[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 250 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77035-77036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31227]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Malcolm 
Baldrige National Quality Award and Examiner Applications

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Dawn Bailey, Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, 
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1020, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-1020; telephone (301) 975-
3074, fax (301) 948-3716, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Department of Commerce is responsible for the Baldrige 
Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) and the Malcolm Baldrige National 
Quality (BNQP) Award. Directly associated with this Award is the Board 
of Examiners, an integral volunteer workforce for BPEP (managed by 
NIST). An applicant for the MBNQA is

[[Page 77036]]

required to perform two steps: (1) The applicant organization self-
certifies that it meets eligibility requirements with an eligibility 
form; and (2) the applicant organization prepares and completes an 
application package. BPEP will assist with or offer advice on any 
questions or issues that the applicant may have concerning the 
eligibility or application process. With the help of the Board of 
Examiners, BEP will use the eligibility forms and application package 
to assess and provide feedback on the applicant's performance 
excellence practices. These practices could lead to a MBNQA awarded by 
the President of the United States or his delegate.
    The application to be a member of the Board of Examiners is a one-
step, online process. Each year, BPEP recruits highly skilled experts 
in the fields of manufacturing, service, small business, health care, 
education, and nonprofit, the six Award eligibility categories, to 
evaluate the applications that BPEP receives. Examiners serve for a 
one-year term; participation on the board is entirely voluntary.

II. Method of Collection

    Award applicants must comply in writing according to the 
Eligibility Certification Form and Baldrige Award Application Form 
available at http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/enter/how_to_apply.cfm. The 
application for the Board of Examiners can be found at http://www.nist.gov/balrige/examiners/index.cfm and submitted electronically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0006.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations, health 
care, education, or other non-profit institutions; or individuals or 
households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 850 (50 Applicants for the MBNQA; 
800 Applicants for the Board of Examiners).
    Estimated Time per Response: 74 hours for applications for the 
MBNQA, and 1 hour for applications for the Board of Examiners.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 21, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-31227 Filed 12-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P