Criteria Non-performance Basic Proficient Distinguished Synthesize stories and evidence about times when a care setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety goals. Does not list stories and evidence about times when a care setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety goals. Lists but does not synthesize stories and evidence, or fails to clearly relate stories and evidence to quality and safety goals. Synthesizes stories and evidence about times when a care setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety goals. Synthesizes stories and evidence about times when a care setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety goals. Identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing information, unanswered questions, or areas of uncertainty (where further information could improve the synthesis). Propose positive, attainable quality and safety improvement goals for a care setting. Does not propose positive goals for a care setting. Proposed goals are positive but not attainable, or will not lead to ethical and culturally sensitive improvement of organizational quality and safety, or are not clearly aligned with the care setting’s mission, vision, and values. Proposes positive, attainable quality and safety improvement goals for a care setting. Proposes positive, attainable quality and safety improvement goals for a care setting, and identifies assumptions on which proposed goals are based. Conduct a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to quality and safety goals. Does not present the findings of a SWOT analysis of a care setting. Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting that is not clearly focused on quality and safety goals. Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to quality and safety goals. Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to quality and safety goals, and impartially considers conflicting data and other perspectives. Describe an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that should be improved. Does not describe an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis that should be improved. Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis, but does not show its relevance to a care setting's mission, vision, and values. Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that should be improved. Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that should be improved. Identifies criteria that could be used to evaluate such an improvement. Compare the AI and SWOT approaches to analysis with regard to data gathering and interactions with others. Does not describe data gathering and interactions with others. Describes data gathering and interactions with others, but does not compare these activities using an AI and SWOT approach to ana.

1. Criteria
Non-performance
Basic
Proficient
Distinguished
Synthesize stories and evidence about times when a care setting
performed at its best with regard to quality and safety goals.
Does not list stories and evidence about times when a care
setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety
goals.
Lists but does not synthesize stories and evidence, or fails to
clearly relate stories and evidence to quality and safety goals.
Synthesizes stories and evidence about times when a care
setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety
goals.
Synthesizes stories and evidence about times when a care
setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety
goals. Identifies knowledge gaps, unknowns, missing
information, unanswered questions, or areas of uncertainty
(where further information could improve the synthesis).
Propose positive, attainable quality and safety improvement
goals for a care setting.
Does not propose positive goals for a care setting.
Proposed goals are positive but not attainable, or will not lead
to ethical and culturally sensitive improvement of
organizational quality and safety, or are not clearly aligned with
the care setting’s mission, vision, and values.
Proposes positive, attainable quality and safety improvement
goals for a care setting.
Proposes positive, attainable quality and safety improvement
goals for a care setting, and identifies assumptions on which
proposed goals are based.
Conduct a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to
quality and safety goals.

2. Does not present the findings of a SWOT analysis of a care
setting.
Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting that is not clearly
focused on quality and safety goals.
Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to
quality and safety goals.
Conducts a SWOT analysis of a care setting, with respect to
quality and safety goals, and impartially considers conflicting
data and other perspectives.
Describe an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—
relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that
should be improved.
Does not describe an area of concern identified in a SWOT
analysis that should be improved.
Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis, but
does not show its relevance to a care setting's mission, vision,
and values.
Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—
relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that
should be improved.
Describes an area of concern identified in a SWOT analysis—
relevant to a care setting's mission, vision, and values—that
should be improved. Identifies criteria that could be used to
evaluate such an improvement.
Compare the AI and SWOT approaches to analysis with regard
to data gathering and interactions with others.
Does not describe data gathering and interactions with others.
Describes data gathering and interactions with others, but does
not compare these activities using an AI and SWOT approach to
analysis.
Compares the AI and SWOT approaches to analysis with regard
to data gathering and interactions with others.
Compares the AI and SWOT approaches to analysis with regard
to data gathering and interactions with others, and
acknowledges one’s own assumptions and biases.
Analyze the leadership characteristics and skills most desired in

3. the person leading potential performance improvement projects,
taking both an AI and SWOT approach.
Does not analyze leadership characteristics and skills most
desired in the person leading potential performance
improvement projects.
Analyzes leadership characteristics and skills most desired in
the person leading potential performance improvement projects,
but does not clearly distinguish between an AI and SWOT
approach.
Analyzes the leadership characteristics and skills most desired
in the person leading potential performance improvement
projects, taking both an AI and SWOT approach.
Analyzes the leadership characteristics and skills most desired
in the person leading potential performance improvement
projects, taking both an AI and SWOT approach. Identifies
areas of uncertainty or knowledge gaps.
Communicate analyses clearly and in a way that demonstrates
professionalism and respect for stakeholders and colleagues.
Does not communicate analyses clearly and in a way that
demonstrates professionalism and respect for stakeholders and
colleagues.
Communication is not consistently clear and professional; errors
in grammar or mechanics distract from the message, or
communication lacks respect for stakeholders or colleagues.
Communicates analyses clearly and in a way that demonstrates
professionalism and respect for stakeholders and colleagues.
Communicates analyses clearly, logically, and persuasively,
demonstrating professionalism and respect for stakeholders and
colleagues. Grammar and mechanics are virtually error-free.
Integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to support
assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using
APA style.
Does not integrate relevant and credible sources of evidence to
support assertions; does not correctly format citations and
references using APA style.
Sources lack relevance or credibility, are poorly integrated, or

4. are incorrectly formatted.
Integrates relevant and credible sources of evidence to support
assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using
APA style.
Integrates relevant and credible sources of evidence to support
assertions, correctly formatting citations and references using
APA style. Citations are error-free.
Part 1: Appreciative Inquiry Discovery and Dream
· Synthesize stories and evidence about times when a care
setting performed at its best with regard to quality and safety
goals.
. Collect stories from your care setting. You may collect stories
through interviews or conversations with colleagues or provide
your own.
. Explain how your stories are related to quality and safety
goals.
. Describe the evidence you have that substantiates your stories.
. Identify the positive themes reflected in your stories.
. Describe other evidence (for example: data, awards,
accreditations) that validates your care setting's positive core.
· Propose positive, yet attainable, quality and safety
improvement goals for your care setting.
. Explain how accomplishing these goals will lead to ethical and
culturally-sensitive improvements in quality and safety.
. Explain how your proposed goals align with your care setting's
mission, vision, and values.
Part 2: SWOT Analysis
· Conduct a SWOT analysis of your care setting, with respect to
quality and safety goals.
. Provide a narrative description of your analysis.
. Identify the assessment tool you used as the basis of your
analysis.
. Describe your key findings and their relationships to quality
and safety goals.

5. · Describe one area of concern that you identified in your
SWOT analysis—relevant to your care setting's mission, vision,
and values—for which you would propose pursuing
improvements.
. Explain how this area of concern relates to your care setting's
mission, vision, and values.
. Explain why you believe it will be necessary and valuable to
pursue improvements related to this area of concern.
.
Part 3: Comparison of Approaches
Compare the AI and SWOT approaches to analysis and reflect
on the results.
· Describe your mindset when examining your care setting from
an AI perspective and from a SWOT perspective.
· Describe the types of data and evidence you searched for when
taking an AI approach and a SWOT approach.
· Describe the similarities and differences between the two
approaches when communicating and interacting with
colleagues.
·
Part 4: Analysis of Relevant Leadership Characteristics and
Skills
Analyze the leadership characteristics and skills most desired in
the person leading potential performance improvement projects,
taking both an AI and SWOT approach.
· Explain how these characteristics and skills would help a
leader facilitate a successful AI-based project and a successful
SWOT-based project.
· Comment on any shared characteristics or skills you identified
as helpful for both AI and SWOT approaches.