[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38600-38601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16883]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Baldrige 
Performance Excellence Program Team Leader Consensus and Site Visit 
Information Collections

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 7, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Maureen O'Reilly, Management 
Analyst, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau 
Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20889-1710, (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: 

[[Page 38601]]

I. Abstract

    Public Law 100-107 (The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality 
Improvement Act of 1987), which established the Baldrige Performance 
Excellence Program and its Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award 
(MBNQA), stipulates that organizational applicants for the award (see 
OMB Control #0693-0006) receive ``an intensive evaluation by a 
competent board of examiners which shall review the evidence submitted 
by the organization and, through a site visit, verify the accuracy of 
the quality improvements claimed.''
    Per the statute, ``the Director of the National Bureau of Standards 
shall rely upon'' these examiners, as they are in essence the external 
workforce of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Baldrige 
Program staff members manage and improve the award and all of its 
processes, but the examiners actually do the objective review of MBNQA 
applicants.
    The Team Leader Consensus and Site Visit Surveys will be one key 
way that Baldrige staff members can communicate with and seek feedback 
from the external workforce (Baldrige Examiners). To manage these 
voluntary examiners (some private citizens, some government and 
military personnel), the Baldrige Program needs the ability to ask them 
of their preferences for the sector in which they will do their 
application review (e.g., do they want to review a health care 
applicant, manufacturing applicant), their availability to conduct 
reviews, their ability to travel on a site visit and about all of their 
logistical needs (e.g., dietary restrictions, cannot review an 
organization from a certain state due to conflicts in that state), 
their ability to perform particular MBNQA roles such as technical 
editor or team leader, their conflicts with a particular organization, 
etc. The Baldrige Program also needs to survey them to obtain 
qualitative information on performance, as being a Baldrige Examiner is 
a very competitive selection.
    The Baldrige Program could not perform the intensive evaluation 
called for in the law without surveying its own workforce about their 
unique needs in relation to the MBNQA process (and its subprocesses). 
In fact, these volunteer examiners expect to be asked their 
preferences, as well as given the ability to give their feedback to 
improve processes.

II. Method of Collection

    Surveys are typically conducted via email or through a secure NIST 
file-sharing system if any MBNQA organization-specific information 
needs to be shared. Surveys can also be conducted over the phone if the 
number of examiners who need to be asked about a particular role or 
need is less than about 20. Often, a personal phone call is the best 
way to survey a subset of examiners, as maintaining positive 
relationships with examiners is very important to the program.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0079.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Extension and revision of a current information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals, including private citizens. All must 
be U.S. citizens (proof of citizenship is required prior to Baldrige 
Examiner training).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 350 per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 88 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    NIST invites comments on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will 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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-16883 Filed 8-6-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-13-P