[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 166 (Thursday, August 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52032-52033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21214]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Baldrige 
Executive Fellows Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, 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 October 26, 
2015.

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, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301-975-3074, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program seeks applicants for 
the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program, a one-year, leadership 
development experience for direct reports to the most senior leader in 
an organization or business unit leaders. Using the Baldrige Excellence 
Framework as a foundation, the program discusses impactful leadership 
through visits to Baldrige Award recipient sites and senior leaders, 
virtual discussions, and face-to-face peer training using an adult 
learning model. Fellows will discuss how to achieve performance 
excellence for their own organizations, stimulate innovation, and build 
the knowledge and capabilities necessary for organizational 
sustainability. Fellows will create a capstone project that tackles an 
issue of strategic importance in their own organizations; capstones 
have included innovating supply chains and customer relationship 
management systems, improving health systems and their communication 
with physicians, and creating balanced scorecards. The Baldrige 
Executive Fellows has been nationally recognized for two consecutive 
years as the number-one leadership development program in the military/
government category of the Leadership 500 Awards, sponsored by HR.com. 
The program is aligned with the Baldrige Program mission to

[[Page 52033]]

improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S. organizations for 
the benefit of all U.S. residents. The Baldrige Program and its Malcolm 
Baldrige National Quality Award were created by Public Law 100-107 (The 
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987) and signed 
into law on August 20, 1987.

II. Method of Collection

    Senior leaders interested in applying for selection as a Baldrige 
Fellow must mail the following package of material directly to the 
Baldrige Program:
    1. A resum[eacute], including email, postal address, and telephone 
contact information; and the name and email address of an assistant or 
alternate contact person
    2. An organizational chart that includes names and titles showing 
the applicant's position within the organization
    3. A recommendation letter from the applicant's highest-ranking 
official showing the organization's support of his/her participation in 
the program
    4. A list of key competitors (in order that the Baldrige Program 
may avoid creating a cohort that would be unable to share effectively 
due to competitive situations)
    Fax is also acceptable. The NIST Secure File Transfer Service (``N-
files'') is also made available for applicants who wish to 
electronically submit materials that include personally identifiable 
information.
    Information is collected one time per year (typically in September-
December) for each cohort of Fellows.
    Information is need to make selection decisions that are based on 
(1) sector mix, (2) appropriate level within the organization, (3) 
likelihood to follow through, (4) diversity, and (5) no direct 
competitors with participating award recipients or other Fellows.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: #0693-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Any senior or mid-level leader from business or 
other for-profit organizations; not-for-profit institutions; state, 
local, or tribal government; Federal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 15 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to gather materials.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15 hours.
    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: August 21, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-21214 Filed 8-26-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-13-P