Good Standardization Practices: Iso Publication On

practices
ISO PUBLICATION ON
Good
Standardization
Practices
Contents
Preface ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Acronyms and abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................... 8
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.2 Terminology .............................................................................................................................................................................. 12
2. Standardization fundamentals ..................................................................................................................... 17
2.1 The history of standardization .............................................................................................................................. 18

2.2 Benefits of standardization ...................................................................................................................................... 21
2.3 Definition of a standard ................................................................................................................................................ 24
2.4 Diversity of standards .................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.5 Users of standards ............................................................................................................................................................. 32
2.6 Quantifying socio-economic benefits of standardization ...................................................... 34
3. The WTO and standardization ........................................................................................................................ 39
3.1 World Trade Organization (WTO) ....................................................................................................................... 40

3.2 WTO TBT Agreement principles ........................................................................................................................... 43
3.3 Standards and Technical Regulations .......................................................................................................... 44
3.4 Technical regulations and SPS measures ................................................................................................. 49
3.5 Annex 3 of the WTO TBT Agreement ............................................................................................................... 56
ISO publication on Good Standardization P ractices – 1

4. Principles for the development of standards ............................................................................. 63
4.1 The Six Principles of Standardization ........................................................................................................... 64

4.2 ISO’s strengths in meeting the standardization principles ................................................... 65
4.3 Principle #1 : Transparency ....................................................................................................................................... 67
4.4 Principle #2 : Openness ................................................................................................................................................ 70
4.5 Principle #3 : Impartiality and consensus ................................................................................................. 72
4.6 Principle #4 : Effectiveness and relevance .............................................................................................. 76
4.7 Principle #5 : Coherence .............................................................................................................................................. 79
4.8 Principle #6 : Development dimension ........................................................................................................ 81
4.9 Principle #7 : Stakeholder engagement ...................................................................................................... 84
4.10 Principle #8 : Due process ......................................................................................................................................... 86
4.11 Principle #9 : National adoption ......................................................................................................................... 87
4.12 Gender equality ..................................................................................................................................................................... 88
5. National standards body value chain ................................................................................................... 89
5.1 The Quality Infrastructure (QI) .............................................................................................................................. 90

5.2 NSB value chain .................................................................................................................................................................... 94
5.3 Diagnostic tool ....................................................................................................................................................................... 96
6. NSB value chain : support activities ....................................................................................................... 97
6.1 Administration and financial infrastructure ........................................................................................... 98

6.2 Human resource management ............................................................................................................................. 107
6.3 Product and technology development ........................................................................................................ 109
6.4 TCs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 112
7. NSB value chain : core activities ................................................................................................................. 123
7.1 Planning ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 124

7.2 Development ............................................................................................................................................................................ 127
7.3 Publication ................................................................................................................................................................................. 151
7.4 Dissemination ......................................................................................................................................................................... 156
7.5 Customer services .............................................................................................................................................................. 163
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 165
Standards referenced ............................................................................................................................................................... 167
Annex A : Using the diagnostic tool ....................................................................................................................... 169
2 – ISO publication on Good Standardization Practices

Preface
Good standardization practice (GSP) is, by definition, the best way of developing
and publishing standards. Therefore, the objective of this publication is to provide
guidance to a national standards body (NSB), primarily in a developing country,
to operate in an effective and efficient manner the essential core-activities needed
to develop and publish standards.
Standardization is one of the main elements of the national quality-infrastructure
in a country, the others being metrology, accreditation, conformity-assessment
services and market surveillance. Standardization occupies a special place as the
other organizations involved in the national quality infrastructure, base much
of their work on the standards published by the NSB. Furthermore, in a modern
society, standards contribute to sustainable development and in particular to
trade, health and safety, and environmental protection.
This publication describes the key elements of standardization, in the following
logical sequence:
▸▸ the fundamentals of standardization;
▸▸ standardization in the light of the World Trade Organization Agreement on
Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO TBT);
▸▸ internationally-agreed principles for the development of standards; and
▸▸ the value chain for the development of standards by an NSB.

Ever since Michael E. Porter 1) defined the concept of a “value chain” in 1998, this
concept has been widely used by organizations to identify all the elements of their
operations and the linkages between them. The aim is to optimise these activities
to make the process much more effective and efficient. Applying the value chain
to an NSB identifies its “core activities”, i.e. the operations the NSB has to perform
to develop and publish standards based on the needs of the country, and the
“support activities” which describe the infrastructure and resources that must be
available in an NSB to enable it to operate the essential core-activities effectively
and efficiently. A major part of this publication identifies these elements of the
value chain of an NSB, which can then be optimised by applying GSP.
The “core activities” contain elements such as: (i) planning; (ii) development; (iii)
publication; (iv) dissemination; and (v) customer services, as relating to national
standards. The “support activities” deal with elements such as: (vi) administration
and financial infrastructure; (vii) human resource management; (viii) product
and technology development, and (ix) Technical Committees. This document
describes all of these in great detail, allowing any NSB to evaluate its governance,
infrastructure and processes in the light of established GSP. These value-chain
elements also form the basis of a diagnostic tool, which. will allow an NSB to
determine rapidly whether its value-chain elements are in place and whether
they are effective.
This publication complements the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade
and the ISO/IEC Guide 59:2019, ISO and IEC recommended practices for standardi-
zation by national bodies, by providing guidance on how to comply with their
necessary requirements. In this respect, ISO has taken the lead in capturing the
collective good standardization practices of NSBs around the world, and making
them available in a single publication for use for a wider audience, including not
only NSBs in developing countries but all ISO members.
1) Porter, M.E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. The
value chain is defined as all the activities that a company or organization needs to perform in order
create a product or service.

This publication on GSP is a companion to previous publications ISO has made
available, such as:
▸▸ Fast forward: National standards bodies in developing countries;
▸▸ Financing NSBs: Financial sustainability for national standards bodies; and
▸▸ Building trust: The conformity assessment toolbox (published in cooperation
with UNIDO).
Based on these publications ISO is providing support to build capacity amongst its
members, with respect to GSP as part of ISO’s Action Plan for Developing Countries.
ISO trusts that this publication will become a valuable addition to this knowledge
base, for the benefit of the whole standardization environment. This publication
on GSP is a “living” document and will periodically be updated.
Sergio Mujica
ISO Secretary-General

Acknowledgments
The content of this publication was developed by Martin Kellermann, an interna-
tional expert on standardization and quality infrastructure.
The ISO Central Secretariat oversaw and coordinated the work on this publication,
notably Nesreen Al-Khammash with an input and support from Erich Kieck at the
capacity building unit.
The publication has greatly benefited from the substantive inputs and comments
from the following:
1. Karl Grün, Director standards development, Austrian Stand-
ards International.
2. Ernst-Peter Ziethen, International expert on standardization.
3. Belinda Cleeland, Head of research and innovation, ISO/CS.
4. The Chair of the ISO Committee on Developing Country Matters (DEVCO),
Léna Dargham, and in particular the members of the DEVCO Chair’s Advisory
Group (CAG) :
▸▸ Tatjana Bojanic, Serbia.
▸▸ Camilla Åberg, Sweden.
▸▸ Nadita Ramachala, Trinidad and Tobago.
▸▸ César Díaz Guevara, Ecuador.
5. The international engagement team from Standards Australia.
The work was funded by the contribution from the Swedish International Devel-
opment Cooperation Agency (Sida) within the framework of the ISO Action Plan
for Developing Countries 2016-2020 and we wish to greatly acknowledge the con-
tinuous and generous support of Sida to ISO’s activities in developing countries.
Finally, we would like to thank Rick Gould and the Marketing and Communication
team at the ISO/CS who provided significant support to the editing and finalization
of this publication.

Disclaimer
The publication does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
part of the ISO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area
or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
This document has been developed by the author mentioned above, with editing
and publishing by ISO. Discussions and recommendations do not necessarily
reflect the views of ISO and are not endorsed by ISO. While every effort has been
made to verify the information contained in this document, ISO cannot accept
any responsibility for any errors that it may contain. This document is strictly an
information document and in no way represents the consensus views contained
in ISO standards and other ISO deliverables.

Acronyms and abbreviations
ARSO African Organization for Standardization
BIPM International Bureau of Weights and Measures
CAC Codex Alimentarius Commission
CASCO ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment
CD committee draft
CEN European Committee for Standardization
CENELEC European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
COPANT The Pan American Standards Commission
CROSQ Caribbean Community Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality
CMC calibration and measurement capability
DCMAS Developing Country Network on Metrology, Accreditation and Standards
DEVCO ISO Committee for Developing Countries
DIS draft International Standard
ETSI European Telecommunication Standardization Institute
FDIS final draft International Standard
GAP good agricultural practice
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GSP good standardization practice
IAF International Accreditation Forum
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
IPPC International Plant Protection Convention
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISO/PAS ISO publicly available specification
ISO/TR ISO technical report
ISO/TS ISO technical specification
ITU International Telecommunication Union
KCDB key comparison database

KPI key performance indicator
NAB national accreditation body
NGO non-governmental organization
NMI National Metrology Institute
NSB national standards body
NSS national standardization strategy
NTB non-tariff barrier
NWIP new work-item proposal
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OIE International Office of Epizootics
OIML International Organization of Legal Metrology
PEG process-evaluation group
POCOSA ISO Policies and Procedures for Copyright, Copyright Exploitation Rights
and Sales of ISO Publications
QI quality infrastructure
RIA regulatory impact assessment
RSB regional standards body
SWP standards work programme
SC subcommittee
SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
STC specific trade concerns
TBT Technical Barriers to Trade
TC technical committee
TMB technical management board
USD United States Dollar
UNIDO United National Industrial Development Organization
WG working group
WTO World Trade Organization

1. Introduction

1.1 General
Good operating practice is a strategic management term. More specific uses
of the term include good agricultural practices, good manufacturing practice,
good laboratory practice, good clinical practice and now also good stand-
ardization practice (GSP). Generally speaking, a good operating practice is
a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to any
alternatives because it produces results that are superior to those achieved
by other means, or because it has become a standard way of doing things due
to the good results.
Driven by the growth of international trade and technological cooperation,
standards bodies have developed procedures and modes of cooperation which
are commonly considered to constitute good practices for standards development
at all levels. Some of these have been codified in international agreements such
as the WTO TBT Agreement, in procedures such as the ISO/IEC Directives, others
in international guides such as ISO/IEC Guide 59, and many are found in the
intrinsic knowledge base of standards bodies all over the world – all of which are
collectively known as good standardization-practice (GSP).
This publication is a monograph on the history and the driving forces for stand-
ardization, the international context for standards development, the principles of
standards development and the elements of the value chain of standards devel-
opment, that are effective and efficient in fulfilling the GSP concepts. It may be
utilized by any standards body to evaluate its standards development, publication
and information systems in order to ascertain the level of its compliance with GSP.
This knowledge should help the standards body to optimise its processes within
the realities of its environment.
1.2 Terminology
It is important to use concepts and definitions consistently, because some terms
mean different things to different practitioners. In general, this document uses

the terms and definitions contained within the following two, international
documents :
▸▸ ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 – Standardization and related activities – General
vocabulary, and
▸▸ ISO/IEC 17000 2) – Conformity assessment – Vocabulary and general principles.
The definitions of concepts as provided for in the WTO TBT Agreement are also
important, and where they differ from those in international documents, this
difference is highlighted. Some of the more important terms and definitions are
included below.
Standardization is the activity of establishing, with regard to actual or potential
problems, provisions for common and repeated use, aimed at the achievement of
the optimum degree of order in a given context.
NOTE 1 : In particular, the activity consists of the processes of formulating, issuing
and implementing standards.
NOTE 2 : Important benefits of standardization are improvement of the suitability
of products, processes and services for their intended purposes, prevention of
barriers to trade and facilitation of technological cooperation (ISO/IEC Guide 2).
A Standard is a document, established by consensus and approved by a recog-
nized body, that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or char-
acteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum
degree of order in a given context.
NOTE : Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technol-
ogy and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.
(ISO/IEC Guide 2).
A Product is the output of an organization, and can be produced without any
transaction taking place between the organization and the customer.
NOTE 1 : Production of a product is achieved without any transaction necessarily
taking place between provider and customer but can often involve this service
element upon its delivery to the customer.
2) Under revision. Stage at the time of publication : ISO/DIS 17000:2019.

NOTE 2 : The dominant element of a product is that it is generally tangible.
NOTE 3 : Hardware is tangible, and its amount is a quantifiable characteristic
(e.g. tyres). Processed materials are tangible and their amount is a continuous
characteristic (e.g. fuel and soft drinks). Hardware and processed materials are
termed “ goods ”. Software consists of information regardless of delivery medium
(e.g. computer programme, mobile phone app, instruction manual, dictionary
content, musical copyright, and a driving licence) (ISO 9000:2015).
An additional concept in this document, and not contained in any of the above
international documents is the following description for quality infrastructure, as
agreed by the International Network of Quality Infrastructure 3) :
▸▸ The system comprising the organizations (public and private) together with the
policies, relevant legal and regulatory framework, and practices needed to sup-
port and enhance the quality, safety and environmental soundness of goods,
services and processes.
The quality infrastructure is required for the effective operation of domestic mar-
kets, and its international recognition is important for enabling access to overseas
markets. It is a critical element in promoting and sustaining economic devel-
opment, as well as environmental and social wellbeing. It relies on : metrology,
standardization, accreditation, conformity assessment and market surveillance.
Other terminology that is used consistently is illustrated below.
Interested party is any person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or
perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity. Therefore, in the context of
standards, an interested party is any person or organization having an interest in
the drawing up or use of a standardization document.
Stakeholder is any party that can affect or be affected by the actions of the NSB
relating to strategic management, corporate governance, business purpose and
corporate social-responsibilities. Stakeholders include parties with the most direct
and obvious interests in the actions of the NSB, such as customers and employees,
3) Refer to UNIDO Guide on Quality Policy at https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/

files/2018-06/QP_PRACTICAL_GUIDE_08062018_online.pdf.

as well as others who are less obvious, such as third parties that are affected
economically, yet have no influence over that effect.
NOTE : In the latest revision of ISO/IEC 59, the terms stakeholder and interested
party are considered as the same. In this publication, the difference is still main-
tained in order to differentiate between the broader stakeholder groups that would
not of necessity be directly involved in the development of standards, but which
are nevertheless affected by the implementation of a standard.

2. Standardization
fundamentals

2.1 The history of standardization
Standardization has a very long history, dating back thousands of years. What
started as a necessity to organize life in early civilizations was later used as a tool by
rulers to enhance their power. The industrial revolution provided the real impetus
for the growth of standardization, and even today, socio-political considerations
give rise to standardization efforts.
2.1.1 Early beginnings

Primitive societies lived in communities according to rules passed on from gen-
eration to generation. This led to the development of language and writing. To
establish a system of measurement, lengths from parts of the body were used. The
ell, which is often mentioned in old writings, is the distance from the elbow to
the tip of the long finger. The length of the foot and the breadth of the hand were
other convenient measurements used.
An early reference to standardization is found on the statue of Gouda, King of
Chaldea, in which the sculptor extols the virtues of the ruler and praises him
for the introduction of standards in the building industry. Other early accounts
of building standards are found on the Egyptian frieze of Thebes dating from
BCE 1450 ; this shows brick-building and measurements. During the reign of the
first Roman Emperor Augustus (BCE 27 to 14 CE), the Romans published the Ten
Books of Architecture. In these, for example, the rules and specification for meas-
urements and proportions for the spacing of pillars and how to pile them, were
described comprehensively.
In the Middle East, various weight measurements were in common use for trade
and paying tributes. In Babylonian times, typical weight measures were a Talent
(30 kg), a Mina (500 g) and a Shekel (50 g). Around BCE 700, for example, King
Hezekiah of Judah had to pay King Sennacherib of Assyria 300 Talents of silver
and 30 Talents of gold as tribute for not invading Jerusalem.

2.1.2 Standardization as a political tool
Standards have been utilized extensively to further political goals.
Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China (BCE 220-210) unified China economically
by standardizing the Chinese units of measurements such as weights and meas-
ures, the currency, and the length of the axles of carts to facilitate transport on
the road system.
In early European history, it is believed that King William the First of England
(1028-1087) published a Royal Decree that led to the beginnings of a unified system
of measurement in England. Before his time, the units of the ell and foot were
frequently based on measurements of a king himself. Once he was replaced by
a new king, the measurements also changed. Historians believe that later kings
decreed that there should be a standardized measurement of the unit length,
the yard, which consisted of three feet, and the foot itself would comprise twelve
inches. The inch was the length of three barley corns ; in so doing, kings had set
standards for measurement and calibration.
The early English system evolved into the British Imperial system of weights and
measures. Yet now, almost a millennium after King William the First’s time, the
standardised, metric system of measurement has largely replaced the Imperial
system. Regarding the origins of the metric system, many historians believe that its
originator was a French pastor, Gabriel Mouton, who in 1670, developed the idea
of a logical, simple system based on multiples of ten. One hundred and twenty
years later, the French National Assembly asked the French Academy of Science
to develop a new, standardised system for units of length, volume and weight.
The result was the beginnings of a unified system that found universal appeal.
The new system not only replaced thousands of variants of measurement used
throughout the French Republic, but also helped to enshrine the power of the
government and enhance trade. The metric system eventually became an inter-
national system, established by an international treaty, the Metre Convention in
1875. The metric system under the Metre Convention developed continuously with
the addition of further measurement units, and in 1960, the SI System of coherent
units was established by the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures.

2.1.3 Standardization in industrial development
The industrial revolution greatly advanced standardization as manufacturers tried
to deal with unnecessary varieties of manufactured goods, leading to problems
with interchangeability, and unnecessary costs. Health and safety issues also
started to have an effect on the industry, as products such as pressure vessels
failed and caused many fatalities. Standards coupled with legislation became
the main instruments to solve such problems.
When the industrial revolution started in Britain, screw threads were already used
extensively in manufacturing. The problem was that each manufacturer had its
own system – there was no interchangeability. So in 1841, Joseph Whitworth, an
English inventor, engineer and entrepreneur, proposed a standardized system
for screw threads. Many railway companies then adopted this system, which
eventually became a British Standard. The system of screw threads is named
after Whitworth.
Across the Atlantic, early train travel in America was hampered by a lack of a
standard gauge for railways, meaning that trains had to be frequently unloaded
and reloaded because the track gauge was different between cities. During the Civil
War, the US government recognized both the military and economic advantages
of having a standardized track gauge. The government then worked with railway
companies to promote the use of the most common railway gauge in the US at
the time, which measured 4 feet 8½ inches. This gauge was mandated for use in
the Transcontinental Railroad in 1864 and by 1886, this gauge had become the
US standard.
At the beginning of the 20th century, every electrical company worldwide uti-
lized its own standards for electrification. This in turn meant that voltages and
symbols were totally different. The British engineer, inventor and industrialist,
Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton, recognised the inherent dangers of such chaos,
so he worked tirelessly to ensure that harmonized standards were established.
His work eventually led to the formation of the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) in 1906.

2.2 Benefits of standardization
There are many benefits of standardization for the private sector, the public sector
and consumers. The use of standards in international and local trade and everyday
life is now commonplace and well embedded ; so much so, that socio-economic
systems without standards are not conceivable.
2.2.1 Standards and the private sector

The many benefits that standards bring to the private sector include :
▸▸ Reduction in production and transaction costs : This is achieved mainly
through variety reduction and rationalization of processes leading to econo-
mies of scale. An additional benefit is that a broader choice of sub-suppliers
of components and sub-assemblies is possible, all complying with the set
standards ;
▸▸ Increased market opportunities : Many goods in numerous markets have
become standardized. Hence, compliance with such standardized goods pro-
vides the manufacturer with the opportunity to access more markets, instead
of being limited to one where a different standard is expected ;
▸▸ Competitive positioning : Being involved in standards development allows
manufacturers and suppliers to anticipate market developments. Progressive
companies leading technological developments in the marketplace, may see
their company standards become the basis for national or even International
Standards, further enhancing their position in the market ; and
▸▸ Improved risk management : The risks associated with the introduction
of technical regulations or the introduction of new technologies can be
mitigated by the appropriate use of standards. Technical regulations based
on known, proven standards lower the risk of non-compliance when a new
technical regulation is published. The introduction of new technologies in
the marketplace brings about inevitable costs ; however, these costs can be
shared with other manufacturers if the new technology is codified in stand-
ards that everybody can use.

