U.S. Department of Justice

National Institute of Corrections
U.S. Department of Justice

National Institute of Corrections

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

Morris L. Thigpen

Director

Thomas J. Beauclair

Deputy Director

Sherry Carroll

Project Manager

National Institute of Corrections

www.nicic.gov
Bradford Bogue

Nancy Cebula

People in Charge LLC

NIC Accession No. 025301

August 2012
This manual was developed under cooperative agreement award 11AD01GKF8 from the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. 

Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the 

official opinion or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Institute of Corrections reserves the right to reproduce, publish, translate, or otherwise use and to authorize 

others to publish and use all or any part of the copyrighted material contained in this publication.

Suggested Citation: Bogue, Bradford, and Nancy Cebula. 2012. Applying the APEX Assessment Tools for Organizational Assessment. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections.
Contents • iii

Foreword................................................................................................................................................... vii

Preface........................................................................................................................................................ix

Acknowledgments.....................................................................................................................................xi

Introduction to Achieving Performance Excellence.............................................................................xv

APEX Guidebook Series Overview ...................................................................................................................................xv

APEX: Building the Model and Beginning the Journey ............................................................................................xv

Culture and Change Management: Using the APEX Model To Facilitate Organizational Change.................xv

Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens............................................................................................xvi

Achieving Performance Excellence: The Influence of Leadership on Organizational Performance.............xvi

Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment.....................................................................................xvi

APEX Resources Directory Volumes 1 and 2..........................................................................................................xvi

How To Use APEX................................................................................................................................................................xvii

Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................................................................1

APEX Assessment Tools Protocol Overview.....................................................................................................................3

Evidence-Based Practices and the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol ..........................................................................3

Doing Corrections Right ........................................................................................................................................................4

Why Self-Assess........................................................................................................................................................................4

A Few Words on Organizational Readiness.......................................................................................................................4

Summary.....................................................................................................................................................................................5

References..................................................................................................................................................................................5

Chapter 2: How To Use the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol..............................................................7

How the Tools Fit with the APEX Change Management Model ....................................................................................7

The Process............................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Chapter 3: APEX Screener......................................................................................................................13

Screener Report.................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Organizational Readiness............................................................................................................................................. 14

Strategy and Engagement............................................................................................................................................. 15

Organizational Preparedness....................................................................................................................................... 16

Using the Screener Report.......................................................................................................................................... 16

Next Steps.............................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Summary.................................................................................................................................................................................. 18

References............................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Contents
iv • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile...............................................................................................19

How To Use the Organizational Profile............................................................................................................................ 19

APEX Organizational Profile Content.............................................................................................................................. 19

How To Build an Organizational Profile ........................................................................................................................... 21

Reviewing and Analyzing the Organizational Profile Responses................................................................................. 22

Examining the Organizational Profile Topics ................................................................................................................... 22

Internal Environment and Stakeholders.................................................................................................................... 22

External Environment and Stakeholders................................................................................................................... 23

Where To Go from Here..................................................................................................................................................... 25

Summary.................................................................................................................................................................................. 25

References............................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Chapter 5: APEX Inventory....................................................................................................................27

How To Use the APEX Inventory ...................................................................................................................................... 28

Inventory Report................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Organizational Performance Domain Assessment ................................................................................................. 29

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument..................................................................................................... 31

Engagement and Strategy Assessment....................................................................................................................... 34

Organizational Activity Indicators.............................................................................................................................. 35

Next Steps: Using the APEX Inventory To Build an Implementation Plan ................................................................ 36

Summary.................................................................................................................................................................................. 37

References............................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Book Summary ........................................................................................................................................39

Bibliography ..............................................................................................................................................41

Afterword..................................................................................................................................................43

Exhibits

Exhibit 1: APEX Public Safety Model....................................................................................................................................2

Exhibit 2: APEX Change Management Model ....................................................................................................................8

Exhibit 3: APEX Change Management Process Map.........................................................................................................9

Exhibit 4: Responses Compared to Same-Sector Average Responses...................................................................... 14

Exhibit 5: Chart B — Strategy and Engagement............................................................................................................. 15

Exhibit 6: Organizational Preparedness............................................................................................................................ 16

Exhibit 7: Organizational Performance Domain Subscales........................................................................................... 29

Exhibit 8: Organizational Performance Domain Assessment Example...................................................................... 30

Exhibit 9: Competing Values Framework.......................................................................................................................... 31

Exhibit 10: Competing Values Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 32

Exhibit 11: Cultural Preferences......................................................................................................................................... 33
Contents • v

Exhibit 12: Engagement and Strategy Assessment Example......................................................................................... 34

Exhibit 13: Organizational Activity Indicators Example................................................................................................. 36

Appendixes

Appendix A: APEX Screener............................................................................................................................................... 45

Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile ....................................................................................................................... 49

Appendix C: APEX Inventory and Reports .................................................................................................................... 75

Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains ..................................................................................... 91

Foreword • vii

Foreword

Assessments are an important part of correctional work. Assessing the security requirements and performance 

of facilities is a critical piece of a correctional agency’s responsibilities. The assessment of organizational 

performance is an important component of higher performing correctional organizations. Previously, not 

many assessment tools looked at issues that specifically affect those who work in the field of corrections.

This book in the APEX (Achieving Performance Excellence) Guidebook series presents three organizational assessment tools developed specifically for the field of corrections. The APEX assessment tools are designed to look 

at an agency’s readiness to take on a change process, understand the importance of safety and security to correctional operations, measure performance on the APEX Public Safety Model’s eight domains, and provide guidance 

for developing a performance improvement plan. 

The National Institute of Corrections encourages correctional agencies to explore and adopt the use of assessments for the supervised population, staff, and leadership, as well as at the organizational level. We hope that the 

APEX Initiative, with its Assessment Tools Protocol, Guidebook series, and Change Agent Training, assists agencies as they strive for excellence in organizational performance. 

Morris Thigpen

Director

National Institute of Corrections

Preface • ix

Preface

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and People in Charge are pleased to present the Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX) Guidebook series. The APEX Initiative began as NIC’s Higher Performing Correctional Organization (HPCO) project in 2008. The HPCO project involved many correctional practitioners 

helping to identify the characteristics of a higher performing correctional organization. Practitioners and subject 

matter experts created a definition and a model of an HPCO based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence 

Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program 

provides global leadership in the promotion and dissemination of standards of performance excellence. NIC is 

excited to bring this to correctional organizations around the country.

As HPCO progressed, it was renamed APEX and now includes three major developments: the APEX Assessment 

Tools Protocol, the APEX Public Safety Model and Guidebook series, and the APEX Change Agent Training.

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol was developed during the years 2009–2011 to help correctional agencies 

identify their current organizational performance and areas to improve. Many correctional practitioners and agencies participated in the development, testing, and refinement of the tools in the protocol.

The APEX Guidebook evolved from one guidebook with information on the APEX model, its domains, and organizational change into a series of books. The Guidebook series is designed to provide resources, information, and processes to correctional organizations as they travel the path of organizational change leading to higher performance.

The APEX Change Agent Training will provide correctional agencies with capacity-building training and technical assistance in the APEX systems approach to organizational performance improvement.

Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment is the fifth book in the series. It presents a description of 

the three APEX Assessment Tools: the APEX Screener, the APEX Organizational Profile, and the APEX Inventory. These corrections-specific and user-friendly tools are an integral part of the APEX Change Management 

Model. Agencies select the tool or tools they want to use, maintain control of their own results, and use the results 

to create customized performance improvement plans.

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Nancy Cebula Theresa Lantz

People in Charge LLC People in Charge LLC

Owner and Principal Consultant Criminal Justice Consultant
x • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

PEOPLE IN CHARGE

People in Charge is a small, woman-owned business that works with organizations and communities in 

the public and private sectors, helping them maximize their effectiveness through the participation of 

their people. Our focus is to help groups of people work together to build strong and vibrant organizations through participative planning, organizational design, and learning. You can learn more about 

People in Charge by visiting our website at www.peopleincharge.org.
Acknowledgments • xi

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this book: 

Contributors

Steve Colby, Consultant, Justice System Assessment & Training

Theresa Lantz, Criminal Justice Consultant, People in Charge

Anjali Nandi, Consultant, Justice System Assessment & Training

Tom O’Connor, Consultant, Justice System Assessment & Training

Anita Paredes, Consultant, Justice System Assessment & Training

Elizabeth Ritter, Consultant, People in Charge

Molly Tayer, Consultant, Justice System Assessment & Training

Reviewers 

Sherry Carroll

Correctional Program Specialist

National Institute of Corrections

Elizabeth Craig

Manager 

National Institute of 

Corrections Information Center

Harry Hertz

Director 

Baldrige Performance Excellence 

Program

Jeffrey Lucas

Deputy Director 

Baldrige Performance Excellence 

Program

APEX Assessment Tools Protocol Beta-Test Participants

The people of:

Ada County (ID) Sheriff’s Office

Adult Client Services (HI)

Adult Services, San Luis Obispo 

County (CA) Probation Department 

Alaska Department of Corrections 

(DOC)

Allegan County (MI) Sheriff’s 

Office

Allegheny County (PA) Jail 

American Probation and Parole 

Association (KY)

Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s 

Office

Arizona DOC

Arkansas DOC

Barnwell County (SC) Detention 

Center

Bell County (TX) Sheriff’s Office

Boulder County (CO) Sheriff’s 

Office
xii • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Broward County (FL) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Charleston County (SC) 

Detention Center 

Chief Probation Officers of 

California

Clackamas County (OR) 

Community Corrections 

Collier County (FL) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Colorado Judicial Department

Community Connection Resource 

Center (CA)

Connecticut DOC

Connecticut Judicial Branch

Connecticut Probation

Corrections Center of Northwest 

Ohio

Cumberland County (NC) 

Sheriff’s Office

Denver (CO) Adult Probation

Denver (CO) Center for 

Crime Victims

Denver County (CO) Public Safety 

Denver (CO) Division of 

Community Corrections

Douglas County (NE) DOC 

Douglas County (KS) Sheriff’s 

Office 

DuPage County (IL) Adult 

Probation 

Dutchess County (NY) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Eastern District of Missouri Federal 

Probation

Federal Bureau of Prisons (DC)

Finney County (KS) Sheriff’s 

Office

Ford County (KS) Sheriff’s Office

Forsyth County (GA) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Fortune Society (NY)

Georgia DOC

Grand Traverse County (MI) 

Sheriff’s Office

Hamilton County (OH) 

Sheriff’s Office

Hampden County (MA) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Hawaii Paroling Authority

Holmes County (MS) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Indiana DOC

Iowa DOC

Jacksonville (FL) Sheriff’s Office 

Kansas DOC

Kent County (MI) Correctional 

Facility 

Kentucky DOC

LaFourche Parish (LA) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Lake County (IN) Community 

Corrections 

Las Vegas (NV) Metro Police 

Department 

Lexington-Fayette (KY) Division 

of Community Corrections 

Los Prietos Boys Camp and 

Academy Programs (CA)

Louisiana DOC

Louisville (KY) Metro DOC

Maricopa County (AZ) Adult 

Probation

Marin County (CA) Probation 

Department 

Marion County (OR) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Maryland Division of Parole 

and Probation

Maryland DOC

Massachusetts DOC

Miami-Dade County (FL) 

Corrections & Rehabilitation 

Minnequa (CO) Community 

Corrections 

Minnesota DOC

Missouri DOC

Monroe County (NY) 

Sheriff’s Office 

Montgomery County (MD) Adult 

Probation

Montgomery County (MD) DOC 
Acknowledgments • xiii

National Correctional Industries 

Association (MD)

Navajo Nation (AZ) DOC 

New York City Justice Corps

New York City Probation

New York DOC

North Carolina Correctional 

Industries

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation 

& Corrections

Ohio Parole

Oklahoma DOC

Orange County (CA) Corrections 

Department

Oregon DOC

Pennsylvania Board of Probation 

and Parole

Pennsylvania DOC

Peoria County (IL) Sheriff’s Office

Pinal County (AZ) Sheriff’s Office 

Portage County (WI) Justice 

Programs Department 

Ramsey County (MN) Probation 

Rhode Island DOC

Riker’s Island Correctional 

Facility (NY)

Riverside Regional Jail (VA)

Safer Foundation (IL)

San Diego County (CA) Sheriff’s 

Office 

San Juan (PR) Pretrial Services 

San Luis Obispo County (CA) 

Probation Department 

Santa Barbara County (CA) 

Probation 

Sonoma County (CA) Sheriff’s 

Office 

South Carolina DOC

South Dakota Board of Pardons 

and Paroles

Stearns County (MN) Community 

Corrections 

Story County (IA) Sheriff’s Office 

Strafford County (NH)

Tennessee DOC

Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative 

in Correction

Thurston County (WA) Sheriff’s 

Office

Tohono O’Odham Nation (AZ) 

Police Department

Tulsa County (OK) Sheriff’s Office 

Two Bridges (ME) Regional Jail

University of Connecticut Health 

Center

Virginia Correctional Enterprise

Virginia DOC

Washington State DOC

Washoe County (NV) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Weber County (UT) Sheriff’s 

Office 

Westchester County (NY) 

Probation Department

Wyoming DOC

Yuma County (AZ) Probation

And others at People in Charge who contributed:

Carlene Krogh

Editor

People in Charge

Pam McKinnie

Owner

Concepts Unlimited 

Introduction to Achieving Performance Excellence • xv

Introduction to Achieving 

Performance Excellence 

The APEX: Achieving Performance Excellence Initiative introduces a systems approach to change, specifically 

for correctional organizations, and incorporates multiple tools and strategies to assist agencies in building sustainable capacity for higher performance. The APEX Initiative includes the APEX Public Safety Model and 

its components, the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol, the APEX Guidebook series, and the APEX Change Agent 

Training. This initiative informs data-driven decisionmaking, enhances organizational change efforts, and provides 

support and resources to correctional agencies. At the heart of APEX is the fundamental mission of correctional 

organizations to maintain public safety, ensure safe and secure correctional supervision of offenders, and maintain 

safe and secure settings for those who work in the field. This comprehensive systems approach to continuous performance improvement encourages innovative ideas to enhance organizational operations, services, and processes 

and to achieve desired results. 

APEX Guidebook Series Overview

The APEX Guidebook series presents a breadth and depth of information on the APEX Initiative, the APEX domains, and interventions and resources for correctional agencies to use as they implement organization improvement efforts. The series includes seven books, descriptions of which follow. 

APEX: Building the Model and Beginning the Journey

This book gives a detailed description of the National Institute of Corrections’ (NIC’s) APEX Initiative, including 

the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol. The book presents reasons to self-assess and discusses change management 

and the benefits that correctional agencies can reap when they implement the APEX process. 

Each of the APEX domains has a brief chapter devoted to defining it and the benefits of exploring the domain. 

“Overview to Achieving Performance Excellence” explains the various ways the APEX Initiative can be used 

in correctional agencies. “Developing a Communications Plan” describes in detail how agencies can inform 

stakeholders about their performance improvement journey, from the beginning through implementation and 

sustainability.

Culture and Change Management: Using the APEX Model To Facilitate 

Organizational Change

This book focuses in depth on organizational culture and change management in the correctional organization 

context, presenting a roadmap for correctional agencies to use as they begin a change initiative, whether it is a 

systemic change or a one-issue/intervention change. 
xvi • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens

This book presents details on several of the APEX domains: Operations Focus (which includes Safe and Secure 

Supervision and Settings and Process Management); Stakeholder Focus; Strategic Planning; Workforce Focus; 

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; and Results.

Achieving Performance Excellence: The Influence of Leadership 

on Organizational Performance

This book focuses on what individual leaders need to know and do as they develop their best leadership 

capabilities—the knowledge and practices necessary to lead people, organizations, and those outside the organization, including stakeholders, governing agencies, and the public, and gives the reader an opportunity to understand 

transactional and transformational leadership. Case studies from correctional agencies illustrate the concepts and 

provide realistic examples.

Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol includes three assessments that are corrections focused and user friendly. 

This self-assessment protocol includes the APEX Screener Tool (a short survey designed as a first step to assess 

readiness for change), the APEX Organizational Profile (a series of questions that help identify data, knowledge, 

and performance gaps in the organization), and the APEX Inventory (an indepth survey that rates performance in 

domains as well as readiness to change). 

APEX Resources Directory Volumes 1 and 2

These volumes present numerous interventions and resources that agencies can use to help them build and implement their APEX change plans, deal with challenges and adjustments along the way, and sustain the changes. 

Volume 1 includes an introduction on how to use the NIC Information Center and sections on change management and each of the APEX domains and is designed to work with the reports from the APEX Assessment Tools. 

Volume 2 contains information on communication during times of change, focus groups, and team development; it 

also includes the NIC Information Center introduction.

USING THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Fifteen staff and managers participated in the 

Organizational Profile to get a better idea of how 

their probation agency is dealing with its stakeholders and political environment. They learned 

that, although they are doing a pretty good job 

of dealing with their judicial overseers, there is a 

lack of trust and collaboration with other service 

providers in their jurisdiction. They downloaded 

several APEX books from the NIC website, 

including Understanding Corrections through the 

APEX Lens and the APEX Resources Directory 

Volume 1. They reviewed the sections on stakeholders to get ideas for increasing communication, 

building relationships, and improving collaborative 

initiatives with other agencies and external stakeholders as well as improving relationships with 

clients and their families. 
Introduction to Achieving Performance Excellence • xvii

The Guidebook series may be used in its entirety or in parts to suit the needs of agency personnel. The books in 

this series provide information, strategies, and tools to address the performance issues of correctional agencies. 

Use of the assessment tools is optional. Agency staff who know which topic they want to work on may go directly 

to the APEX Resources Directory or another book in the series for guidance. 

How To Use APEX

The APEX Assessment Tools are designed for agencies to assess their organizational performance. The tools—

Screener, Organizational Profile, and Inventory—were designed specifically for use in correctional agencies and 

are discussed in detail in Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment.

