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Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX)

Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX) is a business model that offers a systems approach to change, specifically for correctional organizations. It provides multiple tools and strategies to build sustainable capacity toward higher performance, evidence-based practices, and data-driven decision making. Safety and security is one of the foundational principles of APEX. In addition, this model provides a pathway for agencies to create an organizational culture and a management environment that encourages innovative ideas to improve services, processes, and results.

APEX includes these components:

The APEX Public Safety Model
The APEX Guidebook Series
The APEX Assessment Tool Protocol
The APEX Change Agent Training

The APEX Public Safety Model

The APEX Public Safety Model includes eight domains that reflect the shared vision and operating values of everyone working in any corrections system. In this model, the Organizational Culture domain is placed at the top to show that it is an umbrella over the organization, how it operates, and what it values. The Leadership, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Focus, Workforce Focus, and Operations Focus domains rest on a foundation of Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management. All domains lead to Results.

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

The APEX Assessment Tool Protocol

These tools provide a comprehensive and systems-based picture of how a correctional organization operates in the eight domains, how ready the organization is to begin a change effort, and informs the development of plans and strategies to improve performance. Agencies can choose to use only the tools they wish and base their implementation plans on those results. The assessment tool protocol includes:

The APEX Screener
The APEX Organizational Profile
The APEX Inventory

The APEX Change Agent Training

The APEX Change Agent Training is designed to create internal change agents in all sectors of corrections. The training will enable participants to be able to take the APEX Guidebook series and Assessment Tools out to their agencies and successfully implement the APEX processes: assisting their agencies as they go through the culture and performance tools, developing integrated and holistic implementation plans to meet any identified gaps, and working toward sustaining the change efforts.

Currently NIC is working with Iowa Department of Corrections and the Story County (IA) Jail.

Library Resources

Recommended Reading

Date	Title	Type
2012	Achieving Performance Excellence: The Influence of Leadership on Organizational Performance By Cebula, Nancy; Craig, Elizabeth; Eggers, John; Fajardo, Marge Douville; Gray, James; Lantz, Theresa. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “Leadership is a very important component of higher performing organizations. This book presents a breadth and depth of information about leading others and describes what leaders need to excel at and what up-and-coming leaders need to know as they prepare themselves for leadership positions. Taking a balanced approach to leadership allows correctional leaders to influence different people and diverse stakeholder groups in differing situations. Good leaders know when they need to manage rather t... Read More	100 pages
2012	APEX Resources Directory Vol. 2: Communications, Focus Groups, and Development By Bilson, Janet Mancini; Cebula, Nancy; Innes, Christopher; Lantz, Theresa; Ritter, Elizabeth; Ward, Tom. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “APEX Resources Directory Volume 2 provides supportive information to correctional agencies embarking on the APEX (Achieving Performance Excellence) journey. It introduces the National Institute of Correc¬tions (NIC) Information Center, provides detailed information on creating a communications plan for those implementing the APEX Initiative, describes how to use focus groups to effectively gather information and feed-back, and includes a team development guide for those who want to build teams,... Read More	76 pages
2012	Culture and Change Management: Using APEX to Facilitate Organizational Change By Cebula, Nancy; Craig, Elizabeth; Innes, Christopher; Lantz, Theresa; Rhone, Tanya; Ward, Tom. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “Culture, including beliefs, assumptions, values, norms, and practices in an organization, determines the success of an organization’s performance and change efforts. This book helps illuminate the role culture plays in an organization that is striving for higher performance ... Knowledge of culture enables an organization to proceed along the path to successful change. The APEX Change Management Model provides a process and map for organizational change based in research and best practices; it ... Read More	116 pages
2012	Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens By Cebula, Nancy; Lantz, Theresa; Ward, Tom. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). This guidebook “is the second book in the APEX Guidebook series and is designed to help correctional practitioners deepen their knowledge of the Public Safety Model domains. It offers practical suggestions for improving performance and creating positive change by sharing best-practice methods and current literature on higher performance in corrections” (p. ix). APEX itself provides strategies for achieving performance excellence in the Public Safety Model domains—operations (which includes sa... Read More	96 pages
2011	APEX: Building the Model and Beginning the Journey By Cebula, Nancy; Lantz, Theresa; Ward, Tom. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “Through extensive research and analysis, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is offering the field of corrections a comprehensive business model entitled the APEX (Achieving Performance Excellence) Initiative. The APEX Initiative is an agency-driven systems approach to building capacity for higher organizational performance, best practices, data-driven decisionmaking using multiple self-assessment tools, and a Guidebook series with strategies, interventions, and pathways. The APEX Publi... Read More	56 pages
2012	Applying the APEX Tools for Organizational Assessment By Bogue, Bradford; Cebula, Nancy. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). People in Charge LLC (Boulder, CO); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “Previously, not many assessment tools looked at issues that specifically affect those who work in the field of corrections … [This book] 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 gui... Read More	128 pages