2.2.2 Standards and the public sector
As well as specifying standards for government purchases, the public sector can
benefit substantively from the use of standards, namely :
▸▸ A basis for regulation : Standards are recognized solutions to implement the
health and safety requirements for regulated products. Legislators, for exam-
ple, gain the acceptance of stakeholders for regulations because they were
involved in the development of the standards used as the basis for regulation.
Standards are kept up-to-date through five-year review programs ; hence
regulations using them as a basis can remain up-to-date as well depending
on the mode of referencing 4) ;
▸▸ Efficient regulation through participatory processes : When regulations
are based on standards, these can be used to provide guidance on essential
requirements. This has the advantage that market forces can be utilized in
keeping compliance costs to a minimum. Conformity-assessment service
providers complying with standards such as ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17025
can be designated by the country to provide such services. If more than one
service provider is designated, market forces will keep costs at reasonable
levels, and the country need not provide such services ; and
▸▸ Contribution to socio-economic development : Regulations based on
standards give the country access to the latest state-of-the-art requirements
for products agreed by a broad stakeholder group. In addition, local compa-
nies can gain easier access to foreign markets where the regulations are also
based on the same standards ; this means that such companies do not need to
develop products that have to comply with a different set of standards.
2.2.3 Standards and the consumer
The consumer benefits from standardization in several ways, such as :

▸▸ Consumer involvement : The consumer is invited to be a participant in
the standards-development process ; hence the consumer has a voice in
the process. Once products and processes are marketed, whether they
4) Standards can be referenced dated or undated – see Section 3.4.1 for details.

need to comply with technical regulations or not, standards are useful in a
legal sense when dangerous or non-compliant consumer goods have to be
identified ;
▸▸ Consumer safety : Products from many suppliers complying with the same
underlying safety or compatibility standards provide the consumer with
choices regarding other elements such as cost and design. This in turn means
that consumers can be secure in the knowledge that the product will be safe
and will integrate with common systems such as power supplies, telecommu-
nications standards, the internet and common forms of machinery ; and
▸▸ Sustainability : Standards are widely used in occupational health and safety
systems, environmental protection and increasingly in determining the social
aspects of sustainable development, ultimately benefitting the society.
2.2.4 Standards and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

There is a perception that it is both difficult and expensive to comply with Interna-
tional Standards, especially for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which
constitute the bulk of the industry in many developing countries. However, the
benefits that SMEs can achieve if they pursue the implementation of International
Standards, either directly or as an adopted national standard, are widespread.
For example, International Standards : (i) help improve the quality of goods and
services ; (ii) help to drive growth, cut costs and increase profits ; (iii) give the
business a competitive edge ; (iv) open up markets for goods and services of SMEs ;
(v) open the door for new customers and strengthen the existing business ; (vi) help
SMEs to compete with bigger enterprises ; (vii) enhance the credibility of SMEs ;
(viii) sharpen business practices and increase efficiency ; (ix) strengthen market-
ing activities, and (x) help SMEs to comply with technical and other regulations.
ISO has published a free brochure 5) listing and discussing these benefits, and ISO
recommends that NSBs promote this document.
5) https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/store/en/PUB100283.pdf.

2.3 Definition of a standard
There are two definitions for a standard that are commonly utilized by practition-
ers. These are the definitions contained in ISO/IEC Guide 2 : Standardization and
related activities — General vocabulary, and the WTO TBT Agreement. Both are
relevant, even though they differ ; the ISO/IEC Guide 2 definition is generally used
in this publication. The difference between the ISO/IEC Guide 2 and the WTO TBT
Agreement definitions is explained in Section 3.3. The definition of a standard
given in ISO/IEC Guide 2 is the following :
▸▸ A standard is a document, established by consensus and approved by a
recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines
or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the
optimum degree of order in a given context.
NOTE : Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technol-

ogy and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.
2.4 Diversity of standards

There are numerous ways to classify the many types of standards published by
public and private organizations, and even non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). A useful approach is to consider the classification as an environment
with three facets, namely (i) technical content, (ii) development process, and
(iii) legal status as shown in Figure 2.1.
2.4.1 Technical content

The technical content includes elements such as the purpose, the type of document
and the requirements contained within the standard. As regards the purpose of a
standard, this is wide-ranging and includes subject areas such as basic terminol-
ogy, specifications for products, processes and services, testing, and ; interface and
data management. Standards can also be a combination of these types depending
on their scope and envisaged use.

Standards, depending on their content, are not always called standards. In many
cases, standards are also known as specifications, methods, guides, technical reports
or code of practice, i.e. types of standards as defined in ISO/IEC Guide 2. Some are a
vocabulary list or a classification of a product or service type. This is to some extent
dependent on the custom and practice of the standards body and country.
Standards can also be classified in terms of the requirements contained within
them. Two main types are commonly recognized, namely design standards and
standards that contain performance requirements. These two types of require-
ments need not be dealt with in separate standards, as such requirements can
also be combined in one standard.
2.4.2 Development process

The development process addresses two important elements, which are (i) the
principles of standardization, and (ii) the organizations which are developing the
standards. These principles include transparency and consensus, which apply
to the development of national, regional and International Standards. They are
discussed in detail in Section 4.
Secondly, there are numerous organizations developing standards, ranging from
companies, consortia and industry in the private sector, to national, regional and
international organizations. The latter three constitute the bulk of the international
standardization system, required by the WTO TBT Agreement to follow its principles
and requirements for standards development. There are also NGOs with specific
socio-economic or environmental goals that develop and publish standards.

Technical content Purpose
▸▸ Basic standard ▸▸ Process standard
▸▸ Terminology standard ▸▸ Service standard
▸▸ Testing standard ▸▸ Interface standard
▸▸ Product standard ▸▸ Data standard
Type of document
▸▸ Specification ▸▸ Vocabulary
▸▸ Method ▸▸ Code of Practice
▸▸ Guide ▸▸ Classification
Requirements
▸▸ Design standard
▸▸ Performance standard
Development process Development process principles

▸▸ Openness ▸▸ Consensus
▸▸ Transparency ▸▸ Effectiveness
▸▸ Impartiality ▸▸ Relevance
Organization
▸▸ Company ▸▸ Intergovernmental
▸▸ Consortium organization
▸▸ Industry sector ▸▸ National standards body
association ▸▸ Regional standards body
▸▸ Non-Governmental ▸▸ International standards
Organization body
Legal status Voluntary

▸▸ The WTO TBT Agreement definition considers standards
voluntary in respect of their application
Mandatory
▸▸ The WTO TBT Agreement considers mandatory
application of a standard to be a technical regulation
Source: ISO NOTE: For definitions of the above see ISO/IEC Guide 2.
Figure 2.1 : The standards environment

International Standards bodies
Numerous bodies have been established to develop and publish International Stand-
ards ; there are more than 50 such organizations. Six of these are generally consid-
ered to have a wider influence than many of the other more specialized International
Standards bodies. The WTO TBT Agreement applies to products and the three major
organizations dealing with such standards include the IEC, ISO and International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). As regards the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures Agreement (SPS), the food, plant and animal-related trio standardization
bodies, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the International Plant Protec-
tion Convention (IPPC) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are the most
important and are specifically mentioned in the WTO SPS Agreement.
The following facts about bodies that develop International Standards are
noteworthy :
▸▸ The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is an NGO, established
in 1906, has its head office in Geneva and publishes International Standards for
electrical and electronic goods and systems. Its members are the IEC National
Committees in the relevant countries and there is only one member per country ;
▸▸ The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an NGO,
established in 1947 with its head office in Geneva and it publishes wide-rang-
ing International Standards for scopes generally not handled by the others
in this list. Its members are the foremost standards organizations in their
countries and there is only one member per country ;
▸▸ The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is an inter-governmen-
tal organization belonging to the United Nations family, was established in 1897
with its head office in Geneva and it publishes International Standards for the
telecommunications domain. Its membership comprises nearly 200 countries
and almost 800 private-sector entities and academic institutions ;
▸▸ The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an inter-governmental
organization belonging to the United Nations family, established in 1963 with
its head office in Rome and it publishes International Standards for food
products, sometimes in co-operation with others, e.g. ISO. Its membership
consists of nearly 190 countries ;

▸▸ The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a multilateral-
treaty organization within the United Nations family, established in 1951
with its head office in Rome and it publishes International Standards for
plant protection. Being founded by an international convention, it does not
have members as the others, but contracting parties, i.e. countries that have
acceded to the convention ; and
▸▸ The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is an inter-governmental
organization outside the United Nations family, established in 1924 with
its head office in Paris and it publishes International Standards for animal
health. It has a membership of just over 180 countries.
In the ITU, CAC, IPPC and OIE, all members have equal status. In the case of ISO
and IEC, various levels of membership are possible with full membership being
the highest level. Other membership grades such as associate or corresponding
membership have fewer privileges. Full membership is required to participate in
the governance of ISO and IEC, and the same applies largely to ISO/TCs.
There are differences between the organizations in the way in which the technical
work on the formulation of standards is undertaken by their ISO/TCs. ISO, IEC
and CAC operate a decentralised system whereby member bodies are given full
responsibility for specific ISO/TCs, whereas IPPC, ITU and OIE work with expert
level meetings managed by the Secretariats. All of them however, meet WTO
requirements for International Standards. The International Standards bodies
cooperate closely in many areas to limit overlaps to a minimum, an issue that is
becoming more important due to technology convergence. There are also formal
cooperation agreements between International Standards bodies and certain
regional standards bodies, e.g. ISO and CEN, and IEC and CENELEC.
Regional standards bodies (RSBs)
Two main types of regional standards-bodies (RSBs) have developed over the
years, namely :
▸▸ RSBs established through political processes aligned with the regional trade
arrangements, e.g. common markets and free-trade zones ; or

▸▸ RSBs established as a voluntary organization within given geographical
regions, e.g. Africa and the Pacific rim.
In both cases, RSBs may publish regional standards developed through their own
TCs, or it could just be a forum whereby harmonization of standards across the
region is facilitated amongst the member states, i.e. no regional standards are
developed and published. Well-known RSBs publishing regional standards include
CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in the European Union.
For the first type of RSBs, NSBs of the region may have an obligation to participate
actively in the development of regional standards through regional TCs. These
regional standards may be published as official regional standards or just provided
to NSBs for adoption as national standards. In either case, NSBs have to adopt
regional standards as national standards within a given time period and with-
draw any conflicting national standards. Typical examples are the EN Standards
(European Union) and EAC Standards (East African Community).
In the second type of RSBs, the members are also NSBs, but membership is normally
of a voluntary nature or by invitation. Typical examples are the African Organiza-
tion for Standardization (ARSO), the Caribbean Community Regional Organization
for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Pan American Standards Commission
(COPANT). Some of these would establish technical committees (TCs) to develop
regional standards, but many operate as a forum where regional standardization
issues can be discussed and harmonization of national standards of member states
facilitated without reverting to the publication of regional standards.
National standards bodies
Many countries have established centralised NSBs in the past hundred years,
even though a few countries have followed a more decentralised approach. Their
organizational status can range from a government department, an organization
of public law (i.e. a statutory body) or an organization of private law (i.e. either a
“ not-for-profit ” or “ for-profit ” organization). The exact breakdown of the types
is not known as no current common database exists in this respect, but details

regarding individual NSBs can be found on their websites 6). Government depart-
ment type NSBs seem to be the majority, with NSBs as organizations of public law
second, followed by private sector NSBs.
NSBs primary responsibilities include the development and publication of
national standards, the provision of standards related information, and liaison
with regional and international standardizing bodies. Many NSBs also provide
standards related services such as inspection, testing, certification and training 7)..
In fulfilling their primary responsibilities, NSBs should follow GSP. An important
point for any NSB, irrespective of its organizational status, and whether it provides
conformity assessment services or not, is that its standards development pro-
gramme should function without undue political interference, i.e. its impartiality
should be ensured.
Industry sector and NGO-type standards organizations
A vast array of normative documents is classed under the generic label of private
standards. Generally, a normative document developed and published by an
organization outside of the recognized standards development organizations at
national, regional or international level is considered to be a private standard.
There is not only a vast range of private standards (and growing in number), there
are also significant differences between the bodies and organizations that develop
these standards related to such aspects as governance, development approach,
stakeholder engagement, transparency, and consensus 8).
There are several reasons for the growth of private standards, such as :
▸▸ The time-to-market for International Standards would be at least two to
three years, and that is too long for the sponsors of a standard in fast moving
technologies, who then develop a private standard amongst themselves in a
much shorter time.
6) The ISO membership list is a useful point of departure for accessing NSB websites. This can be
accessed from the ISO website.
7) More detail is provided in the ISO publication Financing NSBs: Financial sustainability for
National Standards Bodies obtainable from the ISO Secretariat.
8) These aspects are discussed in detail in Section 4 Principles for the Development of Standards.

▸▸ Consortia develop a private, product standard to gain a market advantage
over rivals.
▸▸ Global-brand producers and retailers increasingly require their suppliers
to comply with certain social, environmental and safety requirements as they
respond to pressures from their customers. These requirements are then for-
malised within private standards, guidelines or principles that their suppliers
have to comply with contractually.
▸▸ NGOs wishing to promote specific social and environmental changes then
developing private standards and establishing certification schemes to sup-
port their goals.
▸▸ Multinational certification-bodies identifying a specific market niche,
developing a private standard and implementing a certification scheme as a
sound business-proposition.
Whatever the reasons for developing a private standard, these reasons have become
an important factor in accessing the developed markets of Europe and the USA, and
they are also spreading into the markets of Asia . A final – but still embryonic – trend
relates to the harmonization and benchmarking of private standards as a response to
the overwhelming growth in their number and variety, and pressures from suppliers
on purchasers to harmonize requirements. Furthermore, despite the multiplicity of
private standards, new ones continue to emerge frequently.
Legal status
The WTO TBT Agreement is very clear in that standards are considered to be volun-
tary in their application, whereas technical regulations are mandatory. This has
led to some confusion in the understanding of the use of standards in contracts.
Clearly conformity with standards used in contracts has to be fulfilled by the sup-
plier, but non-compliance would be an issue dealt with under civil law. It is not
considered to be an offence in terms of public law as is the case for non-compliance
with a technical regulation.
Another issue that has to be considered, is that national standards have to be
given legal standing in many jurisdictions, otherwise they cannot be referenced
in technical regulations or their copyright cannot be protected. Even though they

are promoted as national standards in terms of legislation and are considered as a
legal document at the national level, their application remains voluntary in terms
of the WTO TBT Agreement definitions.
2.5 Users of standards

The users of standards can be found in all constituents that make up a country
and in all levels of society. They range from industry and commerce, government,
consumers, labour, academic and research organizations, conformity assessment
service providers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
2.5.1 Industry and commerce

Standards are used widely in industry and commerce in the complete product
value-chain. This starts with the product design, continues with the purchasing of
raw materials, through production and inspection, and includes packaging. Even
marketing and after-sales service make a significant use of standards. To ensure
consistency of production and supply, the management systems can be aligned
with standards, for example such as ISO 9001 for quality-management systems
and ISO 14001 for environmental-management systems.
2.5.2 Purchasers and consumers

Purchasers make extensive use of standards in their purchasing contracts and deci-
sions. Bulk purchasers, e.g. large companies or the country’s purchasing agency,
utilize standards as a contractual requirement for the supply of bulk purchases.
These are frequently coupled with compliance to quality management standards
such as ISO 9001.
Consumers , on the other hand, use well-known product certification marks in
their purchasing decisions or rely on test results published by independent test
organizations. Anecdotal evidence suggests that more expensive products such
as televisions are more likely to be chosen this way, than every-day, inexpensive
consumables such as soap or toothpaste. Here advertising plays a much bigger role.

2.5.3 Conformity assessment service providers
Conformity-assessment service-providers utilize the same standards that pur-
chasers typically demand In addition, these service providers have to comply
themselves with International Standards such as ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17021-1,
ISO/IEC 17025, and ISO/IEC 17065, in order to be recognized as competent bodies.
Many NSBs provide conformity-assessment services such as inspection, testing
and certification, even though the bulk of such services in the more advanced
economies is provided by private sector entities. As a matter of principle, NSBs
should ensure that their standardization activities are independent of other activi-
ties such as conformity assessment, where this is the case.
2.5.4 Organizational and product innovators

Innovation is defined by the Oslo Manual of the Organization for Economic Coop-
eration and Development (OECD) as “ the implementation of a new or significantly
improved product (good or service) or process, a new marketing method, or a new
organizational method in business practices, workplace organization or external
relations ”. Others consider innovation as the development of completely different
technology that revolutionizes the economic structure from within by disrupting
or totally replacing old technology, e.g. cell-phones replacing landlines, and digital
photography replacing film-based photography.
In an age of ever faster technological developments, innovation is widely recog-
nised as one of the essential drivers of successful businesses and a key contributor
to the productivity and socio-economic development of nations. Hence, in many
countries, there is a strong focus on public funding of research and development
and on intellectual property rights as instruments of innovation policy and busi-
ness strategy. The International Standards of the ISO 56000 series on innovation
management can provide guidance in this respect.
The driver for innovation programmes in organizations should be to achieve
growth, because organizations cannot grow through cost reduction and re-
engineering alone. Typical goals of innovation in manufacturing and services

organizations could include : (i) Improved quality ; (ii) extension of the prod-
uct range ; (iii) reduction of labour costs ; (iv) improved production processes ;
(v) reduction in material costs ; (vi) reduction in the environmental footprint of the
organization ; (vii) replacement of products ; (viii) reduced energy consumption ;
and (ix) compliance with regulatory requirements.
Looking at the above goals of innovation and mapping them against the quality-
infrastructure services, it quickly becomes apparent that almost all of them would
benefit from the appropriate and robust use of standards, metrology, accreditation
and conformity assessment.
2.6 Quantifying socio-economic benefits of standardization

One of the key aspects of the mission of NSBs is to liaise with organizations from
all stakeholder groups to engage them in standardization and to help them get the
most from standards. Yet, whereas the people involved in standardization under-
stand that their work generates considerable benefits for organizations, markets
and society, it is important that they convey this point of view to industrialists,
public administrations and other opinion leaders.
In order to substantiate and quantify the real-world value of voluntary standards,
ISO has developed the ISO Methodology ; this is a consistent approach to measuring
this value, which has been tested in approximately 30 case studies for companies
in over 20 countries across the globe. The results speak for themselves : standards
do create value for the organizations that use them, and it is feasible to quantify
the many benefits.
2.6.1 Assessment steps at the company level

To be able to apply the ISO Methodology, users can download a manual containing
detailed steps to do so from the ISO Website 9). Figure 2.2 illustrates the ISO Meth-
odology and it consists of the following stages :
9) http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/benefitsofstandards/benefits_of_standards.htm.

▸▸ Understand the company’s value chain : The ISO Methodology is based on
the value chain, which subdivides the operations of a company into a num-
ber of key business-functions that, in turn, group together certain activities.
The value chain of the company then needs to be understood in terms of its
key business processes and its core value-adding activities.
▸▸ Identify the impact of standards : The second step consists in determin-
ing the business functions and activities in the company value chain where
standards play a significant role. Existing company documentation (e.g. the
quality manual, process and organizational charts, other corporate or depart-
mental documentation) could be used to understand the processes, business
functions and main activities included in each business function.
▸▸ Analyse the drivers and determine operational indicators : This step
analyses the company value drivers (i.e. its competitive strengths) and
determines the operational indicators that will be applied to measure the
impacts of standards. The impacts of standards closely associated with value
drivers will have a significant higher effect on value creation, and they should
be considered in the first instance. Thereafter, one or more operational
indicators associated with these value drivers should be identified to actually
quantify the impacts. These could be company activities that show improve-
ment or degradation of performance (e.g. time and cost, number of defects,
waste, sales, and customer satisfaction).
▸▸ Assess and calculate the results : The purpose of the complete assessment
process is to :
a) quantify the impacts of standards using the operational indicators and
aggregate these impacts for each of the selected business functions ;
b) convert the quantities resulting from the use of standards for each of the
selected business functions into financial figures ; and
c) add the figures for all the selected business functions at a given point in
time to determine the total contribution of standards to the company gross
profit or EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Tax).

Understand the value chain
▸▸ Clarify industry boundaries
▸▸ Analyze the company value chain
▸▸ Identify the most relevant business functions
Identify the impacts of standards

▸▸ Identify and list standards used by the various business functions
of the company
▸▸ Identify impacts deriving from standards for main business functions
and activities associated with these functions
Analyze the value drivers and key operational indicators

▸▸ Identify value drivers to focus assessment on the most relevant standards
impacts
▸▸ Select relevant performance indicators, possibly linked to value drivers,
to identify major impacts of standards on the business functions in scope
Measure the impacts of standards

▸▸ Quantify most relevant standards impacts
▸▸ Calculate Earnings Before Interest and Tax
▸▸ Impact for each standard
▸▸ Consolidate the results
Figure 2.2: Quantifying benefits of standardization at company level

2.6.2 Case study results
Published case-studies span enterprises of varying sizes, from small companies
of 25 employees with an annual sales revenue of approximately USD 4.5 million
to large conglomerates of several thousand employees with an annual revenue
exceeding USD 2.5 billion. Despite the huge differences in size, results consistently
demonstrate that companies achieve tangible benefits from using standards.
Some key benefits reported include :
▸▸ Streamlining internal operations : Standards can be used to streamline
the internal processes of a company, for example by reducing the time
needed to perform specific activities in the various business functions,
decreasing waste, reducing procurement costs and increasing productivity.
The case studies consistently report that the contribution of standards to
the gross profit of companies ranges between 0.15 % and 5 % of the annual
sales revenues.
▸▸ Innovating and scaling up operations : Some case studies provide exam-
ples where standards served as the basis for innovating business processes,
allowing companies to expand their suppliers’ network or to introduce
and manage new product lines effectively. In other examples, standards
helped companies to mitigate the risk of introducing new products into
national markets.
▸▸ Creating or entering new markets : Standards have been used as the basis
for developing new products, penetrating new markets (both domestic and
export), supporting the market uptake of products, and even creating mar-
kets. In exceptional cases, the impact of standards far exceeded the figures
mentioned above, with companies achieving a gross profit contribution of up
to 33 % of their annual revenue. This in turn helped the companies to position
themselves as leaders in their field, at least over a certain period of time.
2.6.3 Other case study information
In addition to the ISO methodology and its results described in 2.6.1 and 2.6.2, ISO
also developed a Web page that contains information on studies on the economic

and social benefits of standards for trade, national economies, industry sectors,
individual companies and citizens 10). It is intended as a reference work of studies
that address economic and other benefits of standards, their impacts and their
relevance for international trade, innovation and economic development. The
studies have been undertaken by different authors, such as national and Interna-
tional Standards bodies, research institutes, universities and other international
agencies. The Web page is updated continuously to ensure that the information
remains up-to-date as far as possible.
10) https://www.iso.org/sites/materials/benefits-of-standards/benefits_repository.html.

