Examiners

What is an Examiner?

You might say the TNCPE Board of Examiners is the engine that drives our organization. This group of leading professionals is responsible for assessing the companies and organizations that apply to the TNCPE Award Program. They’re also in charge of developing the valuable feedback reports that award program applicants use to streamline and upgrade their organizational systems.

Examiners come from all sectors of the region’s business and non-profit community. They will tell you they applied for the board because they were looking for a challenge, and they sought the professional benefits that the training and program could offer. In addition, they like the idea that they play a key role in making Tennessee a better place to live and work.

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Examiner Benefits 

All examiners take part in free annual training to learn how to assess the companies that apply to the TNCPE award program. They learn how to use the Criteria for Performance Excellence, score applicant companies, conduct the examination process and prepare feedback. Other benefits include:

• Free training in the internationally acclaimed Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence,
• Networking and benchmarking opportunities,
• Hands-on experience that will increase your value at your own job,
• A chance to contribute to Tennessee’s economic well-being,
• Exposure to best practices,
• A “resume booster”
• A free ticket to the annual Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet,
• 2.7 continuing education credits through Tennessee Technological University.

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Employer Benefits

Businesses and organizations also benefit when they have a TNCPE examiner on staff. Examiner training empowers employees to apply the Criteria at their own jobs, improving processes and results along the way. In addition, employers enjoy:

• Economic growth, as the organization applies the examiners’ knowledge and experiences,
• Access to intensive, free training for their workforce,
• More valuable employees,
• Recognition as an organization that values performance excellence,
• Access to on-hand experts who can lead internal improvement efforts,
• Recognition as a good corporate citizen.

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Applying to the Board of Examiners

2012 BOE General Information

New Examiners
If you are a new examiner -- someone who has not served on the TNCPE BOE within the last two years -- please fill out the online New Examiner Application Form by Friday, April 6, 2012.

New examiners also are required to provide a recommendation, completed by someone who is familiar with the BOE applicant's skills and ability to serve as a TNCPE examiner. This is due by Friday, April 6, 2012, as well.

You can direct the person who will fill out your Recommendation Form to the following page, where he or she can complete it online:

www.tncpe.org/examiners/Examiner_Recommendation.php

(MS Word versions of the New Examiner Application Form and the Recommendation Form are available for download.)

Returning Examiners
If you have served on the TNCPE BOE within the last two years, please fill out the Returning Examiner Application Form. No Recommendation Form is required.

(An MS Word version of the Returning Examiner Application Form is available for download.)

If you have questions about applying to the 2012 BOE, please don't hesitate to contact us.

2012 Examiner Training

Examiner Orientation (required for all new examiners)

3- Day Examiner Training Class

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Alumni Examiners

TNCPE examiners who have served on the Board of Examiners for three of the last five years may attend a one-day Alumni Examiner training course instead of the traditional three-day examiner training course.

Examiners who attend alumni training will be assigned only to Level 1 teams. Eligible examiners may serve as alumni examiners for a maximum of three years before returning to the three-day examiner training course. Please contact Sue Alexander for details: (800) 453-6474.

TNCPE Examiner/Awards Cycle

This is how a typical awards cycle rolls out.

April
Board of Examiner applications due

May
New examiner orientation

June –July
Examiner training. Examiners attend one three-day training class. Classes are held throughout the state during the summer months. In addition to the three-day class, new examiners also must attend a one-day orientation seminar.

August – September
Examiners are placed on teams and conduct their independent award application reviews.

September – October
Most examiners participate in a team consensus meeting, conduct site visits, complete the scoring process, and write the final report.

December – May
TNCPE accepts Level 1 applications year-round, so some examiners could be placed on a team in the winter or early spring.

While Level 1 applications are not as time consuming to assess, these teams will conduct an independent review, consensus meeting, site visit, complete the scoring process and write a final report.

February
Annual Excellence in Tennessee Conference and Awards Banquet (examiners attend banquet for free)

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