[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 13239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5095]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
    Title: Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Examiner 
Applications.
    Form Number(s): None.
    OMB Approval Number: 0693-0006.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Burden Hours: 7,800.
    Number of Respondents: 900 (Awards 100; Examiners 800).
    Average Hours per Response: Award applications, 74 hrs; and Board 
of Examiners applications, 30 minutes.
    Needs and Uses: Public Law 100-107, the Malcolm Baldrige Quality 
Improvement Act of 1987 established an annual U.S. National Quality 
Award. The Secretary of Commerce leads and NIST develops and manages 
the Award with the cooperation with the private sector. The purposes of 
the Award are to promote quality awareness, recognize the quality 
achievements of U.S. companies, and to share successful quality 
strategies and practices. The law explicitly states that ``An 
organization may qualify for an award only if it permits a rigorous 
evaluation of the way in which its business and other operations have 
contributed to improvements in quality.'' The failure to collect the 
information required of the Award and Examiner applicants would make it 
impossible to evaluate the applications and grant the Awards, and 
violate our statutory responsibilities.
    Affected Public: Business or organizations and public and private 
for-profit and not-for-profit and education institutions may apply for 
the Award. Individuals with expertise in the business, education, 
health care, and/or non-profit fields are eligible to apply to be 
Members of the Board of Examiners.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: Jasmeet Seehra, (202) 395-3123.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to Jasmeet Seehra, OMB Desk Officer, FAX number (202) 395-5167, or 
[email protected]).

    Dated: March 15, 2007.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-5095 Filed 3-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P