Related Resources

Date	Title	Type
2003	Institutional Culture [Videoconference Held July 23, 2003] National Institute of Corrections Academy (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). This training program helps participants identify the factors that shape an institution's culture and offers ways to attempt to change that culture. This videoconference covers: The importance and value of examining institutional culture; Institutional culture and default culture; Components of a comprehensive institutional culture assessment protocol; Benefits of conducting institutional culture assessment; The leader's role in shaping institutional culture; Steps to take ... Read More	1 DVD (162 min.)
2004	Implementing Evidence-Based Principles in Community Corrections: Leading Organizational Change and Development National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC); Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). Organizational development (OD) concepts and strategies that foster organizational change and reform are described. Sections of this publication include: changing the way business is done -- the integrated model; organizational case management; the leadership challenge; the influence of infrastructure; step by step; the literature; the integrated organizational change process model; the importance of a healthy organization; leadership styles and leading change; managing transitions; and structu... Read More	18 p.
2004	Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community: An Integrated Model National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC); Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). An introduction to an integrated model for the implementation of evidence-based principles in community corrections is provided. This document contains the following sections: overview; the project; the challenge of implementation; the Integrated Model; and conclusion. ... Read More	3 p.
1991	The Practical Planning Guide for Community Corrections Managers By Mactavish, Marie. National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). The different stages of the Planning Model are described. They include: Identifying community interests and offender requirements; Surveying services that are internal and external to the organization; Updating the mission (purpose of the business); Analyzing the gaps: the difference between what is and what ought to be; Creating outcome criteria for evaluation; Planning for and taking action: implementation stage; and Evaluating the action. ... Read More	41 p.
1993	Bridging the Gap: Winning Administration's Support for Training National Institute of Corrections Academy (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Academy. Northeast Regional Field Coordinators (N.P.). Designed specifically for correctional trainers from all areas of corrections, this twenty-four-hour seminar instructs participants in the development of a strategic action plan that will link training with agency needs. Communication styles, individual and organizational change theory, and social marketing are topics discussed. The manual contains lesson plans and a participant's guide. The seminar was held in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, September 14-16, 1993.... Read More	ca. 100 p.
1995	Communications in Corrections--Supplement By Stucker, John J.; Smith, Gretchen M.; Sprecher, Rob. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). This supplement describes the communications audits, technical assistance, and small grant projects supported by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) during this communications improvement program. The report summarizes communication issues and effective strategies for improvement. Topics discussed include community relations, media relations, corrections policy, internal communications, and organizational development. Included is a summary of the steps involved in developing a strate... Read More	16 p.
2004	Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community: The Likert Study National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). The use of Rensis Likert's Organizational Climate Survey by the National Institute of Corrections and the Crime and Justice Institute's Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community Inititative's National Project Team "with participating organizations as a means to measure organizational productivity and change over time" is explained (p. 1).... Read More	3 p.
2004	NIC/CJI Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community: Outcome and Process Measure Development National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). Informational elements needed for outcome measures, system process measures, program measures, and individual performance measures for evidence based practices, system process measures for organizational development, and system process measures for collaboration are clarified. Each element is delineated by its required or recommended use, components, definition, tool/data source, description, frequency, and who collects the data.... Read More	11 p.
2005	Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Corrections; Using an Integrated Model to Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Corrections By Clawson, Elyse; Bogue, Brad; Joplin, Lore. National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). The implementation of evidence-based practices that can significantly reduce the recidivism of offenders is explained. This paper covers: an integrated model of implementation; evidence-based practice; eight evidence-based principles for effective interventions; and implementing these principles.... Read More	17 p.
2004	Using an Integrated Model to Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Corrections By Joplin, Lore; Bogue, Brad; Campbell, Nancy; Carey, Mark; Clawson, Elyse; Faust, Dot; Florio, Kate; Wasson, Billy; Woodward, William. National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA). The significant reduction of offender recidivism in community corrections by implementing a series of evidence-based practices is explained (p. 1). This article is comprised of the following sections: overview; an integrated model of implementation; evidence-based practice, eight principles for effective interventions, and related questions to ask; collaboration; and conclusion.... Read More	28 p.
2005	Implementing Effective Correctional Management of Offenders in the Community: Outcome and Process Measures By Bogue, Brad; Woodward, Bill; Campbell, Nancy; Carey, Mark; Clawson, Elyse; Faust, Dorothy; Florio, Kate; Goldberg, Andrew Joplin, Lore Wasson, Billy. National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Outcome and process measures used to gage the effectiveness of the Integrated Model in reducing offender recidivism are presented. Each component found within a measure has information regarding its definition, tool/data source, description, frequency, and individual who collects the data. Components are organized into the following measures: recidivism; risk; proxy risk; supervision length; dosage; revocation and violation; program effectiveness; assessment; case plan; workload; violations; org... Read More	15 p.
2006	Proceedings of the Large Jail Network Meeting - July 2006 National Institute of Corrections. Jails Division (Longmont, CO). Contents of these proceedings are: meeting highlights; "Open Forum: Hot Topics for Discussion"; "Understanding Culture: The Root of It All" by Carol Flaherty-Zonis; "NIC Information Center Briefing" by Sandy Schilling and Josh Stengel; "Analyzing Our culture to Improve Our Jail" by Mark Foxall; "Changing the Jail's Organizational Culture" by Robert Green; "Planning for Catastrophes and Other Emergencies" by Jeffrey Schwartz; "Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and Jails" by Larry Solomon; "Cr... Read More	64 p.