As an agency begins a change process, it can choose to use one or more of the APEX Assessment Tools, and it can 

cut and paste certain Guidebook chapters or strategies to target performance improvement areas. Because APEX is 

an agency-driven initiative, users can navigate the APEX materials and the tools to create a customized implementation plan. APEX Resources Directory Volumes 1 and 2 provide access to other materials, tools, publications, and 

websites to tailor a specific performance improvement strategy. 

Chapter 1: Introduction • 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Many assessment tools exist to measure organizational performance. Correctional leaders often search in 

vain for tools to measure their organization’s performance. Few tools are geared for correctional agencies. 

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) recognized how useful corrections-specific assessment tools 

would be to the field. In 2008, a cooperative agreement was awarded to Justice System Assessment & Training to 

develop an organizational performance assessment tool specific to the field of corrections. This set of tools is one 

of three components in NIC’s APEX Initiative, which includes (1) the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol, (2) the 

APEX Public Safety Model and Guidebook series, and (3) the APEX Change Agent Training. 

The APEX Screener, Organizational Profile, and Inventory were created under this award. All three are designed 

so agencies can self-assess their organizational culture, performance, and readiness for change.

■ The APEX Screener is a brief self-administered survey that looks at organizational readiness for change. 

This Excel-based survey can be filled out by agency management and staff. It includes 24 items that help 

focus a discussion on organizational preparedness, readiness for change, and performance in the APEX 

domains.

■ The APEX Organizational Profile looks at the organization’s operations, environment, relationships, and 

situation. This series of questions provides a vehicle for review, analysis, and targeted discussion. As the 

agency’s leaders and staff respond to the questions, they learn about the organization and identify gaps in 

data, knowledge, and performance measures.

■ The APEX Inventory is a more comprehensive assessment of the eight APEX domains and evaluates the 

organization’s readiness for change more thoroughly than the Screener. The questions are designed to enable the executive team and other designated participants to have focused discussions on how the agency is 

performing in the eight APEX domains, and how ready it is to begin a change process. The questions also 

provide enough information for an agency to create a systemic performance improvement implementation 

plan. This is also a tool for self-assessment.

BALDRIGE PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is a national public-private partnership dedicated to educating 

organizations in performance improvement. Its focuses are:

■ Helping organizations achieve best-in-class levels of performance. 

■ Identifying and recognizing role-model organizations. 

■ Identifying and sharing best management practices, principles, and strategies.

For more information, visit www.nist.gov/baldrige.
2 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Organizational Culture

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management

Workforce

Focus

Operations

Focus

Stakeholder

Focus

Strategic

Planning

Leadership Results

Note: The vertical, two-headed arrow pointing from the measurement, analysis, and knowledge management domain to the rest of the domains 

illustrates its foundational nature. The other two-headed arrows indicate the importance of feedback—a critical component of a higher performing 

correctional agency.

Exhibit 1: APEX Public Safety Model

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol is designed for correctional managers who are looking for assistance and 

guidance as they move their organization’s performance forward. It provides a comprehensive and systems-based 

picture of how the organization operates in the eight domains and informs the development of a plan to improve 

performance. The tools and the APEX Public Safety Model (see exhibit 1) are based on the Baldrige National 

Quality Program Criteria for Performance Excellence. A section on corrections-specific organizational readiness 

is included. 

This tailored system enables correctional agencies to assess their performance, identify areas in need of improvement, and measure their current and desired performance with a set of empirical reference points. The guidance 

provided in the APEX Assessment Tools allows for the creation of a robust and real profile of how a correctional 

agency is currently performing. Armed with this level of understanding, leaders can identify areas for improvement and use the APEX Guidebook series to frame and strategize action steps to achieve higher performance.

The tools in the assessment protocol fall along a continuum from subjective or anecdotal information to objective 

assessment data. Many correctional organizations begin change efforts with modest interest, commitment, and 

acumen for organizational self-assessment. However, as they engage, practice, and refine their internal controls 

and techniques for more deeply assessing their operational concerns, they experience a paradigm shift that results 

in a new outlook and appreciation for assessment evidence; as a result, they become continuously improving, 

learning organizations. This change in perspective is often accompanied by an eager interest in more rigorous assessments of their core services and organizational relationships, as well as how to achieve agency mission, vision, 

values, and goals. The organization finds that it is on a new path. This new path requires continuously striking a 
Chapter 1: Introduction • 3

balance between operational performance measures that are relevant to staff and stakeholders and a certain level 

of rigor (methods and statistics) as their interest in and capacity for measuring, analyzing, and managing their 

performance information increases. 

The assessment process described here has many pieces and levels, with a variety of different “on-ramps” for accessing and applying these tools. Because this is not a one-size-fits-all package, leaders can adapt an approach to 

using the tools that has the best fit for their situation. Some may turn to the APEX tools because they are overwhelmed with options for developing their organizations or because they want corrections-specific tools. Others 

might have already agreed upon an area to change or improve and they are seeking more specific information to 

guide their organizational development plans in that area. Some management teams may be contemplating largescale change initiatives and want to start slowly. The following overview will provide insights into the best place 

for an organization to start. 

APEX Assessment Tools Protocol Overview 

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol has three components. Each component builds on the previous assessment 

components. The assessment is organized this way for two reasons. First, this is an entirely voluntary process and 

initial barriers to using the tool are minimized to allow any correctional agency to participate, regardless of the 

sector it is in or its level of management sophistication. The tools were designed to be used in a stepwise fashion 

that should serve most agencies; they build incrementally in degrees of time, effort, and commitment required. 

They are also designed so that agencies are free to choose the tools they need to use, and to use them in the order 

that meets their needs. 

The three components are listed below in the recommended order of use, moving from easier to more challenging 

assessment functions: 

1. APEX Screener.

2. APEX Organizational Profile.

3. APEX Inventory.

The tools are modeled on the APEX Public Safety Model and the Baldrige National Quality Program Criteria for 

Performance Excellence (Baldrige 2011). The public safety model domains (see exhibit 1) provide correctional 

organizations with a durable framework for guiding, planning, and assessing their performance and results in challenging and rapidly changing times. By adapting the Baldrige framework, the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol 

provides a viable alternative for correctional entities that are seeking a proven framework for achieving higher 

performance and sustainable results. 

Evidence-Based Practices and the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol 

One of the aims of the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol is to bring leaders together to discuss their awareness 

of priorities and motivation for change. The evolution in human services and in corrections, due to the increased 

interest in and adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs), is well known. These assessment tools are designed 

to move correctional leaders, staff, and stakeholders from personal and anecdotal observations such as “We think 

this is how it works” to a factual understanding of their organizational performance such as “We saw a 10-percent 
4 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

reduction in hot urine analyses within 1 month of the new tracking system.” Many agencies go through this process when they adopt EBPs with careful followup. 

Proceeding through the APEX Screener, Organizational Profile, and Inventory allows agencies to move from more 

subjective thinking about their organization to objective discoveries through data gathering and group discussions 

about their agency’s environment and operations.

Doing Corrections Right 

One key piece of readiness for change is the ability of correctional organizations to provide a safe and secure 

environment for staff and the supervised or incarcerated population. If there are any questions about this, agencies 

may want to explore a safety and security review or audit through NIC or one of the correctional professional associations, such as the American Jail Association, the American Correctional Association, or the American Probation and Parole Association. More information on audits, safety checklists, and assessments can be found in APEX 

Resources Directory Volume 1 in the “Operations: Safe and Secure Supervision and Settings” chapter.

Agencies should address any safety and security concerns and/or deficiencies before proceeding with large-scale 

organizational change or with the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol.

Why Self-Assess 

A number of factors could compel a correctional agency to self-assess its performance: 

■ The environment in which the agency exists is changing.

■ The organization wants to maintain service levels during challenging budget times.

■ Leadership wants to promote a climate of organizational learning.

■ Leadership wants to take a systemic look at how the organization operates and the decisionmaking processes.

■ The agency is interested in improving organizational performance.

■ The agency decides to use the APEX Change Management Model to move to higher performance.

A Few Words on Organizational Readiness 

Readiness for change is one of the factors that contribute to how effectively a change effort is implemented. This 

term is often defined as the beliefs, intentions, and attitudes of the people in the organization regarding how much 

the change is needed and whether the organization has the capacity to make and sustain the change (Amenakis, 

Harris, and Mossholder 1993). Anyone who has participated in a change effort understands the importance of this 

concept. If people understand why the change is needed, how it will affect their work, what the benefits will be, 

and that leadership is prepared to support the change effort with the required resources, they will be willing to 

engage in the change process.
Chapter 1: Introduction • 5

Motivation for change is another way to describe the combination of individuals’ perceptions of the reasons for 

change and the pressure they feel to make the changes, from both external stakeholders as well as from their 

peers. Motivational readiness can increase the success of a change effort, especially when the change leader is 

able to demonstrate his/her openness and motivation for change. This can increase the likelihood of success, even 

when the organizational climate is not as welcoming of innovation and change. Climate for change deals with how 

clear the organization’s mission and goals are, how much staff cohesion exists, how well the organization’s communications work, and how open the organization is to change. An enthusiastic and motivated change leader can 

engage staff in reshaping goals and enhance their openness to change (Lehman, Greener, and Simpson 2002).

Summary 

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol is designed to accompany and complement the APEX Guidebook series; it 

is a compendium of resources and information for correctional practitioners interested in embarking on the APEX 

journey to performance improvement and organizational change. The APEX Guidebook series incorporates a wide 

variety of materials on change initiatives, techniques, and tools that can be readily accessed throughout the assessment process.

The following chapters present detailed information on the APEX Screener, Organizational Profile, and Inventory, 

as well as how to use the tool results to develop a plan for organizational improvement.

References

Amenakis, A.A., S.G. Harris, and K.W. Mossholder. 1993. “Creating Readiness for Organizational Change.” 

Human Relations 46(June):681–703. 

Baldrige National Quality Program. 2011. Criteria for Performance Excellence. Gaithersburg, MD: National 

Institute of Standards and Technology.

Lehman, W., J. Greener, and D. Simpson. 2002. “Assessing Organizational Readiness for Change.” Journal of 

Substance Abuse Treatment 22:197–209.

Chapter 2: How To Use the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol • 7

Chapter 2: How To Use the APEX 

Assessment Tools Protocol

The most important thing about assessment is that it promotes dialogue. 

—Mary Senter

The three APEX assessment tools, Screener, Organizational Profile, and Inventory, were designed for correctional agencies to use in a variety of ways, either as part of adopting the APEX Initiative and its corresponding process for change management or as stand-alone tools for measuring organizational performance. These 

tools can be used once to see where the agency is at a given moment in time, or at intervals to measure progress as 

agencies move to higher performance.

The Screener and Inventory present organizations with the opportunity for discussion of the APEX domains 

(Leadership; Organizational Culture; Operations Focus; Stakeholder Focus; Workforce Focus; Strategic Planning; 

Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; and Results). These tools result in reports that show how 

users rate the agency on the domains and on readiness for change. The Organizational Profile asks an agency to 

look at mission, vision, values, goals, and other internal artifacts, as well as the environment in which it operates. 

Leadership teams and others can use the results to identify areas that are performing well and those that need improvement. The tools may point out that some information was easy to find and some was more difficult to find. Some users 

will be able to have open and candid discussions about how accurately people answered the questions—were they 

answering honestly or ranking the agency higher because they wanted the reports to have good results? They may 

discuss how easily people were able to answer the questions—was the information well known or did some responders 

have to make up answers or use their best guesses? Dialogue about assessment is critical and may uncover more information about the organization, the climate, and the culture than looking at the reports only. 

How the Tools Fit with the APEX Change Management Model 

The APEX Change Management Model (see exhibit 2) provides agencies with a systems approach to change. The 

model was developed after a review of the current literature and best practices for organizational change in the 

correctional field, as well as other fields. It is designed to lead agencies through a carefully thought-out process 

for improving performance, enhancing operations, and undertaking large-scale cultural change, as well as single 

intervention changes.
8 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Plan and Assess

Dene the Goal

Organize for Results

Plan the Implementation Strategy

Implement the Change Management Plan

Sustain the Change Effort

Stage

1

Stage

2

Stage

3

Stage

4

Stage

5

Stage

6

Exhibit 2: APEX Change Management Model

The first stage in the model, Plan and Assess, asks agencies to review their operating environment, the issues that 

are leading them to consider change, and how ready the agency is to take on a change effort. Assessment is an 

integral part of this stage and refers to both quantitative and qualitative data gathering, review, and analysis, which 

will lead to a more complete picture of the agency than only using one or the other.

Exhibit 3 shows in more detail where these assessment tools fit in the APEX Change Management Model.
Chapter 2: How To Use the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol • 9

State of continuous

improvement

Need for

change identied

Plan and assess

Dene primary 

change effort

Informal 

readiness scan

• Consider policies

• Review operating

practices

• Review external

sources for support

and derailment

potential

Examine other

qualitative

inventories and

assessment sources

• Strategic plans

• Goals

• Measures

• Outcomes

• Audits

• Surveys

• Focus group results

• Other important

sources

Complete and

review assessment

results using any 

or all of the

following

instruments:

APEX Screener

APEX Inventory

APEX

Organizational

Profile

Good chance

of success?

Final readiness

determination

• Leadership 

commitment

• External support

• Agency capacity

All 3 (above)

indicate 

readiness?

Dene the goal

Organize

for results

Appoint

Change Leader,

Intervention/

Change Team,

Steering Committee

Engage/charge the team

with deliverables

• Identify stakeholders

• Develop strategic

approach

• Communication

strategy

• Internal/external

messages

Plan

implementation

strategy

Begin change

management

plan

implementation

Communications

plan

The objectives

The messages

The plan

The objectives

Articulate rationale,

benefit, and goal

Identify stakeholders

Identify

communications

objectives

The message

Create message

for each

stakeholder group

The plan

Deliver and

reinforce messages

Encourage 2-way

communications

and feedback

with stakeholders

Assess outcomes

of communications

plan

Begin sustaining 

the change effort

Continuously adapt

as necessary

Integrate

change into

cultural norms

Integrate change

into standard

operating

procedures

Practice

reinforcements

to encourage

desired behavior

Attention to safe

and secure facility

while encouraging

risk taking

Continuous

communication

focus

Continuous

stakeholder

focus

Contingency

planning

for problems 

and setbacks

Routine evaluation

and followup

Analyze performance

measures and results

Stage

1

Stage

4

Stage

5

(No)

(No)

(Yes)

(Yes)

Stage

2

Stage

3

Stage

6

Exhibit 3: APEX Change Management Process Map
10 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

NOTES ON THE APEX CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS MAP 

The first symbol represents the fact that a correctional agency operates on the edge of stage 1, at the beginning of a change effort or near the end of one, signifying that the agency is continuously improving. 

Stage 1: Plan and Assess

A need for change is identified and stage 1 begins. 

The change effort sets the course for the project management efforts to follow. It is important to understand what needs to change, why it is necessary, and what the change will impact. 

An informal readiness scan relies on several sources that are usually on hand to help assess the landscape 

of roadblocks and supports that inform strategy. 

Assessment results sharpen the organizational readiness picture. The APEX Screener, Inventory, and Organizational Profile provide a realistic assessment of the correctional facility’s health and organizational readiness (fifth symbol and cluster of three below it).

Other qualitative instruments sharpen readiness assessment and guide strategic direction. Possible sources 

are not limited to those suggested here. 

This diamond represents the first go/no-go decision point. A negative answer leads to aborting the launch 

to avoid disruption and, perhaps, another readiness check and examination of the issues that derailed the 

launch. A positive response encourages moving forward. 

This critical readiness determination looks at three factors: (1) commitment, including the key stakeholders 

in the entire senior team, (2) external support from stakeholders who could aid or derail the effort, and 

(3) agency capacity to complete the change initiative while maintaining a safe and secure facility.

The last stage 1 event is a decision on a final “Launch?” question. 

Stage 2: Define the Goal 

“Describe and Clarify the Goal” is informed by the work completed in stage 1. This exercise clarifies the 

change direction and finalizes the goal statement. 

Stage 3: Organize for Results

Appoint/assign the Change Leader to manage the project on behalf of the senior official. 

Identify members of the Intervention/Change Team and ensure that they have the vision, resources, and 

time necessary to get the job done. 

Identify the Steering Committee and ensure that they share the vision for the end state of the change and 

are prepared to give the project their full support. 
Chapter 2: How To Use the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol • 11

NOTES ON THE APEX CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS MAP (continued) 

Engage the Change Team and Intervention Team with work assignments and organize teams, committees, 

etc. 

The next box represents documents that the Change Team should produce, including the formal identification of stakeholders; a strategic approach; a communication strategy; and messages to be delivered internally and externally that are designed to create awareness of the change and desire to support it, taking the 

special needs of each stakeholder into account.

Stage 4: Build the Detailed Implementation Plan

The project management plan that formalizes work completed at the end of stage 3 is an outline of the 

Implementation Plan that provides enough detail to manage the change effort through implementation. 

Stage 5: Implement the Change Management Plan

This begins the work of implementing the plan.

The communications plan includes developing the objectives, message, and plan. 

The objectives include:

• Articulating the rationale, benefits, and goals of the change initiative for the organization.

• Identifying all internal and external stakeholders who can influence the organization’s success and their 

level of support for the change initiative.

• Identifying the communications objectives for each stakeholder group. 

The messages include:

• Formulating the message content to address the communication objectives for each stakeholder group. 

The plan includes:

• Delivering and reinforcing the message.

• Encouraging two-way communication with stakeholders, including feedback processes.

• Assessing the outcomes of the communications plan.

Stage 6: Sustain the Change

Sustaining the change effort involves a number of subtasks, all of which are important, occur simultaneously, 

and contribute to the end state of continuous improvement by adapting practices as necessary. 

Continuous adaptation to improve organizational performance, the end state of the change process, directs 

the path back to stage 1.
12 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

The Process 

The first step for all of the APEX tools is to download a copy from the National Institute of Corrections Information Center (www.nicic.gov) and save it as the master copy for the agency. The next step is to save copies (with 

unique names) for the respondents. As more people decide to participate in the assessment tools, additional copies 

can be created. 