3. The WTO
and standardization

The WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO TBT Agreement) is likely
to be the most influential international legal text on standardization. The Agree-
ment prescribes the principles for standards, conformity assessment procedures
and technical regulation development and their implementation, and all WTO
members must comply with it. There are very few countries left in the world that
are not members of the WTO ; hence the majority of the world’s nations need to
comply with the Agreement. This has profound implications on virtually every
national standards body. The same would apply to every regional and international
standardizing body.
3.1 World Trade Organization (WTO)

The WTO is an intergovernmental organization which regulates international
trade. The WTO endeavours to facilitate trade between participating countries by
providing a framework for negotiating trade agreements and a dispute resolution
process. These activities are aimed at enforcing participants’ adherence to WTO
agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments and
ratified by their parliaments.
Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotia-
tions, especially from the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (1986–1994). The WTO oversees about 60 different agreements and decisions
which have the status of international legal texts. Countries must accede to all
WTO multilateral agreements when they join the organization.
From a standards and technical regulation perspective, the two important agree-
ments negotiated during the Uruguay Round, and which entered into force with
the establishment of the WTO, are :
▸▸ The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO TBT). This agreement
seeks to ensure that technical regulations and standards, as well as testing
and certification procedures for their implementation, do not create unneces-
sary obstacles to trade ; and

▸▸ The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
(WTO SPS). This agreement encourages members to base their food safety and
animal and plant health regulations on International Standards.
3.1.1 Trade barriers in the WTO TBT Agreement
Trade barriers consist of two types, namely tariff and non-tariff barriers (NTBs).
NTBs refer to restrictions that result from prohibitions, conditions, or specific
market requirements that make importation or exportation of products difficult
and/or costly. NTBs arise from different measures taken by governments and
authorities in the form of laws, regulations, policies, conditions, restrictions or
specific requirements, and private sector business practices, or prohibitions that
protect the domestic industries from foreign competition.
NTBs comprise technical (such as standards, technical regulations, sanitary and
phyto-sanitary measures or environmental protection measures) and non-tech-
nical measures, such as quotas, price controls, exports restrictions, or contingent
trade protective measures. Other types of NTB include behind-the-border measures,
such as competition, trade-related investment measures, government procurement
or distribution restrictions.
The WTO TBT Agreement deals specifically with a number of the technical NTBs,
namely to ensure that technical regulations, standards, testing, and certification
procedures do not become unnecessary barriers to trade. The agreement prohibits
technical requirements created in order to limit trade, as opposed to technical
requirements created for legitimate purposes such as health and safety of the
population, and consumer or environmental protection. It is therefore a balancing
act between free trade and the legitimate responsibility of governments to protect
their society and environment against unsafe or fraudulent products. To this end
it promotes the use of International Standards.

3.1.2 Scope of the WTO TBT Agreement
The WTO TBT Agreement applies to all products, even those of agricultural origin.
This is important to understand as there is a perception by some, that food products
fall only under the WTO SPS Agreement. The WTO TBT Agreement and WTO SPS
Agreement are mutually exclusive by definition, i.e. a measure within the scope
of the WTO SPS Agreement that is not subject to the WTO TBT Agreement. The
scope of the WTO SPS Agreement covers only very specific issues and are clearly
defined. Hence, a product can be subject to requirements of both the agreements,
depending on the measures.
Typical WTO SPS measures include : food standards that are enforced by govern-
ments to ensure the safety of food, and ; biosecurity controls that are enforced at
international borders to keep out exotic animal pests, plant pests and diseases.
Anything else falls under the scope of the WTO TBT. For example, residues of
veterinary drugs or pesticides in food or drink would be an SPS measure, whereas
the labelling on the composition of the same food or drink would be a TBT issue.
The WTO TBT Agreement also does not apply to purchasing specifications prepared
by governmental bodies for production or consumption requirements of govern-
mental bodies. They are addressed in the Agreement on Government Procurement.
3.1.3 Legitimate objectives of the WTO TBT Agreement

The WTO TBT Agreement lists the objectives for which technical regulations can
legitimately be implemented. These include : the protection of life and health of
individuals, animals and plants ; and the protection of the environment. They
also include the prevention of deceptive practices which would seriously affect
consumers. However, the scope of the WTO TBT does not apply to the general
quality of products, or the protection of the local industry.
Some countries may consider protecting local industry from foreign competition
as a legitimate policy. This is usually achieved through country specific manda-
tory standards or technical regulations – in reality, these are disguised trade-
barriers, e.g. the restrictions are not based on International Standards. Apart from

contravening WTO TBT rules, it is also a short-sighted strategy that will only result
in the local industry becoming totally non-competitive over time. Such strategies
should be avoided.
3.2 WTO TBT Agreement principles

There are five principles that underpin the WTO TBT Agreement ; all of these are
derived from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). These have a
large impact on all standardization activities.
The Most Favoured Nation principle requires imported products from all WTO
members to be accorded the same treatment. This means that governments must
ensure that TBT measures do not discriminate between foreign producers (for
example, by favouring one country over another).
The National Treatment principle requires imported and domestic products to
be treated in a like manner, i.e. imported products should not be subject to more
stringent inspection and certification than local products. In developing countries,
local manufacturers are sometimes subject to much higher conformity-assessment
requirements through mandatory certification than imported products. This is a
violation of the National Treatment principle in reverse – it puts local manufactur-
ers at a disadvantage with regard to imported products.
The Least-Restrictive-Means principle seeks to ensure that technical regula-
tions should not be more restrictive to trade than necessary. However, technical
regulations are, by their very nature, trade restrictive. The question is what is
considered to be more restrictive to trade than necessary ? The evaluation would
embrace several factors, including how much the measure contributes to the
achievement of the objective, the types of risks and the potential consequences
from the non-fulfilment of the objective, and the restrictiveness of the measure.
If the objective is applied by the imposition of a technical regulation based on
International Standards, then this principle is considered fulfilled even though
this can also be challenged.
The Transparency principle is a cornerstone of the WTO TBT Agreement. It is
applied through the notification provisions, along with the relevant TBT Committee

decisions and recommendations. These decisions and recommendations reveal
how members intend to regulate, gives trading partners an opportunity to provide
comments, thereby assisting in improving regulation. This in turn helps producers
and exporters adapt to changing requirements.
The Sham principle requires that standards, conformity-assessment procedures
and technical regulations are not simply trade barriers in disguise. This easily
happens when local manufacturers pursue the development of a national stand-
ard that differs significantly to the International Standard, in order to protect
themselves from unwanted competition from imported products. It also happens
when governments erroneously consider protecting local industry against foreign
competition, by creating technical regulations which differ from International
Standards. Neither is good for the country’s industrial development in the long
run, apart from contravening the requirements of the WTO TBT Agreement.
3.3 Standards and Technical Regulations

Standards and technical regulations can look very much alike, thereby leading to
confusion. That said, there are some very important differences as determined in
the WTO TBT Agreement. The following sub-sections describes these differences.
3.3.1 Definitions
The WTO TBT Agreement definitions for a technical regulation and a standard are
very clear. The foremost difference is that compliance with a technical regulation
is mandatory, whereas compliance with – or conformity to – a standard is not
mandatory, unless the standard is embodied within a regulation. In contrast to
the WTO TBT Agreement, ISO/IEC Guide 2 definitions do not prescribe compliance.

Technical regulation
Document which lays down product or service characteristics or their related pro-
cesses and production methods, including the administrative provisions, with which
compliance is mandatory. It may also include or deal exclusively with terminology,
symbols, packaging, marking or labelling requirements as they apply to a product,
process or production method.
WTO TBT Agreement
Regulation (document providing binding legislative rules, that is adopted by an author-
ity) that provides technical requirements, either directly or by referring to or incorporat-
ing the content of a standard, technical specification or code of practice.
ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004
The WTO TBT Agreement definition of a technical regulation and that provided for
in ISO/IEC Guide 2 differ in wording, but not in substance. The ISO/IEC definition
does mention the way in which standards can be used as the basis of a technical
regulation, whereas the WTO TBT Agreement definition does not. On the other
hand, the WTO TBT Agreement itself is clear in that governments should utilize
International Standards as the basis for the technical requirements of their tech-
nical regulations. The WTO TBT Agreement definition of a technical regulation
also includes administrative provisions, which are absent from its definition of
a standard.

Standard
Document approved by a recognised body, that provides, for common and repeated
use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for products and services and related processes
or production methods, with which compliance is not mandatory. It may also include
or deal exclusively with terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling require-
ments as they apply to a product, process or production method.
WTO TBT Agreement
Document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that pro-
vides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities
or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given
context.
ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004
The definition of a standard as contained in the WTO TBT Agreement, differs from
that commonly quoted definition from ISO/IEC Guide 2. The ISO/IEC definition
lists consensus as a principle of development and does not say anything about a
standard being voluntary or not. It deals with products and services, whereas the
WTO definition only considers products and their production methods, because
that is the scope of the Agreement.
The WTO TBT Agreement definition is very clear in that the application of a standard
is considered to be voluntary, whereas the ISO/IEC definition does not mention
anything about its legal status. Due to the impact of the WTO TBT Agreement, it
is now generally accepted practice throughout the world that standards are con-
sidered to be voluntary in their application, in contrast to technical regulations,
which are mandatory. The narrow scope of the WTO TBT Agreement definition,
however, is not generally used – whereas the scope of standards as accepted by
practitioners is wide, and includes products, services, processes, and systems.
A standard is developed by a recognized body in both definitions. The WTO TBT
Agreement, however, is abundantly clear that the development of a technical regu-
lation is a government responsibility. In terms of the WTO TBT Agreement, compli-
ance with a standard is not mandatory. This wording has led to some discussion,

because if a standard is specified in a purchasing contract, then compliance is
mandatory in terms of the contract. That said, non-compliance is then an issue
of civil law, not an offence in terms of national legislation.
To ascertain whether a technical regulation exists, WTO jurisprudence to date
has established three criteria : (i) that the requirements (set out in the document
containing the technical regulation) must apply to an identifiable product or group
of products (even if this is not expressly identified in the document) ; (ii) that the
requirements must specify one or more characteristics of the product (these may
be intrinsic to the product itself, or simply related to it, and they may be prescribed
or imposed in either a positive or a negative form) ; and (iii) that compliance with
the product characteristics must be mandatory. Clearly, the WTO TBT Agreement
definitions apply in considering the implementation of the Agreement, not the
ISO/IEC definitions.
3.3.2 Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade

The WTO TBT Agreement establishes a Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade,
composed of WTO Members. This Committee affords WTO Members the oppor-
tunity of consulting on any matters relating to the operation of the Agreement or
the furtherance of its objectives, and most of these deal with standards, technical
regulations and their implementation. Three specific objectives for the Committee
are listed in the Agreement.
Review of specific measures
WTO Members/Observers use the TBT Committee to discuss specific trade-concerns

(STCs) – specific laws, regulations or procedures that affect their trade, usually in
response to notifications. Essentially, members raise STCs to find out more about
the scope and implementation of each other’s regulations in light of the core TBT
obligations. The discussion is mostly about measures under development but
can also be about the implementation of existing measures. To date, more than
400 STCs have been raised, which can be accessed through the TBT Information

Management System – the database of WTO information on TBT notifications,
specific trade concerns, and enquiry points.
Strengthening implementation of the TBT Agreement
Members exchange experiences on the implementation of the Agreement, with

a view to making implementation more effective and efficient. This discussion
revolves around generic, cross-cutting themes, including transparency, standards,
conformity assessment and good regulatory practice. These are frequently organ-
ized in the form of a workshop held back-to-back with a TBT Committee meeting
and have become an integral part of the calendar. Useful exchanges of information
regarding standardization and the implementation of technical regulations have
been generated over the years ; information about this is accessible through the
WTO TBT Agreement Website.
Triennial Reviews
Once every three years, the Committee reviews the operation and implementation
of the Agreement including the provisions relating to transparency, with a view
to recommending an adjustment of the rights and obligations of this Agreement
where necessary to ensure mutual economic advantage and balance of rights and
obligations. Following such reviews, the Committee has developed a series of
decisions and recommendations over the years intended to facilitate implementa-
tion of the Agreement, some of which have a major impact on standardization.
Documented Decisions of the TBT Committee include the following activities :
▸▸ Good Regulatory Practice ;
▸▸ Conformity Assessment Procedures ;
▸▸ Indicative List of Approaches to Facilitate Acceptance of the Results of Con-
formity Assessment ;
▸▸ Decision of the Committee on Principles for the Development of International
Standards, Guides and Recommendations ;
▸▸ Transparency ;
▸▸ Technical Assistance ; and
▸▸ Special and Differential Treatment.

Knowledge regarding these TBT Committee decisions should be an integral part of
the implementation of GSP, and NSBs are recommended to familiarize themselves
with these decisions. Too often they are considered part of the political world and
not so important for the NSB – this is incorrect. The Decisions have a major impact
on the standardization and other activities of the NSB. All of the above documented
Decisions are accessible from the WTO TBT Agreement Website.
3.4 Technical regulations and SPS measures

Technical regulations and SPS measures are complex largely due to many dif-
ferences in approach in their development and implementation amongst WTO
Members, in spite of the requirement that WTO members must comply with the
requirements of the two Agreements. There is also confusion amongst some practi-
tioners regarding the differences between technical regulations and SPS measures ;
this requires explanation.
3.4.1 Technical regulation building-blocks

In order to better understand the many different approaches to technical regu-
lations, it is useful to consider their building blocks that can be derived from
the definitions of a technical regulation and the text of the WTO TBT Agreement
– see Figure 3.1. Anecdotal evidence would suggest, that if any of the building
blocks are not properly provided for in the technical regulation, then it may prove
to be ineffective. The building-block approach also highlights the importance
of standards in the development and implementation of technical regulations.

• Self-regulation
Policy Impact • Awareness
Assessment • Education
Technical Regulation
Product/Process Legislation Administrative

Characteristics Procedures
Technical Conformity Regulatory

Sanctions
Requirements Assessment Authority
Source: Author’s elaboration
Figure 3.1: Technical regulation building blocks
A government may contemplate implementing a technical regulation, once a

product that has been marketed, is thought to be deleterious to the health or
safety of people, the fauna and flora and the environment, or if it is considered a
deceptive practice.
Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)
Before a technical regulation is considered, a regulatory impact assessment (RIA)

should be conducted to determine the triggers for the regulation, the risks involved,
the socio-economic costs and benefits of implementing the technical regulation,
and whether the infrastructure to implement it exists in the country. This is also
important in the case of standards being declared mandatory, thereby rendering
them as technical regulations.
Without a RIA to evaluate all aspects, a new technical regulation may lead to nega-
tive impacts on the economy or society, or impacts that may not have been evalu-
ated or even considered. The outcome of a RIA may be that a technical regulation

is not implemented, but that other less onerous measures are preferable. These
would include self-regulation by the suppliers, or an awareness and/or education
campaign to sensitize consumers. If the outcome of the RIA points towards the
implementation of a technical regulation, then the rest of the building blocks have
to be given appropriate attention.
Legislation
A technical regulation is, by definition, a legislative measure. Hence, its format

should comply with national legislative practices and norms. Good practice would
suggest that enabling legislation is the better way. Enabling legislation does not
contain the details of a technical regulation, but provides the framework for sub-
legislation, e.g. regulations promulgated by the government, that can be updated
fairly rapidly. First-level legislation usually has to go through one or more levels of
government, which can be a long and arduous process, making the updating of
technical regulation that contains all the details a major challenge. Being able to
put the details in sub-legislation helps authorities to be more flexible and timely
in implementing technical regulations.
Technical requirements
The technical requirements of the technical regulation should be based on Inter-

national Standards (or their national adoption) as indicated by the WTO TBT
Agreement. A number of methods are listed below.
▸▸ The standards can be referenced in the regulation as :
▸▸ Undated references have the advantage that should the standard be
revised, then the technical regulation is kept up to date. However, the
responsibility for the technical regulation is assigned to a body other than
the regulatory authority.
▸▸ Dated references have the disadvantage that should the standard be
revised the technical regulation has to be updated. The responsibility, how-
ever, remains with the relevant regulatory authority. The choice whether
the reference is dated or undated will depend on the regulatory authority
preferences and custom and practice of the country. Compliance with the

standard then becomes a prerequisite for meeting the requirements of the
regulation. Referencing standards is a concept that is followed widely in
both the developed and developing economies.
▸▸ Standards can be published as deemed to satisfy regulation require-
ments in a separate official list. In this case, compliance with the standard
listed confers compliance of the product with the requirements of the regula-
tion. This system has the advantage that other standards may also be used,
but a sophisticated legal system is necessary to apply this approach. The
EU Regulations and European (EN) standards are a well-known example of
this practice where those EN standards, elaborated under a standardization
request of the European Commission, provide the presumption of conformity
with applicable EU Regulations (i.e. EU Directives).
▸▸ The technical requirements of the standard can be included in the
text of the technical regulation. Even though legally acceptable, this is
no longer considered good practice. Keeping the regulation up-to-date with
rapidly moving technologies and changing standards is extremely challeng-
ing, and often not effectively managed by regulatory authorities. The result is
that such regulations become out-of-date, are not updated, and the supplier
has to provide products complying with out-of-date requirements. This can
render the technical regulation unsafe, or increase the transaction costs for
the supplier, costs that the consumer ultimately has to bear. Furthermore,
it should be noted that the copyright of standards organizations may be
compromised with this practice.
Conformity assessment
Conformity assessment to prove compliance with the technical requirements of
the regulation could be any combination of inspection, testing and certification.
The conformity assessment can either be performed by the supplier (i.e. self-
declaration of conformity) or by independent third parties whose competency is
demonstrated by accreditation, and who are acceptable to the regulatory authority
(e.g. designated, notified bodies).

Self-declaration of conformity (SDOC) presupposes ethical behaviour of the sup-
pliers and effective product-liability legislation. Anecdotal evidence would suggest
this is a major challenge in developing countries, which are often the target of
dumping of non-compliant products. SDOCs are therefore seldom encountered in
developing economies. In developed countries, SDOC is most often accompanied
by some level of market surveillance.
Developing-country regulators may prefer conducting their own conformity assess-
ments, but this is costly to the country and is considered a barrier to trade by many.
Hence, liberating the conformity assessment to include private-sector service-
providers, providing their competency can be demonstrated (usually through
accreditation), is the current best practice and can limit the transaction costs of
compliance by the suppliers.
Regulatory authority
The regulatory authority is primarily responsible for in-market surveillance to

ensure continued compliance of products with the technical regulation by all
suppliers. In high-risk cases, pre-market approvals may be required as well. The
regulatory authority has to initiate sanctions if suppliers do not meet requirements.
The regulatory authority does not necessarily have to perform the conformity
assessment of products but should accept the services of technically competent
and designated service-providers.
Sanctions
The regulatory authority applies administrative sanctions such as directives for

recall, rework or destruction of non-compliant products. If suppliers do not heed
administrative sanctions, then courts of law may be required.
3.4.2 The WTO TBT and SPS Agreements

The terminology of standards, technical regulations and SPS measures is frequently
a source of confusion. Common usage of these terms does not always correspond
with their legal meaning provided for in the WTO TBT and SPS Agreements. For

example, many countries have food standards that are mandatory, whereas the
WTO TBT Agreement considers a standard to be voluntary in nature. Furthermore,
the legal status of a standard has a slightly different meaning in the WTO TBT
and SPS Agreements. In the WTO TBT Agreement, a standard is purely voluntary,
whereas in the WTO SPS Agreement, a food standard could be mandatory.
Complementary but mutually exclusive
It is important to understand that the WTO TBT and SPS Agreements are comple-
mentary but mutually exclusive. A measure falling within the scope of the WTO
SPS Agreement is, by definition, excluded from the WTO TBT Agreement. A very
important point to note is that it is the measure that is mutually exclusive, not
the product. There are numerous examples of products that are subject to both
the WTO TBT and SPS Agreements depending on the product characteristic that is
being examined – see Table 3.1. Another common misunderstanding is that food
products are only subject to the WTO SPS Agreement. This is not correct : the WTO
TBT Agreement not only applies to manufactured products, but also to agricultural
products insofar as they are not subject to an SPS measure.
The scope of the WTO SPS Agreement
The WTO SPS Agreement defines sanitary and phytosanitary measures as any
measure to :
▸▸ Protect human life or health from risks arising from : additives, contami-
nants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in food and beverages, or ; disease
carried by animals or plants or their products, or from pests.
▸▸ Protect animal life or health from risks arising from : additives, contami-
nants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in feedstuffs ; diseases carried by
animals or plants, or ; pests, diseases or disease-carrying organisms.
▸▸ Protect plant life or health from pests, diseases or disease-caus-
ing organisms.
▸▸ Protect or limit other damage to a country from the entry, establishment or
spread of pests.

Some of the elements of food standards enforced by governments to ensure the
safety of foods, and the biosecurity controls enforced at international borders to
keep out exotic animal and plant pests, are typical SPS measures. The difference
between SPS and TBT measures is further elaborated in Table 3.1, through a couple
of examples dealing with food, safety and health.
Table 3.1 : Differences between the WTO SPS and TBT Agreement applications
SPS measures typically deal with Technical regulations typically deal

with
• additives, contaminants and toxic • labelling on the composition or quality
substances in food or drink ; of food or drink ;
• residues of veterinary drugs or • quality requirements for fresh food ;
pesticides in food or drink ; • weight, volume, shape and appearance
• processing methods with implications of packaging for food or drink.
for food safety ; • packaging and labelling of dangerous
• labelling requirements directly related chemicals and toxic substances,
to food safety. pesticides and fertilizers ;
• plant and animal quarantine ; • electrical safety of appliances ;
• declaring areas free from pests or • vehicle safety ;
disease ; • safety of toys ;
• preventing pests or disease from • labelling of textiles and garments.
spreading to or within a country.
Source : The WTO Agreement Series : Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 11).
Use of standards in the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements
The WTO SPS Agreement requires of WTO Members to base their SPS measures on
the International Standards, guidelines and recommendations developed by three
specific organizations. These are : the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) ; the
11) https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/agrmntseries4_sps_e.pdf.

