**Draft Questions and Help Text for FY 2007 Annual NTTAA Report to OMB**

**Question 1**

Please describe the importance of standards in the achievement of your
agency\'s mission, how your agency uses standards to deliver its primary
services in support of its mission, and provide any examples or case
studies of standards success. *Please include relevant Internet links to
your agency's standards website.*

**Question 1 Help**

In the text box provided, briefly describe your agency's standards
program as it relates to the agency's mission and services. Provide
examples of your agency's successful use of Voluntary Consensus
Standards (VCS) and the beneficial outcomes that resulted. Successful
outcomes may include: significant cost and/or time savings; improved
public health and/or safety; more free and fair competition, commerce or
trade; improved collaboration and cooperation with the private sector;
avoided duplication of private sector activities; innovation and
application of better technology, increased goodwill for the Federal
government; and any others. *You are encouraged to provide in your
response Internet links to additional information on your agency's
website.*

**Question 2**

Please list the government-unique standards your agency used in lieu of
voluntary consensus standards during FY 2007:

**Question 2 Help**

In responding to this question, you should: (1) First review your
agency's inventory of Government Unique Standards (GUS) used in lieu of
Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) from FY 1997 to FY 2006 as provided
for you by the NTTAA Reporting System (2) Identify any Government Unique
Standards (GUS) that were introduced for the first time in FY 2007. For
each instance of new use: - Identify each new GUS by document number and
title - Identify each VCS not used by document number and title -
Provide a rationale for each instance of a GUS used in lieu of an
existing VCS Special Notes: - You do not need to report your agency's
use of a GUS where no similar VCS exists. - A GUS used by a federal
agency must be reported by that agency regardless of which agency
actually developed that standard. For example, any agency using a
MIL-SPEC should not expect or rely upon DoD to report its use but must
itself report the standard as being used. - Rationales must be explicit
and demonstrative of why the GUS is being used. For example, rationales
may be based upon cost concerns, technology issues, performance
standards, timing (need vs. availability), policy matters, etc.

**Question 3**

Please list the Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCS) your agency
substituted for Government Unique Standards (GUS) in FY 2007 as a result
of review under Section 15(b)(7) of OMB Circular A-119:

**Question 3 Help**

Identify the document title and number for each Voluntary Consensus
Standard (VCS) that was substituted and for each Government Unique
Standard (GUS) that was discontinued from use.

**Question 4**

Please provide the total number of Voluntary Consensus Standards your
agency BEGAN to use during FY 2007. : Optional: If possible, also please
provide the total number of Non-consensus Standards that are developed
in the private sector your agency BEGAN to use during FY 2006. In
addition, please provide your agency\'s rationale for using the
Non-consensus Standards that are developed in the private sector counted
in this question.

**Question 4 Help**

Your report preparation process should include a review of your agency's
use of VCSs over the past year where your agency introduced the
incorporation of a VCS in whole, in part, or by reference for
procurement purposes, and the inclusion of a VCS in whole, in part, or
by reference in a regulation.

This report should include only those new VCSs introduced during the
past year, not the cumulative use of VCSs over past years.

**Question 5**

Please enter the Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies (VCSB) in which
your agency participated in during FY 2007:

**Question 5 Help**

Use the drop-down box to select the individual organizations in which
your agency participates. Do not manually enter an organization's name
unless it is not found on the drop-down list. (Manual entry has created
reporting errors in the past due to duplications, misspellings, etc.)

**Question 6**

Please provide the total number of your agency\'s representatives who
participated in voluntary consensus standards activities during FY 2007
and the total number of activities these agency representatives
participated in:

**Question 6 Help**

Enter the total number of individuals who represented your agency as
participants in voluntary standards activities during FY 2007. Count
each individual only once regardless of the number of committee
responsibilities he or she may fulfill. For purposes of this report, an
activity is equivalent to one individual serving in some specific
capacity with one Standards Developing Organization (SDO). Therefore, in
calculating the total number of activities in which your agency's
representatives participate, you should count multiple times any
individual representative who is involved in multiple activities with
Voluntary Consensus Standards Developing Organizations. (Note: An agency
representative can participate in more than one activity so the total
number of activities can exceed the total number of agency
representatives.) An example:

Representative   Activities                     Total

Person #1            3 ASTM Committees       3

Person #2            2 NFPA Committees        2

Person #2            1 ASHRAE Board Seat     1

Total Agency Activities                            6

**Question 7**

Please provide any conformity assessment activities (as described in
"Guidance on Federal Conformity Assessment Activities" found in the
Federal Register, Volume 65, Number 155, dated August 10, 2000) in which
your agency was involved in FY 2007.

**Question 7 Help**

Enter a summary description of all your agency's relevant conformity
assessment activities in the text box provided.

**Question 8**

Please provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of Circular A-119
policy and recommendations for any changes:

**Question 8 Help**

Enter your agency's views and suggestions on the Circular, the reporting
process, and other relevant subjects in the text box provided.

**Question 9**

Please provide any other comments you would like to share on behalf of
your agency.

**Question 9 Help**

Enter any relevant information in the text box provided.

**Question 10**

10.1 - **\[This question was deprecated in 2005\]**

10.2 - **\[This question was deprecated in 2005\]**

10.3 - **\[This question was deprecated in 2005\]**

10.4 - Does your agency report standards that it uses for guidance
purposes (as opposed compliance purposes)?

![](media/image1.wmf)(a) Yes

![](media/image2.wmf)(b) No

![](media/image3.wmf)(c) Not applicable

10.5 - Does your agency report use of standards from non-ANSI accredited
standards developers, industry consortia groups, or both?

![](media/image4.wmf)(a) non-ANSI Accredited

![](media/image5.wmf)(b) Consortia

![](media/image6.wmf)(c) Both

![](media/image7.wmf)(d) Neither

![](media/image8.wmf)(e) Not applicable

10.6 - Does your agency have a schedule for periodically reviewing its
use of standards for purposes of updating such use?

![](media/image9.wmf)(a) Yes

![](media/image10.wmf)(b) No

10.7 - How often does your agency review its standards for purposes of
updating such use? \[enter the number of years\]:

![](media/image11.wmf)

10 - Please use this box to provide any additional comments on how your
agency currently reports its use of voluntary consensus standards:

**Question 10 Help -** No help text provided.