[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23167-23168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08338]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and Examiner 
Applications

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before June 21, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Maureen O'Reilly, Management Analyst, NIST by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0693-0006 in 
the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Dawn Bailey, Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, NIST, 100 
Bureau Drive, Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301-975-3074, 
[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 Award (MBNQA), the nation's highest award for organizational 
performance excellence. Directly associated with this award is the 
Board of Examiners, an integral volunteer workforce for BPEP. NIST 
manages BPEP. An applicant organization for the MBNQA is required to 
perform two steps: (1) The applicant organization

[[Page 23168]]

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 processes; this includes BPEP staff manning 
a hotline during the week and on weekends for organizations to call or 
email. With the help of the Board of Examiners, BPEP 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.
    Per Public Law 100-107 (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality 
Improvement Act of 1987), the MBNQA helps to stimulate American 
companies to improve quality and productivity for the pride of 
recognition while obtaining a competitive edge through increased 
profits; recognizes the achievements of those companies that improve 
the quality of their goods and services and provide an example to 
others; establishes guidelines and criteria that can be used by 
business, industrial, governmental, and other organizations in 
evaluating their own quality improvement efforts; and provides specific 
guidance for other American organizations that wish to learn how to 
manage for high quality by making available detailed information on how 
winning organizations were able to change their cultures and achieve 
eminence.
    The application to be a member of the Board of Examiners is a one-
step, secure, 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. 
Examiners receive three- to four-days of free on-site training 
(depending on experience level).
    BPEP's mission to improve the competitiveness and performance of 
U.S. organizations for the benefit of all U.S. residents.

II. Method of Collection

    MBNQA applicant organizations 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. 
Information on the application for the Board of Examiners can be found 
at http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/examiners/index.cfm. BPEP will 
electronically send a unique user ID and password (separate emails) on 
how applicants to the Board of Examiners can apply to the secure 
system.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0693-0006.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, revision of a current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Business, health care, education, or other for-
profit organizations; health care, education, and other nonprofit 
organizations; and individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 580 (30 Applications for MBNQA and 
550 Applicants for the Board of Examiners).
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes for MBNQA eligibility form, 
74 hours for MBNQA application, and 30 minutes for examiner 
applications.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,510 (MBNQA = 15 hours for 
eligibility form, 2,220 hours for application, Board of Examiners = 275 
hours).
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: MBNQA = $1,610-$79,610 
(application and site visit fees vary depending on profit nature of 
organization and its sector [e.g., smallest fee is for a nonprofit K-12 
school, largest fee is for a global manufacturer]; additionally, only 
25% of applications pay site visit fees that again vary depending on 
number of sites and sector of the organization and Board of Examiners: 
$0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-08338 Filed 4-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P