The leadership team, or those who have been designated to manage the assessment process, needs to identify:

■ Which tool the agency will start with.

■ How many individuals will participate in the assessment tool process.

■ Which individuals will participate.

■ How the results will be used and shared with the rest of the organization. 

Determining if a small representative group will participate or if everyone in the agency will participate is at the 

agency’s discretion. 

The Screener and Inventory are in Excel format; the Organizational Profile is a Word document. If many people 

are going to use the Screener and/or Inventory, it will be helpful to have someone who is familiar with Excel 

applications available to assist those who have questions and to create an overall report for the agency.

The following chapters offer indepth information on the three APEX assessment tools, their reports, and how to 

use each one. A copy of the tools can be found in the appendixes.

MORE ON THE MODEL 

The APEX Change Management Model is described in detail in the APEX Guidebook: Using APEX To Facilitate 

Organizational Change, which is available at www.nicic.gov/library.
Chapter 3: APEX Screener • 13

Chapter 3: APEX Screener

Correctional leaders from community-based agencies, jails, and prisons requested a concise way to obtain a 

picture of how their agencies were performing. The APEX Screener was created to provide a brief assessment of a correctional agency’s organizational readiness for change and performance on strategy and engagement. Sixty-five agencies from all sectors in the correctional field participated in the final test of the APEX 

Screener, with 106 total respondents. The Screener provides reports comparing the current user’s responses with 

those from the initial agencies in the same correctional sector. 

APEX SCREENER

Format: Excel application.

The questions: 4 descriptive, 14 Likert-scale statements (agree/disagree), 10 Yes/No. 

Approximate time to take: 15 minutes.

What the report shows: Organizational readiness and preparedness scores; the balance between strategy 

and engagement.

The APEX Screener is a brief self-administered survey for leaders, managers, and staff to express their sense of 

the organization’s readiness for change and performance in key areas. The items in the Screener were selected 

to help the agency leadership team, and designated others, discuss and focus on organizational preparedness and 

readiness. The tool is configured as an Excel application and will score itself automatically when completed. It 

contains 4 descriptive questions, 14 Likert-scale items on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree = 1, disagree = 2, 

undecided = 3, agree = 4, strongly agree = 5), and 10 Yes/No questions. The Screener produces a report that can 

be printed for future reference (a color printout is recommended for interpreting the charts) and used to stimulate 

and frame discussions about the organization. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Additional information on the following topics can be found in the APEX Guidebooks Culture and Change 

Management: Using APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change and Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens, 

which are available at www.nicic.gov/library.
14 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Screener Report 

The second page of the Screener contains the report, which shows chart A (the overall average score expressed 

as a measure of organizational readiness), chart B (a scatter plot depicting the individual’s combined scores for 

strategy—Strategic Planning, Measurement, and Operations Focus domain items and engagement—Stakeholder 

Focus, Measurement, and Workforce Focus items), and chart C (results of Yes/No questions, which show how 

prepared the organization is to proceed with change efforts to improve performance). 

Organizational Readiness 

Chart A (exhibit 4) shows the user’s responses to the Likert statements compared to the average responses from 

respondents in the same-sector organizations. This has been designed to show how ready the organization is, in 

the user’s opinion, to undertake organizational change and performance improvement. Readiness for change is 

defined as how equipped people and organizations are to (1) review how they do things and (2) take on change 

efforts, answering questions such as:

■ Openness and innovation—how much of this is experienced in this agency?

■ Experience with innovation—what innovation history exists in the agency and how might it affect this current 

effort?

■ New requirements—will the change effort mean that constraints on implementation can be dealt with?

■ Internal and external pressures—how might this affect people’s attitudes about the change effort?

■ Trust—what level exists in the agency? 

The answers to these questions are dependent on the leadership style and philosophy in the agency. Other things to 

review are the leadership commitment and support from external stakeholders for performance improvement and 

change.

Exhibit 4: Responses Compared to Same-Sector Average Responses
Chapter 3: APEX Screener • 15

Strategy and Engagement 

Chart B (exhibit 5) looks at strategy and engagement, two concepts that can directly influence the success of any 

change effort. In corrections, some agencies possess a higher level of strategic awareness; others are doing a better 

job at engagement. High-performing organizations develop high levels of both.

Strategy, in this context, is based on the level of awareness of critical organizational attributes such as welldeveloped mission and vision statements, goals that focus people’s efforts on achieving the mission and vision, 

and the ability to measure how well the agency accomplishes its goals. The ability to use a systems approach 

when planning is key so that action steps consider the impact of changes on the whole agency. Strategy includes 

the capacity an agency has for developing strategic plans and implementing them. 

Exhibit 5: Chart B — Strategy and Engagement

Engagement is based on the degree of the agency’s involvement with stakeholders, including workforce, suppliers, clients, supporters, other agencies, and their governance structure (e.g., county board, governor’s office, parole 

board), as well as the public and the media. Engagement includes both the sharing of information by the agency 

with stakeholders and creating avenues for stakeholders to give feedback to the agency. 
16 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Organizational Preparedness 

Chart C (exhibit 6) provides a measure of organizational preparedness. The level of preparedness for organizational change reflects how well prepared the agency’s executive team is to provide resources and leadership to the 

change effort. Are staffing levels sufficient to free people from their day-to-day work activities to participate in 

the change effort? Is there the capacity to develop and execute a communications plan to engage all stakeholders 

(internal and external)? How have unions and other staff groups participated in past strategic planning and change 

efforts? Is there the capacity to devote resources to a change effort? These questions and their answers can provide 

a sense of how prepared an agency is to take on a change effort. 

Exhibit 6: Organizational Preparedness

One important factor in considering preparedness for change in correctional agencies is knowledge that the 

agency is “doing corrections right”; that is, the basic elements of safe and secure supervision and settings are in 

place and functioning well. These include:

■ Management of public, client, and staff safety and security procedures. 

■ Management of individuals and populations under supervision.

■ Management of the control, operations, and security of correctional environments.

A review of the agency’s performance in these three areas will enable the leadership team to determine whether 

there are deficiencies to correct or gaps to fill. When the agency determines it is “doing corrections right,” then 

further change efforts can be undertaken.

Using the Screener Report 

Once a number of people have completed the Screener, begin discussions of their results. There are a variety of 

ways to do this. Some organizations have the leadership team complete the Screener and then discuss aspects of 

it at a special meeting or during their regularly scheduled meetings. Some have many people participate in the 

Screener and then hold several meetings to discuss the results, usually with a member of the leadership team or 

someone from the team who is overseeing the change effort (the Change Team). Others ask all staff to participate 

and then discuss the results in staff meetings, with representatives coming together to present the findings to the 

leadership and/or Change Team.
Chapter 3: APEX Screener • 17

One way to structure the discussions is to have those who completed the tool meet to walk through the 14 Likertscale items and share their respective scores and reasons for scoring. This helps the group identify a collective 

“sweet spot,” the place that best typifies the group’s score pattern. People can also discuss why they scored the 

items the way they did. These types of conversations lead to reflections on existing norms within the organization 

and how they might differ across the organization’s work groups. Group consensus and diversity on high- and 

low-scoring item areas can be noted and discussed productively.

These discussions can take place informally or in a more structured focus group setting. Focus groups generally 

last from 90 to 120 minutes. A moderator facilitates the discussions to elicit information from the participants. 

Participants encourage each other in an exchange of ideas about the Screener results. This type of structured conversation generates qualitative data and has the potential to produce insights that might not occur during informal 

discussions. More information about focus groups can be found in “Focus Groups, A Practical Guide” in the 

APEX Resources Directory Volume 2 (Billson et al. 2012).

Exhibit 5 shows the same data in a two-dimensional scatter plot. Using the midpoint of the diagonal arrow shaft, 

respondents can gauge whether their organization is biased toward one of the two dimensions: Strategy or Engagement. Any significant imbalance in the organization between strategy and engagement will have implications in 

terms of impediments to readiness for change. This discussion can encourage people to identify possible strategies 

to deal with these potential constraints to successful implementation of a performance improvement initiative.

Exhibit 6 provides the context to discuss the important question: Is there sufficient readiness to move forward with 

a change management process? Managers and Change Team members can use comparisons between the three 

Screener report charts from the group’s members to generate the group average score for organizational readiness, 

as well as an overall score for the agency. They can examine how these scores vary across the different groups 

who participated in the Screener discussions. The readiness scores can be compared and contrasted with the scores 

from their sector (e.g., jail, prison, parole, probation, community corrections) or the overall average. What do the 

group members make of these differences? Is there considerably more variance between their scores and other 

agencies than between their own scores on the Strategy and Engagement chart? There probably should be. 

The Screener is an opinion-based self-report and is therefore subjective; however, an objective reality (the perception of those taking the survey) is captured and reflected in the scores. How people see things influences their 

behavior whether or not their viewpoint is “true.” 

Next Steps 

It will be helpful to understand the dynamics of people’s participation in the report discussions. Were they engaged and open, or defensive about their answers? If the discussions seemed defensive, what may have caused it? 

Is there something that could ease the defensiveness? Did people feel there was enough time for their opinions to 

be heard? What needs to happen before moving to the next steps; e.g., take the Organizational Profile (discussed 

in the next chapter), take the APEX Inventory (discussed in chapter 5), proceed with the agency’s chosen change 

process, or address deficiencies before moving forward? 
18 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Summary 

The Screener is designed to provide a concise sense of the preparation and engagement of the leadership and 

workforce in an agency. The importance of the report in generating discussions cannot be overemphasized. The 

use of focus groups to generate more indepth discussion is encouraged. A variety of opinions about the organization’s readiness and preparedness for change can be discovered during these discussions. This discovery can 

inform the decisionmaking process regarding the agency’s next steps on its journey to performance excellence.

Appendix A contains a copy of the APEX Screener. 

References 

Billson, J., N. Cebula, T. Lantz, E. Ritter, and T. Ward. 2012. APEX Resources Directory Volume 2: Communications, Focus Groups, and Team Development. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections.
Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile • 19

Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile

The APEX Organizational Profile (OP) is a self-assessment tool that focuses on gathering information about 

how an organization is structured and currently performing, and about its external environment. Agency leadership can use the profile as an opportunity to gather and review accurate and current data about the external 

and internal environment and stakeholders, as well as the organization’s results. To build the profile correctly, the 

leadership must step back and view the organization systemically. Once the profile is assembled, the responses to 

the questions and topics can be used as benchmarks or starting points for performance improvement.

The OP is a list of key questions and topics that, when researched and completed, presents a snapshot of the 

organization’s current operating profile. As the organization’s leadership and staff work through the list, they may 

discover that some of the metrics are not used in day-to-day operations, and that considering all of them together 

yields a whole-system view of the organization and how it fits in its environment. Often, agencies get caught up in 

the day-to-day operations and do not take the time for such a complete analysis of their situation. The OP provides 

a way to do this in a planned and comprehensive way.

How To Use the Organizational Profile 

The OP is designed so that each agency can choose to use it in a way that best suits its needs. It is a process for an 

agency to go through, responding to each question or topic as a request for information. This process engages the 

people in the agency in learning about the organization and its environment and identifying gaps in data, knowledge, and performance measures. Some agencies choose to add a narrative section at the end so that others who 

use it can see more information than what is included in the profile itself.

APEX Organizational Profile Content 

Following is a sample of the information that will be needed to create an OP:

■ The agency’s role in its jurisdiction.

■ Economic information about the jurisdiction.

■ Community partnerships and resources.

■ Support for corrections in the jurisdiction.

■ Funding source.

■ Regulatory and monitoring information.

■ Innovations in corrections, technology, and/or human services.
20 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

APEX ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Format: Word document.

The questions: 

■ Internal Environment and Stakeholders

• Organization’s foundation – 6 topics.

• Workforce profile – 5 topics.

• Organization’s assets – 3 topics.

• Organization’s relationships – 3 topics.

• Organization’s situation – 5 topics.

■ External Environment and Stakeholders

• Strategic position in the state, region, or local jurisdiction – 2 topics.

• Economic data for state/jurisdiction – 1 topic.

• Community partnerships and collaborative resources – 2 topics.

• Political landscape: Support for correctional operations – 5 topics.

• Funding sources and government expenditure: Current and projected – 3 topics.

• Regulatory environment – 4 topics.

• Client population and future service trends – 3 topics.

• Other correctional practices and technological impacts – 1 topic.

■ Next Steps

• In what areas did the organizational profile reveal gaps or deficiencies, or show areas that are in need 

of attention?

■ Narrative Section (optional)

Approximate time to take: This will vary widely because the Organizational Profile is designed to be 

completed by the leadership team or the Change Team during one or more meetings. Some of the information may be readily available and other information may take time to gather. The complexity of the 

organization also can affect the time needed—a single facility or office profile will probably take less time 

than an agency with multiple sites and departments. If all of the information is available and the team is 

familiar with it, this profile can be completed in several hours. If not, it may take several meetings to gather, 

share, and analyze the information.

What the report shows: The report provides a picture of the complex environment and stakeholder 

relationships that can help agencies identify strengths and weaknesses as well as gaps in data and functioning, feeding into their performance improvement planning process.
Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile • 21

■ Agency mission, vision, values, and current goals.

■ An inventory of the organization’s core services.

■ A profile of the supervised population.

■ A workforce profile.

■ The organization’s physical assets.

■ A current strategic plan and knowledge of how it is used by staff.

■ The organization’s governance system.

■ Current performance measures. 

■ Internal controls.

■ Results.

How To Build an Organizational Profile 

A template for agencies to use in developing the OP is provided in this section and in appendix B. There are a 

variety of ways to use this tool. Some agencies may choose to work through the questions and topics during a 

series of management team meetings. Others may create a Steering Committee and/or Change Team as a part 

of their performance improvement process; this is described in Culture and Change Management: Using APEX 

To Facilitate Organizational Change (Cebula et al. 2012). Some may ask two or three people to gather the 

CHANGE TEAMS AND STEERING COMMITTEES

The APEX Change Management process recommends that agencies name a Change Leader, form a Change 

Team, and, in large-scale change efforts, form a Steering Committee. 

Change Team members should be well connected with staff and key stakeholders, interpersonally competent, 

and diverse, representing the various departments and levels in the organization. It is important to include 

those who are interested in and can influence the success of the change effort. The Change Team decides 

how the change is managed and who is involved in planning and implementation. It reports to the Change 

Leader or to the leadership team.

When a larger change effort is undertaken, a Steering Committee may be convened to assist the Change 

Team. This committee is often made up of managers, labor leaders, and staff members who are considered 

informal leaders among their peers. It may also include county board members, representatives from the 

Governor’s office, and key stakeholders.

Additional information on Change Leaders, Change Teams, and Steering Committees can be found in the 

APEX Guidebook Culture and Change Management: Using APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change, available at 

www.nicic.gov/library.
22 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

information, organize it, and present it to the executive team, which then presents it to the rest of the staff. All of 

these processes provide opportunities for the agency to have meaningful discussions about the topics in the profile 

when gathering, discussing, and analyzing the information. 

As an agency goes through the OP process, it may find that some information is missing or that a particular topic 

is difficult to answer. The first steps that an agency takes may be to create better data-gathering processes or more 

accurate performance measurements. 

Reviewing and Analyzing the Organizational Profile Responses 

As people review the completed OP, participants in the process may want to explore the following questions to 

better inform this assessment process: 

■ Identify the next steps for the agency. Is there missing information? Are there gaps that need to be filled in? 

■ Did people have difficulty finding information or communicating it to others in any of the profile’s areas? If 

so, create a plan to resolve these issues. 

■ Are there responses that people are concerned about or uncomfortable with? These topics may need to be 

explored more fully to see if the agency needs to do some work in this area to address these concerns.

■ Are there some issues that appear more important to the agency than others? Creating a prioritized list of 

issues may be a useful step. Once the most important issues are resolved, then the others can be addressed. 

Examining the Organizational Profile Topics 

The OP asks agencies to take an indepth look at their internal and external environment and stakeholders. This 

type of assessment provides useful information for leaders and others as part of the groundwork for creating 

change and improving performance. Understanding where an organization is at a certain moment in time allows 

for careful measurement of any improvements and/or changes in structure, policies, procedures, and operations.

Internal Environment and Stakeholders 

Organization’s Foundation 

These topics provide a description of the organization’s services and competencies as well as basic concepts of 

mission, vision, goals, and values. If an agency finds any of these topics difficult to answer or if information is 

missing, this is a clear message that it is time to “fill in the blanks” before going any further with performance 

improvement efforts. 

Workforce Profile 

The information required paints a picture of the workforce, a key internal stakeholder group. These areas can be 

analyzed to determine if there are changes to the workforce that need to be included in the change effort implementation plan.
Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile • 23

Assets 

This provides a concise picture of the current physical plant, equipment, and technologies. It is useful to review 

these factors before developing an implementation plan so that any deficiencies can be considered when looking at 

resources needed to complete the change effort.

Relationships 

The purpose of this section is to help people in the organization understand the structure of the organization, who 

it is accountable to, and who monitors it. 

Current Situation 

Strategic plans are most useful when people in the organization understand what the plan is, the agency’s progress 

in achieving the plan’s goals, and how their work leads to successful achievement of the strategic goals. This section also asks the reviewers to define the agency’s strategic challenges and advantages, analyze the performance 

measures in use, and understand the internal controls the agency has in place to monitor its operations. 

An analysis of the outcomes and results completes the picture of the organization’s situation. There are many 

places where leadership may find that their information is incomplete or not as robust as they would like. Identifying these gaps and developing strategies to address them will provide valuable input when moving forward with 

change efforts.

External Environment and Stakeholders 

This section is designed to help the organization identify and examine the external realities that can affect its ability to manage and improve performance. This part of the assessment allows an organization to hold up its internal 

operating realities against some of the uncontrollable, and often unpredictable, impacts of the external environment in which it operates. It consists of a set of exploratory questions that require agency leaders and staff to research and assemble current information regarding developments in the local, regional, and national environment 

in which it operates. This represents a formal commitment to organizational development and strategy formulation 

that identifies external realities and addresses the current operating context. The goal of this section is to enhance 

performance measures that allow the organization to plan for and respond to external conditions before they limit 

the agency’s ability to operate effectively. 