International Office of Epizootics (OIE), and ; the Secretariat of the International
Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
The WTO TBT Agreement requires WTO Members to base their technical regulations
on International Standards but does not specifically mention any International
Standards bodies. Furthermore, WTO Members have to ensure that any sanitary
or phytosanitary measure is based on scientific principles and is not maintained
without sufficient scientific evidence. Such a focus on scientific principles is not
mentioned specifically in the WTO TBT Agreement when deciding on whether to
implement a technical regulation or not ; instead, this requirement is implied and
the Agreement broadly lists only valid reasons. The WTO TBT Agreement requires
products from all countries to be treated in similar fashion, while the SPS Agree-
ment allows for differences.
3.5 Annex 3 of the WTO TBT Agreement

Annex 3 : Code of good practice for the preparation, adoption and application of
standards of the WTO TBT Agreement has a major influence on the standardization
activities of an NSB if the country is a WTO Member. This would be the bulk of the
world’s NSBs as most countries are now members of the WTO.
3.5.1 Notification provisions

Any NSB within the territory of a WTO Member, whether a central government body,
a local government body or a non-governmental body, should notify its compli-
ance with the requirements of Annex 3. The same applies to any RSB which are
WTO Members. The standards body should notify its acceptance (or withdrawal)
of Annex 3 and its compliance with its requirements. This is a self-declaration of
conformity by the standards body, i.e. no independent assessment precedes it.
However, an independent assessment is beneficial as it typically highlights areas
where the standards body can improve.

The standards body then has to send the notification to the WTO ISO Standards
Information Gateway 12). A notification template, ensuring that all the necessary
information is provided, is shown in Figure 3.2. The details of the standards bod-
ies that have accepted Annex 3, for example, can be found on the ISO Webpages.
Country/Customs Territory/Regional Arrangement :
Name of the standardizing body :
Address of the standardizing body :
Telephone : Fax
E-mail : Internet :
Type of standardizing body :
[ ] central governmental [ ] local governmental [ ] non-governmental
Scope of current and expected standardization activities :
Date :
Figure 3.2: Annex 3 acceptance template
3.5.2 Substantive provisions of Annex 3
A standards body has to comply with a number of substantive provisions listed

in Annex 3. These are discussed below, while a standards body should ensure it
complies fully with all the provisions exactly as recorded in Annex 3.
12) https://tbtcode.iso.org/sites/wto-tbt/home.html.

Standards should not be the cause of unnecessary trade barriers
(Provisions D and E)
It is not only in regulation that imported and local products should be treated in
the same manner. It is also a clear requirement for the development of national
standards. If national standards are very different from international or related
national standards, then the national standards can then become an unnecessary
barrier to trade. This is because standards are often used in purchasing contracts
and as a basis for technical regulation. There should therefore be safeguards in
place to prevent the following :
▸▸ local industries steering the process of standards development in such a
way that the national standard is based on local products, meaning that the
national standards differ from International Standards, in order to protect
themselves from imports ; and
▸▸ the government, seeking to protect local industry as a political imperative,
does exactly the same.
Both strategies are detrimental for industrial development in the long run, because
the local industry will not be able to market their products in international markets
that are far larger than the local market, and frequently much more economi-
cally sustainable.
Adopt International Standards wherever possible (Provisions F and G)
Annex 3 requires NSBs to adopt International Standards are far as possible. This is
not an absolute, i.e. if the International Standard cannot be strictly applied, then
adoption with some technical changes is possible. This could be due to infrastruc-
tural incompatibilities, such as differences in electricity-supply voltages, localised
temperatures or dusty environments outside the scope an International Standard.
These differences should be kept to an absolute minimum, however ; otherwise
the national standard again becomes an unnecessary barrier to trade. These are
subtle issues that the NSB has to manage carefully.
The first priority is to participate actively in the development of the International
Standard, i.e. participate actively in the relevant TC. By doing so, the country will be

able to present its needs in discussion and it will be part of the consensus-building
process. In such cases it should not be a problem at all to adopt the International
Standard as a national standard without any deviations. All countries should
therefore develop a strategy as to which international TCs are important, and
make sure that the funds for participants are made available, so that a country’s
representatives can actively contribute to developing International Standards
(see also 7.1.1).
Coordinate standardization work with others (Provision H)
If RSBs or trading partners are developing standards, it would be counterproductive

to develop a national standard in parallel that might turn out to be completely
different. It would be much more productive to participate actively in the regional
standard being developed, or to try and harmonize the national standards devel-
opment with trading partners in the region.
The same holds true for International Standards. If an International Standard is
under development, and a country is not actively involved in its development, then
the country can always wait to see how it develops. This way, an NSB can avoid
having to withdraw a recently published national standard, that is completely
different from an International Standard, once it has been published.
Focus on performance criteria (Provision I)
It is good practice in standardization to focus on performance criteria, rather than

detail specifics in a standard. For example : It is better to provide for a dezincifica-
tion test, rather than specify that brass taps should contain at least 64 % copper
to prevent dezincification of the metal in soft waters. The reason is that suppli-
ers should be given the choice to implement different technical solutions rather
than be forced to follow a proven but redundant one. It should be understood
however, that not all criteria can be performance-based. There are criteria such as
dimensions that have to be specified in order to ensure compatibility of products
that have to be combined to fit into larger systems, e.g. screw threads, container
dimensions, bricks, etc.

Publish the standards work programme (Provisions J and K)
One of the key principles underpinning the WTO TBT Agreement is transparency.
Hence, the Agreement requires all standards bodies to publish a work programme
at least every six months that WTO Members can consult to keep up-to-date with
the standards under development.
The work programme should contain at least the NSB’s name, address and contact
details, the standards it is currently preparing and the standards which it has
adopted in the preceding period. A standard is under preparation from the moment
a decision has been taken to develop a standard, until that standard has been
adopted. If requested, the titles of specific draft standards have to be provided
in English, French or Spanish. A notice of the existence of the work programme
must be published in a national or, as the case may be, regional publication of
standardization activities. These may be public Internet sites.
Furthermore, the work programme shall, for each standard indicate the clas-
sification relevant to the subject matter, the stage attained in the standard’s
development, and the references of any International Standards used as a basis
for developing a standard. No later than at the time of publication of its work
programme, the standards body has to notify the WTO using the WTO ISO Informa-
tion Gateway (see 3.5.1).
This notification has to contain the name and address of the standards body, the
name and issue of the publication in which the work programme is published, the
period to which the work programme applies, its price (if any), and how and where
it can be obtained. The notification may be sent directly to the WTO ISO Information
Gateway, or, preferably, through the relevant national member or international
affiliate of ISO. Further information can be obtained from the ISO Website.
Circulate draft standards for public comment (Provision L)
Another provision to foster transparency is the publication of a notice of any draft

standard for a period of at least 60 days to invite public scrutiny and comments.
The notice need not contain the complete text of the draft standard published

for comment as this creates too many issues with copyright, especially if it is an
adoption of an ISO or IEC international standard.
The notice should contain the title and scope of the draft standard published for
comment and the reason for its development. It should be made clear if the draft
standard is based on or a complete adoption of an International Standard, and
any differences between the draft standard and the international standard should
be highlighted. Most NSBs typically now use their Websites for such notifications
instead of printed media.
The WTO TBT Agreement Secretariat need not be notified of draft standards that
are issued for comment. This is only necessary in the case of technical regulations.
However, if the draft standard is due to be promoted and disseminated (i.e. put into
effect by official proclamation) as a compulsory standard once it is approved and
published, it then becomes a technical regulation in terms of the WTO TBT Agree-
ment. In such a case, it needs to be notified to the WTO TBT Agreement Secretariat
also at least 60 days before it is published.
Do not ignore the comments (Provisions M and N)
In order to permit commenting on draft standards, the drafts must be made avail-
able. Therefore, copies should be provided on request. In many countries, the NSB
now charges a small fee for providing the draft standard. This is acceptable, as
long as the NSB charges all interested parties the same.
Once the comment period is over, all comments should be collated and properly
considered by the technical committee. The comments can be valid, invalid or
challenging ; it is the task of the TC to consider all of them. It is good practice to
respond to each commenting organization and provide reasons for not accepting
their comments, especially in the case of non-acceptance of elements of related
International Standards.
Publish the standard promptly (Provision O)
Once the standard has been approved, it is important that the standard is published
promptly. It is no use if the standard is approved, and then cannot be published

because the budget for printing has been exhausted for example. Nowadays, the
standard will be made available in electronic format and sold over the Internet
either electronically or printed to order.
React positively to requests from others (Provisions P and Q)
Transparency is a fundamental tenet of the WTO TBT Agreement. Hence, Annex 3

is very clear that a standards-development organization, NSB or otherwise, must
react positively to any reasonable requests from interested parties, locally or
abroad, especially as regards the work programme, and the development and
publication of standards.
The standards body should consider and provide adequate opportunity for con-
sultation, regarding representations with respect to the operation of Annex 3
presented by standards bodies that have accepted it. The standards body also
has to make an objective effort to solve any complaints.

4. Principles
for the development
of standards

The WTO TBT Agreement does not identify international standardizing bodies by
name whose standards it considers to be International Standards. Instead, in the
year 2000, the TBT Technical Committee defined the characteristics of International
Standards, by establishing six mandatory principles for their development. These
principles have been applied successfully when determining whether a standard,
when used as the basis for technical regulation in a trade dispute between two
countries, was in fact an International Standard. These principles are now also
applied at the national level to determine whether the processes utilized in devel-
oping national standards meet international expectations, i.e. conform to GSP.
4.1 The Six Principles of Standardization

The six principles are contained within a formal decision-document that the WTO
TBT Committee adopted and entitled Decision of the Committee on Principles for
the development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations with
relation to Articles 2, 3 and Annex 3 of the Agreement. Whenever the question arises
whether a specific standard is an International Standard, standards experts can
use this document to decide on the issue.
The six principles listed by the TBT Committee regarding International Standards are 13) :
▸▸ transparency,
▸▸ openness,
▸▸ impartiality and consensus,
▸▸ effectiveness and relevance,
▸▸ coherence, and
▸▸ development dimension.
ISO had regard for these six principles and added another three that it considered
to be important. These are :
▸▸ stakeholder engagement,
▸▸ due process, and
▸▸ national implementation.
13) The relevant WTO document number : G/TBT/9, 13 November 2000, para. 20 and Annex 4.

4.2 ISO’s strengths in meeting the standardization principles
ISO is underpinned by a decentralized, professional, member-based system
for developing International Standards. ISO can therefore make full use of the
strengths of its many members to manage over 240 ISO/TCs and call on the
expertise of many thousands of international experts from member countries.
The organizational structure of ISO is well-defined with clear responsibilities. The
standards development process which is based on openness, transparency and
consensus, is clearly defined in the ISO/IEC Directives. Standards developers must
apply these principles, with compliance assured by the ISO Technical Management
Board (ISO/TMB) overseeing the whole system.
This in turn is accountable to the ISO Council. Nevertheless, in recent years, to
be responsive to both current and new stakeholder needs and to maintain itself
as a highly relevant International Standards developer, ISO has seen its work
programme expand and evolve into new subject areas. Compelling challenges
for ISO regarding its standards-development processes have accompanied this
evolution, as stakeholder expectations of the ISO system are changing. As a
result, the ISO/TMB formed its Process Evaluation Group (PEG) to investigate the
responsiveness of the ISO standards development processes to these changing
dynamics – see 4.9.1 for more details. The ultimate intent of the PEG’s efforts was
to safeguard the outcomes of the ISO system and to promote the existing value,
strength and authority of International Standards and the processes by which
they are produced.
As a further enhancement to the principles of standards development within the
ISO and IEC systems, ISO/IEC Guide 59 has recently been revised. Whereas the
first edition of ISO/IEC Guide 59 provided general guidance, the second edition
focusses specifically on ISO and IEC recommended-practices of standardization
for NSBs. Therefore this publication, with its broader approach to GSP and the
revised ISO/IEC Guide 59, are complementary in that they address similar issues.
Therefore, it is recommended that they should be considered together by NSBs
within the ISO/IEC system.

4.2.1 ISO Code of Ethics
The ISO Code of Ethics consolidates principles and commitments that already exist
in a number of statutory documents, Directives and General Assembly or Council
resolutions. The ISO Code of Ethics deals with the conduct of all ISO members in
matters related to standardization at international, regional and national levels.
As a provider of standards to governments, industry and civil society, and com-
mitted and organized to meet the challenges of the 21st century, all ISO members
are expected to act in accordance with the ISO Code of Ethics to ensure the high
standing of the organization. The Code contains four principles, dealing with the
following :
▸▸ developing globally relevant International Standards in a fair, responsive and
efficient manner ;
▸▸ promoting the implementation of International Standards and associated
good conformity-assessment practices ;
▸▸ monitoring ISO’s integrity and promoting ISO’s image ; and
▸▸ considering the development dimension.
The ISO Code of Ethics can be downloaded from the ISO Website.
4.2.2 ISO Code of Conduct

The ISO Code of Conduct provides the ethical framework for ISO’s technical work
which is carried out in an international, multi-stakeholder, multi-sector environ-
ment. It applies to standards developers who choose to participate in an ISO/TC,
Subcommittee (SC), Working Group (WG) or another consensus group. The Code
is an obligation for participation in the above groups that work within the frame-
work of the ISO/IEC Directives. Participants specifically commit to the following :
▸▸ working the net benefit of the international community ;
▸▸ upholding consensus and governance ;
▸▸ agreeing to a clear purpose and scope ;
▸▸ participating actively and manage effective participation ;
▸▸ escalating and resolve disputes ;
▸▸ behaving ethically ; and

▸▸ respecting others in meetings.
The ISO Code of Conduct can be downloaded from the ISO Website. The document
is a useful guide for NSBs to develop their own, national version for their technical
committee members to follow.
4.3 Principle #1 : Transparency

In general, transparency is being clear and open about rules, plans, processes and
actions, i.e. getting to know why, how, what, and how much. This means that in
the standardization world, officials, managers and technical committee members
act in a manner that is visible and comprehensible, and report on their activities
so that people outside the system are able to hold those inside to account. This
increases the trust in the standards body and the people on which standardiza-
tion depends.
According to the WTO TBT Committee, when providing essential information, the
transparency procedures should include at least the following :
▸▸ publication of a notice at an early appropriate stage, in such a manner as to
enable interested parties to become acquainted with it, that the international
standardizing body proposes to develop a particular standard ;
▸▸ notification or other communication through established mechanisms to
members of the international standardizing body, providing a brief descrip-
tion of the scope of the draft standard, including its objective and rationale.
Such communications shall take place at an early appropriate stage, when
amendments can still be introduced, and comments taken into account ;
▸▸ upon request, the prompt provision to members of the international stand-
ardizing body of the text of the draft standard ;
▸▸ provision of an adequate period of time, for interested parties in the territory
of at least all members of the international standardizing body, to make com-
ments in writing and take these written comments into account in the further
consideration of the standard ;
▸▸ prompt publication of a standard upon adoption ; and
▸▸ publishing periodically a work programme containing information on the
standards currently being prepared and adopted.

It is recognized that the publication and communication of notices, notifications,
draft standards, comments, adopted standards or work programmes electronically,
i.e. via the Internet, can provide a useful means of ensuring the timely provision
of information. At the same time, it is also recognized that the requisite technical
means may not be available in some cases, particularly in some areas of developing
countries. Accordingly, it is important that procedures are in place to enable hard
copies of such documents to be made available upon request.
4.3.1 What ISO does

The ISO system is considered to be fully transparent :
▸▸ All the processes of ISO are covered by formal rules and procedures. They are
contained in the ISO/IEC Directives which are common to both ISO and IEC,
supplemented by some ISO-specific rules, all of which can be found online on
the ISO Website without any restrictions.
▸▸ The membership (national ISO members and liaison organizations), Chairs,
convenors and secretariats of all the ISO TCs, SCs and WGs can be found
online on the ISO Website, without any restriction.
▸▸ Extensive voting-procedures are in place to approve proposed projects and
draft International Standards. The results of any voting are communicated to
all members.
▸▸ The TMB looks after the technical-committee structure of ISO, approves
new ISO/TCs together with their Chairs and Secretariats, holds ISO/TCs to
account on progress (or lack of it), and considers appeals against decisions of
the ISO/TCs.
4.3.2 What NSBs should do
The NSB should implement processes that are very similar to those required of an
international standardizing body, the main difference being that it operates at a
national level, rather than at the international level. Some elements that need to
be given attention include the following :

▸▸ The NSB should implement formal procedures to guide the process of stand-
ards development, publication and information. These procedures should be
kept up-to-date, demonstrably implemented and should be available to any
interested party. Some NSBs have developed and published a “ Standard for a
standard ” containing the principles, overview and framework of their stand-
ards development and publication process. The implementation of a formal
quality-management system, such as a system conforming to ISO 9001, is also
a useful mechanism in this respect.
▸▸ Annex 3 of the WTO TBT Agreement requires NSBs to publish a work pro-
gramme at least every six months. In addition to all the specified require-
ments (see 7.1.4), this work programme should communicate proposals for
new standards to be developed, communicating to any interested party at an
early stage, in a clear and comprehensible way. It is useful if a brief descrip-
tion of the scope of the draft standard, including its objective and rationale,
are provided so that interested parties can decide whether or not they wish to
participate in its development.
▸▸ Once the technical committee determines that a draft standard is ready for
open consultation, it should be made available to interested parties. NSBs
now typically do this through the electronic media. How, if countries do not
have widespread Internet access, then additional ways of communicating,
such as a notice in the daily press or government gazette, or a newsletter
sent directly to relevant stakeholders, may still be required. An adequate
period of time should be provided to allow interested parties the opportunity
to submit written comments – 60 days is considered a minimum. A clear
and well-understood procedure should be in place for the management of
these comments.
▸▸ Interested parties should be able to gain access to the text of draft documents
circulated for public comment in order to provide meaningful responses.
This can be a sensitive issue for the NSB that has to look after the copyright of
International Standards, such as ISO and IEC standards. If the draft standard
is an adoption of these, then the NSB cannot just publish the draft in such a
way that anybody can obtain a copy free of charge. Hence, NSBs should only
provide a copy on request, and in some cases may even require some form of

payment. Another possibility would be read-only Internet-access without the
possibility of downloading the draft documents.
▸▸ The NSB should make available a catalogue of the published standards.
Whereas this was a bulky, hard-copy document in the past, an electronic
version on the Website is much more appropriate and useful. The catalogue
should contain not only the unique identification of the standard, i.e. title,
number, date of publication, but also the scope of the standard. The cata-
logue should also state whether the standard has superseded a previous
version and whether it is an adopted standard or based on one. It is extremely
useful if a list of withdrawn standards is also available.
4.4 Principle #2 : Openness

In general, openness is about collaboration that enriches the process to develop
better content. An open system is one in which participation is expanded to include
a wide and relevant audience, as well as developing an inclusive document or
strategy that is more likely to be accepted by a wider audience.
Regarding international standardization, the WTO TBT Committee Decision on the issue
requires that membership of an international standardizing body should be open on
a non-discriminatory basis to relevant bodies of at least all WTO Members. This would
include openness without discrimination, with respect to the participation at the
policy development level and at every stage of standards development, such as the :
▸▸ proposal and acceptance of new work-items ;
▸▸ technical discussion on proposals ;
▸▸ submission of comments on drafts in order that they can be considered ;
▸▸ reviewing existing standards ;
▸▸ voting and adoption of standards ; and
▸▸ dissemination of the adopted standards.
Any interested member of an international standardizing body, including develop-

ing country members who have an interest in a specific standardization activity,
should be provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in all stages
of standards development. It is noted that with respect to standardizing bodies

within the territory of a WTO Member that have accepted the Code of Good Prac-
tice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards by Standardizing
Bodies (Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement) participation in a particular international
standardization activity takes place, wherever possible, through one delegation
representing all standardizing bodies in the territory that have adopted, or are
expected to adopt, standards for the subject-matter to which the international
standardization activity relates.
4.4.1 What ISO does

Within the ISO system, the meaning and interpretation of openness with regard
to standards development relates largely to :
▸▸ proposal and acceptance of new work items ;
▸▸ submission of comments on drafts in order that they can be considered ; and
▸▸ voting and adoption of standards.
Any ISO member body with an interest in a specific standardization-activity is pro-

vided with meaningful opportunities to participate at all stages of standards devel-
opment in accordance with its membership level criteria. Many countries make
full use of these opportunities, others less so as a result of resource constraints.
In addition, ISO encourages members to share the message about the benefits
of full membership with decision makers in their countries and the fact that an
NSB can join ISO at any level, with the opportunity to upgrade at any time. In this
way, ISO members may decide their own level of participation and involvement,
according to their needs and economic, social and environmental priorities.
4.4.2 What the NSB should do

Similar to an international standardizing body, participation in the NSB’s stand-
ards-development process should be open at all stages to any interested party.
This would include the stages of :
▸▸ proposal and acceptance of new work items ;
▸▸ a technical discussion of proposals ;

▸▸ submission of comments on drafts ;
▸▸ review of existing standards ;
▸▸ voting and approval of standards ; and
▸▸ dissemination of approved standards.
The NSB should safeguard the participation of a range of interested parties

appropriate to each standard under development. The participation should not
be contingent on membership in any specific organization (see also 6.4.1 on the
composition of TCs). This is especially important in the case of potentially under-
represented participants, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), consum-
ers and representatives of societal interests (typically trade unions, consumer and
environmental NGOs). This implies putting in place procedures for monitoring the
participation of different categories of interested parties, and when considered
necessary, waiving any membership requirements or participation fees to encour-
age the participation of all interested parties.
As regards participation of all interested parties at the policy level, not everybody
can be represented at the NSB Board or Council, as this would render the govern-
ance structure very cumbersome and even ineffective (see 6.1.5 on the composition
of the NSB Board or Council). To augment the governance activities of the NSB
Board or Council, the NSB may wish to consider the establishment of a standardiza-
tion forum in which all stakeholders can participate freely. Such a forum would
meet maybe once or twice a year, deliberate on standardization issues, identify
market demands and provide recommendations that the NSB Board or Council,
and senior management can then consider in going forward.
4.5 Principle #3 : Impartiality and consensus

Impartiality (also called even-handedness or fair-mindedness) is a principle hold-
ing that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than bias, prejudice
or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper reasons. Bias in
this context is an inclination or outlook that holds a particular perspective, often
accompanied by the refusal to consider the merits of alternatives. In contrast,

impartiality leads to the consideration all alternatives in an objective way, i.e.
without partiality or undue external influence.
Consensus is defined in ISO/IEC Guide 2 as general agreement, characterized by
the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of
the concerned interests and by a process that involves taking into account the views
of all parties concerned, and to reconcile any conflicting arguments. An important
outcome of this definition is that consensus need not imply unanimity.
The WTO TBT Committee Decision determines that all relevant bodies of WTO
Members should be provided with meaningful opportunities to contribute to the
elaboration of an International Standard, such that the standards development
process will not give privilege to, or favour the interests of a particular supplier(s),
country/countries or region(s). Impartiality should be accorded throughout the
entire process of developing standards with respect to, amongst other things :
▸▸ access to participation in work ;
▸▸ submission of comments on drafts ;
▸▸ consideration of views expressed, and comments made ;
▸▸ decision-making through consensus ;
▸▸ obtaining of information and documents ;
▸▸ dissemination of the International Standard ;
▸▸ fees charged for documents ;
▸▸ the right to transpose the International Standard into a regional or national
standard ; and
▸▸ review and vision of the International Standard.
4.5.1 What ISO does

This culture of building consensus has a long tradition in ISO, and the ISO stand-
ards development-procedures exemplify the consensus process. The appointment
of the Chair and Secretariat of the various ISO/TCs by the ISO/TMB is to ensure that
competent and experienced persons are appointed to these important positions.
They will be the ones that are accountable for reaching consensus within the

ISO/TCs. The process is monitored continuously by the committee managers and
ISO Central Secretariat staff, to ensure compliance at all times.

