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About IIRA -> Awards Awards
Award: Lincoln Award for Commitment to Excellence
Year Received: 1999In 1995, the Lincoln Foundation for Business Excellence was created in Illinois to promote excellence in business practices. The Foundation was started by 14 major corporations including Caterpillar Inc, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Citibank, Deere and Co., Price Waterhouse Inc. and others. Modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award for application in Illinois, the Lincoln Foundation promotes excellence in business practices. The mission of the Foundation is to "be the key catalyst to help Illinois' organizations achieve excellence."
Organizations in Illinois interested in improving their management practices and operations can undertake a self-motivated strategic management process through the Foundation. Three levels of recognition are available:
- Lincoln Commitment to Excellence
- Lincoln Progress toward Excellence
- Lincoln Award for Excellence
Applicants undertake a self-study and apply to the Foundation. A board of examiners reviews the materials and makes a site visit to help applicants improve their operations. The application and review cover the following seven categories:
Applications are judged on a scale of 1,000 points, a majority of which are in the business results category.
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Customer and Market Focus
- Information and Analysis
- Human Resource Focus
- Process Management
- Business Results
IIRA undertook a year long effort to improve its strategic planning and visioning process, review its operations, and assessed the markets served. An outcome of these activities was an application for a Level I. Commitment to Excellence award and IIRA received notice in fall 1999 that it received this award. The process of upgrading management practices, operations, and other procedures is underway as IIRA continues to seek excellence in serving constituents in rural Illinois.
