2016-27296. Request for Nominations of Member To Serve on the Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC)

AGENCY:

Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of request for nominations to the CDAC.

SUMMARY:

The Secretary of Commerce is requesting nomination of individuals to the Commerce Data Advisory Council. The Secretary will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides committee and membership criteria.

DATES:

The Economics and Statistics Administration must receive nominations for members by midnight November 10, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Please submit nominations to the email account [e-mail], this account is specifically set up to receive Data Advisory Council applications. Nominations may also be submitted by postal delivery to Burton Reist, Director of External Affairs, Economics and Statistics Administration/DFO CDAC, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Burton Reist, Director of External Affairs, Economics and Statistics Administration, Department of Commerce, at [phone] or email [e-mail], also at 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Department of Commerce (Department) collects, compiles, analyzes, and disseminates a treasure trove of data, including data on the Nation's economy, population, and environment. This data is fundamental to the Department's mission and is used for the protection of life and property, for scientific purposes, and to enhance economic growth. However, the Department's capacity to disseminate the increasing amount of data held and to disseminate it in formats most useful to its customers is significantly constrained.

In order to realize the potential value of the data the Department collects, stores, and disseminates, the Department must minimize barriers to accessing and using the data. Consistent with privacy and security considerations, the Department is firmly committed to unleashing its untapped data resources in ways that best support downstream information access, processing, analysis, and dissemination.

The Commerce Data Advisory Council (CDAC) provides advice and recommendations, to include process and infrastructure improvements, to the Secretary on ways to make Commerce data easier to find, access, use, combine and disseminate. The aim of this advice shall be to maximize the value of Commerce data to all users including governments, businesses, communities, academia, and individuals.

The Secretary will draw CDAC membership from the data industry academia, non-profits and state and local governments with a focus on recognized expertise in collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination. As privacy concerns span the entire data lifecycle, expertise in privacy protection also will be represented on the Council. The Secretary will select members that represent the entire spectrum of Commerce data including demographic, economic, scientific, environmental, patent, and geospatial data. The Secretary will select members from the information technology, business, non-profit, and academic communities, and state and local governments. Collectively, their knowledge will include all types of data Commerce distributes and the full lifecycle of data collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination.

II. Description of Duties

The Council shall advise the Secretary on ways to make Commerce data easier to find, access, use, combine, and disseminate. Such advice may include recommended process and infrastructure improvements. The aim of this advice shall be to maximize the value of Commerce data to governments, businesses, communities, and individuals.

In carrying out its duties, the Council may consider the following:

—Data management practices that make it easier to track and disseminate integrated, interoperable data for diverse users;

—Best practices that can be deployed across Commerce to achieve common, open standards related to taxonomy, vocabulary, application programming interfaces (APIs), metadata, and other key data characteristics;

—Policy issues that arise from expanding access to data, including issues related to privacy, confidentiality, latency, and consistency;

—Opportunities and risks related to the combination of public and private data sources and the development of joint data products and services resulting from public-private partnerships;

—External uses of Commerce data and similar federal, state, and private data sets by businesses; and,

—Methods to enhance communication and collaboration between stakeholders and subject-matter experts at Commerce on data access and use.

The Council meets up to four times a year, budget permitting. Special meetings may be called when appropriate.

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth standards for the formation and use of advisory committees, is the governing instrument for the CDAC.

III. Membership

1. The Council shall consist of up to 20 members.

2. The Secretary shall select and appoint members and members shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary.

3. Members shall represent a cross-section of business, academic, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations.

4. The Secretary will choose members of the Council who ensure objectivity and balance, a diversity of perspectives, and guard against potential for conflicts of interest.

5. Members shall be prominent experts in their fields, recognized for their professional and other relevant achievements and their objectivity.

6. In order to ensure the continuity of the Commerce Data Advisory Council, the Council shall be appointed so that each year the terms expire of approximately one-third of the members of the Council.

7. Council members serve for terms of two years and may be reappointed to any number of additional terms. Initial appointments may be for 12-, 18- and 24-month increments to provide staggered terms.

8. Nominees must be able to actively participate in the tasks of the Council, including, but not limited to regular meeting attendance, Council meeting discussant responsibilities, and review of materials, as well as participation in conference calls, webinars, working groups, and special Council activities.

9. Should a council member be unable to complete a two-year term and when vacancies occur, the Secretary will select replacements who can best either replicate the expertise of the departing member or provide the CDAC with a new, identified needed area of expertise. An individual chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the remainder of the term of the member replaced or for a two-year term as deemed. A vacancy shall not affect the exercise of any power of the remaining members to execute the duties of the Council.

10. No employee of the federal government can serve as a member of the Census Scientific Advisory Committee.

All members of the Commerce Data Advisory Council shall adhere to the conflict of interest rules applicable to Special Government Employees as such employees are defined in 18 U.S.C. 202(a). These rules include relevant provisions in 18 U.S.C. related to criminal activity, Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 CFR part 2635), and Executive Order 12674 (as modified by Executive Order 12731).

IV. Compensation

1. Membership is under voluntary circumstances and therefore members do not receive compensation for service on the Commerce Data Advisory Council.

2. Members shall receive per diem and travel expenses as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703, as amended, for persons employed intermittently in the Government service.

V. Nominations Information

The Secretary will consider nominations of all qualified individuals to ensure that the CDAC includes the areas of subject matter expertise noted above (see ”Background and Membership”). Individuals may nominate themselves or other individuals, and professional associations and organizations may nominate one or more qualified persons for membership on the CDAC. Nominations shall state that the nominee is willing to serve as a member of the Council.

A nomination package should include the following information for each nominee:

1. A letter of nomination stating the name, affiliation, and contact information for the nominee, the basis for the nomination (i.e., what specific attributes recommend him/her for service in this capacity), and the nominee's field(s) of expertise;

2. A biographical sketch of the nominee and a copy of his/her resume or curriculum vitae; and

3. The name, return address, email address, and daytime telephone number at which the nominator can be contacted.

The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks diverse Committee membership. The Department has special interest in assuring that women, minority groups, and the physically disabled are adequately represented on advisory committees; and therefore, extends particular encouragement to nominations for appropriately qualified female, minority, or disabled candidates. The Department of Commerce also encourages geographic diversity in the composition of the Council. All nomination information should be provided in a single, complete package and received by the stated deadline, November 10, 2016. Interested applicants should send their nomination package to the email or postal address provided above.

Potential candidates will be asked to provide detailed information concerning financial interests, consultancies, research grants, and/or contracts that might be affected by recommendations of the Council to permit evaluation of possible sources of conflicts of interest. Finally, nominees will be required to certify that they are not subject to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (22 U.S.C. 611) or the Lobbying Disclosure Act (2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

Dated: November 5, 2016.

Austin Durrer,

Chief of Staff for Under Secretary for Economic Affairs.