This creates accountability throughout all departments and levels of the organization. Subsequently, the organization identifies the application level. The higher the level, the more strenuous the application process. This usually requires months of work from a team of employees. The application then goes to a team of trained Lincoln Examiners who spend a significant amount of time reviewing the application and scoring it according to the criteria.
Organizations achieving an eligible score then receive a site visit.
This includes a week-long visit by the examiner team in which they gather and clarify information from the application. They also randomly interview many staff to test the congruency of what appeared as information in the application and what actually happens in the organization. The examiners develop a feedback report, assign a final score, and give the feedback report to a team of judges. The judges verify the scores and assign a level. The Elk Grove Park District received the Commitment to Excellence Award in 1999.