Strategic Position in the State, Region, or Local Jurisdiction 

Often, agency leaders and staff mainly consider the safety of their communities. This section allows people to 

gain an understanding of how their state, region, or community is impacted by the agency apart from its public 

safety mission. How an agency contributes to the economic health of the area, including the number of people it 

employs, offers a different level of worth for correctional agencies to consider. 

Economic Data for State/Jurisdiction 

Gathering and analyzing these data can complete the review that began in the previous section. When the economic data for the area are considered along with the agency’s impacts on the economy, a more complete picture 

of the agency’s contributions to the community will be revealed.
24 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Community Partnerships and Collaborative Resources 

Clarity about who the key external stakeholder groups are, the role they play in the organization’s operations and 

outcomes, and the quality of relationships helps agencies strategize as they build better partnerships and work collaboratively to enhance services to clients and benefit their communities.

Political Landscape: Support for Correctional Operations 

Determining political support for the agency and its operations highlights the individuals, groups, organizations, 

or coalitions that can help or hinder organizational improvement efforts. This type of analysis can identify areas 

of positive support for the agency and its clients and areas where support needs to be increased. Strategies can 

be developed to build relationships that can produce the most improvement in support for corrections and for the 

agency.

Funding Sources and Government Expenditures: Current and Projected 

This analysis can help agencies identify where their funding comes from today and potentially in the future. 

Examining the list of funding sources and their specific contribution to the agency’s budget can lead to a better 

understanding of who provides the most funding, untapped funding sources, the generation of creative ideas for 

generating new income, and the development of strategies to enhance funding and income.

Regulatory Environment 

Agencies that understand their regulatory environment tend to make more effective operational and strategic decisions. Understanding the regulatory requirements and how they impact operations is key to the development of 

strategies that will help an agency exceed the minimum requirements. This is a key difference between a typical 

organization and a higher performing organization.

Client Population and Future Service Trends 

A review of the current services provided to clients can identify those that are successful, those that may be underutilized, and those that are obsolete or no longer necessary according to current industry standards. By reviewing current services, agencies can discover gaps and generate ideas for creating new services to fill these needs. 

Examining correctional and human services industries allows an agency to identify future service trends, which 

has the potential to positively impact organizational sustainability. 

Other Correctional Practices and Technological Impacts 

The review of the external environment concludes with a look at innovative practices, technologies, and data 

management. As agencies seek options for improving organizational performance, this review can enhance their 

implementation planning process.

Narrative Section (Optional) 

Some organizations choose to write a narrative description of their OP to more fully explain the items contained in 

it. This document can be shared with staff, key stakeholders, and others to help them gain a better understanding 

of the organization.
Chapter 4: APEX Organizational Profile • 25

Where To Go from Here 

Based on the findings from researching, compiling, and analyzing the data for the OP, the agency can develop a 

plan to address any deficiencies or areas that are in need of additional research or attention. Once information gaps 

have been filled and any deficiencies resolved, the agency is ready to proceed to the next step in its performance 

improvement process. Whether the agency is using the APEX Change Management Model or another method 

to guide its change effort, next steps can include ensuring the organization is ready to undertake a change effort, 

defining the goal of the change effort, or taking the APEX Inventory to help identify areas in need of improvement 

based on the domains in the APEX Public Safety Model: Leadership; Operations; Organizational Culture; Stakeholder Focus; Workforce Focus; Strategic Planning; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; and 

Results.

Summary

The APEX Organizational Profile provides correctional agency leadership with a way to self-assess the agency’s 

internal and external environment, as well as its stakeholder relationships, in a systemic manner. The results of 

this self-assessment can be used to establish benchmarks for improving organizational performance, to determine 

if there are gaps or deficiencies that would create barriers for sustaining higher performance, and to identify areas 

to include in the implementation plan. 

Appendix B contains an example of a completed corrections OP.

References 

Cebula, N., E. Craig, C. Innes, T. Lantz, T. Rhone, and T. Ward. 2012. Culture and Change Management: Using 

APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections.

Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 27

Chapter 5: APEX Inventory

The final tool in the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol is the Inventory. The Inventory is designed to be a starting 

point for correctional organizations to assess their performance in the eight APEX domains, to determine the 

organization’s readiness to take on a change process, and to think strategically about the issues the tool reveals. 

APEX INVENTORY

Format: Automated self-scoring Excel application designed for up to 4 people to take with a report that 

includes all of their responses.

The questions: 15 descriptive demographic items, 70 Likert-scale statements (agree/disagree), 24 comparative statements on culture, 19 descriptive organizational metrics items.

Approximate time to take: 45–60 minutes per person.

What the report shows: Organizational readiness, performance on eight APEX domains, current and preferred state of organizational culture, and the balance between strategy and engagement.

Note: When saving the Inventory file, a message may pop up that says “Minor loss of fidelity – Some cells or 

styles in this workbook contain formatting that is not supported by the selected file format. These formats 

will be converted to the closest format available.” This is because of the difference between the Excel version 

the Inventory was created in and the one that is being used to open it. The results of the Inventory will not 

be affected. Click on “Continue” and proceed with taking the Inventory.

Over 100 correctional agencies from all sectors of corrections participated in the testing of the APEX Inventory. 

Their responses were used to build a database so that comparative scores could be provided in the Inventory report. This enables agencies to see how their scores compare with other agencies in community-based corrections, 

jails, or prisons.

The APEX Inventory gives leaders, managers, and staff an opportunity to express their sense of the organization’s readiness for change and its performance in the APEX Public Safety Model domains. The tool is configured 

as an Excel application and will score itself automatically when completed. It contains 15 descriptive questions 

about the respondent and his/her agency. There are 70 Likert-scale items on a 5-point scale (strongly disagree = 1, 

disagree = 2, undecided = 3, agree = 4, strongly agree = 5). These items focus on seven of the APEX domains: 

Leadership; Operations Focus; Stakeholder Focus; Workforce Focus; Strategic Planning; Measurement, Analysis, 

and Knowledge Management; and Results. The Organizational Culture domain is covered by six sets of statements based on Cameron and Quinn’s Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) (Cameron and 

Quinn 2006). The Inventory concludes with 19 questions that examine organizational metrics, including population information, supervision performance information, and outcome measures. 
28 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

A report is generated for each of the four respondents; the report should be printed for future reference (a color 

printout is recommended for interpreting the charts). The reports are designed to provide data for discussions 

about the organization and inputs for developing a performance improvement implementation plan.

How To Use the APEX Inventory 

The APEX Inventory is designed to be taken by four respondents sequentially. When they have all completed it, 

the tool will automatically combine and average the respondents’ scores and produce reports for each individual 

(including the overall average for the group). An agency can have any number of groups of four people from different units throughout the organization take the Inventory. Having more people complete the Inventory gives a 

more comprehensive picture of the organization by unit, as well as the organization as a whole. At a minimum, it 

is recommended that four senior managers complete the Inventory. 

A copy of the Inventory should be saved (with a unique name) for each group of four respondents. When a respondent finishes taking the Inventory, it is important for him/her to click the button at the top that says “Main Start 

Screen” or “Main.” The next time the Inventory is opened, it will start at the first page. The “Main Menu” page 

shows how many users have taken the Inventory and the percentage of questions they have completed, and the 

new respondent can see which user numbers have not been taken. Users can take the Inventory in more than one 

session; they can save their work and then begin where they left off. Each section will tell them the percentage of 

questions they have completed. Reports will not be generated until each user completes all of the questions in all 

of the sections. When a user completes the Inventory, he/she should print a copy of the reports. It will be useful to 

have copies of the reports when groups meet to discuss the results and develop plans to address the issues raised 

by the results.

IMPORTANT REMINDER WHEN SAVING THE INVENTORY 

Every time the Inventory is saved, there is a possibility that the Excel compatibility checker may appear. If 

it does, a box will pop up that says “Minor loss of fidelity – Some cells or styles in this workbook contain 

formatting that is not supported by the selected file format. These formats will be converted to the closest 

format available.” This is because of the difference between the Excel version the Inventory was created in 

and the one that is being used to open it. The results of the Inventory will not be affected. Click on “Continue” and proceed with taking the Inventory. 

Inventory Report 

The APEX Inventory report contains four primary components: 

1. Organizational Performance Domain Assessment. A profile of scores for organizational readiness and the 

seven APEX domains mentioned above, showing the individual respondent’s score, the average of the four 

respondents completing the Inventory, and the same-sector agency average. 

2. Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. A picture of the current state of the organizational culture 

and the preferred state compared with same-sector agencies’ current and preferred states.
Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 29

3. Engagement and Strategy Assessment. A chart showing the relationship between strategy and engagement. 

Engagement refers to the interaction the agency has with its internal and external stakeholders, including the 

workforce. Strategy describes the agency’s degree of planning, measurement, and skill development. 

4. Organizational Activity Indicators. Three categories of scores representing information about the supervised population, supervision activities, and outcome measures allow for comparison between the individual 

respondent, the average of the four respondents completing the Inventory, and the same-sector agency 

average.

Organizational Performance Domain Assessment 

The Organizational Performance Domain Assessment provides information on organizational readiness and on 

seven of the APEX domains. This part of the report is designed to give an indication of an organization’s strengths 

and weaknesses in these areas. The scores are derived from the respondent’s answers to the questions in the organizational readiness section and the APEX domains section of the Inventory. 

Exhibit 7 shows the number of questions asked about organizational readiness and about each domain as well 

as the Cronbach’s Alpha scale reliability score. Cronbach’s Alpha is a well-known measurement of the internal 

consistency of tests like the Inventory using Likert scale questions; it is used by researchers to determine the reliability of their survey instruments. It gauges relationships between different items on a test that are designed to 

measure the same concept. It is included here to show how the Inventory questions were rated; all of them were in 

the good to excellent range for reliability. 

Exhibit 7: Organizational Performance Domain Subscales

Domain Name Number of Likert Items Cronbach’s Alpha

Organizational readiness 6 .89

Leadership 10 .93

Strategic planning 9 .92

Stakeholder focus 7 .78

Measurement, analysis, and

knowledge management

9 .89

Workforce focus 9 .86

Operations focus 12 .91

Results 8 .88
30 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

In this example, the respondent’s individual results (vertical black bars) show that he rated the agency highly in all 

domains, especially Stakeholder Focus, Operations Focus, and Results. This respondent rated his agency higher 

than the other individuals who took the Inventory, and significantly higher than the overall average for his sector. 

(The vertical red bars are the average for the four users). The average for the Probation and Parole sector is shown 

in the blue area on the chart. Strategic planning and leadership received low scores from this respondent (2.1 and 

2.3, respectively). 

The weakest area for this organization, using the four-user average, is the Strategic Planning domain. However, 

the collective respondents’ rating is still significantly higher than the average for their sector. 

A critical question is how to know if this means that the agency is out-performing similar organizations. Are the 

opinions of the respondents biased by self-interest or lack of information? Sometimes when people take assessments, those from higher performing organizations score their organization in the middle range on performance issues. This may show that higher performing organizations value self-examination and hold themselves to a higher 

standard of performance. Conversely, other organizations that are not higher performing gave themselves high 

scores on these scales. This could indicate a misrepresentation of the conditions in the organization. Such dynamics in the survey response process reinforce the point that the results of these charts are to stimulate discussions 

that lead to better self-awareness. They are not hard measures of the actual performance conditions.

Exhibit 8 (chart B) is an example of an Inventory completed by four respondents from a Probation and Parole 

agency.

Exhibit 8: Organizational Performance Domain Assessment Example
Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 31

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument 

The OCAI is included in the APEX Inventory to provide correctional organizations with a framework to discuss 

and understand their organizational culture. Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn developed this tool in the late 1980s 

(Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983; Cameron and Quinn 2006). The OCAI has been applied to thousands of businesses 

and organizations, including many prisons (Crime and Justice Institute 2010), and is found to be a valid and reliable measure of an organization’s culture and the values that characterize it. 

The OCAI results are portrayed within the context of the Competing Values Framework, which is constructed 

from the intersection of two dimensions: internal focus versus external focus, and flexibility versus control. In 

exhibit 9, flexibility/control is on the vertical axis and internal/external focus is on the horizontal axis (Cameron 

and Quinn 2006). The chart creates four organizational cultures frequently found in organizations throughout the 

world: (1) the clan or collaborating culture, (2) the adhocracy or creative culture, (3) the market or competing 

culture, and (4) the hierarchy or controlling culture. 

Exhibit 9: Competing Values Framework

A clan culture develops when the organization’s dominant values are flexibility with an internal focus on integrating roles. An adhocracy culture emerges when flexibility and an external focus are the organization’s salient 

values. A market culture forms around an external orientation with stability and control. A hierarchy culture 

predominates when an organization primarily values stability and control with an internal focus on integrating 

roles. According to the authors, a tension always exists between the different values and no organization is entirely 

aligned with one type of quadrant. Exhibit 10 summarizes the key points of each culture type.
32 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Exhibit 10: Competing Values Definitions

Clan (Collaborate) Culture Type Adhocracy (Create) Culture Type 

Description: Internally focused and values flexibility, 

decentralization, shared goals, participation, inclusiveness, 

and individuality.

Definition of success: Organizational commitment, 

participation, personal development, and familylike work 

environment.

Human resources role: Champion for employees, 

supportive, and responsive to employees’ needs. 

Staff competencies: Social and communication skills, 

cooperative, commitment to organizational and personal 

development and improvement. 

Description: Externally focused and values flexibility, 

decentralized decisionmaking, agility, innovation, 

responsiveness, and constant reinvention of itself.

Definition of success: Leading the field in producing 

innovations.

Human resources role: Fostering change and facilitating 

transformation.

Staff competencies: Systems thinking skills, organizational 

change abilities, collaborative, and consultative.

Hierarchical (Control) Culture Type Market (Compete) Culture Type

Description: Externally focused and values rules, specialization, accountability, reliability, and smooth functioning.

Definition of success: Efficiency, timeliness, consistency, 

and stability.

Human resources role: Select and assign specialists, 

skill maintenance and improvement, and rule enforcement. 

Staff competencies: Process orientation, customer 

relations, and service needs assessment.

Description: Externally focused and values stability and 

control, encourages competition between units, and rewards bottom line success.

Definition of success: Market share, achievement, and

profitability.

Human resources role: Strategic business partner. 

Staff competencies: Business and marketing skills, 

strategic analysis, leadership, and achievement. 

Chart D in exhibit 11, from the Inventory report, shows the cultural preferences of the four people in the agency 

who responded to this Inventory. Chart E in exhibit 11 shows the average of all of the other same-sector agencies, providing a norm for comparison. In these charts, the solid lines represent respondents’ views of the current 

culture and the dotted lines represent the preferred culture. If the area of the shape formed by the lines is predominantly in one quadrant, the organization’s culture is aligned more closely with that particular cultural type. In this 

exhibit, the agency shows a current bias toward the control/hierarchy cultural type and a preference to move in the 

direction of the clan/collaboration and adhocracy/create cultures.

When interpreting and using the results shown in the charts, it is important to recognize that each of the four culture types has its own set of associated strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these strengths and weaknesses, 

both of the current and preferred cultures, will increase the effectiveness of the agency’s change management 

planning, strategy development, and implementation. 
Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 33

Exhibit 11: Cultural Preferences

It is possible that different divisions or units within an organization operate with different cultural types. These 

subcultures can be captured and understood better when staff in each division or unit complete the APEX Inventory. This will create a more comprehensive picture of the main culture in the agency as well as the subcultures 

within different units. These differences can create a healthy cultural diversity within organizations. For example, 

many times it is said that the third shift in an organization that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week “feels” different than the first or second shift. The same policies and procedures are followed, yet the way that people work 

together is unique. 

When there is a large difference in the current and preferred culture types across different units, agreeing on how 

to create a culture change and which culture to change to can pose considerable challenges. Leaders who have the 

capacity to consider both the current and the preferred culture orientations of diverse staff, and accommodate them 

in their planning, tend to lead more successful change efforts than those who are not able to expand their cultural 

views and instead focus on what they prefer.

Once all the groups have completed the Inventory, the results from chart D for each group can be compared and 

discussions can begin on what the agency wants to do with this information. Do they want to incorporate culture 

change into their implementation plan? If so, how? This part of the tool allows agencies to determine where they 

fall on the axis of the four cultural types currently and where the respondents would like the preferred culture to 

be in the future. They can use this information to determine where they would like the preferred culture to be as 

a whole agency and agree on how to move forward, engaging the agency in a variety of activities to move in their 

chosen direction.

“Organizational Culture and Change,” in Culture and Change Management: Using APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change (Cebula et al. 2012), gives more detailed information on organizational culture, culture change, and 

the OCAI. This report is available from the NIC Information Center at www.nicic.gov/APEX.
34 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Engagement and Strategy Assessment

The results of the engagement and strategy assessment, chart F (exhibit 12), are designed to encourage agencies to 

think about alignment on these two dimensions within the organization. 

The engagement dimension includes the Stakeholder Focus, Workforce Focus, and Leadership domains. This 

includes staff, clients, volunteers, suppliers, supporters, and other stakeholders. Engagement is about effective 

interpersonal relationships between staff and clients, staff and other staff, line staff and management, and 

staff/management and stakeholder groups. 

The strategy dimension covers the Strategic Planning; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; and 

Operations Focus domains. These include skill development, what is measured and how, who uses the data and 

for what purpose, and how well the agency succeeds in achieving its strategic planning goals and objectives. The 

strategy items reflect logical or cognitive processes that promote more effective organizational strategies. 

Exhibit 12 presents user, four-user average, and same-sector scores. This provides feedback to respondents, 

depicting how they see their organization’s strengths in terms of strategy—emerging out of sound logic (head) 

Exhibit 12: Engagement and Strategy Assessment Example
Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 35

and engagement—based on affective relationships (heart). The more balanced the organization is with respect to 

these two dimensions, the closer the respondents’ data points will be to the arrow. High scores on both dimensions 

should correlate (and do correlate) with greater organizational readiness for change. Higher scores in one dimension but not the other would indicate an imbalance on these dimensions and should be considered as the agency 

prepares its Implementation Plan. In the exhibit, user #4 appears to be more ready for organizational change than 

the average of the other users’ scores. As this agency prepares for performance improvement, the chart reveals that 

there is work to be done to prepare others for change, as well as to include efforts to increase engagement with 

stakeholders (including the workforce) and to share more information on the agency’s strategic plans, goals, and 

performance measures.

