Past Workshops and Events Sponsored by the SQA

SQA Online Resource Center

1999 Past Workshops and Events Sponsored by the SQA:

JULY 15th, 1999 BUSINESS WORKSHOP

Learn how to build enterprises for the 21st century and assess the efforts that organizations are devoting to sustainability by attending the SQA business workshop on Thursday, July 15 1999, from 11am to 2pm at the UC Extension Center (behind Hobees on Front Street) in downtown Santa Cruz. Lunch is provided with $20 registration fee.

'The Natural Step' and 'Malcolm Baldrige' International models will be presented to help your organization incorporate principles of sustainability, innovation, & quality.
Contact Vic Desotelle with SQA at 831-465-0377, vdesotelle@aol.com

The Santa Cruz County Sustainable Quality Awards was designed to inspire and recognize an integrated approach to business and organizations of all kind. It builds a bridge between seemingly opposite values for approaching enterprise: the ecological minded developed skills of "doing good" and the quality movement in business of "doing well". Being successful and sustainable entails doing the good things well. Sustainability, a term formerly reserved for the ecological community, is important to extend toward the economic viability, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship of all organizations as we enter the 21st century.

The Sustainable Quality Workshop will cover two areas:
1. The Natural Step (TNS) -- A framework used for defining how sustainability can be incorporated into your organization.
2. Malcolm Baldrige -- A framework used for evaluating how continued quality can exist within your organization.

Description of 'Sustainable Quality' Models

The Natural Step

The question confronting leaders in business, public and non-profit sectors is how to build enterprises that can prosper by operating in greater harmony with the natural environment. How can an enterprise align immediate and long-term objectives in a step-by-step manner allowing each step to pay off? And how can organizations avoid the creation of new problems when they solve the old ones? The Natural Step is a clear, science-based way to marry sustainability and value. In the last 10 years, a number of businesses have come to understand that their relationship with the natural world affords a true business opportunity -- a source of new profits and innovation. The Natural Step provides a simple yet elegant framework to integrate environmental considerations into strategic business decisions and day-to-day operations. This workshop will provide a basic introduction to The Natural Step framework, including specific examples from businesses that have used it successfully. Participants will practice using the framework to identify potential areas for change and innovation.

Malcolm Baldrige

The SQA adopted the selection process from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a prestigious recognition only a few organizations achieve each year. Using the framework of Approach, Deployment and Results, SQA evaluates applicant progress toward sustainable quality. An organization's efforts are evaluated on any or all of three levels:

First the approach; Why are you doing it? What are the values, philosophy or model behind the effort?

Second, deployment: How well are you doing it?

Third the results: What are the results or outcomes of what you've done?

The workshop will give an overview to Quality Management principles. It will continue the practice session by applying the quality criteria to the integration of "doing good and doing it well". You will have time to dialog and network with the presenters and other SQA council members.

Baldrige 'Quality' Presentation Outline

1. The history of the Quality movement
2. The history and purpose of the SQA
3. The SQA Criteria for Evaluation
4. The 3 levels of the Malcolm Baldrige Award - A, D & R
5. The Award process- application, site visit to award
6. Dialog & questions
7. Participatory exercise