§ No SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to Item requirements is evident; information is ANECDOTAL. (A)

§ Little or no DEPLOYMENT of any SYSTEMATIC APPROACH is evident. (D)

§ An improvement orientation is not evident; improvement is achieved through reacting to problems. (L)

§ No organizational ALIGNMENT is evident; individual areas or work units operate independently. (I)

§ The beginning of a SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS of the Item is evident. (A)

§ The APPROACH is in the early stages of DEPLOYMENT in most areas or work units, inhibiting progress in achieving the BASIC REQUIREMENTS of the Item. (D)

§ Early stages of a transition from reacting to problems to a general improvement orientation are evident. (L)

§ The APPROACH is ALIGNED with other areas or work units largely through joint problem solving. (I)

§ An EFFECTIVE, SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, responsive to the BASIC REQUIREMENTS of the Item, is evident. (A)

§ The APPROACH is DEPLOYED, although some areas or work units are in early stages of DEPLOYMENT. (D)

§ The beginning of a SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to evaluation and improvement of KEY PROCESSES is evident. (L)

§ The APPROACH is in the early stages of ALIGNMENT with your basic organizational needs identified in response to the Organizational Profile and other Process Items. (I)

§ An EFFECTIVE, SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, responsive to the OVERALL REQUIREMENTS of the Item, is evident. (A)

§ The APPROACH is well DEPLOYED, although DEPLOYMENT may vary in some areas or work units. (D)

§ A fact-based, SYSTEMATIC evaluation and improvement PROCESS and some organizational LEARNING, including innovation, are in place for improving the efficiency and EFFECTIVENESS of KEY PROCESSES. (L)

§ The APPROACH is ALIGNED with your organizational needs identified in response to the Organizational Profile and other Process Items(I)

§ An EFFECTIVE, SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, responsive to the MULTIPLE REQUIREMENTS of the Item, is evident. (A)

§ The APPROACH is well DEPLOYED, with no significant gaps. (D)

§ Fact-based, SYSTEMATIC evaluation and improvement and organizational LEARNING, including innovation, are KEY management tools; there is clear evidence of refinement as a result of organizational-level ANALYSIS and sharing. (L)

§ The APPROACH is INTEGRATED with your organizational needs identified in response to the Organizational Profile and other Process Items. (I)

§ An EFFECTIVE, SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, fully responsive to the MULTIPLE REQUIREMENTS of the Item, is evident. (A)

§ The APPROACH is fully DEPLOYED without significant weaknesses or gaps in any areas or work units. (D)

§ Fact-based, SYSTEMATIC evaluation and improvement and organizational LEARNING through innovation are KEY organization-wide tools; refinement and INNOVATION, backed by ANALYSIS and sharing, are evident throughout the organization. (L)

§ The APPROACH is well INTEGRATED with your organizational needs identified in response to the Organizational Profile and other Process Items. (I)

§ There are no organizational PERFORMANCE RESULTS or poor RESULTS in areas reported. (Le)

§ TREND data either are not reported or show mainly adverse TRENDS. (T)

§ Comparative information is not reported. (C)

§ RESULTS are not reported for any areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s KEY MISSION or business requirements. (I)

§ A few organizational PERFORMANCE RESULTS are reported; and there are some improvements /or early good PERFORMANCE LEVELS are evident in a few areas. (Le)

§ Little or no Some TREND data are reported, with some adverse or many of the TRENDS evident shown are. (T)

§ Little or no comparative information is reported. (C)

§ RESULTS are reported for a few areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s KEY MISSION or business requirements. (I)

§ Improvements and/or Good PERFORMANCE LEVELS are reported in many for some areas addressed in the Item requirements. (Le)

§ Early stages of developing Some TREND data are evident reported and a majority of the trends presented are beneficial. (T)

§ Early stages of obtaining comparative information are evident. (C)

§ RESULTS are reported for many areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s KEY MISSION or business requirements. (I)

§ Improvement TRENDS and/or Good organizational PERFORMANCE LEVELS are reported for most areas addressed in Item requirements. (Le)

§ No pattern of adverse Beneficial TRENDS and no poor PERFORMANCE LEVELS are reported evident in areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s KEY MISSION or business requirements. (T)

§ Some TRENDS and/or current PERFORMANCE LEVELS have been evaluated against relevant comparisons and/or BENCHMARKS and show areas of good to very good relative PERFORMANCE. (C)

§ Organizational PERFORMANCE RESULTS address are reported for most KEY CUSTOMER, market, and PROCESS requirements. (I)

§ Current are Good to excellent PERFORMANCE LEVELS are reported for in most areas of importance to the Item requirements. (Le)

§ Most improvement Beneficial TRENDS and/or current PERFORMANCE LEVELS have been sustained over time in most areas of importance to the accomplishment of your organization’s MISSION. (T)

§ Many to most reported TRENDS