When addressing consensus and impartiality, the NSB should strive to ensure
that it provides an impartial and neutral platform for its standards development
work, with the ambition of providing all parties with a level-playing field. The
NSB should ensure that the standardization process remains collaborative and
consensus-based, taking into account all views expressed and bringing together
diverging opinions. Whenever referring to consensus, it is useful if the NSB cites
its definition in full, along with a precise reference to its source.
The NSB should assist its participants and those leading the standards-develop-
ment process in building consensus. For this, the following practices have been
found to be useful :
▸▸ Establish representative TCs : See 6.4.1 regarding the balancing of inter-
ested parties in TCs, SCs and WGs.
▸▸ Promote the right attitude : It would be good practice for the NSB to
formally request those leading the standards-development process to act
impartially in the discussions and normative work in which they take part,
and to commit to this in writing. Likewise, the NSB should invite the partici-
pants involved to cooperate fully and in good faith in the standardization
work. Developing and implementing an NSB Code of Conduct for committee
members is a useful approach – see 4.2.2.
▸▸ Deal decisively but impartially with objections : In the process of reach-
ing consensus, many different points of views will be expressed as a draft
standard evolves. Some of these may differ quite appreciably and could
become “ sustained opposition to substantive issues ”. The Chair needs to
determine whether it is a substantive issue and whether the sustained oppo-
sition is from an important part of the concerned interests (see the definition
of consensus in ISO/IEC Guide 2). If it is not a substantive issue, or if not from
an important part of the concerned interests, then the opposition should be
registered, and the work continued.

If both are true, the situation is potentially much more awkward, and the Chair
should strive to bridge the differences. Sometimes it is more productive to tem-
porarily shelve a contentious subject and continue working on the remainder of
a draft standard, returning at the end when a WG or TC has reached consensus
on most of the draft. Otherwise spending a great deal of time on contentious
issues can disrupt the progress of a draft standard. Furthermore, sometimes it
is useful to call a break and discuss the issues individually with the protago-
nists of contentious issues outside of the main discussions within the TC The
training of Chairs should therefore include training in mechanisms to achieve
consensus – see 6.2.2.
If the differences are important and the sustained opposition continues, the
issue may have to be deferred to the next meeting to give participants time to
rethink their position and the NSB the chance to discuss it with their prin-
cipals. At some time, however, a decision will have to be made to complete
the work after registering the sustained opposition – a decision best taken
collectively by the NSB and the Chair.
▸▸ Achieving consensus rather than voting : The NSB should refrain from
voting as far as is possible because the result is frequently very far from a
consensus position, over and above the fruitless discussions on who has the
right to vote. The NSB should make use of voting procedures only as a very
last resort and only when the setting is appropriate and the rules for voting
clear and acceptable to all.
▸▸ Record the proceedings : It is a good practice to record the points-of-view
expressed with rationales, including any sustained opposition, the deci-
sions taken, the actions launched and, if need be, the initiatives taken to
reach consensus.
▸▸ Utilize the appeals process : Those parties with sustained opposition
that remain unsatisfied with the process or the outcome may use the NSB’s
appeals mechanisms, which should be a formal procedure ultimately involv-
ing the NSB Board or Council.

4.6 Principle #4 : Effectiveness and relevance
Effectiveness and relevance can be summarized as having the following four
attributes :
▸▸ The needs of the audience that have to be addressed. In the context of stand-
ards, this means that the needs of the users, i.e. industry, authorities, suppli-
ers and consumers, have to be determined.
▸▸ The message to the audience has to be clear, unambiguous and effective in
addressing their needs, i.e. the standards should be focussed on the quanti-
fied needs.
▸▸ The message, i.e. the standard, needs to be provided in a timely manner.
It is not beneficial if the standard is published long after technology or the
market has moved on, and the standard is then no longer relevant. This is a
particular challenge in fast moving technologies – hence time-to-market is an
important parameter.
▸▸ The message, especially an International Standard, has to be relevant to
both developed and developing nations. It is more useful if the International
Standard is relevant for a wider range of countries, therefore serving the bulk
of its potential users.
The WTO TBT Committee’s Decision requires International Standards to be relevant

and to effectively respond to regulatory and market needs, consider scientific and
technological developments in various countries, facilitate international trade and
prevent unnecessary trade barriers. They should not distort the global market,
have adverse effects on fair competition, or stifle innovation and technological
development. In addition, standards should not give preference to the charac-
teristics or requirements of specific countries or regions when different needs or
interests exist in other countries or regions.
A similar principle is applicable to products subject to patents and copyright. The
objective of standards is to ensure compatibility of technologies and systems on
a worldwide basis. To meet this objective, which is in the common interests of all
those participating, it must be ensured that standards, their applications and use
are accessible to everybody.

Therefore, standards should not give additional protection to patented products,
thereby excluding similar products which would serve the same purpose. ISO, IEC
and ITU for example, have published a common patent-policy in this regard 14).
This requires that a patent embodied fully or partly in an International Standard
or recommendation must be accessible to everybody without undue constraints.
If not, then the standard may not include provisions subject to the patent.
Whenever possible, International Standards should be performance based rather
than based on design or descriptive characteristics (see 3.5.2 on performance-
based standards). Finally, procedures should be in place aimed at identifying
and reviewing standards that have become obsolete, inappropriate or ineffective
for whatever reasons.
4.6.1 What ISO does

ISO endeavours to ensure that the standards that are developed and published
under the ISO branding are relevant, otherwise the market will soon abandon
them and go elsewhere. ISO therefore reviews all published standards in a five-
year cycle, it has developed and implemented policies to ensure that no single
country or region can influence the contents of International Standards to the
disadvantage of others and ISO standards are by and large performance based.
All technical committees develop and operate in accordance with business plans
that take market requirements and emerging needs into consideration. In ISO, the
TMB approves the first strategic business plan only and committees are responsible
for ensuring regular updates and revisions.
As an example of relevance, the ISO/IEC CASCO standards for conformity assess-
ment – e.g. the ISO/IEC 17000 series are widely used as the norm for conformity
assessments and mutual recognition, and even by conformity-assessment schemes
owners within the private sector.
14) The ISO/IEC/ITU policy on patents can be downloaded free of charge from :
https://www.iso.org/iso-standards-and-patents.html.

The NSB should follow the stated requirements of the WTO TBT Committee inter-
preted for the national level and should develop standards to meet the needs of
the marketplace and contribute to advancing trade in the broadest geographical
and economic contexts. In particular, the NSB should :
▸▸ Take account of relevant regulatory or market needs, as feasible and
appropriate, as well as scientific and technological advances in the develop-
ment of standards, for example by developing an appropriate strategy for
national standards.
▸▸ Give submitted proposals for the development of new or revised standards
prompt consideration, irrespective of where these proposals originate.
▸▸ Ensure that new standards do not distort the market or have adverse effects
on fair competition, or stifle innovation and technological development.
▸▸ Guide committees to express requirements in terms of performance charac-
teristics, rather than design or descriptive characteristics, whenever possible
to ensure standards developed do not stifle technical development. This in
turn would reduce the risk of undesirable market impacts, e.g. restriction of
innovative solutions.
▸▸ Focus on user-friendliness, simple language and limit the usage of norma-
tive references to those that are essential for meeting the requirements of
the standard.
▸▸ Put in place procedures aimed at identifying and reviewing standards that
have become obsolete, inappropriate or ineffective. All standards should
be reviewed periodically, and revised in a timely manner to ensure their
relevance in the context of changing market or regulatory needs, and new
scientific and technological developments. A review period of five years is a
common approach.
▸▸ Make available historical versions of standards when applicable. If historical
versions are available, the status of the standard should be clearly stated, for
example, if the standard has been withdrawn or superseded.

4.7 Principle #5 : Coherence
Coherence is the quality of being logical and consistent, and the quality of forming
a unified approach.
The WTO TBT Committee Decision resolves that it is important that International
standardizing bodies avoid duplication of, or overlap with, the work of other
international standards-bodies, in order to avoid the development of conflicting
International Standards. In this respect, cooperation and coordination amongst
relevant international bodies is essential.
This requirement has become even more topical in the last decades as technolo-
gies converge. For example, motor vehicles used to be the sole domain of ISO,
but now electrically-driven cars are becoming available which would require a
closer cooperation between ISO and IEC. The same applies in photography, which
used to be based on a film and chemical process, nowadays digital photography
dominates the market.
Careful cooperation and coordination of International Standards amongst inter-
national standards-bodies has therefore become a very important challenge that
such bodies have to manage ; otherwise chaos will develop very quickly.
4.7.1 What ISO does

In order to ensure coherence amongst ISO Standards and with standards pub-
lished by other international standards-bodies, ISO has implemented a number
of measures :
▸▸ The ISO/TMB approves the technical committee structures of ISO and ensures
that there are no overlaps or gaps that could result in different ISO standards
covering the same product or service, albeit with differing requirements.
▸▸ ISO coordinates its activities with IEC and ITU (the three main bodies for
developing International Standards) within the World Standards Coopera-
tion, to address any potential overlap between standards developed by the
three main bodies. This is a particular challenge, for example, with fast mov-
ing technologies, and technologies where electronics are replacing mechani-
cal components.

▸▸ ISO, together with IEC, are publishing common standards in the sector for
information and communication technologies (ICT).
▸▸ ISO is implementing a number of memoranda-of-understanding (MOUs) and
other agreements with standards development-bodies such as CEN and IEEE,
for example.
▸▸ ISO pursues cooperation and coordination with more than 700 inter-govern-
mental organizations, international-trade organizations, and civil society.
For standards to be mutually consistent and free from contradiction for the benefit
of the user communities, standardization activities should be actively coordinated
within the country and also within the region, if applicable. Initially, standardiza-
tion activities should be coordinated within each standards body, and thereafter
amongst different national bodies, should there be more than one. Not only will
such coordination keep overlaps and duplications to a minimum, it will also
benefit the efficient application of limited resources of experts participating in
standardization. Typical measures that would enhance coherence include the
following :
▸▸ All national bodies should publicly provide information via suitable media,
regarding their work programmes, especially for new projects, as early as
possible to assist in understanding where overlaps and duplications may
occur and to support early engagement and participation of experts.
▸▸ All national bodies should conduct a thorough study before starting new
projects to understand if and where complementary, overlapping or duplica-
tive projects may already exist. Ideally, this check should be carried out and
the results should be reflected in any proposal to start new work.
▸▸ When it is known that an international or regional standard is being developed,
national bodies should consider whether the international or regional standard
may be adopted, to avoid duplicating efforts that may diverge in their results.
▸▸ All national bodies should make a good-faith effort supported by poli-
cies, procedures and agreements, to coordinate standardization activities
and to resolve potential conflicts. A good-faith effort should demonstrate

substantial, thorough and comprehensive efforts while respecting each
other’s values, objectives and membership and NSBs should retain documen-
tation of such efforts.
▸▸ The NSB should have in place a system that allows identification of the
possible role of standardization in support of legislation. In this context, the
involvement of public authorities and officials is also necessary, especially in
case of those standards that are aimed at supporting legislation.
4.8 Principle #6 : Development dimension
The development dimension is aimed at the process of economic and social trans-
formation based on cultural and environmental factors and their interactions, e.g.
the process of adding improvements to a developing country through the transfer
of knowledge and skills and facilitating access to global markets.
The WTO TBT Committee Decision advocates that constraints on developing coun-
tries, in particular, to effectively participate in standards development, should be
taken into consideration in the standards development process. Tangible ways of
facilitating developing countries’ participation in the development of International
Standards should be sought. The impartiality and openness of any international
standardization-process requires that developing countries are not excluded de
facto from the process. With respect to improving participation by developing
countries, it may be appropriate to use technical assistance, in line with Article 11 of
the WTO TBT Agreement. Provisions for capacity building and technical assistance
within international standards-bodies are important in this context.
4.8.1 What ISO does

ISO recognizes that increased and effective participation of developing countries in
international standardization is fundamentally important and that its developing
country members need specific assistance to fully exploit the value of standards
in support of their country’s development. Hence, measures that ISO has imple-
mented in this respect include the following :

▸▸ ISO/DEVCO is a policy committee of the ISO Council that provides guidance
and management on matters related to developing countries.
▸▸ Developing countries are supported in participating actively in International
Standards development through the twinning programme. This enables a
country in need of capacity building (often a developing country) to partner
with another country, that in turn can provide training or share knowledge and
experience (see detailed discussion below).
▸▸ The ISO Capacity Building Unit implements technical-development projects
that are funded by donor countries or their agencies. These projects, guided
by the ISO Action Plan for Developing Countries 2016-2020, aim to build capac-
ity for NSBs in developing countries to become effective standards-bodies,
especially with regard to the development and publication of national stand-
ards and their active participation in international standardization.
▸▸ Support is also provided to developing countries through the ISO sponsor-
ship programme.
ISO Action Plan for Developing Countries
The ISO Action Plan for Developing Countries 2016-2020 builds on the solid founda-
tion of the two previous editions of the Plan (2005-2010 and 2011-2015), the results
achieved in the past ten years and the lessons learned. While ISO, with support
from donors, can assist developing-country members in making the best use of
their membership, the objectives of the Plan can only be achieved if members take
full ownership of the activities carried out under the Plan. Developing country
members therefore have to play a major role in directing the process of ISO’s capac-
ity building support by :
▸▸ actively contributing to the development of the Plan (i.e. current and future
plans) ;
▸▸ providing specific input linked to its implementation (in particular through
the needs assessment process) ;
▸▸ making a commitment to the success of the Plan at the level of the NSB and
contributing resources for the implementation of the Plan ; and
▸▸ monitoring progress and evaluating results.

In addition, ISO members from developing countries should make every effort
to promote standardization, in order to secure engagement and support from
stakeholders and relevant organizations for the implementation of the Plan.
Participation in ISO’s “ twinning relationship ” programme
Developing countries find it a challenge to participate actively in ISO and IEC for a
variety of reasons, whether financial, technical, or procedural. The international
standardizing bodies are therefore looking for ways and means to enhance the
participation of developing country members. ISO, for example, has introduced
a “ Twinning programme ” 15). In a twinning relationship, two members work
together, with one more experienced member (the ‘lead partner’) acting as men-
tor to build capacity of the less experienced member (the ‘twinned partner’, often
a developing country). There are four possibilities, namely :
▸▸ Twinning between participating-members : This allows a member, that
may not yet have the level of competency required to cooperate on a lead-
ership position, to participate actively in the technical work of standards
development. Participating-member twinning allows the twinned partner
to gain specific experience related to the work of a committee at the interna-
tional and national levels (including the role of national mirror committees)
and insight into the obligations of a participating-member.
▸▸ Twinning between Convenors and Twinned Convenors : The twinned
partner has the opportunity to gain the skills and experience needed to
assume the convenorship of a WG in the future (e.g. leading meetings, build-
ing consensus, managing projects at WG level).
▸▸ Twinning between Chairs and Vice-Chairs : The twinned partner has the
opportunity to learn the skills and responsibilities needed to assume the
Chairmanship of a ISO/TCs or SCs in the future (e.g. leading meetings, build-
ing consensus, and managing projects at the ISO/TC level).
▸▸ Twinning between Secretariats and Twinned Secretariats : The twinned
partner has the opportunity to learn the skills and responsibilities needed to
15) More detail can be obtained in the ISO Brochure: Twinning is winning - How to engage develop-
ing countries in standardization work. Copies can be obtained from the ISO Central Secretariat or
can be downloaded from ISO website.

assume the role of a committee manager in the future (e.g. preparing meet-
ings, managing projects, and promoting the committee).
At the national level, the NSB should engage all parties who are interested in
development of national standards and offer them special support to enhance
their participation in the standards development process. Special attention
should be given to interested, yet underrepresented parties. In this respect, it is
important to consider the scope of the standard and the impact it may have on
various groups in the community (including underrepresented groups such as
the elderly and young persons, women, consumers, small business, and those
who are physically impaired) in order to provide relevant differential treatment to
facilitate participation. Furthermore, to improve the accessibility of information
regarding standardization activities for those who are underrepresented, it is also
important to consider how drafts and finalised documents are disseminated, so
that the information can reach as wide a range of stakeholders as possible.
4.9 Principle #7 : Stakeholder engagement

Nearly all of the principles of GSP are underpinned by stakeholder engagement.
It is essential to engage others in order to get them to become part of the process.
This often requires a large amount of promotional or outreach activities, making
others aware of the benefit and application of standards. From these stakeholders,
the interested parties emerge, and then engage in the actual standards develop-
ment process.
4.9.1 What ISO does

ISO relies heavily on its members to engage stakeholders, to foster interested
parties to become involved in standards development. That said, recognizing

the importance of stakeholder engagement, the ISO/TMB established a PEG and
tasked this group to :
▸▸ review the current situation and consider the possibility of alternative models
of standards development operations and participation in ISO ; and
▸▸ examine processes for consensus decision-making and stakeholder engage-
ment within NSBs and liaison organizations, which may impact the credibil-
ity of resulting ISO standards.
The results of the PEG’s work are presented in the guidance document Engaging
stakeholders for ISO national standards bodies. This document can be downloaded
from the ISO website.
At the international level, ISO engages with stakeholders that are not only active in
the standardization domain, but also those that can have an influence on the work.
This in turn enhances and maintains the status of ISO as a trusted international-
standards organization. These actions include participation in liaison activities,
meetings and workshops of diverse organizations such as the : WTO ; organiza-
tions in the UN family ; international quality-infrastructure organizations such
as the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), the International
Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and ; various
international development organizations. The liaison that ISO maintains with
the many other international and regional standards organizations completes
the picture. A list of these can be found on the ISO Website.

The first priority for the NSB would be to create a diagram that maps its stake-
holders. It should be noted that the stakeholder group would be bigger than the
interested parties that are eventually involved in the development of a standard.
Stakeholders do not only consist of parties that are going to use the standard,
or those who will be directly affected by its implementation, but also parties
which can influence the actions of the NSB. These include the media, authorities,

academia and others who did not choose to bear the cost or experience the benefits,
i.e. bearers of externalities.
The NSB should develop and implement a long-term engagement strategy (includ-
ing a communication strategy) with its stakeholders to enhance its standing in
society, amongst the authorities, business and industry. In this way, the NSB can
attain an overarching position, from which it can mobilise support and resources
to promote the importance of standardization. The interested parties involved in
the development of a standard will originate from the stakeholders, and if the
NSB has engaged well with its stakeholders, the interested parties will be more
willing to contribute to standards development in a meaningful way (see 4.4 on
the establishment of TCs).
4.10 Principle #8 : Due process

Due process is a course of formal proceedings carried out regularly and in accord-
ance with established principles and rules. Due process should be at the heart of all
standards development activities, ensuring that the process is open, transparent
and known to all participants, i.e. there are no surprises.
4.10.1 What ISO does

The whole process of developing International Standards has been codified within
two documents jointly published by ISO and IEC – these are the ISO/IEC Directives.
These are augmented by a Consolidated ISO Supplement. All of them can be found
on the ISO Website 16). They are :
▸▸ ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and consolidated ISO Supplement– Procedures
specific to ISO ;
▸▸ ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 – Rules for drafting International Standards ; and
▸▸ Consolidated JTC 1 supplement – Procedure specific to JTC 1.
16) www.iso.org/directives.