PERFORMANCE-BASED MEASURES SYSTEM 

The Association of State Correctional Administrators’ Performance-Based Measures System (PBMS) is a 

set of uniform standards and measures of correctional performance designed to allow for review, analysis, 

and research of performance data across jurisdictions. It provides primary correctional benchmarks for 

performance standards, measures, and common definitions of key indicators, with counting rules, so that all 

participants calculate numbers and rates the same way. PBMS signifies an important trend in the field toward 

greater data standardization, data-driven decisionmaking, and system accountability.

Organizational Activity Indicators 

The organizational activity indicators are measures that cross all correctional sectors. Many of these measurements were selected from the Association of State Correctional Administrators’ Performance-Based Measures 

System. The rest were selected because of their relevance to field supervision and/or outcomes. These activity 

measures are in three categories: population measures, supervision measures, and outcome measures (see exhibit 13). Information about population is often an important control variable, useful for adjusting for differences 

between populations to make comparisons. For example, a prison that has 28 percent of the inmates engaged 

in full-time jobs is vastly different from a system with 4 percent of inmates who have jobs. Supervision activity 

performance information is used here because of its potential relevance and relationship to outcomes. Measures in 

this category tend to fall into two subcategories: workload measures (e.g., average caseload size) or intermediate 

outcomes (e.g., percent of population currently in treatment). The latter are assumed to have a positive correlation 

with outcomes such as recidivism. Outcome measures include both client (stakeholder) measures and workforce 

measures.

Data contained in an organization’s management information systems and reports will be useful when completing 

this portion of the Inventory. When a large variance (see “% Annual Staff Turnover” in exhibit 13) exists between 

individual scores (vertical black bars) and the organization’s average (vertical red bar), it can mean that there is a 

need to increase communications to staff about organizational performance measurements. These indicators may 

be useful for agencies as they develop and enhance their performance management system. 
36 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Another purpose of the activity indicators is to provide a way for respondents to “reality check” their summary 

scores on previous measures in the Inventory. Was the organization’s average score higher than the sector average 

on Stakeholder Focus? If so, it is very possible that the organizational average score will also be higher than the 

sector average on the category “% Population Currently in Treatment” in exhibit 13. If this pattern does not occur, 

a discussion of the various charts in the Inventory report could prove useful and productive and may feed into the 

plans for improving organizational performance. As in the previous charts, the results in this part of the report can 

provide valuable direction for implementation planning.

Next Steps: Using the APEX Inventory To Build an Implementation Plan 

The APEX Inventory provides a wide variety of information for agency leaders and staff that can be used as they 

develop plans to change their organizational performance and/or culture. The Organizational Performance Domain Assessment will tell them how ready people are to take on a change effort and will give them a sense of 

how people feel the organization is performing on seven of the APEX domains. If organizational readiness scores 

are low, then this is the area that should be dealt with first. Once the agency has prepared the ground for change 

efforts, chart B (exhibit 8) can be a guide to help them decide which domains appear to need more improvement 

Exhibit 13: Organizational Activity Indicators Example 
Chapter 5: APEX Inventory • 37

and which domains they would like to focus on in their initial change effort. The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument can provide guidance to help people in the agency decide the direction in which they want the 

organizational culture to move. Engagement and strategy assessment gives an indication of how well people think 

the organization engages with stakeholders and deals with more concrete information related to planning and 

measurement. The Organizational Activity Indicators provide more detailed data on the supervised population, 

supervision activities, and outcome measures.

The best way to use the information gleaned from the Inventory is to hold focused discussions about the results 

with the leadership team, the Change Team, and others in the organization. When the results have been shared and 

analyzed, they can be used to develop and/or enhance the agency’s change effort implementation planning. The 

National Institute of Corrections recommends using the focus group process to create a more robust discussion of 

the Inventory results. These facilitated discussions are usually 90 to 120 minutes long, generate qualitative data 

about the results, and tend to create deeper insights into the organization’s performance and culture. 

Recommended APEX guidebooks to assist with implementation planning include:

■ Culture and Change Management: Using APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change. Contains information 

and guidance on preparing and implementing organizational change.

■ Achieving Performance Excellence: The Influence of Leadership on Organizational Performance. Provides 

guidance for leaders to help them enhance their skills and knowledge and prepare to lead agencies that are 

striving to be higher performing.

■ APEX Resources Directory Volume 1. Includes information, interventions, and other resources for change 

management and the eight APEX domains.

■ APEX Resources Directory Volume 2. Consists of indepth information on communications, focus groups, 

and team development.

Summary 

The Inventory completes the APEX Assessment Tools Protocol. This assessment of the APEX Public Safety 

Model’s eight domains and organizational readiness provides valuable input to any change effort. Agencies can 

use it to assess their unique progress and determine who will take the Inventory, how the reports will be used, and 

how to share the results. The Inventory can be taken by a recommended minimum of four management staff as 

well as any number of employees from all levels of the organization. 

Agencies may decide to use the APEX Change Management process or any other process to facilitate organizational change. The Inventory fits with the assessment requirements of any systemic change process because it 

takes a whole-system look at the agency’s performance and results.
38 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

References 

Cameron, K., and R.E. Quinn. 2006. Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture Based on the Competing 

Values Framework. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cebula, N., E. Craig, C. Innes, T. Lantz, T. Rhone, and T. Ward. 2012. Culture and Change Management: Using 

APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Corrections.

Crime and Justice Institute. 2010. Summary Analysis of NIC Culture Initiatives Within the Indiana Department of 

Correction. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections.

Quinn, R.E., and J. Rohrbaugh. 1983. “A Spatial Model of Effectiveness Criteria: Towards a Competing Values 

Approach to Organizational Analysis.” Management Science 29(3):363–77.
Book Summary • 39

Book Summary

The APEX Assessment Tools Protocol includes the APEX Screener, the APEX Organizational Profile, and the 

APEX Inventory. These tools provide correctional agencies with processes to assess their internal and external 

environments, their readiness for change, and their performance on key indicators from the APEX Public Safety 

Model domains. These self-assessment tools are designed specifically for correctional agencies to use in a variety 

of ways: (1) sequentially: Screener—Organizational Profile—Inventory, (2) one or two of the tools as chosen by 

the agency, (3) as a checkup to see how the agency is performing, and (4) as a pretest or posttest to measure progress as a whole organization or by one department only.

The assessment tool reports are designed to guide discussions of the results and how the agency wants to use the 

results to create a performance improvement plan. The breadth and depth of this change effort is entirely at the 

agency’s discretion. It is also up to the agency to determine how the information generated by the tools is shared. 

Agencies that use one or more of the APEX Assessment Tools will find that they work well with the APEX Guidebook series. These books offer an abundance of information and resources to help correctional agencies as they 

proceed on their journey to higher performance.

Bibliography • 41

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Afterword • 43

Afterword

The APEX Guidebook Series

APEX: Building the Model and Beginning the Journey

Culture and Change Management: Using APEX To Facilitate Organizational Change

Achieving Performance Excellence: The Influence of Leadership on Organizational Performance

Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens

Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

APEX Resources Directory Volume 1

APEX Resources Directory Volume 2

About the Authors

Bradford Bogue is the President of Justice System Assessment & Training, a justice system consulting firm 

specializing in evaluation, offender and program assessment tool development, and training in public- and privatesector systems. Brad is a seasoned investigator, author, and internationally recognized expert in probation case 

management practices. He has been the primary investigator for over 50 program evaluations in community corrections. As a tool builder, he has designed numerous offender assessment tools and has created a great number of 

other field innovations, including automated case plan applications, system evaluation tools, staff survey tools, and 

quality assurance systems. 

Nancy Cebula is the owner of and principal consultant with People in Charge LLC. She has been working as a 

change agent since the 1970s, from early work as a juvenile probation officer to large systems change work as an 

organization development consultant. She works with clients in the public and private sectors in the United States 

and internationally. Nancy is a coauthor and contributor to several books, including Futures that Work: Using the 

Search Conference to Revitalize Companies, Communities, and Organizations. The focus of her work is to help 

groups of people work together to build strong and vibrant organizations through participative planning, work 

design, change management, and organizational learning.

Appendix A: APEX Screener • 45

Appendix A: APEX Screener 
46 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment
Appendix A: APEX Screener • 47

Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 49

Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile

This form can be used to document your organization’s discussions as you prepare your organizational profile. A 

completed example follows the blank form below.

The APEX Organizational Profile

Organization Name ______________________________________________________ Date ________________

To be used to document the discussions you have as you prepare your agency’s profile.

Internal Environment and Stakeholders

Organization’s Foundation

List the core services your organization provides.

List the organization’s core competencies or areas of expertise.

Organization mission statement:

Organization vision statement:

Organization values:

Organization goals:

Workforce Profile

What is the composition of the workforce?

What job categories are there?

What are the demographics of the workforce?
50 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

What bargaining units is the organization involved with?

What training and development opportunities does your organization offer?

Who receives training and development?

How are staff rewarded for increasing their skills and knowledge?

Organization’s Assets

What are the organization’s major facilities?

What condition are they in?

What technologies are used?

How up to date are they?

What equipment exists (may list major categories of equipment)?

What condition is it in?

Organization’s Relationships

What is your organizational structure?

Do you have an organizational chart?

Who is the organization accountable to?

•	 Who does it report to?

•	 What are the reporting relationships among your governance board, senior leaders, parent organization, etc.?

Who monitors the agency?

Organization’s Situation

How comprehensive and useful is the organization’s strategic plan?

•	 Do employees know what is in the strategic plan?

•	 Do they know how their work fits into it?

•	 How do you know?

What are the organization’s strategic challenges and advantages?
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 51

What performance measurements are currently in use?

•	 How were they developed?

•	 Do they measure what you intend them to measure?

•	 What do they tell you about the organization’s outcomes?

What internal controls are in place?

•	 What processes are in place for reviewing the accountability and effectiveness of programs and operations?

•	 What internal audits are done?

•	 What internal oversight processes are in place?

•	 What knowledge transfer processes do you use?

What are the organization’s results?

•	 Stakeholder focused: 

i.e. What are your current levels of stakeholder engagement and satisfaction?

i.e. How effective are the key performance measures for clients/offenders?

•	 Leadership:

i.e. What are your key indicators for accomplishing organizational strategies?

i.e. What are your key indicators for measuring ethical behavior?

•	 Workforce focused:

i.e. What are your current levels of workforce engagement and satisfaction?

•	 Operations:

– Safety and Security: 

i.e. What is your current level of preparedness for emergencies?

i.e. What is your current level of trends in violent incidents and sexual assault?

– Process Management:

i.e. What are your current trends in operational performance of critical work processes?

i.e. How effective are your processes? 

•	 Financial:

i.e. What are your current trends in costs for services to clients?

i.e. What is your current budgetary performance?

•	 How well do the results relate to the organization’s goals?

•	 How are they shared with internal and external stakeholders?

External Environment and Stakeholders

Strategic Position in the State, Region, or Local Jurisdiction

Describe your organization’s service to the community. 

•	 How long have you existed and operated in your current form?

•	 What is your status as a regional employer?

•	 What is your economic contribution to the jurisdiction?

•	 Who is competing with you for funds, or supplying a similar service? 

What would your jurisdiction look like if you were not there today (went out of business, natural disaster, political 

upheaval)?
52 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Economic Data for State/Jurisdiction

Build an economic profile of your operating region. Download information from regional human service agencies and 

statistical profilers to create a file that includes recent reports and descriptive data on:

•	 Employment statistics by sector, by county, and/or by standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA).

•	 Age profile of area population.

•	 Education levels.

•	 Daily, seasonal, and long-term in-migration/out-migration of community members.

Community Partnerships and Collaborative Resources

Stakeholder Assessment: Brainstorm and identify a global list of:

•	 Key suppliers. 

•	 Community and criminal justice partners. 

•	 Volunteers and collaborators.

What role do they play in your service delivery?

What expectations do they have for your organization?

SWOT Analysis: List all of the stakeholders, collaborating agencies, and community organizations with whom you 

associate in your service delivery. Evaluate each using SWOT: 

•	 Strengths of their position and your relationship. 

•	Weaknesses of their relative position/relationship. 

•	 Opportunities for added partnering and collaboration. 

•	 Their potential as a Threat to future service supply and/or your resources.

Political Landscape: Support for Correctional Operations

List and describe the key decisionmakers for your service community. Assess the relationship you have with them and 

their interest in your organization’s efforts. 

Describe any existing political stakeholder groups or organizations that represent a powerful nonpartisan coalition 

working on behalf of the criminal justice system. List the names and roles of participants, and any project on which 

they have led successful campaigns.

Have you performed survey work to determine how safe and secure the community feels about your operations? If 

so, how well do the results reflect your operating practices?

Do you have a community education or input process? Describe what you are currently doing to communicate with 

your regional stakeholders.

Do you have a community advisory panel/group? If so, who is invited to participate? Who runs their meetings? How is 

their input gathered and used by the organization?
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 53

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Funding Sources and Government Expenditure: Current and Projected

List all of the organizations and sources of your funding.

Note which operate in your service area.

Note which are state or national funding agents.

Projected certainty: In parentheses after each, list a percentage probability for continued funding or potential you 

could acquire funding from the source.

Earned Income: How much earned income are you currently generating? Will that income increase/decrease in the 

next 12–24 months? Why?

Regulatory Environment

Identify the regulatory bodies and agencies that the organization is accountable to.

List major regulatory responsibilities, including but not limited to clients, workforce, environment, financial, facilities, 

and legal issues.

How well does your organization achieve regulatory compliance?

How do you see regulations changing over the next year? 2 years?

•	 What trends have you seen in this area?

Client Population and Future Service Trends

Identify what services you provide.

How do you perform them?

Are there gaps in services? (What would help your clients to be more successful?)

Brainstorm any trends in services and how they are performed. 

•	 Are there practices and services on this list that your organization has not yet considered or developed? 

•	 Why or why not?

Identify four similar organizations to yours. Using a set of four or five easily measurable performance standards, compare your operating performance on these standards to that of your cohorts. How do you compare? What could you 

learn from their work? What could they learn from yours?

Other Correctional Practices and Technological Impacts

What innovations are being implemented in Corrections or in other related service organizations utilizing: GIS/GPS 

monitoring, kiosk monitoring, DNA testing, privatization, and/or COMPSTAT management?
54 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Next Steps

Now that the organizational profile has been completed, it is time to determine the organization’s next steps.

In what areas did the organizational profile show some gaps or deficiencies, or areas that need attention?

Narrative Section

This optional section can be used to enhance the organizational profile, giving further explanation on areas in the 

profile such as:

Agency History

Mission, Vision, Values

Workforce Profile

Core Services

Core Proficiencies

Organizational Relationships

Etc.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 55

Sample: The APEX Organizational Profile

Organization Name ______________________________________________________ Date ________________

To be used to document the discussions you have as you prepare your agency’s profile.

Internal Environment and Stakeholders

Organization’s Foundation

List the core services your organization provides.

•	 Residential and substance abuse treatment programs for men on parole and probation.

•	 Employment development for formerly incarcerated persons.

•	 Links to community resources that clients need for emergency and supportive services.

List the organization’s core competencies or areas of expertise.

•	 Providing comprehensive and effective reentry services (substance abuse, employment, and community resources) 

that help formerly incarcerated persons to overcome barriers to success.

•	 All staff who work directly with clients are trained to work with persons with mental diagnoses and co-occurring 

disorders.

•	 All case managers are trained in motivational interviewing.

Organization mission statement:

To promote public safety by providing services to persons involved in the criminal justice system that will help them 

become successful and contributing members of the community.

Organization vision statement:

To be the catalyst for change that makes a positive difference in shattered lives.

Organization values:

•	 Respect and dignity for our clients and stakeholders at all times.

•	 Honesty and integrity in all that we do.

•	 Transparency in our operations.

•	 Excellence in service delivery.

Organization goals:

•	 Capacity: To increase the number of clients we serve by 25% within 3 years.

•	 Scope: To expand services to pretrial and diversion clients within 2 years.

Community Corrections Center (CCC) 4/16/2012
56 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Workforce Profile

What is the composition of the workforce?

Employees: 42 full time, 6 part time, 15 intern volunteers, 1 consultant

Employment: 15

Substance abuse: 20

Intern volunteers: 15 (9 – substance abuse, 4 – employment, 2 – volunteer component)

Consultant: 1 (approx. 4 hours/week) for clinical supervision of substance abuse component

What job categories are there?

•	 Director

•	 Case manager

•	 Support

•	 Volunteer

What are the demographics of the workforce?

Gender: Male – 36% (15), Female – 64% (27)

Race/Ethnicity:

•	 African American – 28%

•	 White – 40%

•	 Latino – 22%

•	 Asian/Pacific Islander – 10%

Ex-offender – 36%

Recovering addict/alcoholic – 26%

Has a college degree – 31%

Has professional certification – 36%

What bargaining units is the organization involved with?

N/A

What training and development opportunities does your organization offer?

All treatment staff are required to maintain their substance abuse certification, which mandates professional development hours to be completed each year. Internal training is offered to all staff, with some collaborative training offered 

to nearby agencies. Our staff are invited to participate in some other agencies’ training. Recent courses include communication skills, dealing with challenging people, IT classes, motivational interviewing, and basic and advanced supervisory skills.

Who receives training and development?

All staff, including volunteers.

How are staff rewarded for increasing their skills and knowledge?

Some staff are promoted to supervisory positions. Others are able to move into higher paying positions with increased 

training. Training is considered during performance reviews and when awarding bonuses and merit increases (when 

budgets allow for increases).
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 57

Organization’s Assets

What are the organization’s major facilities?

What condition are they in?

•	 Two residential substance abuse treatment facilities for men, with 24-bed capacity each.

