E6-13676. Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

AGENCY:

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Request for nominations of members to serve on the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

SUMMARY:

NIST invites and requests nomination of individuals for appointment to the Judges Panel of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (Judges Panel). The terms of some of the members of the Judges Panel will soon expire. NIST will consider nominations received in response to this notice for appointment to the Committee, in addition to nominations already received.

DATES:

Please submit nominations on or before September 5, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Please submit nominations to Harry Hertz, Director, National Quality Program, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020. Nominations may also be submitted via FAX to 301-948-3716. Additional information regarding the Committee, including its charter, current membership list, and executive summary may be found on its electronic home page at: http://www.quality.nist.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harry Hertz, Director, National Quality Program and Designated Federal Official, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1020; telephone [phone]; FAX—301-948-3716; or via e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Judges Panel Information

The Judges Panel was established in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3711a(d)(1) , the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app.2), The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987 (Public Law 101-107).

Objectives and Duties

1. The Judges Panel will ensure the integrity of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award selection process by reviewing the results of examiners' scoring of written applications, and then voting on which applicants merit site visits by examiners to verify the accuracy of quality improvements claimed by applicants.

2. The Judges Panel will ensure that individuals on site visit teams for the Award finalists have no conflict of interest with respect to the finalists. The Panel will also review recommendations from site visits, and recommend Award recipients.

3. The Judges Panel will function solely as an advisory body, and will comply with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

4. The Panel will report to the Director of NIST.

Membership

1. The Judges Panel is composed of at least nine, and not more than twelve, members selected on a clear, standardized basis, in accordance with applicable Department of Commerce guidance. There will be a balanced representation from U.S. service, manufacturing, education, health care industries, and the nonprofit sector including government. The Panel will include members familiar with the quality improvement operations of organizations representing manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care, and the nonprofit sector. No employee of the Federal Government shall serve as a member of the Judges Panel.

2. The Judges Panel will be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and will serve at the discretion of the Secretary. The term of office of each Panel member shall be three years. All terms will commence on March 1 and end on February 28 of the appropriate year.

Miscellaneous

1. Members of the Judges Panel shall serve without compensation, but may, upon request, be reimbursed travel expenses, including per diem, as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.

2. The Judges Panel will meet four times per year. Additional meetings may be called as deemed necessary by the NIST Director or by the Chairperson. Meetings are one to four days in duration. In addition, each Judge must attend an annual three-day Examiner training course.

3. Committee meetings are closed to the public pursuant to Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app. 2, as amended by Section 5(c) of the Government in the Sunshine Act, Pub. L. 94-409, and in accordance with Section 552b(c)(4) of title 5, United States Code. Since the members of the Judges Panel examine records and discuss Award applicant data, the meeting is likely to disclose trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person may be privileged or confidential.

II. Nomination Information

1. Nominations are sought from all U.S. service and manufacturing industries, education, and health care as described above.

2. Nominees should have established records of distinguished service and shall be familiar with the quality improvement operations of manufacturing companies, service companies, small businesses, education and health care organizations. The category (field of eminence) for which the candidate is qualified should be specified in the nomination letter. Nominations for a particular category should come from organizations or individuals within that category. A summary of the candidate's qualifications should be included with the nomination, including (where applicable) current or former service on Federal advisory boards and Federal employment. In addition, each nomination letter should state that the person agrees to the nomination, acknowledge the responsibilities of serving on the Judges Panel, and will actively participate in good faith in the tasks of the Judges Panel. Besides participation at meetings, it is desired that members be able to devote the equivalent of seventeen days between meetings to either developing or researching topics of potential interest, reading Baldrige applications, and so forth, in furtherance of their Committee duties.

3. The Department of Commerce is committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and seeks a broad-based and diverse Judges Panel membership.

Dated: August 14, 2006.

James E. Hill,

Acting Deputy Director.