SQA Awards Application Questionnaire
INTEGRATING ‘SUSTAINABLE QUALITY’ INTO YOUR
ORGANIZATION
Use the questions below to enable your thinking around Sustainable Quality. Tell us why
you or your organization deserves to represent Sustainable Quality for your category.
REMEMBER: Applying for an SQA Award does not mean you are sustainable today. Rather, it
means you are effectively moving in the direction toward sustainability.
Category I: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:
Demonstrate a commitment to effective "people practices."
- How are the interests of people integrated into overall business objectives, internally
(with employees) and within the local community and greater community at large?
- How have included surrounding community supply chain people to collaborate on a broader
vision and direction for your organization?
- How does your community and employees benefit from your organization's developments?
- How often do employees of all levels participate in organizational planning?
- Describe the organization's employment and hiring strategies that result in local job
growth.
- Give examples of the organization's efforts to use and promote socially-responsible
retirement and investment funds (401(k), Keogh, etc.)
- Describe how the organization empowers employees with authority, responsibility, and
resources.
- Describe how the organization encourages and supports employees to reach their full
potential for contribution.
- How does the organization support employee well-being and promote positive morale?
- Are training, education, and retraining for skill and personal development made
available?
- Describe any profit sharing or worker ownership programs.
- Explain how the organization meets or exceeds industry standards in salary
administration.
- Describe the organization's community relations programs such as philanthropic
sponsorship of local events, non-profit organizations, and community projects.
Category II: ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP:
Doing more with less materials and less waste
- What methods are being implemented for going beyond compliance?
- What environmental criteria for purchasing, planning, operations are being used?
- Do you have a performance plan in place for measuring and monitoring results?
- What rewards efforts are in place to encourage the reduction of waste, discharges, and
emissions to land, air, and water systems?
- What efforts are in place to reduce the consumption of resources such as paper, energy,
water, minerals, and forest products?
- How effective is your land use planning and management?
- How are you reducing sprawl, promoting greenbelts, preserving open space, and protecting
and restoring natural habitats?
- How do your products and services integrate with the environment?
- Describe the organization's hazardous or integrated waste management program.
- Explain how the organization minimizes the use of non-renewable resources and raw
materials.
- Describe the organization's life cycle analysis process (e.g., including disposal
considerations in product design and packaging).
- Describe how the organization promotes environmental ecology in daily routine.
- Describe any transportation demand management programs.
- Explain how the organization uses recycled content of materials in manufacturing.
- Explain how the organization uses recycled content of materials in shipping.
- Describe how the organization promotes internal recycled product use.
- Describe the organization's efforts for energy conservation (e.g., high-efficiency
lighting retrofits, use of sensors).
- What measurable results have been obtained?
- Describe the organization's efforts for water and resource conservation.
- Explain how the organization supports public education on environmental programs.
Category III: ECONOMIC VITALITY:
Improving organizational and community value
- How are you designing or implementing quality initiatives and economic development
strategies that systematically monitor and improve service, products, and business
processes to reach business objectives while enhancing customer satisfaction?
- What is the organization's quality policy?
- Describe how the quality policy influences daily activity.
- Describe the nature of customer and supplier relationships.
- Describe the process for product and service design improvements.
- Describe the systems for monitoring information used for analysis in process
improvement.
- Describe the processes for evaluating product and service performance data.
- Explain the organization's methods for developing growth potential; capacity and ability
to lead change.
- Provide examples of how economic development strategies are carried out.
Category IV LEADING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
Asking deeper questions about organizational purpose, intention, and commitment
- What is the level of commitment from upper management to a comprehensive plan of
policies, programs, and procedures aimed at sustainable practices?
- How are you working with your organization's chain of suppliers and vendors to inform
them of your values and intentions?
- What kinds of learning programs are in place to initiate innovation and product and
service improvement keeping in mind emerging global needs?
- What programs are in place to simplify and reduce the transportation of employees,
products, and resources such as public transit, telecommuting, and ride sharing?
- How do employees learn about health and welfare improvements within the organization?
- Give examples and situations describing how executive leadership is evident, visible and
involved.
- Describe how your organization’s values are demonstrated by your leaders actions
and communications.
- Characterize interpersonal communication, i.e., inclusive style, conveys goals and
information.
- Explain how your organization's values are integrated with employee needs.
- Explain how your organization's values are integrated with customer wants and needs.
- How are people empowered as leaders?
- How have you shared your skills, knowledge, and models to guide other organizations?
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