– One is fairly new and in good condition.

– One needs repairs in the dayroom and 4 rooms need updated plumbing.

•	 Community services facility, which includes administration, outpatient treatment, and employment services 

component.

– Condition is acceptable; no immediate repairs are needed.

What technologies are used?

How up to date are they?

All paid staff have access to PCs with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional. Computers have Internet/

intranet capabilities.

•	 Substance abuse staff: Shared databases (funding source and internal) for client data entry.

•	 Employment staff: Shared databases (funding source and internal) for client data entry.

•	 Administrative staff: Fiscal management accounting software.

What equipment exists (may list major categories of equipment)?

What condition is it in?

•	 Printers/copiers for each facility and/or component.

•	 Vans (two 12-passenger vans).

•	 Telephone system at community services facility.

•	 Computer servers: 1 for community services facility and intranet, and 1 for fiscal management.

All in good working order.

Organization’s Relationships

What is your organizational structure?

Do you have an organizational chart?

CCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The executive director 

reports to the board of directors and is responsible for the overall administration of the organization. There are three 

program components with directors who report to the executive director: (1) substance abuse treatment, (2) employment services, and (3) volunteers and interns. The administrative component includes fiscal (AR/AP, payroll), human 

resources (recruitment and benefits), contract and grant administration/quality control, and training and development.
58 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Organization’s Relationships (continued)

Who is the organization accountable to?

•	 Who does it report to?

The organization is accountable to its funding sources. Because we work with persons under correctional supervision, 

we are also obligated to report to probation officers and parole agents when clients are noncompliant, leave treatment, 

are a danger to themselves or others, or when they are in any other exceptional situation.

•	 What are the reporting relationships among your governance board, senior leaders, parent organization, etc.?

The executive director (ED) reports to our board of directors. There are four administrative level directors who report 

to the ED. The ED works well with the board and with his/her direct reports.

Who monitors the agency?

•	 Funding sources: There is an assigned program specialist for each contract/grant.

•	 State alcohol and drug programs: Regular and unannounced visits to ensure compliance with licensing and 

certification regulations.

•	 Board of directors: Reviews contract/grant progress and financial statements monthly.

Organization’s Situation

How comprehensive and useful is the organization’s strategic plan?

The existing organization’s strategic plan is 3 years old. While it seemed comprehensive at the time, the organization 

has changed significantly since then. In light of recent changes, it is not at all useful at this time.

•	 Do employees know what is in the strategic plan?

No. It has been at least a year since the plan was shared with staff.

•	 Do they know how their work fits into it?

Many do not. Some, especially managers and directors, have a good idea.

•	 How do you know?

During the information gathering for this profile, we asked staff.

What are the organization’s strategic challenges and advantages?

Challenges: (1) decreasing state funding for treatment programs, (2) scarce community resources for client supportive 

and emergency services, and (3) individual and corporation donations have decreased. Advantages: (1) ability to serve 

clients with co-occurring disorders and (2) capacity to serve pretrial and diversion clients (fee for service).
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 59

Organization’s Situation (continued)

What performance measurements are currently in use?

Substance abuse component:

•	 Funding source compiles and distributes annual report on treatment outcomes by provider (e.g., successful, unsuccessful, reincarcerated, transferred).

•	 Organization maintains internal database and reports monthly on admissions, exits, and their status. Report shared

with board of directors, executive director, and component staff.

Employment component:

•	 Organization submits monthly report to funding source on progress toward objectives (e.g., outreach efforts, new

enrollments, number of clients employed, average wage, exit status) and shares with component staff.

•	 Volunteer component: Director compiles report monthly for executive director and board of directors on number of

interns, hours served, and value of service.

•	 How were they developed?

The funding sources develop their own performance measures. Ours were developed by the leadership team.

•	 Do they measure what you intend them to measure?

Yes.

•	 What do they tell you about the organization’s outcomes?

They provide some good outcome measures; some are not as clearly related to our outcomes. We count well, but miss 

some qualitative information that would give us useful information about outcomes.

What internal controls are in place?

•	 What processes are in place for reviewing the accountability and effectiveness of programs and operations?

The CFO does fiscal reviews on all programs. The HR administrator monitors personnel data. The program directors 

review each other’s program outcomes. The leadership team reviews programs and outcomes.

•	 What internal audits are done?

The CFO completes an internal fiscal audit. Program audits are done by program directors.

•	 What internal oversight processes are in place?

Each department has a committee that reviews activities and outcomes.

•	 What knowledge transfer processes do you use?

We maintain an intranet database to allow staff to share and access innovations, learning, and other pertinent information. We also hold in-house briefings and training sessions to share knowledge, as well as brown bag sessions for 

informal discussions.
60 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Organization’s Situation (continued)

What are the organization’s results?

•	 Stakeholder focused: 

i.e. What are your current levels of stakeholder engagement and satisfaction?

i.e. How effective are the key performance measures for clients/offenders?

Key performance measures show that we exceed the minimum treatment outcomes that funders have set. Exit interviews are done with clients who leave programs (either successfully or not) and show that more than 80% are satisfied or more than satisfied with their experience at CCC. Probation and parole officers are surveyed annually about 

their satisfaction with our services. For the past 3 years, their ratings have been above average.

•	 Leadership: 

i.e. What are your key indicators for accomplishing organizational strategies?

Job placement and retention, treatment hours per client, violent incidents, escapes, GED graduation, etc.

i.e. What are your key indicators for measuring ethical behavior?

Sexual misconduct (staff or client), fiscal responsibility, conflict of interest, misuse of organizational resources, etc.

•	 Workforce focused:

i.e. What are your current levels of workforce engagement and satisfaction?

We measure staff opinions on their levels of satisfaction with job variety, feedback, autonomy, opportunities for 

learning, mutual support and respect, meaningfulness, and social usefulness of their work. They tell us that, for the 

most part, they are engaged and satisfied with their work and with their peers and managers.

•	 Operations:

– Safety and Security: 

i.e. What is your current level of preparedness for emergencies?

A recent external audit showed that we need some minor improvement.

i.e. What is your current level of trends in violent incidents and sexual assault?

We have zero tolerance for sexual assault and have trained all staff in PREA, and we review its standards and practices regularly. Since we have been using PREA standards, incidents have gone down dramatically (zero incidents 

this year). Violent incidents have also decreased for client-client as well as client-staff (less than 1 per month).

– Process Management:

i.e. What are your current trends in operational performance of critical work processes?

We are preparing to do a review of all processes to determine this and to discover which processes can be eliminated due to redundancy or obsolescence.

i.e. How effective are your processes? 

Most work well and some need improvement; we will know more after the review.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 61

Organization’s Situation (continued)

•	 Financial:

i.e. What are your current trends in costs for services to clients?

We have become a lean operation and think this trend will continue for several years. Due to salary freezes and other 

measures, we have reduced our costs for services.

i.e. What is your current budgetary performance?

We are operating within a constrained budget due to funders’ budget cuts; we have had to freeze salaries and reduce 

management positions.

•	 How well do the results relate to the organization’s goals?

Most work well.

•	 How are they shared with internal and external stakeholders?

Website, annual report, monthly reports to some stakeholders, meetings, etc.

External Environment and Stakeholders

Strategic Position in the State, Region, or Local Jurisdiction

Describe your organization’s service to the community. 

•	 How long have you existed and operated in your current form?

•	 What is your status as a regional employer?

•	 What is your economic contribution to the jurisdiction?

•	 Who is competing with you for funds, or supplying a similar service? 

What would your jurisdiction look like if you were not there today (went out of business, natural disaster, political 

upheaval)?

We were founded in 1999. We are a small employer with 42 full-time employees, 6 part-time employees, and 10–16 

volunteers. Our primary financial competitors are other local treatment facilities. If we were not around, one of the 

competitors might expand or another nonprofit would be founded to serve our clients. The state and county could also 

decide to run their own residential and community-based facilities (not likely in these tight financial times).
62 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Economic Data for State/Jurisdiction

Build an economic profile of your operating region. Download information from regional human service agencies and 

statistical profilers to create a file that includes recent reports and descriptive data on:

•	 Employment statistics by sector, by county, and/or by standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA).

•	 Age profile of area population.

•	 Education levels.

•	 Daily, seasonal, and long-term in-migration/out-migration of community members.

We are located in a large metropolitan area:

•	 Population 12 million.

•	 55% white (39% non-Hispanic white), 11% Asian/Pacific Islander, 8% black; 1% Native American, 17% other.

•	 In-migration and out-migration rates are now pretty balanced.

•	 Fairly large seasonal migrant farm worker population outside city.

Community Partnerships and Collaborative Resources

Stakeholder Assessment: Brainstorm and identify a global list of:

•	 Key suppliers. 

•	 Community and criminal justice partners. 

•	 Volunteers and collaborators.

What role do they play in your service delivery?

What expectations do they have for your organization?

SWOT Analysis: List all of the stakeholders, collaborating agencies, and community organizations with whom you 

associate in your service delivery. Evaluate each using SWOT: 

•	 Strengths of their position and your relationship. 

•	Weaknesses of their relative position/relationship. 

•	 Opportunities for added partnering and collaboration. 

•	 Their potential as a Threat to future service supply and/or your resources.

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Pathways Our relationship

is very positive

Weak voice in 

community

Partnership to 

enhance client 

success

None

Southern State 

University

Good supplier of 

high-quality interns

State funding cuts Collaborate on 

grant for intern 

coordinator funding

Losing funding for 

intern coordinator

Smith’s Food 

Purveyors

Reasonable cost, 

high-quality products, reliable

Competitive

industry – small 

family-owned 

business

Potential employer 

for work program 

grads

Ms. Smith’s 

pending retirement
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 63

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Political Landscape: Support for Correctional Operations

List and describe the key decisionmakers for your service community. Assess the relationship you have with them and 

their interest in your organization’s efforts. 

County probation – good, county sheriff – needs improvement, department of corrections (DOC) – mixed, courts – 

acceptable, district attorneys – good, public defenders – mixed, citizens – mixed (a bit of “not in my backyard” occurs).

Describe any existing political stakeholder groups or organizations that represent a powerful nonpartisan coalition 

working on behalf of the criminal justice system. List the names and roles of participants, and any project on which 

they have led successful campaigns.

Children and Families of Incarcerated Individuals, California Prison Focus, Pathways Out of Poverty

Have you performed survey work to determine how safe and secure the community feels about your operations? If 

so, how well do the results reflect your operating practices?

We have surveyed the neighbors around our facilities and work to deal with issues as they arise. The Sheriff’s office 

does a community survey and we use those results, as we share many clients.

Do you have a community education or input process? Describe what you are currently doing to communicate with 

your regional stakeholders.

We have some outreach with the neighborhoods, especially clients’ families, and host quarterly meetings.

Do you have a community advisory panel/group? If so, who is invited to participate? Who runs their meetings? How is 

their input gathered and used by the organization?

Not at present.

Funding Sources and Government Expenditure: Current and Projected

List all of the organizations and sources of your funding.

Note which operate in your service area.

Note which are state or national funding agents.

Projected certainty: In parentheses after each, list a percentage probability for continued funding or potential you 

could acquire funding from the source.

As long as we meet/exceed expectations and their budget has funds for client services: county (100% – local), state 

DOC (100% – state), federal grants (60% – national), individual and foundation donors (30% – 6 local, 9 national).

Earned Income: How much earned income are you currently generating? Will that income increase/decrease in the 

next 12–24 months? Why?

As funders’ budgets are still susceptible to change, we anticipate that some funders will decrease their contracted 

amounts and others will stay the same. Private donations are down. We anticipate increasing our fee-for-service 

revenue.
64 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Regulatory Environment

Identify the regulatory bodies and agencies that the organization is accountable to.

•	 State Alcohol and Drug Programs – licensing and certification of substance abuse programs.

•	 State Fire Marshal – yearly inspection of all facilities.

List major regulatory responsibilities, including but not limited to clients, workforce, environment, financial, facilities, 

and legal issues.

•	 Residential facility/physical plant standards.

•	 Client treatment/service regulations.

•	 Prison Rape Elimination Act requirements.

•	 OSHA standards.

•	 Fiscal reporting and audit requirements (state and funders).

How well does your organization achieve regulatory compliance?

Very well – this is a priority.

How do you see regulations changing over the next year? 2 years?

•	 What trends have you seen in this area?

Increase in environmental, fiscal reporting, and treatment requirements.

Client Population and Future Service Trends

Identify what services you provide.

•	 Employment services.

•	 Substance abuse treatment.

•	 Mental health treatment.

How do you perform them?

•	 Outpatient.

•	 Residential treatment services for males.

Are there gaps in services? (What would help your clients to be more successful?)

•	 Residential treatment services for women.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 65

External Environment and Stakeholders (continued)

Brainstorm any trends in services and how they are performed. 

•	 Are there practices and services on this list that your organization has not yet considered or developed? 

•	 Why or why not?

Trends brainstorm:

Motivational interviewing.

Enhanced electronic monitoring.

Intensive supervision with rehabilitation services.

Next-generation risk/need assessments.

Increased family engagement.

Wraparound services (mental health, substance abuse, housing, medical services).

Which ones we are not using:

Enhanced electronic monitoring (cost).

Wraparound services (tabled for 6 months – cost).

Which ones we are exploring:

Increased family engagement.

Identify four similar organizations to yours. Using a set of four or five easily measurable performance standards, compare your operating performance on these standards to that of your cohorts. How do you compare? What could you 

learn from their work? What could they learn from yours?

Last fiscal year Walkaways/escapes GED graduation rate

Able and Willing 4 57%

Southside Treatment 1 95%

CCC 0 65%

We can learn more about Southside Treatment’s graduation success. We can help them tighten up their ability to avoid 

walkaways.

Other Correctional Practices and Technological Impacts

What innovations are being implemented in Corrections or in other related service organizations utilizing: GIS/GPS 

monitoring, kiosk monitoring, DNA testing, privatization, and/or COMPSTAT management?

We have a committee reviewing the Performance-Based Measures System (PBMS) to see if it would be applicable to 

our operations; we are looking at holistic and health-minded substance abuse treatment methods.
66 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Next Steps

Now that the organizational profile has been completed, it is time to determine the organization’s next steps.

In what areas did the organizational profile show some gaps or deficiencies, or areas that need attention?

•	 Review organizational goals – is capacity still a valid goal in recessionary times?

•	 Develop a plan to repair an older residential facility.

•	 Revisit the strategic plan, update it, and create a better way of engaging staff in planning and in carrying out the plan.

•	 Send an appropriate staff person to grant-writing training.

•	 Review performance measures (including the PBMS committee’s work).

•	 Upgrade internal controls.

•	 Review the emergency preparedness policy and procedures; upgrade them and train staff.

•	 Complete process reviews.

•	 Work on relationships with the Sheriff’s office, department of corrections, public defenders, and citizens, especially 

neighbors. 

•	 Consider establishing a neighborhood advisory panel.

•	 Work on developing programming for federal clients.

•	 Review fee-for-service expansion.

•	 Visit Southside Treatment’s GED program.

•	 Finish PBMS review.

•	 Table the holistic, health-minded treatment approach study for 6 months or until the budget improves.

•	 Collaborate with Southern State University on the intern coordinator grant.

•	 Employment staff should meet with Smith’s Food Purveyors regarding potential jobs for clients.

•	 Set up a process for representative staff and managers to take the APEX Inventory to further their organizational 

improvement efforts.

Narrative Section

Narrative follows.

Agency History 

Community Corrections Center (CCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based organization in southern California. CCC provides reentry services for formerly incarcerated adults. It is centrally located in a large metropolitan area, where the majority of the city’s parolees and probationers also reside. Founded in 1999 with 6 employees 

and 1 small county contract to help local probationers find jobs, it now has 42 paid employees and several contracts. 

In 2010, CCC helped more than 500 formerly incarcerated adults overcome barriers to reentry and recovery.

To better meet the needs of the target population and the community, CCC expanded services in 2001 to include 

outpatient substance abuse treatment. The program focused on treatment for men and women on probation, referred by the court or their probation officer for treatment as a condition of probation. The program was designed 

to make treatment on demand possible by use of a sliding fee scale. This was initiated at a time when countyfunded “free” treatment programs had waiting lists of 6 weeks or longer. The two initial substance abuse counselors were formerly incarcerated persons in recovery; along with the executive director, they designed a program 

specifically for clients involved in the criminal justice system.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 67

During this period, the state began to invest more in treatment of offenders, both in prison and in the community, 

and CCC was awarded a contract to provide outpatient treatment for parolees who volunteered for treatment as an 

alternative to revocation for drug use. In 2003, CCC opened its first residential treatment facility for men on parole; it was located in a neighborhood apartment building with a 24-bed capacity. The state paid for treatment for 

up to 6 months. A director of substance abuse programs was hired to supervise the staff of counselors and aides.

At about the same time, there was a national effort to focus on the needs of mentally ill offenders, who make up 

a large percentage of those in custody. This effort, coupled with the understanding that many persons in jails and 

prisons are substance abusers with a mental health diagnosis, resulted in increased funding for this population, 

who have historically fluctuated in and out of custody and other public institutions. There were no programs in 

CCC’s service area for this special population; therefore, in 2004 the agency opened the first residential treatment 

facility for men with co-occurring disorders who were on parole or probation. This required hiring staff and training them in how to treat persons with co-occurring disorders, as well as hiring an LCSW with experience in the 

field to conduct clinical supervision. 

Mission, Vision, and Values 

Early in CCC’s history, a group of key personnel met to develop the agency’s mission and vision. The executive 

director’s personal background included a brief criminal and longer substance abuse history, and his experiences 

with these systems fueled his passion to create an organization that would better serve similar individuals and the 

community. The team developed a mission and a vision for CCC. The original mission statement—“To help parolees and probationers successfully reenter society”—was later amended to reflect the ability to serve an expanded 

clientele pool and to be more inclusive of the community: “To promote public safety by providing services to 

criminal justice involved individuals that help them to become successful and contributing community members.” 

The group decided that the vision—“To be a catalyst for change that makes a positive difference in shattered 

lives”—was expressive and general enough for the organization. 

