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Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX)

Achieving Performance Excellence (APEX) News & Updates

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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:

  1. The APEX Public Safety Model
  2. The APEX Guidebook Series
  3. The APEX Assessment Tool Protocol
  4. The APEX Change Agent Training


The APEX Public Safety Model



APEX 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




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.

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Recommended Reading

Date Title Type
2012 NIC Publication
Culture and Change Management: Using APEX to Facilitate Organizational Change
“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 strivi... Read More
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2012 NIC Publication
Understanding Corrections through the APEX Lens
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 posit... Read More
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2011 NIC Publication
APEX: Building the Model and Beginning the Journey
“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 agenc... Read More
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