Similar to ISO and IEC, any NSB should develop standards in a manner guided by
due process. This means that the principles and rules should be made known to
any interested party, e.g. on the Website or as a national standard (see also 7.2).
These principles and rules should be aligned with the ISO/IEC Directives and
should comply fully with the requirements of the WTO TBT Agreement. Frequently,
such principles are also contained in the legislation establishing the NSB, if the
NSB is a governmental type organization.
An appeals process, for the case of deadlock of objections, is an important element
that has to be properly codified. This will provide a means for interested parties
to make appeals and have them heard independently, with the decision recorded
and communicated to all concerned. The appeal and the resulting decision should
be based on the principle of escalation, i.e where appeals are taken to the next
highest level as appropriate. For example :
▸▸ a working group appeals to the SC Chair ;
▸▸ a working group appeals to the TC Chair, if it is a WG under the TC ;
▸▸ a subcommittee appeals to the TC Chair ;
▸▸ a TC appeals to the NSB management ; or
▸▸ the NSB management appeals to the NSB Board or Council.
4.11 Principle #9 : National adoption

One of the major objectives of international standardization is to facilitate trade.
Therefore, once an International Standard has been developed and published with
the participation of many, the task is not yet complete. Otherwise it is not logical
to develop an International Standard, unless and NSB adopts and then applies
the International Standard at the national level.
Therefore, in order to complete the tasks at the national level, NSBs that are ISO
members are committed to promote, contribute to, and implement locally Inter-
national Standards such as ISO and IEC standards, together with the resulting

conformity assessment procedures. Some of the mechanisms available to ISO
members include the following :
▸▸ ISO member bodies can adopt ISO standards as national standards, with-
drawing conflicting national standards ;
▸▸ national members can sell adopted standards based on their own pricing
scheme ; and
▸▸ users can put an International Standard into practice without it having been
adopted as a national standard.
However, adopting International Standards is the best way to ensure a cohesive

and coherent standards system at national, regional and international levels. The
adoption of International Standards is GSP, especially for developing countries. It
is also a strong theme of the WTO TBT Agreement. ISO/IEC Guide 21-1 17) describes the
process for adopting International Standards and promoting them at a national
level (see 7.2.10 for more details).
4.12 Gender equality

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 aims to provide for
gender equality, empowering all women and girls. This goal is gaining momentum
amongst trade-related organizations 18). ISO has signed the declaration on the
initiative for gender-responsive standards, that was developed by the UNECE. This
initiative aims at providing a practical way forward for standards bodies wishing
to ensure that the process of developing standards is gender responsive.
Within the ISO environment, an initial analysis in 2009 of existing data of those
taking part in ISO work indicated that ISO is broadly made up of 25 % women and
75 % men across technical experts, among CEOs, and in governance groups, albeit
with some exceptions. Therefore, the ISO Council has resolved to address the
issue of gender equality in a pro-active manner and develop a gender-action plan,
considering good practices by members and other international organizations.
17) ISO/IEC Guide 21-1, Regional or national adoption of International Standards and other Interna-
tional Deliv-erables – Part 1 : Adoption of International Standards.
18) https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/.

5. National standards
body value chain

This chapter focusses on the NSB value chain within a given international and
regional context. To better understand the NSB value-chain, it is useful to con-
sider the complete standardization environment, i.e. from the development of the
standard to its ultimate implementation, and how NSB services relate to those of
the other institutions that play important roles in the implementation of standards.
The NSB is one of the three fundamental organizations of the quality infrastructure
(QI) of a country, the other two being the National Metrology Institute (NMI) and
the National Accreditation Body (NAB). All other services of the QI, such as cali-
bration, inspection, testing and certification, derive their recognition from these
three bodies, which are also the link between the national and the international
systems that in turn lead to international recognition of the outputs of the QI.
5.1 The Quality Infrastructure (QI)

The QI provides a framework for standardization, accreditation, metrology and
conformity-assessment services (see 1.2 Terminology). Many of these would be
voluntary in nature, i.e. compliance is a choice of the supplier and/or the pur-
chaser – non-compliance with a voluntary standard is not a criminal offence.
However, governments do require mandatory compliance in specific instances,
known as technical regulations – non-compliance then becomes a breach under
legal requirements (see also 2.4.3 Legal status of standards). The development and
implementation of technical regulations utilize all the services of the QI, and its
implementation is further enhanced by market surveillance.
The QI may also be considered at the regional or international level, at which
a vast number of inter-governmental and non-governmental institutions have
been established over the years. Furthermore, in addition to the regional and
international institutions applying the core elements of the QI, there are numer-
ous multinational companies providing a wide range of conformity-assessment
services in many countries.

5.1.1 The place of the NSB in the QI
The interrelationship between the various parts of the QI is shown in Figure 5.1 19).
All the organizations within the QI are necessary to provide for the demonstra-
tion of compliance of products and services. This compliance can be required by
regulatory authorities in the case of technical regulations, it can be required in
terms of purchasing contracts, or it can simply be preferences prevailing in the
marketplace. Therefore manufacturers, producers and suppliers offering products
and services are major users of the services of the QI.
Figure 5.1 also clearly indicates the importance of an effective and efficient NSB,
with national standards published by the NSB utilized by all the elements of the
QI. These include the metrology and accreditation institutions, as well as a wide
variety of stakeholders served by the QI.
Calibration assures that measuring equipment is traceable to the national
measurement-standards maintained by the NMI, which in turn are calibrated to
international measurement-standards. Calibration is not considered a conformity-
assessment service per se, but it is a very necessary link in the value chain of
conformity-assessment services. These services themselves – i.e. inspection, test-
ing and certification – are directly responsible for assuring whether a product or a
service complies with a national standard, International Standard, or a technical
regulation. The competence of inspection, testing and certification services is in
turn assured through accreditation, and the measurement capabilities of such
services assured through calibrated measuring-equipment.
19) Racine JL (Editor) (2011), Harnessing quality for global competitiveness in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia, World Bank : Washington, ISBN 978-0-8213-9509-8.

Definition of units
National (as required in standards) National
Standards Metrology
Body Institute
Accreditation National
body standards Accreditation Calibration of
Body reference/working
measurement
standards
Certification Inspection Testing Calibration

body body laboratory laboratory
standards standards standards standards
Certification Inspection Testing Calibration

Bodies Bodies Laboratories Laboratories
Certification Inspection Test

Standards report report
for products,
processes and Calibration
systems certificate
Enterprises
Market surveillance
Standards
for technical Products and services
regulations
Authorities, consumers and general public

Source : World Bank (see the definition of QI in page 14)
Figure 5.1: The National Quality Infrastructure

5.1.2 International recognition of the QI
All the services of the QI need to be recognized internationally ; otherwise users
of these services such as exporters will find it difficult to access foreign markets
without having to re-inspect, re-test and re-certify their products. This would be a
time consuming and expensive undertaking that may render them uncompetitive.
Such recognition is based on the technical competency of the QI organization,
as determined by the relevant combination of peer reviews, accreditation and
inter-laboratory comparisons. In particular :
▸▸ The NAB must comply with ISO/IEC 17011, and needs to be recognized inter-
nationally through peer reviews and the signing of the IAF and ILAC multilat-
eral recognition agreements or arrangements.
▸▸ The NMI is recognized by the listing of its calibration and measurement capa-
bilities (CMCs) on the key-comparison database (KCDB) of the BIPM, following
inter-laboratory comparisons and peer review 20) .
▸▸ The NSB needs to signify compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO TBT Agreement to
the WTO Secretariat and its standards development process should comply with
principles codified in decisions of the WTO TBT TC and in the ISO/IEC Directives.
International standards have been published for many of the QI organizations

that they need to comply with to gain international recognition. The conformity
assessment service providers and calibration laboratories are accredited by the
accreditation body in accordance with International Standards for accreditation
such as :
▸▸ inspection bodies : ISO/IEC 17020 ;
▸▸ management-system certification bodies : ISO/IEC 17021-1 ;
▸▸ bodies certifying persons : ISO/IEC 17024 ;
▸▸ test laboratories : ISO/IEC 17025 ;
▸▸ calibration laboratories : ISO/IEC 17025 ;
▸▸ proficiency-testing providers : ISO/IEC 17043 ;
▸▸ product-certification bodies : ISO/IEC 17065.
20) For developing countries, accreditation of the NMI will provide a measure of international
recognition, before it has developed to the stage where its CMCs can be listed in the KCDB.

International recognition of the QI organizations and their services is therefore a
complex undertaking that can only succeed if : the appropriate government poli-
cies are in place ; there is coordination amongst the three core QI organizations
(NAB, NMI and the NSB) ; it is cohesive and effective, and ; if the individual QI
organizations prioritize international recognition.
5.2 NSB value chain

A value chain is a set of activities that a firm operating in a specific industry performs
in order to deliver a meaningful product or service to the market. The concept has its
roots in business management and was first described by Michael Porter in his 1985
best-seller, Competitive Advantage : Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance.
The value chain consists of two main areas of activity, which are : the core activities
depicting the actual operations the company has to perform to create value for the
customer, and : the support activities which underpin the core activities. The core
activities and the support activities are therefore of equal importance. The value
chain concept is used widely as a paradigm to view and optimize the strategies of
a company or an organization, leading to optimum performance.
The elements of a value chain for standards development, publication and
information in an NSB is shown in Figure 5.2. The NSB can only function opti-
mally if considered as a whole. Taking the NSB value chain shown in Figure 5.2
as the point of reference, each of the elements of the core activities and the
support activities have to be considered. In addition, the NSB does not exist
in a vacuum ; it has to operate within the context of national, regional (where
relevant) and international systems. Therefore, considering the context is
equally important.
Each of the four support activities and the five core activities are discussed in
detail in this publication – the support activities in Chapter 6 and the core activi-
ties in Chapter 7. The international and regional context has been discussed in
the preceding Chapters 4 and 5.

Administrative and • policy environment
finance infrastructure
• legal status of the NSB
• organizational structure
• governance and management
Support activities
Custo
• financial management
mer v
Human resource management • personal recruitment
• training
Communication (common element)
alue
• performance appraisal and rewarding
Product and technology • document types

development
• IT support systems
Technical Committees • membership and structures

• roles and responsibilities of Chairs, Secretariats and members
• business plans
• mirror committees
• TC support services
Planning Development Publication Dissemination Customer

• organizational • national • quality control • standards services
strategy standards • publication information • hotline
• national • key (electronic and • standards • training
standardization performance hard copy) catalogue • consulting
alue
strategy indicators • document • marketing
mer v
• standards work • participating in control • standards sales
programme reg./int. stds • WTO TBT
Custo
• project planning • adopting reg./ enquiry point
int. stds
• project
management
Core activities
Source: Author’s elaboration
Figure 5.2: The NSB value chain
Communication is a common element between the core and support activities.

Although it is not discussed as a separate section, it is mentioned extensively in
many sections and subsections, including in the principles of GSP. Due to its impor-
tance, the NSB needs a well-defined, documented strategy for communication
to work effectively and efficiently with the different elements of the value chain.

5.3 Diagnostic tool
If any one of the elements of the value chain is sub-optimal, then the NSB services
will also be sub-optimal ; this in turn will compromise the value to the customer.
Therefore, all of the elements have to be optimized in order to be fully functional.
The diagnostic tool, which is part of this publication on GSP, enables an NSB to
determine whether its performance is optimized within the value chain. The tool
is based on the five elements of the core activities, the four support activities, and
the interaction the NSB has with national, regional or international systems. The
diagnostic tool will enable an NSB to review and evaluate its current situation and
performance, and can be utilized to identify the solutions that are appropriate
for an NSB to comply with GSP. A short introduction to the use of the diagnostic
tool is provided in Annex A.
These value chain elements also form the basis of a diagnostic tool in the form of a
spread sheet, which is available from ISO/CS for any NSB in a developing country.
This spreadsheet will assist an NSB to rapidly determine whether its value-chain
elements are in place, and whether they are effective.

6. NSB value chain :
support activities

The NSB can only function optimally as a developer and publisher of national
standards and the provider of information regarding these, if the support activi-
ties are appropriately organized and functioning effectively and efficiently. These
include : (i) administrative and financial systems ; (ii) human-resource manage-
ment ; (iii) product and technology development, and ; (iv) the TC structures oper-
ating within the NSB. Clearly, the NSB must be established with the appropriate
mandate, governance and management before all of this can become a reality.
6.1 Administration and financial infrastructure

Most countries have established an NSB, whether decades ago or relatively
recently. However, in view of the rapidly changing environment brought about
by the growth of international trade and the increasing role that standardization
plays in this regard, it would be prudent for the NSB to revisit its legal environ-
ment, governance, organizational structure and infrastructure, before focussing
in detail on the NSB value chain for its standards development, publication and
information services.
6.1.1 The policy environment of the NSB

The QI can provide effective and efficient services to the country as a complete
system only if its elements are established and maintained with clear mandates,
seamless interfaces without costly overlaps, and international recognition. In
addition, the regime of technical regulations of the country must be aligned with
international and regional obligations, as well as being acceptable to its main
trading partners. In many countries, these have developed organically over the
years and their effectiveness and efficiency may be less than optimal. Therefore,
many countries are now revisiting the policy environment in which the QI and
technical regulations operate, as the start of a re-appraisal of the QI as a whole.
Within the QI framework, the National Quality Policy is a best-practice document
that deals with the QI and technical regulations within a framework of other poli-
cies, e.g. industrial policy, export policy, and environmental policy. The Quality

Policy provides for the overall structure of the QI, the responsibilities of the vari-
ous participants, and ensures that technical regulation is effective and efficient.
Additionally, the Policy also provides for following international best practice,
ensures that the QI is complete, does not duplicate any functions, and does not
constitute an unnecessary barrier to trade.
As regards the NSB, its statutory instrument should ensure that it is not subject
to undue political interference, even though it should support the government’s
industrial, trade and other relevant policies. It is useful if the NSB is officially
recognized by the government as being responsible for standards development,
standards distribution and membership in international and regional standards
organizations. In some jurisdictions, it may even be necessary to provide exclusive
rights to the NSB for publishing national standards, even though all of these may
not be developed under its auspices. This provides the country with a single point
of entry for all standards and is the most effective way of meeting its WTO TBT
Agreement obligations if it is a WTO member.
6.1.2 Legal status of the NSB

The legal status of NSBs differs from country to country. ISO membership data from
a survey in 2009 showed that 47.5 % of the NSBs are government departments,
30.9 % are organizations of public law, 20.4 % are “ not-for-profit ” private organi-
zations and 1.2 % operate as profit orientated private businesses. Compared with
previous data, the percentage of NSBs as government departments or organiza-
tions of public law is slowly diminishing, whereas the not-for-profit private NSBs
are on the increase. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that NSBs in developing
economies are still mostly government departments or organizations of public law.
The advantage of the NSB being an organization of public law over a government
department is that it gains a measure of management freedom as regards business
practices, i.e. the Council or Board can respond in a more agile fashion within the
commercial environment, and services can be priced according to market require-
ments. As a government department, the NSB will of necessity have to follow
departmental rules that may not be flexible enough to meet market requirements.

Private NSBs always have to confront the challenge of financial sustainability, even
though most are not-for-profit organizations. This can be mitigated by a contract
between the country and the NSB for the financing of activities for the common
good, such as standards development, standards information and international
liaison by the country. Conformity-assessment services on the other hand must
be financially self-sufficient, related to market needs and operate as a business
without national support other than the country paying for the services it sources
from the NSB.
6.1.3 NSB organizational structure facilitating impartiality

of standards development and publication
The organizational structure of an NSB is dependent on the services it provides,

irrespective of whether it is a public or private-sector enterprise, and on country
practices. Many NSBs in developing countries provide conformity-assessment
services, and in this case the organizational structure should be set up in such a
way that the impartiality of standards development and publication is assured.
The two main activities that cannot be combined in any one organization are certi-
fication and accreditation. It is required that these two activities are performed by
different organizations. An NSB can develop standards and carry accreditation but
not conformity-assessment activities such as certification, inspection and testing.
Alternatively, an NSB can develop standards and carry conformity-assessment
activities such as certification and testing, but not accreditation. The NSB how-
ever, should not be involved in the administration of technical regulations. The
structure that is shown in Figure 6.1 is one of the most common, although other
types of structure are also possible.

Board / Council
Top management
Internal Quality
financial audit management
Standards Testing Certification Corporate

▸▸ development ▸▸ mechanical ▸▸ quality ▸▸ finance
▸▸ editing ▸▸ electrical management ▸▸ human
▸▸ publication ▸▸ civil ▸▸ environmental resources
▸▸ information ▸▸ chemical management ▸▸ training
▸▸ sales ▸▸ fibre ▸▸ product ▸▸ it support
▸▸ WTO TBT ▸▸ biological certification ▸▸ transport
Enquiry Point ▸▸ inspection ▸▸ building
▸▸ maintenance
Non-commercial Commercial
Source: Author’s elaboration.
Figure 6.1: Example on NSB organizational structure in developing economies
“ Form follows function ” is an old wisdom. This holds true also for the organiza-
tional structure of the NSB – see Figure 6.1. Hence, the three operational entities
of an NSB also providing conformity-assessment services, should be focussed
on standards, testing and certification respectively. The corporate functions are
utilized by all and are essentially overheads. Top management would be the Direc-
tor and the senior departmental-heads. Internal-audit reports to the Director to
ensure financial systems are followed and robust.
The structure allows for the implementation of a financial system that clearly
separates activities for the common good, or non-commercial activities from com-
mercial activities. This would provide clear financial data, should the State decide

to only finance activities for public services. Corporate services can be allocated to
the three operational entities on an equitable basis. This structure also facilitates
compliance with the responsibilities and requirements for accreditation, and thus
provides an appropriate measure of independence of standardization activities
from other activities, i.e. impartiality.
Within the structure defined in Figure 6.1, the management-function responsi-
ble for standards can focus on the development of standards, their publication,
and the provision of information on standards, as a complete package, thereby
enhancing effectiveness and efficiency. The key performance-data such as finan-
cial efficiency, time-to-market of the standards development process, and other
related activities can easily be captured to provide for a proper management of
the activities.
The two commercial entities can be managed in accordance with good business-
practices, and the key performance-indicators would be business and financially
orientated. This is the area that has to compete in the marketplace and requires a
different mindset to those managing the standards entity 21). They should generate
an excess of income over expenditure.
The quality-management entity ensures that the NSB entities comply with relevant
accreditation requirements, and the NSB’s overall formal management-system.
6.1.4 Governance and management of the NSB

It is a good governance principle to separate governance and management roles in
the NSB if, for example, the NSB is not a government department. The governance,
vested in a Board or Council, provides the strategy for the NSB, ensures proper
financial systems are followed and oversees the activities of the management, i.e.
it looks after the interests of the main shareholders of the NSB (the government or
private sector as relevant). Hence, the Board or Council should not be involved in
the day-to-day running of the organization, as this would constitute a conflict of
21) Detailed information on the conformity assessment business can be found in the ISO publica-
tion Building trust : The conformity assessment toolbox. Copies can be obtained from the ISO Central
Secretariat or can be downloaded from ISO website.

interest with its “ oversight ” role. Management performs the day-to-day operation
of the NSB and is accountable to the Board or Council – see Figure 6.2.
Governance relates to all processes of oversight. Either a Board or a Council is the
permanent governing body of most NSBs and is usually appointed by the relevant
Minister if the NSB is a government department or an organization of public law.
If the NSB is a private organization, then the members of the Board or Council are
usually stakeholder representatives appointed by the NSB’s general assembly. To
be relevant in a modern economy, the composition of the Board or Council should
meet criteria such as :
▸▸ Having a good blend between public sector, private sector, academia and
consumer representatives.
▸▸ Ensuring Members should bring with them strategic and business skills,
financial knowledge, market knowledge and good management practices.
The NSB should operate as a business entity, with the Board or Council
playing a role similar to the Board of Directors of a private company. Such an
approach facilitates the long-term financial sustainability of the NSB.
▸▸ Appointing leaders of industry in their personal capacity rather than calling
for representatives from business associations is more useful. In this way,
advanced business skills, strategic thinking and market knowledge are more
readily available in the Board or Council. In addition, such industrialists
will act as goodwill ambassadors for the NSB in the private sector, thereby
enhancing its stature and promoting the use of standardization.
▸▸ Defining whether the Director of the NSB is an ex officio full member of the
Board or Council will depend on the legal system of the country and custom
and practice. In some countries it is considered ideal if the Director is not a
full member, whilst in others, good governance principles allow the Director
to be a full member. However, if the Director or CEO is a full member of the
Board or Council, he or she should not hold any office such as Chair or Vice
Chair. This is good governance practice, that in turn ensures that the Board or
Council’s oversight function is separated from the management function of
the NSB.

Governance Management
• set strategic vision and direction • manage the NSB in line with the
and formulate overarching goals broad goals and direction set by the
and policies governing body
• oversee management and • implement the decisions within the
organizational performance to context of the mission and strategic
ensure that the nsb is working vision
in the best interests of the • make operational decisions and
stakeholders policies, keep the governance body
• direct and oversee the informed
management to ensure that • be responsive to requests for
the nsb is achieving the desired additional information
outcomes • act as communication channel
• ensure that the NSB is acting between the governing body and
prudently, ethically and legally the NSB
Source: Author’s elaboration.
Figure 6.2: Responsibilities of governance and management of the NSB
In terms of good governance practice, the responsibilities of the Board or Council

should include the following :
▸▸ Establishing a policy-based governance system within the scope of legisla-
tion or Articles of Association. These guide the NSB and how it will function.
Typical polices will cover, for example, core activities including : standards
development and providing information ; involvement in international or
regional standardization activities ; the extent of conformity-assessment ser-
vices (if the NSB provides them) ; remuneration of staff, investment of surplus
funds, and ; marketing.
▸▸ Providing the strategic direction for the NSB. It establishes the vision, mission
and goals of the NSB in cooperation with management. Future strategies and
business plans also need to be approved and even developed in cooperation
with the Council or Board.