With the addition of treatment for persons with co-occurring disorders, the executive team decided on a number of 

core values:

■ Respect and dignity for our clients and stakeholders at all times.

■ Honesty and integrity in all that we do.

■ Transparency in our operations. 

■ Excellence in service delivery.

Current Programs and Contracts 

The employment component includes the following services:

County reentry services. Prerelease outreach, employment preparation, job development, and resource referrals 

for probationers and county jail releases, funded by the county’s Community Action Partnership. The program 
68 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

serves approximately 450 male and female clients annually—200 prerelease and 250 in the community. Clients 

are either self-referred or referred by the courts or their probation officer. This is a cost-reimbursement contract 

that runs through December 2013.

Parolee Reentry Program (PREP). Employment preparation, job development, on-the-job training, and resources for men and women on state parole, funded by the Local Workforce Investment Board through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Act. This is a performance contract (payment for number of “benchmarks” 

achieved for objectives of enrollment, job placement, and retention at 30 days). Parolees must be formally referred 

by their agent of record. PREP is contracted to serve 120 clients annually; it runs through June 2013.

The substance abuse treatment component includes the following services:

Parole community treatment authorization. Parolees are referred for substance abuse assessment. The assessment is reviewed by an independent clinician; if he/she concurs with the treatment recommendation, the parolee 

may be accepted into the CCC outpatient or residential program (CCC does not have a residential program for 

women). If CCC does not have an available bed, the clinician makes an appropriate referral. Payment is made to 

CCC for assessment and subsequent treatment for up to 6 months. Treatment plans may include residential and 

outpatient treatment, depending on assessment and progress. For men with co-occurring disorders, referrals are 

made directly from prison to the residential program. 

Outpatient fee for services. For probationers whose probation conditions include outpatient treatment. Fees are 

determined by a sliding scale approved by the court and range from $25–$75 for assessment and orientation and 

$10–$25 per group or individual session. Treatment dosage and duration are determined by assessment. CCC 

accepts some indigent clients. Progress reports are sent directly to the court. Other individuals are eligible for services, including parolees who have already exhausted their paid treatment and those who would benefit from the 

program’s special emphasis (formerly incarcerated individuals who are not under correctional supervision). 

Both the employment and treatment components share many mutual clients. Outpatient clients who are indigent 

and able to work are referred to the employment component. If the probationer is successful in gaining employment, his/her indigent status for treatment is reexamined to determine the ability to pay. On the other hand, if 

clients in the employment component are in need of treatment to obtain or keep a job, they are referred to the 

outpatient component. 

Core Competencies or Areas of Expertise 

CCC excels in the following areas:

■ Providing comprehensive and effective reentry services that help formerly incarcerated persons to 

overcome barriers to success. CCC has specifically designed services to meet the unique and diverse needs 

of its target population. This specialization enables the client to quickly adapt to our programs (i.e., the client 

does not feel out of place and can talk about life experiences without fear of judgment). CCC provides clientcentered services—each treatment or employment plan is individually tailored to meet the unique needs and 

experiences of the client. 
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 69

■ All employees working directly with clients are trained to work with persons who have mental diagnoses and co-occurring disorders. Because the percentage of persons with a mental diagnosis is substantially 

higher for individuals involved in the criminal justice system compared to the general public, it is a given that 

many of the clients we serve will also have mental health issues. We strive to develop a plan of action that 

incorporates each client’s challenges on a case-by-case basis. Our task is to determine whether we are the best 

organization to help the client overcome his/her barriers to reentry; if not, we will refer the client to the appropriate organization. 

■ All case managers are trained in motivational interviewing. For both the employment and substance abuse 

components, CCC believes that motivational interviewing (MI) is an indispensable tool of the trade. Each case 

manager (employment specialist or substance abuse counselor) must demonstrate proficiency in MI (or progress toward proficiency) after 6 months on the job. Initial training is provided for those who do not possess the 

necessary skills when they are hired. Ongoing training to improve MI skills is provided. 

Workforce Profile 

CCC prides itself in its ability to attract and maintain a workforce of dedicated and skilled individuals, many of 

whom are formerly incarcerated and/or recovering addicts. However, the ability to relate with the clientele is not 

a necessary requirement for employment; employees must also have the experience, education, and commitment 

required to work effectively with this population. 

CCC’s current workforce consists of 42 full-time employees, 6 part-time employees, 15 volunteer interns (the 

volunteer staff fluctuates between 10 and 16), and 1 consultant who provides clinical supervision for the substance 

abuse component 4 hours each week. 

There are three primary categories of paid employees: directors, case managers, and support staff. Minimum 

qualifications for each category are as follows.

Directors (including executive director): 

■ Master’s degree in an area relevant to the agency mission and service delivery.

■ At least 5 years of experience in service delivery to a criminal justice population or other challenging 

populations.

■ At least 3 years of management or supervisory experience.

Case managers: 

■ Associate’s degree in a related area (employment specialists) or current substance abuse certification by a 

recognized certifying agency.

■ At least 1 year of experience in service delivery to a criminal justice population in a social service or treatment setting.
70 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Support staff:

■ High school diploma or GED.

■ At least 1 year of experience in a social service or treatment setting performing similar duties (depending on 

job requirements; volunteer and intern experience accepted).

■ Treatment counselor aides must be registered interns working toward AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) treatment certification.

In addition, CCC uses volunteers who are interns from local colleges and universities, and considers them a 

valuable part of the workforce. Interns must be working toward attaining a degree that has value to the organization and must commit to work at least 12 hours a week for 4 months. Interns work in the employment, substance 

abuse, and volunteer components. 

Current demographics for paid staff are:

Gender Race/Ethnicity Education

•	 Male 36% •	 African American 28% •	 Two-year degree 17%

•	 Female 64% •	 White 40% •	 Four-year degree 15%

•	 Latino 22% •	 Master’s degree 10%

•	 Asian/Pacific Islander 10%

Some employees are ex-offenders (36 percent) and/or recovering addicts/alcoholics (26 percent). Funding restrictions prohibit persons under active correctional supervision from serving in jobs where they are directly involved 

with parolees. CCC believes that individuals who have successfully completed their term of parole or probation, 

or have been in recovery for a reasonable amount of time, can serve as role models to others. 

Organizational Assets 

CCC operates 2 residential treatment facilities for men, with a 24-bed capacity each. The organization leases both 

of the facilities. The community services facility is home to administrative offices, volunteer and employment 

components, and outpatient treatment.

All employees have access to PCs with the Windows 7 operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional 

and Internet/intranet capabilities. Substance abuse employees enter client data into an internal database that tracks 

attendance, treatment plans, and case notes. Monthly aggregate data are entered in an online report as a contract 

requirement. Employment employees enter data for parolee clients in an online database furnished by the funding 

source. CCC maintains an internal database to report progress toward objectives for its county-funded program. 

Employment clients have access to a five-station computer lab to conduct Internet job searches and update their 

resumes.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 71

Computers are networked to printers and/or copiers at each facility. CCC maintains two computer servers; one 

manages backup of all employee files and the intranet, and the other one is used for financial management and is 

accessible only by fiscal employees. Computers and servers are approximately 5 years old. CCC uses the services 

of an outside IT manager to service its computer hardware, resulting in occasional downtime for components or 

for the entire agency.

There are two 12-passenger vans, one at each residential facility. CCC owns the telephone system at the community services facility.

Regulatory Oversight 

Residential and outpatient programs are certified by the State’s Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) office, which 

sets the standards for employee qualifications, recordkeeping, and treatment. Residential programs are also licensed by ADP, which requires that the physical plant be maintained according to rigorous standards. ADP licensing and certification are required by CCC’s funding sources. ADP conducts regular and unannounced site visits to 

monitor compliance. The state fire marshal also conducts yearly and unannounced inspections to ensure that all 

facilities meet safety standards.

Organizational Relationships 

CCC is governed by a board of directors. The following organization chart depicts the primary reporting hierarchy 

of the agency:

Clients and External Stakeholders 

Parolees and probationers are the clients we serve in the community. Local jail inmates are also clients served 

through outreach. External stakeholders include the county probation office, department of corrections and rehabilitation (prisons and parole), superior court, district attorney, public defender, and the general public.

Fiscal Management

and HR Administration

Executive Director

Board of Directors

Director, 

Volunteer Programs

Director,

Employment Programs

Director, Substance

Abuse Programs
72 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Referral Sources, Partners, Volunteers, and Collaborators 

CCC receives the majority of client referrals from parole agents and probation officers. Other community-based 

organizations (CBOs) also refer clients. CCC is a partner with the local One-Stop Career Center network that 

conducts eligibility and certification for the federally funded PREP program. A local community college that 

awards an associate’s degree in alcohol and drug studies provides many volunteer interns. Another local university 

provides interns who are pursuing degrees in counseling, vocational rehabilitation, social work, and management 

of nonprofit organizations. CCC collaborates with the Employment Development Department for Work Opportunity Tax Credits and federal bonding for employment component clients. 

Primary Financial Competitors 

Several local treatment facilities provide outpatient and residential treatment to offenders. Another organization, 

Able and Willing, was awarded a federal Second Chance Act grant to provide employment services to nonviolent 

parolees. 

Organizational Situation 

CCC developed a strategic plan nearly 3 years ago; the economic climate rendered the plan outdated shortly 

thereafter. The state, like the nation, has experienced drastic budget shortfalls that have translated into funding 

cuts for offender treatment programs. Funding for parolees accounted for nearly 60 percent of CCC’s budget in 

2009; today it accounts for 45 percent. The county has made significant cuts to its program providers, resulting 

in a 25-percent cut in the county reentry program this year. Other CBOs that CCC depended on for many client 

support services report similar losses, resulting in fewer resources. While funds from individuals and foundations 

have never been a significant percentage of revenue, donations have fallen from an average of $40,000 to about 

$15,000 this year. Overall, CCC’s budget has been reduced by 22 percent in 3 years. This has resulted in salary 

freezes and the elimination of some case management positions. 

CCC is pursuing other revenue sources. We can increase fee-for-service revenue by serving pretrial and diversion 

clients at the state and federal levels. Another strategy is to increase service delivery to county clients with cooccurring disorders; Proposition 63 funds can be used to pay for these services. 

Performance Measurements 

CCC uses the following measurements to gauge performance for its components.

Substance abuse component: 

■ Parole compiles and distributes an annual report on treatment outcomes by provider (e.g., successful, unsuccessful, reincarcerated, transferred).

■ The organization maintains an internal database and reports monthly on admissions, exits, and their status. 

The report is shared with the board of directors, executive director, and component staff.
Appendix B: APEX Organizational Profile • 73

■ Client (anonymous) program evaluations at exit are compiled by the director and shared with the staff quarterly for continuous program improvement.

Employment component:

■ The organization submits a monthly report to the funding source on progress toward objectives (e.g., outreach 

efforts, new enrollments, number of clients employed, average wage, exit status) and shares this information 

with component staff. 

Volunteer component: 

■ The director compiles a monthly report for the executive director and board of directors on the number of 

interns, hours served, and value of service.

Appendix C: APEX Inventory and Reports • 75

Appendix C: APEX Inventory and Reports 
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Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 91

Appendix D: Compiled List of 

Assessments for All Domains 

Change Management Assessments

Full Name Author Description

Change Abilitator LHE Inc. Identifies six types of concerns experienced by 

employees, managers, etc. when change is introduced 

in their team or organization so that these obstacles 

to change can be overcome.

http://www.hrdcentral.com/change-abilitatorquestionnaire.html/

TCU Organizational 

Readiness for Change 

(2 versions) (ORC)

Texas Christian University, 

Institute of Behavioral 

Research

Two versions: Director and Staff. Director categories: 

program needs, staff training needs, pressure for change 

(sources), miscellaneous. Staff categories: program needs, 

staff training needs, pressure for change (sources), offices, 

staffing, training, equipment, Internet, growth, efficacy, 

influence, orientation, adaptability, organizational climate, 

training exposure, and utilization. 

Program director version:

http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/datacoll/Forms/cj-orc-d-sg.pdf

Treatment staff version:

http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/datacoll/Forms/orc-s.pdf

TCU Organizational 

Readiness for Change – 

Social Agency Staff Version 

(TCU ORC–SA) 

Texas Christian University, 

Institute of Behavioral 

Research

Alternate version of the ORC assessment adapted for 

use in social agencies that do not provide treatment 

services directly. Two new scales: Management and 

Satisfaction.

http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/datacoll/Forms/orc-sa.pdf

Watson Wyatt Change 

Readiness Assessment Tool

Watson Wyatt Worldwide This tool includes three sections. As you complete a 

section, the tool will rate your readiness in that 

dimension as “high/mid/low.” When all three sections 

are completed, you will receive a summary evaluation 

with related tips to identify potential obstacles to 

change as well as best practices.

http://www.watsonwyatt.com/us/tools/change/ 
92 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Leadership Assessments

Full Name Author Description

Are We Making Progress as 

Leaders?

Baldrige (NIST) For senior leaders to complete about the organization 

to assess their perceptions of the organization and learn 

what can be done to improve performance.

http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/index.cfm

Benchmark of 

Organizational 

Emotional Intelligence 

(BOEI)

Steven Stein and MHS Staff Used to assess emotional intelligence of an organization 

as a whole as well as teams and divisions. Scores: job 

happiness, compensation, work/life stress management, 

organizational cohesiveness, supervisory leadership, 

diversity and anger management, organizational responsiveness, positive impression, and negative impression.

http://www.mhs.com/product.aspx?gr=io&prod=boei&id=

overview

CCI Building Capacities 

Self-Assessment Tool

McKinsey & Company/ 

Venture Philanthropy 

Partners

Content areas include: financial data, fundraising strategies, access, mission/vision/planning, community engagement and collaboration, two leadership scales, financial 

systems/position, fund development, and data-informed 

decisionmaking.

http://careinnovations.org

Common Sense 

Organization Effectiveness 

Four-Factor Instrument

Bud Bilanich Four subscales: clarity of purpose and direction, commitment of all organizational members, execution of 

the things that matter, and beneficial relationships with 

stakeholders in this brief yes/no rated 38-item survey.

http://www.budbilanich.com/consulting/organizationeffectiveness

Creating the HPO 

Self-Assessment

Gregory P. Smith Categories include organization purpose/vision, leadership strategy, direction, change, barriers, engagement, talent retention, ideas and innovation, customer and market 

focus, and managing and measuring performance.

http://www.chartcourse.com/high-performance-organization.

html

DiSC John Geier and 

Inscape Publishing

Based on the work of Dr. Marston, looks at four aspects 

of behavior based on preferences in word association: 

dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance.

http://www.resourcesunlimited.com

Great Systems Leadership 

Index

Great Systems and 

Kevin McManus

A brief 11-item survey using 5-point Likert ratings with 

explanation of how to calculate a leadership index 

(quotient).

http://greatsystems.com/leadindex.htm
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 93

Leadership Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Leadership Development 

Needs Assessment 

(LEADNA)

Westinghouse Electric Corp. 

(for U.S. Dept. of Energy) 

(DOE)

A 360 feedback tool assesses with 5-point ratings 

(“thinks long term” vs. “thinks short term”) for these 

leadership development need dimensions: strategy, 

communication, knowledge, learning, influence, relationships, delegation, integrity, and confidence (complete with 

guide and scoring key). 

http://msl.mt.gov/About_MSL/commission/archive/2005/

10/2001012stlibevalleadna.pdf

Leadership Practices 

Inventory (LPI)

James M. Kouzes and 

Barry Z. Posner

Designed to identify practices and behaviors associated with effective leadership and to measure personal 

and organizational progress in leadership development. 

