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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63913-63914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26645]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. 
Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announces the availability of a 
draft set of six Job/Task Analyses applicable to the commercial 
buildings credentialing sector and the commercial buildings workforce. 
Through this notice, DOE also requests comments on these documents. 
Job/Task Analyses were developed for the following six job 
classifications: Commercial Building Energy Auditor, Commercial 
Building Energy Modeler, Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority, 
Energy/Sustainability Manager, Facility Manager, and Operating 
Engineer/Building Technician. These documents are intended for 
voluntary use by federal, state, municipal and utility ratepayer-funded 
energy efficiency programs and private sector commercial building 
contractors, as well as any other organization, company, or individual 
involved or concerned with the training of persons in the commercial 
building space.

DATES: Comments on the six Job/Task Analyses must be received by 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time on November 28, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Drafts of each of the six Job/Task Analyses are available 
for review online at: http://www.buildings.energy.gov/workforce.html.
    You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Internet: http://www.buildings.energy.gov/workforce.html. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: Buildings.Workforce.Feedback@nrel.gov.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Search for docket  ID EERE-2011-BT-NOA-0063. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Postal Mail: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Attn: 
Buildings Workforce Feedback, Mail Stop: RSF202, 1617 Cole Blvd., 
Golden, CO 80401-3305.

    For further information on how to submit comments, please see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sonal Kemkar, Building Technologies 
Program, Mailstop EE-2J, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585. Phone number: (202) 287-1897. E-mail: 
sonal.kemkar@ee.doe.gov.
    For legal issues contact: Kavita K. Vaidyanathan, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, Forrestal Building, GC-71, 
1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585. Phone number: 
(202) 586-0669. E-mail: kavita.vaidyanathan@hq.doe.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EERE has tasked the National Renewable 
Energy Laboratory (NREL) with developing a suite of six Job/Task 
Analyses for use by federal, state, municipal and utility ratepayer-
funded energy efficiency programs as well as organizations and 
individuals involved with training and accrediting personnel who 
operate in the commercial building sector. Job/Task Analyses identify 
and catalog all of the tasks a given worker typically performs. They 
include the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities that a skilled 
worker should possess to perform work for the given occupation or job 
level.
    The Job/Task Analysis development process involved NREL convening a 
diverse group of public and private-sector industry practitioners. Each 
of these practitioners attended a psychometrician-facilitated workshop 
(psychometrics is the field of study concerned with psychological 
measurement, including the application of statistical and mathematical 
techniques to psychological and educational testing) and worked with 
fellow practitioners to create the Job/Task Analysis specific to their 
job category. Workshops were held for each of the following job 
classifications: Commercial Building Energy Auditor, Commercial 
Building Energy Modeler, Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority, 
Energy/Sustainability Manager, Facility Manager, and Operating 
Engineer/Building Technician.
    Each of the six Job/Task Analyses contains (1) A description of the 
job; (2) a proposed content blueprint; (3) tables delineating general 
and specialized knowledge areas required; (4) tables delineating 
required skills, abilities, and attributes; (5) tables listing the 
tools and resources required; and (6) a developing

[[Page 63914]]

a curriculum (DACUM) chart. The DACUM charts detail the duties, tasks, 
and steps performed by a practitioner in each occupation, and also 
include the minimum specialized knowledge, skills and abilities, and 
tools, equipment, and resources, required to perform each task.
    Once finalized, the Job/Task Analyses will:
    1. Assist training providers in developing course content and 
curricula consistent with an industry-recognized suite of Job/Task 
Analyses.
    2. Support increased workforce mobility up career ladders and 
across career lattices by establishing a clear set of knowledge, 
skills, and abilities upon which worker credentials should be based.
    3. Lay the foundation for more robust private sector training 
programs.

Issues on Which DOE Seeks Comment

    DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments and views of 
interested parties on the following issues:
     The tasks; minimum knowledge, skills and abilities; and 
tools, equipment and resources identified in the DACUM charts for each 
of the six job categories.

DOE is also interested in receiving comments based on the individual 
experiences of the commenters. To the extent that commenters are 
providing information on individualized experiences, DOE requests that 
commenters provide background and context of the experience. DOE 
requests this information so that DOE better understands the reasoning 
and context behind each comment. Such a level of understanding will 
enable DOE to evaluate each submitted comment in a rapid and accurate 
manner and will also provide valuable information related to the state 
of the commercial building training and certification industry. DOE 
requests feedback on the following, as related to the commenter:
     In order for DOE to follow up with commenters should there 
be questions regarding a comment, DOE requests that commenters identify 
themselves and provide contact information (name and e-mail address).
     If the commenter is providing information as a 
representative of an organization, please ensure the organization is 
clearly identified.
     If there are comments specific to a state or region in 
which the commenter practices, please identify the state or region.
     If the commenter is providing information as a 
representative of an organization and there are comments that relate to 
the size of the organization (e.g., small or large business concerns), 
please ensure the size of the commenter's organization is clearly 
identified.
     If the commenter provides sector specific comments please 
identify the commenter's sector (e.g., public or private).
     In order for DOE to evaluate comments that may be 
temporally based (i.e., dependent upon when something was learned), 
please provide the commenter's total years of experience in the 
commercial buildings industry.
     If comments are provided that pertain to a specific 
industry field (e.g., commercial building energy auditor, commercial 
building energy modeler, commissioning/retro-commissioning authority, 
energy/sustainability manager, facility manager, and/or operating 
engineer/building technician), please provide (1) the number of years 
of experience that the commenter has in that and related industries and 
(2) the commenter's current field of industry and position within that 
industry.
     To help DOE better understand which comments are 
applicable across the commercial buildings sector and those that are 
industry specific, please provide industry credentials and professional 
society/organization memberships held.
     To help DOE better understand at which point in the 
commenter's career certain skills are obtained, please identify your 
highest level of education when responding.

Submission of Comments

    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the Job/
Task Analyses no later than the date identified in the DATES section 
above. If submitting comments via internet, please follow all 
instructions on the web page. Basic information requested upon entering 
the comment website (name and email) is public record and may be 
published as part of the report on public comment.
    Comments, data, and information submitted to DOE's email address 
and regular mail for this notice should be provided in WordPerfect, 
Microsoft Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) file format. Interested parties 
should avoid the use of special characters or any form of encryption, 
and wherever possible, comments should include the electronic signature 
of the author. Comments, data, and information submitted to DOE via e-
mail or regular mail should include one signed paper original.
    If you submit information that you believe to be exempt by law from 
public disclosure, you should submit one complete copy, as well as one 
copy from which the information claimed to be exempt by law from public 
disclosure has been deleted. DOE is responsible for the final 
determination with regard to disclosure or nondisclosure of the 
information and for treating it accordingly under the DOE Freedom of 
Information regulations at 10 CFR 1004.11.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 5, 2011.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Technology 
Development, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2011-26645 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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