▸▸ Providing full fiduciary responsibility, i.e. the final approval of the annual
budget, the NSB organizational structure, any future business expansions,
remuneration framework, and major financial investments (the level at
which this is elevated to the Council or Board will vary from country to
country). The external financial auditors should be accountable to the
Board or Council, to help ensure proper financial management of the NSB by
the management.
▸▸ Acting as the final arbiter in the case of an appeal against a standard even
though the approval of a standard may rest with a Standards Approv-
als Committee.
6.1.5 Financial management 22)

Financial sustainability relates to the ability of the NSB to continue to serve its
stakeholders in the long term, rather than having to curtail its operations due
to lack of funding. Meeting the standardization needs of its stakeholders in a
sustainable manner in the long term should therefore be a strategic objective for
the NSB. Strategies that contribute to the financial sustainability include fostering
strong stakeholder-relationships, accessing a range of types of funding, building
financial reserves and assessing and managing risks and overhead costs.
These NSB should provide for these strategies in a financial policy. In many coun-
tries, NSBs may be dependent on the government for funding of the development
and publication of national standards. Nevertheless, the NSB’s financial policy
and implementation should be guided by sound business principles to facilitate
its long-term sustainability. It is desirable that the government should commit
to long-term support where this is necessary, even though the NSB may be able
to offset some of the costs with sales of standards. In the developing country
context however, these are seldom adequate to offset standards development
and publication costs.
22) A more complete discussion on the financial system of the NSB can be found in the ISO
publication Financing NSBs : Financial sustainability for National Standards Bodies, which can be
obtained from the ISO Central Secretariat.

The country should ideally provide for activities that benefit its population, but
conformity-assessment services should be paid for by clients. The NSB needs to
be able to manage its budget and use its net income for future development – it
should not be obliged to revert all of this back to the country in those cases where
it is linked to the government or where it receives government funding.
6.1.6 NSB premises

The premises of the NSB are an important issue to consider in order for it to be
successful and render an effective and efficient service. Only the standards-related
premises listed below are discussed in this publication.
▸▸ Location : The location should be selected carefully and easily accessible,
especially for the clients that need to visit the NSB in person is important,
also from the perspective of delivery of products to be tested or instruments to
be calibrated.
▸▸ Standards information centre : The standards information centre is
frequently the window into other NSB activities. It is advisable that it is easy
to access with adequate space for computer screens and tables where visitors
can browse through standards and purchase them. This will make finding
and purchasing the right standard a pleasant experience.
▸▸ Meeting rooms for TCs and for training : Meeting rooms with appropriate
IT equipment to conduct TC meetings are very important. The number of
meeting rooms should be carefully planned and based on the projected num-
ber of meetings, and whether they will be held in parallel or not. They should
be easily accessible by outside committee members, fairly sound-proof and
located such that the integrity of laboratories and offices of personnel is not
compromised. The same applies to training venues. In such cases, appropri-
ate IT equipment is even more important.
▸▸ Corporate offices : Offices for the corporate entities should be appropriate
for the specific service to be rendered. Human resources need some rooms for
interviews and private discussions with staff. Workshops and garages have
their own requirements, as do IT support.

6.2 Human resource management
Standards development, publication and information has become a very complex
endeavour and requires a great deal of labour. Most of the activities related to
standards development and publication are not taught in secondary or tertiary
training institutions ; hence the NSB should provide for such training. Additionally,
it is not only the NSB staff that has to be trained and managed, but also the large
number of outside people that are involved, such as Chairs and members of the TCs.
6.2.1 Recruitment of NSB staff

Staff with the appropriate qualifications and competencies to work in the field
of standards development and publication is a precondition for the effectiveness
and efficiency of any NSB operation. The requirements for the various positions
should therefore be clearly defined and documented and these should be used
when recruiting and appointing staff. Such requirements should be based on
clearly identified skill sets for the various positions in the NSB organizational
structure that are necessary to fulfil its mandate effectively and efficiently. Once
recruited and appointed, every effort should be made to retain staff because a
high turnover is usually detrimental to service delivery.
6.2.2 Training of NSB staff

Secretariats of ISO/TCs are usually vested in the NSB, as is the editing and publica-
tion of national standards. It follows that the staff in the Secretariats, the editing
departments and the standards information-centre need to be properly trained in
order to ensure effective and efficient operations in developing, publishing and
disseminating standards. It is also good practice to offer annual refresher courses.
New advances in technologies and methods of managing the standards develop-
ment, publication and information activities can then also be provided. In addition
to training in the administrative procedures of the NSB, typical subject matter of
such training could include the following :
▸▸ GSP as the measure of all activities for all staff ;

▸▸ project management ;
▸▸ procedures for the development and publication of standards for Secretariat
staff ;
▸▸ editing of standards for editing staff ; and
▸▸ ways of providing standards information for the information centre staff.
Project management is a major component of the planning and organization of

TC work ; portfolio, programme and project managers in the Secretariats need to
be trained in this vital skill, whether by the NSB or an outside training institution
specializing in project management. ISO has published for NSBs two, support-
ing, guidance documents on project management for standards development,
which are Project Management Methodology in the ISO environment, and Project
Management Methodology : Roles, responsibilities and capability requirements.
6.2.3 Training of TC Chairs

It is good practice to appoint TC Chairs who are independent of the NSB. They
may be, for example, eminent scientists, other types of specialist, from industry,
or government representatives. This means that they would not necessarily be
knowledgeable regarding the key steps and procedures that guide the development
of standards. They have a very important leadership role to fulfil ensuring that
the TC meets its objective of producing standards, following the rules of standards
development, whilst avoiding distractions and obstructions. Hence any person
appointed as the Chair of a TC or SC should be properly trained for this role before
commencing their duties.
Secondly, it is extremely beneficial for all the TC Chairs, as well as NSB/TC sec-
retarial staff and management, to attend an annual refresher workshop. During
such a workshop, new developments in the standardization environment can be
shared by NSB staff. The TC Chairs can be apprised of new policies and procedures
regarding standards development, whilst the they can also share positive and
negative experiences of the previous year that would help everybody enhance
the effectiveness and efficiency of the standards-development process. The use
of appropriate IT systems to assist in the training should be considered.

6.2.4 Performance appraisal and incentives
Performance appraisals are essential for the effective management and evalua-
tion of staff. If properly conducted, appraisals help develop individuals, improve
organizational performance, and feed into business planning. There are many
performance-appraisal methodologies available, and the choice will be determined
by the NSB’s policies and organizational structure, as well as having to comply
with the labour or employment laws of the country. Performance appraisals should
be conducted at least annually, and they consist of reviewing each individual’s
performance against objectives and quality of work for the year, agreed to at the
previous appraisal meeting.
The results of performance appraisals enable management to manage the employ-
ee’s work more effectively, agree on expectations and objectives, and delegate
responsibilities and tasks. Staff performance appraisals also establish individual
training needs and enable an analysis of organizational training-needs and plan-
ning. Performance appraisals also typically feed into the NSB’s annual pay and
grading reviews. If incentives are available within the remuneration structure of the
NSB, then performance appraisals are a very important element in allocating these.
6.3 Product and technology development

Although the product, i.e. the standard, is very clearly defined, there are other
types of normative document. Technology, IT services and digital-media produc-
tion now typically dominate the standardization environment in many countries.
6.3.1 Document types

A national standard is the end product of a carefully defined and complete devel-
opment process. Standards development and publication have to comply with
internationally agreed principles such as transparency, openness and consensus
(see section 4), but this process can be very time consuming. Frequently, the inter-
ested parties wish to have a normative document available before the full process
of developing, for example, an ISO International Standard, has been completed.

Therefore,ISO has developed simpler, streamlined procedures for two types of
normative document, which are the technical specification (ISO/TS), and ; the
publicly available specification (ISO/PAS) – see Figure 7.3 in Section 7 on the ISO
deliverables. These specifications do not have the same status as an ISO Interna-
tional Standard, although the streamlined procedures for developing them enables
an ISO/TC and SC to produce a normative document quickly. Furthermore, an
ISO/TS or ISO/PAS can form the basis of an International Standard and develop
into one at a later stage. An NSB can use the same process to produce similar
types of normative documents such as a TS or PAS when it would take too long to
develop a full standard.
6.3.2 IT services
Standards development, publication and information in many countries has
become totally reliant on modern IT-based communication-services. International,
regional and national standards from developed countries, as well as the many
types of private standards, are available in electronic format via the Internet,
Hard copies have become less common and, in some cases, no longer available.
Furthermore, the whole process of standards development also relies heavily on
efficient IT services. In addition, efficient communications between the NSB and
its vast stakeholder environment is of paramount importance for the ultimate
success of standardization in the country.
NSBs therefore ideally should have a good Intranet service for standards develop-
ment, and stable and fast Internet services to connect to the international world
of standardization. Failure to provide either of the two will seriously hamper the
efficacy of the NSB in delivering the standardization services to its stakeholders.
Some of the specific areas within the NSB value chain that would benefit from an
effective and efficient IT service include the following :
▸▸ In TC, SC and WG meetings, IT services can streamline the discussions if draft
texts can be displayed on screen for all committee members to see. Further-
more, decisions and changes to the document can be entered instantly to
provide members with an updated document when they leave the meeting ;

▸▸ Standards development is to a large extent project management – see sub-
section 7.2.6. Due to the complexity of the process, especially if a Secretariat is
handling a number of different standards and ISO/TCs, an effective IT-based
project-management system will be a very useful tool to ensure efficient and
timely completion of the various projects ;
▸▸ Communications between the NSB and its ISO/TCs can be appreciably
enhanced through an effective IT system. Committee documents, meeting
details and responses on drafts published for public comment can be more
efficiently handled through electronic media than through paper-based ones.
The same applies even more to regional and international committee commu-
nication where distances between committee members can be challenging.
In some cases, it may even be possible to hold virtual TC meetings through IT
systems rather than for all committee members to gather in a physical place.
Such a virtual meeting will be much more cost effective than a physical meet-
ing, especially at the regional and international level ;
▸▸ Standards information at the international level has moved from hard copy
systems to IT based systems. The search for specific standards is immensely
more profitable through effective IT systems, rather than trying to find them
in hard copy libraries, if they are available as hard copies ;
▸▸ Communication between the NSB and its many stakeholders is best served
with a well-designed Website and social media communication systems.
These also rely completely on the availability of fully functional IT sys-
tems ; and
▸▸ An effective and innovative IT system can support knowledge management in
the NSB and also e-learning systems.
When standards are provided in an electronic format, copyright requirements
must be considered, especially when International Standards such as ISO and
IEC standards adopted as national standards. This means they should not be
available free of charge. A number of NSBs are developing Internet-based search
and reading applications whereby users can look at the text of national standards
without being able to download them or copy parts of the text free of charge.

6.4 TCs
Standards should be developed in TCs that represent all interested parties. This
approach ensures that some of the key principles of standards development, such
as transparency, openness, impartiality and stakeholder engagement, all of which
underpin the process of standards development.
6.4.1 TC membership and structures

TCs are formally established by the NSB. Once the need for a TC has been recog-
nized, the NSB should invite all interested parties to participate. An open invitation
to interested parties should include the appropriate combination of the following
as relevant for the specific standard to be developed 23) :
▸▸ Industry and commerce – manufacturers, producers, service industries,
warehouse and transport operators, retailers, banks and financial institu-
tions, business and trade associations.
▸▸ Government – national government and local government departments and
agencies, regulatory authorities.
▸▸ Consumer – national and local consumer organizations, individual experts
engaged from a consumer perspective.
▸▸ Labour – national and local trade unions, federations of trade unions
▸▸ Academia and research bodies – universities and other higher educational
bodies, professional associations, research institutions.
▸▸ Users of standards not otherwise covered – accreditation, inspection,
testing and certification bodies, organizations devoted to promoting the use
of standards.
▸▸ Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – organizations operating on a
not-for-profit basis that have a public interest objective related to social, or
environmental concerns.
The establishment of a new TC should be approved by the NSB Board or Council or

by the NSB Executive as considered appropriate in each country. This is because
23) Derived from Annex A of ISO/IEC Guide 59.

the establishment of TCs will have long-term strategic and financial implications
for the NSB. Membership changes thereafter should be managed by the NSB or
the TC itself, otherwise the system becomes very cumbersome. TCs that are no
longer active should be dissolved or paused, depending on the review process for
published standards developed under the auspices of this TC.
Achieving a representative balance of members of a TC can be a challenge and
therefore the NSB should consider the following :
▸▸ The relevance of the various participant categories should be assessed,
depending on the standard under development. Not all categories are
relevant to all standards projects.
▸▸ Membership should not be unduly limited. If interested parties wish to
participate, they should be able to do so. It is often better to start with a larger
TC which will eventually get smaller as parties decide to leave, rather than
denying participation in the first place to some parties, which might cause
opposition to the standard being developed.
▸▸ The NSB should guard against domination of the TC by a combination of
stakeholders with very specific interests. Knowledge of the stakeholder link-
ages is helpful in managing this challenge.
▸▸ A specific challenge concerns participation of interest groups that lack the
finances or lack experienced experts, e.g. consumer organizations and NGOs.
The NSB should consider ways and means to facilitate the participation
of these.
▸▸ The NSB should remove organizations from the TC once they have missed a
number of meetings, typically three, without justifiable reasons. This needs
to be made clear to all committee members at the outset.
▸▸ It is usually counterproductive to assign specific percentages to the groups of
interested parties in the above list, and the application of common sense in getting
the right composition of the TC, is a more realistic approach. It is a prerequisite that
the NSB has a good understanding of the stakeholders and their preferences, so
that the NSB can achieve the right composition of members of the TC.
If the subject matter is large, then SCs or WGs should be established to deal
more efficiently in developing the multiplicity of standards required to cover the

subject matter. A typical example would be the ISO 9000 series of standards for
quality-systems. The SCs would be accountable to the main TC. A WG deals with
a specific technical subject, is accountable to the TC or SC that establishes it, and
is disbanded when its work is completed (see Figure 6.3). WGs generally consist
of experts, rather than representatives, with specific knowledge regarding the
subject matter of the draft standard to be developed.
National Standards Body
Technical Committee Technical Committee
Subcommittee Subcommittee
Working Group Working Group
Figure 6.3: Technical Committees, Sub-committees and Working Groups
6.4.2 Role and responsibilities of the Chair

The Chair of the TC may be nominated but by an NSB but should always be
approved by the NSB. Usually the NSB Executive would be authorized to do so by
the Council or Board. It is good practice to nominate a Chair outside of the NSB
– it supports the notion that the NSB does not force the standard onto anybody.
TCs generally appoint the Chairs of their SCs and the Convenors of the WGs. It is
good practice to nominate the Chair for an initial period of a few years that can
be extended once.
The role of the Chair is to ensure that the TC functions effectively and efficiently. A
Chair must remain neutral and therefore cannot continue to representative his or
her organization. If that organization wishes to continue to participate actively in
the discussions of the TC or SC, then an additional representative needs to be found.

The main responsibilities of the Chair are :
▸▸ To ensure that all representatives get the opportunity to participate fully in
the proceedings. This includes ensuring that a specific representative does
not dominate the committee proceedings and the discussions ;
▸▸ To ensures that the TC reaches agreements that can be accepted by all
stakeholders at the national level. The Chair should therefore have a good
understanding of the products, services or issues under discussion, and the
market and/or regulatory realities of the country ; and
▸▸ To steer the TC towards reaching consensus and realizes when this point
has been reached. It is good practice for the Chair to summarize the decision
reached so that all are aware of it, and the Secretariat can record it properly in
the minutes or decisions of the meeting.
ISO has published a document Project Management Methodology : Roles, respon-

sibilities and capability requirements 24) for the individuals involved in the devel-
opment of International Standards, including the Chair and committee manager
(known as the secretary in the past). The document describes all the responsibili-
ties and capability requirements for these various positions. Although the docu-
ment is aimed at ISO/TCs, its approach, suitably adjusted, would also be a useful
reference document for NSBs establishing and managing TCs at the national level.
6.4.3 Role and responsibilities of the Secretariat

The role of the Secretariat is to provide professional management support in the
form of administrative, operational and technical services to the TC or SC and its
Chairs to ensure that the TC or SC operates effectively and efficiently. The Secretariat
should normally be provided by the NSB rather than an organization outside the
NSB where it may not be given the appropriate attention and resources and where
it may be difficult to ensure strict impartiality. The latter is an important point to
consider if the NSB decides to let others run the Secretariat.
24) Project Management Methodology: Roles, responsibilities and capability requirements, available
from ISO.

The responsibilities of the Secretariat include :
▸▸ arranging the meeting schedules in consultation with the Chair ;
▸▸ ensuring that all documentation is distributed to committee members in due
time ;
▸▸ ensuring that resources for the meeting are available (e.g. venue, IT support,
refreshments, lunch, and extra copies of documents) ;
▸▸ recording the decisions of the committee, including the update of the work-
ing documents being discussed ; and
▸▸ preparing and distributing the minutes, updated working documents and
other relevant information in a timely manner after the meeting.
The Secretariat is also responsible for handling the internal processes in the NSB
once the TC or SC has completed its task to produce the draft standard ready
for public comment, collating comments, and managing the final editing of the
standard for approval. See also 6.4.2 on a related guidance document from ISO.
6.4.4 Role and responsibilities of committee members

The members of the TC, SC and WG have the responsibility to participate actively
and provide their knowledge without prejudice to the product, service or issue
subject to the standards development process as well as market or regulatory
needs of the same.
TC, SC and WG members should prepare for the meeting, which starts with careful
consideration of the documentation sent out, i.e. working drafts of the standard. It
is not helpful if the documents are only read for the first time during the meeting
itself. Clearly, members have to represent interests of their stakeholder groups, but
not to the detriment of ultimately reaching consensus. Members should always
recognize that they should work towards the net benefit of all stakeholders.
It is important that members highlight areas of disagreement and then actively
help to resolve such disputes. Members should act ethically at all times and show
respect for their fellow committee members and the Chair and the Secretariat.
Differences of opinion should remain at a technical level. And once consensus

has been reached, members should uphold the consensus position even outside
the meeting.
Standards enjoy copyright, and TC, SC and WG members should respect this
copyright. This is especially important for the adoption of ISO and IEC standards
that may be circulated as working documents to TC members. This means that
members should not distribute them freely, they should be considered as working
documents with restricted distribution.
6.4.5 Business plans of TCs

It is good practice for TCs and SCs to develop their own business plans. This pro-
vides clear guidance on strategy and operational issues and will be very useful for
the NSB, as well as the TC and SC to monitor performance. Making the business
plans available on the Website of the NSB is a further enhancement of the openness
and transparency principles of GSP.
Following on from the information provided in the NSB and standards work plan
(see 7.1.2 and 7.1.3), the business plan should articulate the rationale for the devel-
opment of the standard, and list information that should have been gathered prior
to approval of the project. This rationale can be further enriched by gathering
additional information from the whole TC or SC membership, instead of just a few
that originally requested the development of the standard.
The scopes of the standards to be developed must be clearly articulated. The
TC structures must be clarified, especially if a number of SCs and WGs are also
involved. The responsibilities of each of these relating to the standards to be
developed need to be clearly defined to ensure that no overlaps or gaps develop.
6.4.6 National mirror committees

The involvement of the NSB in International Standards development is best
conducted through a national mirror-committee as the national counterpart to
the international TC. The mirror committee provides the input that is submitted
by national delegations to the international TC. The establishment of a national

mirror-committee and its relationship with the international TC is discussed below.
For the functioning of the national mirror committee, see 7.2.4.
International TCs
TCs of ISO and IEC function in much the same way as national committees. The
difference is that the participants represent countries rather than, for example,
individual industries, authorities, and NGOs, whilst the Chair and Secretariat are
from a specific member country that has been allocated the responsibility for
the TC. Once an international TC has been established, ISO or IEC members can
participate or not as they deem appropriate for the country.
Full members of ISO and IEC may participate in all technical work, and can choose
between two different levels, namely :
▸▸ Participating members (P-members) participate actively in the work and
have an obligation to vote ; or
▸▸ Observing members (O-members) follow the work as observers ; they
receive committee documents and have the right to submit comments and to
attend meetings but do not have the right to vote within the committee.
From 2015 to 2019, ISO operated a pilot-programme which allowed correspondent

and subscriber members of ISO to become P-members of up to five TCs. ISO devel-
oped this programme, approved by the ISO Council, to encourage greater participa-
tion by developing countries in ISO’s technical work. In June 2019, ISO made the
programme permanent, subject to certain limitations. These are that : a member
can only participate in the programme once ; there is a five-year time limit, and
there is a transition period of two years for those members who have been partici-
pating in the programme as P-members for four or more years.
Affiliate country members of IEC do not participate in the technical work.
National mirror committee
Best practice for a developing country is for the national TC to act as the mirror
committee to avoid unnecessary and costly duplication of effort, i.e. there should
not be a mirror committee and a separate national TC working in the same field

and with the same or overlapping scopes. The responsibilities of the mirror com-
mittee amongst others would be to :
▸▸ nominate the delegates to the international TC ;
▸▸ comment on Committee Drafts of the international TC ;
▸▸ forward proposals to interested parties at national level, collate their com-
ments and from these develop a national position ;
▸▸ vote on Draft International Standards (DIS) and Final Draft International
Standards (FDIS) ;
▸▸ participate in reviewing existing standards ;
▸▸ participate in the balloting of New Work Item Proposals (NWIP) ; and
▸▸ propose the national adoption of said international standard.
It is also very important that the NSB staff must not vote on a CD, DIS or FDIS on
their own without being in a position to rely on a national mirror committee. The
NSB must consider the needs of the country and its interested parties, and the
mirror committee is the most effective vehicle to determine how the NSB should
be voting whilst at the same time also provide meaningful comments. The mirror
committee would also represent the stakeholder interests of the country if it has
been established appropriately (see 4.9 for detailed information).
6.4.7 TC support services

TCs cannot function in a vacuum ; they need support services to help them achieve
their goals in the most effective and efficient manner. In smaller NSBs, these sup-
port services could be the responsibility of the TC secretaries, but in larger NSBs
such support will typically need to be provided by dedicated units due to the
complexity of the support required. Frequently the “ legal office ” of the NSB may
have to be involved as well. Typical elements of such support services would be :
▸▸ Monitoring of TC performance : TCs conduct their work according to
planned schedules (see 7.2.2). It is important that their progress is monitored
and reported, to ensure that the standards-development projects are com-
pleted on time and within budget. Any shortcomings need to be identified as
early as possible so that corrective action can be taken. Modern IT systems

ease the monitoring of TC performance, but well-thought-out manual systems
can be usefully employed in smaller NSBs.
▸▸ Handling copyright issues : Standards should enjoy copyright, and this
needs to be enforced. It could mean ultimately that the NSB may need to insti-
tute legal proceedings against persons or organizations violating copyright.
If standards or portions of standards are referenced in publications, the NSB
should be requested to grant copyright permission, and such permissions
should be noted and followed up to ensure that the conditions of granting
such permissions are adhered to.
▸▸ Handling patent declarations : In some standards, technical details of
patents may be included provided the patent holder allows everybody access
without undue constraints to the patent (see 4.6). This situation should be
formalised before the standard is published, and the NSB should retain cop-
ies of such formal agreements.
▸▸ Handling of complaints : Complaints and especially appeals against the
decisions of a TC in relation to the contents of a standard under development
must be handled formally and in a professional manner. They need to be
logged, dealt with and responded to formally. They are also an important
source of information for enhancing the processes being followed by the NSB.
▸▸ Maintenance of TC membership records : This is a fairly easy task when
the NSB manages only a few TCs, but it can become complicated very quickly
once the number of TCs grows. TC membership, especially the representatives
of organizations active in the TCs, changes continuously and these changes
have to be kept track of to ensure communications between the NSB and the
TC remains intact.
▸▸ Granting access to TC documentation : TC documentation will become
increasingly available in electronic format and through IT systems. Members
of TCs need to be given access to these documents. Therefore, a system needs
to be put in place to manage such access. Hard-copy systems need to be in
place where IT systems are not yet fully functional.
▸▸ Issuing appreciation certificates for TC members : It is good practice to
recognize TC members that have provided more than their fair share in the
standards-development process by presenting them with an appreciation
certificate. The criteria for doing so need to be applied consistently.