Scores (5): challenging the process, inspiring a shared 

vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, and 

encouraging the heart.

http://www.lpionline.com

Likert Organizational 

Climate Survey (LOCS)

Rensis Likert Likert used his own categorization system, breaking 

management styles into the four systems: exploitative/

authoritative, benevolent/authoritative, consultative, and 

participative. 

http://cjinstitute.org/files/likertoverview.pdf

McKinsey & Company 

Nonprofit Board SelfAssessment Tool–Short Form

McKinsey & Co. Four-point Likert ratings on performance of board on 

core responsibilities, perceived importance of core 

responsibilities for the next 1 to 2 years, and enablers of 

board effectiveness.

www.prolifica.org/uploads/Board_self_assessment_short.pdf

Multifactor Leadership 

Questionnaire (MLQ)

Bernard M. Bass and 

Bruce J. Avolio

Short form with 45 questions; measures transformational 

leadership.

http://www.mindgarden.com/products/mlqr.htm

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 

(MBTI)

Myers Briggs Foundation, 

Katherine Cook Briggs and 

Isabel Briggs Myers

Measures psychological preferences in how people 

perceive the world and make decisions. These preferences are derived from Carl Jung’s book Psychological 

Types, with 16 personality types, 8 preferences, and tools 

to help in understanding personality type. Requires an 

MBTI qualified administrator.

http://www.myersbriggs.org
94 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Leadership Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

McKinsey & Company/

Marguerite Casey Foundation 

Organizational Capacity 

Assessment Tool (OCAT)

Copyright by Venture 

Philanthropy Partners

Instrument for nonprofits to identify capacities in 

leadership, adaptive, management, and operational 

capacity.

http://www.vppartners.org/learning/mckinsey-vpp-ocat

http://caseygrants.org/resources/org-capacity-assessment

NRCS Leadership Assessment NRCS Social Sciences Team A 5-point survey containing 45 items covering these 

dimensions: focused drive, emotional intelligence, building 

trust/enabling others, conceptual thinking, and systems 

thinking.

http://nicic.gov/Go/nrcs_Leadership_Assessment_Instrument 

StrengthsFinder 2.0 Gallup Respondents choose between pairs of potential descriptors. Results identify the user’s top 5 strengths from 34 

possible themes.

http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx

Organizational Culture Assessments

Full Name Author Description

The Birkman Method® Roger W. Birkman PhD A 298-question personality assessment answered online 

in about 45 minutes. The reports generated evaluate 

interest, motivation, and behavior; they also measure 

productive behaviors, stress behaviors, underlying needs, 

motivations, and organizational orientation.

www.birkman.com

Correctional Institutions 

Environment Scale, 

Second Edition (CIES)

Rudolf H. Moos Designed to measure the social climate of juvenile and 

adult correctional programs.

http://www.mindgarden.com/products/ciess.htm

Court Culture Assessment 

Instrument (CCAI)

Karen J. Brown Assesses five key dimensions of court culture: dominant 

case management style, judicial and court staff relations, 

change management, courthouse leadership, and internal 

organization.

http://nicic.gov/Go/Court_Culture_Assessment_Instrument 
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 95

Organizational Culture Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Discovering Diversity 

Profile

Inscape Publishing An online diversity profile that helps clarify the feelings 

and opinions of those in the workforce with respect to 

diversity and makes suggestions for change.

www.discoveringdiversityprofile.com/

Everything DiSC Inscape Publishing Workplace assessment and exercises that identify the 

work style and work priorities of the leader and his/her 

staff. Also describes motivators and stressors for people 

at work and helps people design strategies to improve 

their working relationships with others who may have 

different styles. DiSC can be self-administered, but should 

be interpreted with the assistance of a coach who is 

familiar with the DiSC assessment and then allow for 

group work to look at the results.

www.resourcesunlimited.com/shop/everything-discworkplace-profile.asp

Interpersonal Trust Survey Guy L. De Furia PhD A three-page survey that examines the level of organizational trust. Five behaviors are focused on sharing relevant information, reducing controls, allowing for mutual 

influence, clarifying mutual expectations, and meeting 

expectations.

www.pfeiffer.com/WileyCDA/PfeifferTitle/productCdPCOL4017.html

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 

(MBTI)

Myers Briggs Foundation, 

Katherine Cook Briggs and 

Isabel Briggs Myers

Measures psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. These preferences 

are derived from Carl Jung’s book Psychological Types, with 

16 personality types, 8 preferences, and tools to help in 

understanding personality type. Requires an MBTI qualified administrator.

http://www.myersbriggs.org

The Nonprofit Life Stage 

Assessment

Judith Sharken Simon 

and J. Terence Donovan

Helps to determine what life stage an organization is 

in and the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Will help the organization plan for future needs, make 

decisions, anticipate challenges, and make appropriate 

adjustments.

http://wilderresearch.org/tools/lifestages/index.php
96 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Organizational Culture Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Now, Discover Your 

Strengths

Marcus Buckingham and 

Donald O. Clifton PhD

Book and Web-based questionnaire focus on identifying talents and building them into strengths to improve 

performance rather than focusing on weaknesses in the 

workplace, which detracts from creating a culture of 

recognition. 

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/1147/now-discover-yourstrengths-book-center.aspx

Organizational Culture 

Assessment Instrument 

(OCAI)

Kim Cameron and the 

Regents of the University 

of Michigan

Assesses six key dimensions of organizational culture 

with six questions. Each question has four alternatives 

and is scored for “current” and again for “preferred.”

http://www.ocai-online.com/products/ocai-one

Organizational Culture 

Assessment Instrument – 

Prisons (OCAI–P)

Criminal Justice Institute, Inc. 

and the National Institute of 

Corrections

Cameron and Quinn’s OCAI instrument with a few 

modifications for prisons.

www.nicic.gov

http://www.cji-inc.com/

Organizational Culture 

Inventory (OCI)

Robert A. Cooke and 

J. Clayton Lafferty, and 

Human Synergistics 

International 

Helps explain why some organizations and their units are 

more effective than others. Examines problem solving 

and decisionmaking, teamwork, productivity, and longterm effectiveness.

http://www.humansynergistics.com/products/oci.aspx

Real Colors Personality 

Instruments

NCTI Based on the temperament theory of David Kiersey and 

bridging temperament theory with real life application, 

helps others recognize and value the differences in others.

http://www.realcolors.org/page_6.php

The Trust Index© Employee 

Survey and Workplace 

Culture Assessment

Great Place to Work Institute Based on the research of Robert Levering and Milton 

Moskowitz’s book The 100 Best Companies to Work for in 

America. Two surveys: The Trust Index© Survey is taken 

by employees and includes open-ended questions about 

the level of trust in the organization. The Workplace 

Culture Assessment identifies gaps between the intended 

culture and the experienced culture from the employees’ 

perspective.

http://www.greatplacetowork.com
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 97

Organizational Culture Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

WhoTrustsYou Survey Stephen Covey and

Franklin Covey

A brief individual survey available online that is a good 

first step in feedback. Participants take the survey, send it 

to those they choose, and get anonymous feedback along 

with a report comparing their credibility score along 

with others’ opinions.

http://speedoftrust.com/new/resources/who-trusts-you

Work Climate Questionnaire 

(WCQ)

Geoffrey Williams and 

Edward Deci

A 15-item scale that assesses participants’ perceptions of 

the degree of autonomy supportiveness of their managers and predicts job satisfaction with respect to competence, autonomy, and relatedness.

http://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/questionnaires/10-

questionnaires/83

Operations: Safe and Secure Supervision and Settings Assessments

Full Name Author Description

Numerous assessments for 

inmate classification and risk

See Stakeholder Focus Assessments table on pages 

101–102.

Static Risk and Offender 

Needs Guide (STRONG)

WSIPP and Assessments.com Offender needs assessment and supervision plan.

http://nicic.gov/Go/Static_Risk_Offender_Needs_Guide

CCHP–RN Candidate 

Handbook

Checklist for inmate-patients for use by correctional 

nurses.

http://www.ncchc.org/CCHPRN/downloads/

Content_Outline.pdf

Numerous security audits 

and checklists

American Correctional Association (ACA) 

https://www.aca.org

American Jail Association (AJA) 

http://www.aja.org

American Probation and Parole Association (APPA)

http://www.appa-net.org/eweb/

National Institute of Corrections (NIC)

http://nicic.gov

http://nicic.gov/Library/012769

Colorado Community Corrections Self-Auditing 

Guidelines

http://dcj.state.co.us/occ/pdf/Auditing%20Guidelines.pdf
98 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Operations: Safe and Secure Supervision and Settings Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Oklahoma Contract Monitor Guide 

http://nicic.gov/Go/OK_ContractMonitorGuide

Correctional Facilities Pandemic Influenza Planning 

Checklist

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/professional/business/

correctionchecklist.pdf

Detention Facility Self-Assessment

http://www.aecf.org/upload/PublicationFiles/jdai0507.pdf

Emergency Preparedness Assessment Resource 

Supplements

http://nicic.gov/Library/Files/016922.pdf

A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to 

Jail Emergencies

A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Prison 

Emergencies

http://nicic.gov/Downloads/PDF/Library/023494.pdf

http://nicic.gov/Library/Files/020293.pdf

Texas Commission on Jail Standards Inspection Forms

http://www.tcjs.state.tx.us/index.php?linkID=310

North Dakota Jail Standards Adult Facility Inspection 

Report

http://www.nd.gov/docr/county/inspections.html

Operations Inspections Form, Accession No. 019542 

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx#

Preparing for Inspection – What to Expect, Accession 

No. 021536 

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx# 

Program Review and Internal Audit in Corrections

http://nicic.gov/Library/Files/012121.pdf
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 99

Operations: Safe and Secure Supervision and Settings Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Security Audit Guide, California Dept. of Corrections, 

Accession No. 012008

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx#

The Security Audit Program, Accession No. 015770 

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx#

Security Envelope Master Checklist, Accession No. 

014558

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx#

Self-Assessment Checklists, Accession No. 015122

This document is currently available in paper form 

only from http://info.nicic.gov/Customer/Ask.aspx#

Operations: Process Management Assessments

Full Name Author Description

Agency Self-Assessment Form Five-point Likert ratings: create a strategic plan, allocate 

resources, manage our people, analyze data, respond 

(make decisions and take action), improve process,

communicate results, and listen.

http://nicic.gov/Go/AgencySelfAssessment

Are We Making Progress? Baldrige (NIST) Sections and assessments relate to the Baldrige 

National Performance Excellence Program Criteria.

http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/enter/self.cfm

Baldrige Asks, How Do You 

Know?

Baldrige (NIST) Asks critical questions about the organization’s success 

and sustainability.

http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/

how_do_you_know.cfm

High-Reliability Organization 

Set (real title unknown)

Karl E. Weick and 

Dr. Kathleen M. Sutcliffe

From Weick and Sutcliffe’s book Managing the Unexpected: 

Assuring High Performance in the Age of Complexity. Uses 

3-point ratings (not at all/some extent/great deal) with 

47 items across 5 subscales: preoccupation with failure, 

reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and expertise in organization. 

http://www.wildfirelessons.net/SearchResults.aspx?q=Weick
100 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Operations: Process Management Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Massachusetts Cultural

Council Organizational 

Self-Assessment Tool 

(MCCOSAT)

Categories: mission and vision, strategic planning and 

evaluation, programming, educational programming, community participation, advocacy/public relations, marketing, 

financial health, fundraising, governance, management, 

human relations, IT, and facilities management.

http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/services/

org_assessment.pdf

McKinsey Capacity 

Assessment Grid

Copyright by Venture 

Philanthropy Partners

Tool designed to help nonprofits assess their organizational capacity. To be used in conjunction with the Capacity Framework.

http://www.ilj.org/publications/docs/McKinsey_

Organization_Capacity_Assessment_Tool.pdf

Organisational Diagnosis 

Questionnaire (ODQ)

Robert C. Preziosi Contains 35 items to provide survey-feedback data for 

intensive diagnostic efforts. The questionnaire by itself 

or with other data-collection techniques (direct observation, interviewing) provides information for identifying strengths and weaknesses in an organization. The 

questionnaire produces data relative to informal activity. 

Based on Weisbord’s research.

http://nicic.gov/Go/OrganizationalDiagnosisQuestionnaire

Performance Management 

Self-Assessment Tool

Turning Point Performance 

Management

Three-point ratings (yes/fully, somewhat, no) for these 

dimensions: overall readiness and accountability, performance standards, performance measurement, reporting 

of progress, and quality improvement process.

http://www.turningpointprogram.org/toolkit/content/

pmassess.htm

State of Georgia 

Performance Management 

Process: Manager’s Guide

State of Georgia Performance evaluations, including self-evaluations that 

rate against expectations.

http://www.spa.ga.gov/pdfs/ep_PMP_Manager’s_Guide.pdf

SVP Organizational 

Capacity Assessment 

Tool

Copyright by Venture 

Philanthropy Partners

Designed for three to five participants from various 

levels of the organization to complete individually. Examines mission, vision, strategy, planning, program design/

evaluation, human resources, senior management team 

leadership, IT, financial management, fund development, 

board leadership, legal affairs, marketing, communications, 

and external relations.

http://nicic.gov/Go/SVP_OrgCapacityAssessmentTool
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 101

Stakeholder Focus Assessments

Full Name Author Description

ACUTE–2007 Cyzap, Inc. Developed to assess changes in short-term risk status 

and help predict recidivism in sexual offenders. Only 

certified users are able to administer ACUTE–2007.

http://nicic.gov/Go/ACUTE_2007

Hare Psychopathy 

Checklist (PCL–R)

Robert Hare A psychopathology checklist, including PCL–R, PCL 

Screening Version, and more.

http://www.hare.org/scales/pclr.html

Level of Service 

Inventory (LSI) 

Andrews and Bonta Includes several versions designed to survey offender 

characteristics and situations that will determine supervision and treatment.

http://www.mhs.com/searchgl.aspx?q=LSI

Northpointe COMPAS Northpointe 

Management Inc.

COMPAS software suite includes software for offender 

assessment, classification, and case management, measuring risk and need areas, divided into these categories: 

core, reentry, youth, women, classification, and case 

manager. 

http://www.northpointeinc.com/products/northpointesoftware-suite

Ohio Risk Assessment 

System (ORAS) and 

Ohio Youth Assessment 

System (OYAS)

University of Cincinnati, 

Center for Criminal

 Justice Research

ORAS is a risk/needs assessment for adult offenders. 

OYRA is for juvenile assessment. Also offering women’s 

risk/needs assessment, women’s supplemental risk/needs 

assessment, and software platform.

http://www.uc.edu/corrections/services/risk-assessment.html

Orbis Assessments (Spin) 

(YASI) (Spin–W)

Orbis Partners Adult assessment (Spin) assesses risk, needs, and factors 

for adult populations in supervised, probation, parole, 

and reentry populations. Youth (YASI) is for juvenile 

populations. Gender responsive (Spin–W) is for women. 

CaseWorks software enables case management.

http://www.orbispartners.com/assessment

Risk Prediction Index (RPI) Federal Justice Center/

U.S. Probation

RPI looks at seven variables: offender’s age at start of 

supervision, number of arrests before arresting offense, 

employment status, history of drug/alcohol use, prior 

history, education, and family.

www.fd.org/pdf_lib/fjc/Keeping_Client_Final.pdf
102 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Stakeholder Focus Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

Sex Offender Treatment 

Intervention and Progress 

Scale (SOTIPS)

Robert J. McGrath, 

Michael P. Lasher, and 

Georgia F. Cumming

A 16-item rating scale designed to assess risk among 

adult male sex offenders.

http://nicic.gov/Go/SOTIPS

STABLE–2007 Cyzap, Inc. Developed to assess change in intermediate-term risk 

status, assess treatment needs, and help predict recidivism in sexual offenders. Only certified users are able to 

administer STABLE–2007. 

http://nicic.gov/Go/STABLE_2007

STATIC–99R R. Karl Hanson and 

David Thornton

Designed to estimate the probability of sexual and violent recidivism among adult males who have already been 

convicted of at least one sexual offense against a child 

or nonconsenting adult. Only certified users are able to 

administer STATIC–99R. 

http://www.static99.org

Vermont Assessment of 

Sex Offender Risk (VASOR) 

Manual

Robert J. McGrath and 

Stephen E. Hoke

A risk assessment scale for adult male sex offenders 

age 18 and older; helps in placement and supervision 

decisions. Composed of 2 scales: a 13-item reoffense risk 

scale and a 6-item violence scale. 

http://www.csom.org/pubs/VASOR.pdf

Violence Risk Appraisal 

Guide (VRAG)

Quinsey, Harris, Rice, 

and Cormier

A 12-item checklist with score calculation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19821220

http://nicic.gov/Go/VRAG

Virginia Pretrial Risk 

Assessment Instrument 

(VPRAI)

Department of Criminal 

Justice Services, Virginia

Looks at defendant’s status at arrest, relationship to 

charges, and defendant’s history. 

http://www.luminosity-solutions.com/publications/VPRAI_

Instruction_Manual_v_1-2_5-15-09.pdf 

http://nicic.gov/Library/024545 

Washington State: DOC 

Static Risk Assessment

Washington State Institute 

for Public Policy 

Adult (static) and juvenile risk assessment based on 

offender demographics and criminal history.

http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/07-03-1201.pdf
Appendix D: Compiled List of Assessments for All Domains • 103

Workforce Focus Assessments

Full Name Author Description

16PF Talent Profile IPAT, Inc. A shorter version of the 16PF Fifth Edition personality 

measure, which was designed for personnel selection 

and assessing job fit. Scores (12): warmth, calmness, 

dominance, liveliness, rule consciousness, social boldness, 

trust, imagination, self-assuredness, openness, selfreliance, and organization.

http://nicic.gov/Go/16PF_TalentProfile

Best Companies Group 

Employee Engagement & 

Satisfaction Survey

Best Companies Group Nineteen items.

http://nicic.gov/Go/BestCompaniesGroup

Campbell Organizational 

Survey (COS)

David Campbell Designed to measure attitudes of employees regarding 

the organization. Scores (14): the work itself, working 

conditions, freedom from stress, coworkers, supervision, 

top leadership, pay, benefits, job security, promotional 

opportunities, feedback/communications, organizational 

planning, support for innovation, and overall satisfaction 

index.

http://nicic.gov/Go/vangent

Organizational Assessment 

from High Performance 

Teamwork and Built on 

Trust training courses

Learning Center Twenty-one-item assessment with four-point rating scale 

of “sampled”organizational dimensions (no subscales).

http://www.learningcenter.net/library/management.shtml

Probation Strategies 

Questionnaire (PSQ)

Robert A. Shearer Twenty-four items to determine parole and/or probation 

officer’s view of role: law enforcement, case worker, and 

resource broker.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.

aspx?id=195857

Team Leadership 

Assessment Tool

Yale University School 

of Public Health

Five-point ratings of personal effectiveness, work environment and support, team leader/manager, team dynamics, and management skills (71 items total).

http://nicic.gov/Go/TeamLeadershipAssessmentTool

Teamwork Survey Don Clark Designed to help you assess the stage at which your 

team normally operates. It is based on the “Tuckman” 

model of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. 

The lowest score possible for a stage is 8 (almost never) 

while the highest score possible for a stage is 40 (almost 

always).

http://nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/teamsuv.html
104 • Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment

Workforce Focus Assessments (continued)

Full Name Author Description

TCU Survey of Program 

Training Needs (2 versions: 

Staff and Program 

Director) (TCU PTN–S

and TCU PTN–D)

Texas Christian University Used for identifying and prioritizing treatment issues that 

programs believe need attention. Items are organized 

into domains focused on facilities and climate, satisfaction with training, training content preferences, needs 

more training, training strategy preferences, and computer resources. This type of information can help guide 

overall training efforts as well as predict the innovations 

that programs are most likely to seek out and adopt.

http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/datacoll/Forms/ptn-s.pdf

http://www.ibr.tcu.edu/pubs/datacoll/Forms/ptn-d.pdf

Results Assessments

Full Name Author Description

The Managing for Results 

(MFR) Self-Assessment Tool

Unknown; from 

government of Canada

Five elements assessed. 

http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/BT22-88-2003E.pdf

Organizational Capacity 

Assessment Tool (OCAT)

Steve Collins of ACDI–

VOCA’s USAID-funded Kenya 

Maize Development Program

Uses a six-point rating scheme for governance, operations and management, human resources development, 

financial management, business services delivery, and 

external relations (43 items).

http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/fertilizeruse/

documentspdf/Organizational_Capacity_Assessment_Tool.pdf



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