P.1 Organizational Description
What are your key organizational characteristics?

Describe your organization’s operating environment and your KEY relationships with CUSTOMERS, suppliers, PARTNERS, and STAKEHOLDERS.

Within your response, include answers to the following questions:

P.1a. Organizational Environment

(1)      What are your organization’s main products and services?

What are the delivery mechanisms used to provide your products and services to your CUSTOMERS?

(2)      What is your organizational culture?

What are your stated PURPOSE, VISION, MISSION, and VALUES?

(3)      What is your EMPLOYEE profile?

What are your categories and types of EMPLOYEES?

What are their educational LEVELS?

What are your organization’s workforce and job DIVERSITY, organized bargaining units, use of contract EMPLOYEES, and special health and safety requirements?

(4)      What are your major technologies, equipment, and facilities?

(5)      What is the regulatory environment under which your organization operates?

What are the applicable occupational health and safety regulations; accreditation, certification, or registration requirements; relevant industry standards; and environmental, financial, and product regulations?

 P.1b. Organizational Relationships

(1)      What are your organizational structure and GOVERNANCE SYSTEM?

What are the reporting relationships among your GOVERNANCE board, SENIOR LEADERS, and parent organization, as appropriate?

(2)      What are your KEY CUSTOMER and STAKEHOLDER groups and market SEGMENTS, as appropriate?

What are their KEY requirements and expectations for your products, services, and operations?

What are the differences in these requirements and expectations among CUSTOMER and STAKEHOLDER groups and market SEGMENTS?

(3)      What role do suppliers, PARTNERS, and distributors play in your VALUE CREATION and key support PROCESSES?

What role, if any, do they play in your organizational INNOVATION PROCESSES?

What are your most IMPORTANT types of suppliers, PARTNERS, and distributors?

What are your most IMPORTANT supply chain requirements?

(4)      What are your key supplier and CUSTOMER PARTNERING relationships and communication mechanisms?

Notes:

N1. Product and service delivery mechanisms to your CUSTOMERS (P.1a[1]) might be direct or through dealers, distributors, collaborators, or channel PARTNERS.

N2. Market SEGMENTS (P.1b[2]) might be based on product or service lines or features, geography, distribution channels, business volume, or other factors that are IMPORTANT to your organization to define related market characteristics.

N3. CUSTOMER and STAKEHOLDER group and market SEGMENT requirements (P.1b[2]) might include on-time delivery, low defect LEVELS, ongoing price reductions, electronic communication, rapid response, and after-sales service. For nonprofit organizations, requirements also might include administrative cost reductions, at-home services, rapid response to emergencies, and multilingual services.

N4. Communication mechanisms (P.1b[4]) should be two-way and might be in person, via regular mail or e-mail, Web-based, or by telephone. For many organizations, these mechanisms may change as marketplace, CUSTOMER, or STAKEHOLDER requirements change.

N5. While some nonprofit organizations offer products and services (P.1a[1]), many might appropriately interpret this phrase as programs or projects and services.

N6. CUSTOMERS (P.1a[1]) are the users and potential users of your products, programs, and services. In some nonprofit organizations, CUSTOMERS might include members, taxpayers, citizens, recipients, clients, and beneficiaries. Market SEGMENTS might be referred to as constituencies.

N7. Many nonprofit organizations rely heavily on volunteers to supplement the work of their EMPLOYEES. These organizations should interpret EMPLOYEES (P.1a[3]) to mean EMPLOYEES and volunteers.

N8. For nonprofit organizations, relevant industry standards (P.1a[5]) might include "industry-wide" codes of conduct and policy guidance.

N9. For some nonprofit organizations, GOVERNANCE and reporting relationships (P.1b[1]) might include relationships with major agency or foundation funding services.

N10 For some nonprofit organizations, key suppliers and distributors (P.1b[3,4]) might include collaborators and collaborating organizations.

For additional description, see P.1 Organizational Description.

For definitions of Key Terms presented throughout the Criteria and Scoring Guidelines, see the Glossary of Key Terms.

Frequently, several questions are grouped under one number (e.g., P.1a[1]). These questions are related and do not require separate responses. These multiple questions serve as a guide in understanding the full meaning of the information being requested.

Item notes serve three purposes: (1) to clarify terms or requirements presented in an Item, (2) to give instructions on responding to the Item Requirements, and (3) to indicate KEY LINKAGES to other Items. In all cases, the intent is to help you respond to the Item Requirements.