Missouri Team Quality Award Process

TEAM STANDARDS & APPLICATION FORMS
The MTQA Team Standards is available in Word format and is updated annually in February. The MTQA Standards contain process information, calendar, Team Standards, scoring guidelines, and application forms. If you would like a printed copy of this document, please e-mail the Award Office or contact us by phone at (573) 526-1726.

Team Standards

ELIGIBILITY
The MTQA process is open to any Missouri team that has worked on a task, project or other activity between January and June of the following year. It is not necessary that the activity was initiated in this timeframe, nor must the activity be completed. The only requirement is that team activity has taken place during this 18-month period. Multiple teams from the same organizations are eligible to apply. While applicant teams are classified according to sector, recipients are not selected based on that classification. Teams are judged individually on their level of performance relative to the Team Standards.

APPLICATION FEES
In order to defray some of the costs associated with administering the Award program while still encouraging all eligible teams to apply, a modest application fee of $350.00 per team has been set. Registration fees should be made payable to the Excellence in Missouri Foundation at the time the application is submitted. The team may also need to cover costs associated with the development and delivery of the application, preparation for the oral presentation, attendance at the Missouri Quality Awards Presentation Banquet, and any associated travel and/or lodging expenses.

APPLICATION PROCESS
The Intent to Apply Form is due in March. The Foundation offers training on the Team Standards and Application Process for all teams wishing to participate. Depending upon the level of interest, this optional training could be offered in each region of the State (dates and locations listed on the next page) for $150 per team (up to three attendees; more team members can attend at an additional cost of $40 per person), and is open to all teams who wish to attend. It is important to point out that neither the Intent to Apply Form nor the Team Training is mandatory to apply for the Award. If you decide to make application after the Intent to Apply Form submission date, you are certainly encouraged to do so.

The next step in the application process is the Application Form and written team report that must be submitted to the Excellence in Missouri Foundation in April. The written application must address all six Team Standards and should be no more than 12 typed, double-spaced pages. Applicants should use a 10-point font or larger and follow the sequence of the Team Standards. Please note that in order to be fair to all applicants, judges will only evaluate the first 12 pages of the application. In addition, appendices must be counted in the 12 pages.

EVALUATION PROCESS
Once the application has been submitted to the Award office, it will be forwarded to the MTQA Judges to begin the evaluation process.

Round 1 - A panel of judges will independently review and score each of the applications based on the Team Standards and Scoring Guidelines.

Round 2 - Teams advancing to this level will deliver an oral presentation of up to 45 minutes to the judges, followed by a 20-minute question and answer period. At the conclusion of the oral presentations, the judges will select those teams that have met the objectives of the Team Standards and would, therefore, serve as role models for other Missouri organizations and will determine which of the applicant teams best achieve the objectives of the Team Standards. Recipient teams will receive the Missouri Team Quality Award at the annual Missouri Quality Awards Presentation Banquet held in November of each year.

FEEDBACK
All applicants (except teams that advance through the finals and receive the award) will receive a written summary feedback report on the organization's team process. You will receive the report shortly after being notified of your non-selection to the next Round (or level) of the process. This feedback is intended to assist your organization in achieving higher levels of team performance, based on the MTQA Team Standards, as well as to emphasize those areas already strong within your organization.