Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award

4. Create a category within the Malcolm Baldrige Award for quality in
the federal government. (2)

The President should authorize one set of awards for quality in the
federal government. These awards should be part of the Malcolm Baldrige
National Quality Award program. This set of awards would take the place
of the four sets of quality awards currently administered by FQI, PCMI,
and OPM. The Secretary of Commerce will have to notify Congress of his
intent to add the federal government to the Baldrige Award program.
Currently, there are three eligibility categories for the Malcolm
Baldrige Award: manufacturing companies, service companies, and small
businesses. In accordance with the intent and authorization of the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987, a Malcolm
Baldrige Award for excellence in government services should be proposed
to Congress. Consideration might also be given to expanding the award at
some later date to include state and local governments as well as
nonprofit groups.

NIST's existing Office of Quality Programs should manage the award
program and seek advice from FQI on the program's federal component.
FQI should work with NIST to manage a properly phased transition from
FQI to incorporate the existing Presidential Award for Quality into the
NIST effort.

Combining existing awards will facilitate cooperation and the exchange
of information between public and private organizations. It will also
improve efficiencies by leveraging examiners, cost, and time. It also
demonstrates that the federal government is willing to measure itself by
the same standards with which it measures the private sector.