action Partnership (Partnership) sponsors the Pathways to Excellence initiative to build the capacity of Community Action Agencies through learning and continuous improvement.

Description

The Community Action Partnership developed Pathways to Excellence to help Community Action Agencies (CAAs) foster an agency-wide environment of excellence and determine organizational strengths and opportunities for improvement.  Pathways is the capacity-building component of the Partnership’s Award for Excellence in Community Action. 

The Award for Excellence relies on the premise that quality, continuous improvement, and excellence are essential for the stability and future growth of the Community Action network.  The Standards of Excellence follow the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award methodology based on assessment of seven organizational categories:

• Organizational Leadership
• Strategic Planning and Direction
• Customer, Constituent, and Partner Focus
• Measurement, Analysis, and Performance Management
• Human Resource Focus
• Organizational Process Management
• Organizational Results

CAAs that demonstrate excellence in their vision, mission, management, operations, and results are eligible to receive the Partnership's Award for Excellence.  Agencies must be members of the Community Action Partnership to apply.  Application fees range from $1,000 to $7,500 based on total agency funding.  The Community Action Partnership recognizes and showcases CAAs who achieve all 34 Standards of Excellence at its Annual Convention.  The deadline to apply for the 2010 Award process is September 15, 2009.

Detailed information about the Partnership's Pathways to Excellence/Award for Excellence in Community Action initiative is available on the Community Action Partnership website: www.communityactionpartnership.com, click PROGRAMS, then Excellence.

Outcomes

A commitment toward learning and continuous improvement is an essential element of ROMA National Goal #5: Agencies Increase Their Capacity to Achieve Results.