▸▸ Providing statistical information on TCs and their deliverables : The
NSB needs to keep track of the TCs and the standards under development in
order to plan and manage the TC activities. Likewise, this information should
be made available to the TCs for them to manage their affairs better. As the
number of TCs increases, the volume of statistics will increase correspond-
ingly, and effective systems need to be in place to provide information that is
accurate and up-to-date.

7. NSB value chain :
core activities

In order to complete the discussion regarding the NSB value chain (see 5.2) and having
been appraised of the international context of developing and publishing standards
(Section 3), the principles of GSP (Section 5) and the support activities required (Sec-
tion 6), the core activities of the standards development, publication and information
process can now be described in detail. These consist of (i) planning, (ii) development,
(iii) publication, (iv) dissemination, and (v) customer services – see Figure 5.2.
7.1 Planning
“ If you do not know where you are going, any road will do ” is an old wisdom.
The same applies to the standards development, publication and information
activities of the NSB. These need to be properly planned.
Planning is one of the most important project management and time management
techniques. Planning consists of preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve a
specific goal ; in this case the development and publication of standards. Hence,
planning not only includes the activities themselves, but takes its rationale from
the specific goal the NSB wishes to achieve. If an NSB plans effectively, it can
substantially reduce time and effort in achieving the goal.
An effective planning process starts with the development of a national standardi-
zation strategy, from which follows a standards work programme. The latter in an
up-to-date format can then serve as the work programme the NSB has to publish
every six months in accordance with the WTO TBT Agreement requirements 25).
7.1.1 National standardization strategy 26)

The national standardization strategy (NSS) should be developed as a coopera-
tive exercise between the NSB Board or Council and the senior management.
25) Many NSBs would develop an organizational strategy that deals not only with the development
and publication of national standards, but also with other services the NSB may offer such as con-
formity assessment, metrology services, etc. The standards related strategies discussed here should
then be appropriately integrated with the organizational strategy to provide a holistic strategic
approach the NSB should be following.
26) The ISO Capacity Building Unit provides training in the development of a National Standardi-
zation Strategy and the Standards Work Programme. Details can be obtained from ISO.

The process should include a broad consultation of stakeholders. It should be
formally approved by the NSB Board or Council, and it is good practice to make it
publicly known on the NSB Website. The NSS should be utilized to make decisions
regarding the development and publication of standards, standards information
services and overall marketing and communication regarding the importance of
standardization in the socio-economic development of the country.
Useful steps in developing the NSS include the following :
▸▸ an analysis of available data and documentation from qualified sources
such as the National Development Plan, socio-economic data from national
statistics and industry association feedback ;
▸▸ consultation of key stakeholder groups to capture their overall perspectives
and specific recommendations ; and
▸▸ setting the standardization priorities to be addressed in the given timeframe,
along with the methods to be pursued, e.g. national development or interna-
tional involvement, indigenous standard or international/regional stand-
ard adoption.
7.1.2 Standards work programme

Once the NSS has been developed and agreed at the Board or Council level, the NSB
can develop a multi-year standards work programme (SWP) and identify how to
fulfil needs, by whom it should be implemented, when, and with what resources.
A typical time period would be three years. This would help the NSB to develop
its annual business plans and budgets.
In developing the SWP which should include standards that require revision, the
NSB would analyse the following in quantifiable detail :
▸▸ socio-economic priorities of the country ;
▸▸ stakeholder proposals with priorities ; and
▸▸ human and other resources required.
The WTO TBT Agreement requires the NSB to publish a work programme every six
months (see 3.5.2). This three-year SWP would be an appropriate vehicle to fulfil
this requirement provided that it is updated regularly to also include needs that

have emerged after the previous publication. Whereas it was published in hard
copy in times past, nowadays publishing it on the NSB Website is much more
efficient. This also facilitates the inclusion of new development proposals in a
timely and continuous manner.
According to WTO TBT Agreement requirements, the published work programme
should contain as a minimum the following information :
▸▸ the NSB’s name, address and contact details ;
▸▸ the standards it is currently preparing (i.e. title and scope) ; and
▸▸ the standards which it has adopted in the preceding six-month period.
As regards each individual standard, the following information has to be provided

as a minimum :
▸▸ the classification relevant to the subject matter ;
▸▸ the stage attained in its development ; and
▸▸ the references of any International Standards taken as the basis of
its development.
Whereas the above is the minimum information required by the WTO TBT Agree-
ment, Annex 3 (see 3.5.2), it is also useful to provide additional information such
as the TC responsible for the development thereof, the Chair of the TC and a link to
the business plan of the TC (see 6.4.5). The existence of the SWP has to be notified
to the WTO ISO Standards Information Gateway – see 3.5.2 for details.
7.1.3 Project planning

The six-monthly work programme would be the start of project management of the
standards to be developed (see 7.1.2). It is derived from the SWP and augmented by
the development proposals (see 7.2.1) that have emerged since the development
of the SWP. The six-monthly work programme is extremely important, because
otherwise important and immediate needs would not be considered until the SWP
is reviewed which could be as long as three years in the future.

7.2 Development
The standards-development process should be an open and transparent process
in which no specific interest group dominates the outcome. Over the years, good
practices have evolved that are captured in rules and procedures, such as the
ISO/IEC Directives. Similarly, the NSB should develop a formal procedure that is
made publicly available. A good way is to develop and publish a “ standard for a
standard ” and make this national standard available free of charge to any inter-
ested party. There are quite a few examples of such a specifications for a standard
amongst NSBs, in both developed and developing countries.
Each of the steps shown in Figure 7.1 would include a number of processes and
these should be formalized in procedures. These should be demonstrably fol-
lowed by the NSB in managing the development of standards. In this manner, all
interested parties know exactly how the process works, thereby focussing their
efforts and enhancing the effectiveness of the process. This will also help the NSB in
defending the process should an interested party question the resulting standard,
or appeal to the Board or Council to have the standard set aside or revised in a
major way. Key performance indicators (KPIs) (see 7.2.2) should be established for
each of the steps to manage the efficiency of the process.
An important issue in the process is the approval criteria and mechanism that
would allow the document to move from one stage to the next – see also 7.2.8 on
project management of the standards development process. At the NSB this could
be the following :
▸▸ Proposal : Approved by the senior management of the NSB, taking into
account the results of stakeholder consultations, thereby also allocating the
resources to develop the standard. The quantitative country and stakeholder
needs should be the determining factor in the allocation of scarce resources.
▸▸ Working Document : Decision rests with the TC or SC or WG depending on
where the working document is developed to move the document to the next
stage. This decision would normally be considered during the meeting by
consensus.
▸▸ Draft Standard : The decision to move from committee working documents
to a draft standard to be circulated for public comment would normally be

The proposal is registered and evaluated. A TC is appointed
Proposal and the project is included in the published work
programme of the NSB.
A first working draft is developed and considered by the

Working
TC and further working drafts follow. Preliminary testing is
document
conducted if necessary.
A draft standard based on the consensus reached in the

Draft Standard TC is produced, i.e. a preliminary edited version, for public
comment.
The draft standard is made available for public comment

Public enquiry for a period of at least 60 days. Comments are collated and
considered by the TC.
The final draft standard, including comments from public

Approval enquiry, is edited for quality and submitted to the Standards
Approval Committee.
The approved standard is marketed in hard copy or

Standard electronic format. It is included in the standards catalogue
of the NSB and in the five-year review programme.
Source: Adapted from the ISO/IEC Directives.
Figure 7.1 : Standards development process steps

taken by the TC. This should be a consensus decision. Some NSBs utilize
voting due to stalling tactics by some committee members, but this should be
a last resort measure – working toward consensus is much more profitable in
the end. Voting will just heighten the chances of a formal appeal against the
approval of the standard later on.
▸▸ Public Enquiry : Once all the comments emanating from the public enquiry
have been dealt with appropriately, the TC should make the decision that the
final draft standard should be presented for approval. The same comment
regarding voting as in the previous point applies.
▸▸ Approval : In many NSBs, standards are approved by the highest govern-
ance level, e.g. the Board or Council, or by a Standards Approval Committee
accountable to the Board or Council. The latter can then meet more fre-
quently than the Board or Council to expedite approvals and meet time-to-
market criteria. To speed-up the process it may also be useful to gain approval
by correspondence, as in many cases the TC decisions are confirmed without
further discussion at a meeting.
7.2.1 National standards
In developing and publishing national standards, NSBs should comply fully with
the principles of standards development as provided for in the WTO TBT Agreement
and the decisions of its committee as described in section 4. The specific steps as
indicated in 7.1 are discussed in more detail in the following.
Step #1 : Proposal
The proposal is registered and evaluated. A TC is appointed and the project is

included in the published work programme of the NSB. Interested parties are
approached to participate in the standard’s development.
▸▸ Evaluation of the proposal
The proposal for a new standard can come from any interested party, such as
industry, regulatory authorities, consumer organizations or NGOs – even from
within the NSB. It can also stem from the NSS. It is good practice if a template is

available that can be used to present the proposal. Such a template would ensure
that the necessary questions are asked and answered to facilitate a purposeful
evaluation of the proposal by the NSB management, such as :
▸▸ What is the justification for the proposal ? Is it a technological need of
industry, safety and health of society or the environment, consumer protec-
tion against fraud in the marketplace, or required for an envisaged new
technical regulation ? It is useful to provide both qualitative and quantita-
tive information.
▸▸ Which regional or International Standards could form the basis of the
national standard ? Have standards of similar scope been published by major
trading partners ? Will the scope overlap with scopes of published national
standards ? Which types of specifications are used in industry ?
▸▸ Are the resources available to commence the work, i.e. are funds available in
the budget ? Does the NSB have the staff to manage the TC work ?
▸▸ Can the work be allocated to an existing TC ? Will a new TC or SC have to be
established ?
▸▸ Who are the interested parties, and are they willing to participate in the
standards development ?
Rather than using the above information in an ad hoc way to arrive at a decision
whether or not a proposal should go forward, it can assist in determining the
net benefit of a proposed standard. The net benefit can be seen as the value or
benefit of a standard to the country that exceeds the costs likely to be imposed on
suppliers, users and other parties in the country, as a result of its development
and implementation.
The reasons for this requirement are varied. One is to avoid the preparation of
standards for “ standardisation’s sake ” without a consideration of what the poten-
tial impact the preparation of all these “ nice to have ” standards may have on the
NSB’s resources or on society, if they are ever implemented. Another is to avoid an
overly restrictive or “ gold plated ” solution to a problem. While it may be a superb
engineering-solution, implementation of the standard could be hugely expensive
and well beyond the benefit delivered.

NSBs should follow a formal work programme for developing standards (see 7.1.4).
This is good practice, but it should not imply that new proposals are shelved until
the next year. The work programme should be flexible enough that important new
proposals can be slotted in at any time. Once the proposal has been accepted by
the NSB, it should be listed in the work programme that is publicly available with
an invitation to contact the NSB should an interested party wish to participate in
the work.
▸▸ Allocation to a TC
Once the decision has been made that the proposed standard will be developed,
the project has to be allocated to a TC. If a TC already exists in the field of the
proposed standard, the project is allocated, and the TC has to include it in its
work programme. If the standardization field is broad, the project may even be
allocated to a SC by the TC. If a TC or SC does not exist in the field of the proposed
standard, then a new TC or SC has to be established. This requires the NSB to map
the stakeholders of this specific field and invite interested parties to form the new
TC or SC. A generic checklist of stakeholder groups is a useful aide memoire to
ensure that none are inadvertently overlooked. See Section 4 on the establishment
and management of TCs.
Step #2 : Working document
A first working draft is developed and considered by the TC or SC and further

working drafts follow. Preliminary testing is conducted if necessary. There are no
fixed rules for developing the first working document to be considered by the TC
or SC. A number of possibilities present themselves :
▸▸ If an international or regional standard exists, then this could be presented
to the TC to evaluate it and discuss options for adoption. If language is a chal-
lenge, then the standard might have to be translated beforehand ;
▸▸ If the standard has to be developed from basic principles because no inter-
national or regional standard exists, and no national standards from other
countries or trading partners come to mind, it may be desirable to hold a TC
or SC meeting to decide on the content and the requirements in principle
before embarking on developing the first working draft. Consultations with

manufacturers and suppliers to discuss the standard, may also be helpful,
even visits to the manufacturers should be considered ; and
▸▸ If the first working draft has to be developed – i.e. no standard exists that can
be adopted, it could be supplied by the proposer then it can be developed by
a small WG, or an expert in the NSB could do so.
Once a working document is available, this is to be considered by the TC. It will

be enhanced and revised as appropriate, but finally agreed to by consensus. This
could take a few TC meetings depending on the complexity of the work. The text
should be clear and unambiguous, and there should not be any contradictions
within the text or with national legislation. The text should take the state-of-the-art
of science and technology into account, as well as the economics of the product
or service.
Step #3 : Draft standard
Once the TC has concluded its deliberations, the NSB should ensure that the final
decisions concerning the contents are carefully documented to limit later argu-
ments to a minimum. Nowadays, it is useful to utilize all the electronic tools that
are available. In some NSBs the changes to the working documents are captured
electronically already during the meeting, with the result that the participants go
home with a final copy of the document. Documentation control of the various
stages of TC work as provided for in a quality system conforming to at least ISO 9001
is very important (see also 7.3.4).
The NSB needs to prepare the draft standard for public comment. It should include
all the TC decisions, and it is useful practice to conduct a preliminary editing of
the text to ensure that the draft meets the NSBs defined editing rules for a national
standard. This ensures that the draft standard presented for public comment is
as close to a finished standard as possible. A draft standard badly presented will
invite all sorts of editorial comments and lead to a negative image of the NSB and
the TC, whereas a high-quality draft standard will focus public comments on
technical issues.

Step #4 : Public comment
The draft standard should then be circulated for public comment to interested
parties. A notification of the draft standard should be published ; it should at least
include the title and full scope of the draft standard and a brief description of the
reason for its development. It is not necessary to publish the complete draft. In
fact, it may be problematic as regards copyright protection, especially if the draft
standard is an adoption of an ISO or IEC international standard.
Information on the draft standard could be made public on the Website of the
NSB, technical journals and daily press as circumstances require. Furthermore,
it is important to sensitize major stakeholders individually, such as business and
industry associations, relevant ministries, regulatory authorities and consumer
organizations. In all cases, comments should be invited, the final date for receipt
of comments should be stated, and the contact details of where to send the com-
ments has to be clearly indicated. The period for public commenting of the draft
standard should be at least 60 days as provided for in the WTO TBT Agreement.
Instead of publishing the complete text online, as this may lead to unauthorized
downloads violating copyright, it is better to supply the text to interested parties
on request, alternatively to provide it on line with an appropriate IT solution that
allow a “ read only ” function to exclude downloads. In developing economies, it
may be necessary to provide a few hard copies in cases where interested parties
lack sufficient Internet access. A small covering fee could be charged to keep spuri-
ous requests to a minimum, depending on the custom and practice of the country.
Once comments are received, the Secretariat collates them for consideration by
the TC. A standard template is an effective tool to do so. The responses to all
comments should be recorded, specifically reasons for rejection. Commenting
parties should be invited to present and defend their comments should they be
of a substantive nature. Usually organizations or persons do follow the invitation
when they consider their comments seriously. Discussing the arguments together
with them supports consensus building and might prevent appeals.

Step #5 : Approval
Once the comments have been considered by the TC, the Secretariat finalises the
text accordingly. The draft standard is subjected to scrutiny by the editing division
of the NSB which should be independent of the Secretariat or any expert involved
in developing the text. Editing is discussed in detail in 7.3.1.
The final draft standard is presented for approval. In many NSBs approval is the
responsibility of the Board or Council. This may create a problem with the “ time
to market ” because the Council or Board may meet only three or four times a year
and if a TC misses the date for submission to their next meeting, approval can take
many months. Hence, many Boards or Councils have established a Standards
Approvals Committee (SAC) that meets once a month or even more frequently.
The approval can even be considered by correspondence to further speed up the
process. The SAC is accountable to the Board or Council and will present a report
on their work at every Council or Board meeting. In larger NSBs the approval of
draft standards have been delegated to the Executive of the NSB.
Approval of the draft standard is not meant to be a re-visit of the technical details.
This is the responsibility of the TC. For approval, the draft standard must have been
demonstrably developed in accordance with all the steps of the formally stated
process. If there are any appeals from interested parties that are unhappy about
the outcome of the standards-development process or decisions of the TC, then
the TC needs to deal with these according to a formal appeals process. Appeals
against the approval of the draft standard as a national standard should remain
with the Board or Council.
Step #6 : Publication
Once the standard has been approved, it is important to publish it without delay.
It is not helpful having the NSB and the TC members investing considerable
resources, if it then takes months to publish the standard. Annex 3 of the WTO
TBT Agreement is also quite clear on this issue. Publication is discussed in detail
in section 7.3.

7.2.2 Key performance indicators (KPIs)
In order to determine the effectiveness and the efficiency of the standards-devel-
opment process, it is important to identify specific indicators that would measure
whether the process is better or worse than envisaged, i.e. the key performance
indicators (KPIs). Such indicators usually measure the input, the output and they
have a time element to them. Typical KPIs used by NSBs are :
▸▸ fulfilling the SWP indicates achievement of the overall objective ;
▸▸ time to market indicates the periodic achievement of set strategic goals ;
▸▸ cost per page defines progress towards becoming more efficient ; and
▸▸ average time between systematic reviews helps determine compliance
with maintenance criteria of the complete body of standards.
These criteria for KPIs should be used as a management tool to render the whole
standards development and maintenance process more efficient, identify weak-
nesses in the process to be addressed, and provide feedback to the Board or
Council and the relevant Ministries as to the meaningful allocation of country
or other funds.
The number of standards is frequently used as a KPI as it is very easy to measure.
However, it is not a very useful one : standards are not of similar length, it fosters
the development of vast numbers of standards that are not really needed, and
it does not reflect the efficiency with which the NSB operates. The number of
standards should therefore be avoided as a KPI.
Fulfilling the SWP
The SWP should be published at least every six months (see 7.1.3 for details).
Its development is based on the NSS, and the emerging needs of stakeholders.
It lists the body of standards that will be developed by the NSB within the six
months, guides the allocation of resources and forms the basis of the planning
and project management of the standards development, editing and publication
divisions of the NSB. Hence, monitoring whether or not these divisions collectively
and individually meet the target is a very useful KPI. The progress should not be

checked only at the end of the period but continuously, to determine problems
early enough that something can still be done about them.
Time to market
A standard will only be relevant in the marketplace if it is developed and pub-

lished as speedily as possible. It is no use if the standard is completed only to
find out that technology has moved on and the standard is no longer necessary.
In the absence of an appropriate national standard, the market will find its own
solutions which are not always for the benefit of all interested parties. But, reach-
ing consensus takes time, and no step should be short-circuited in the defined
standards development process.
“ Time to market ” is therefore a very meaningful KPI. The total time from the
receipt of the proposal to the approval and publication of the standard is a strategic
imperative set by the Board or Council. From this, the time allowed for individual
steps in the standards development process can be derived. Some of them, like
the public enquiry, are set through international requirements. Such a specified
“ Time-to-market ” indicator should be seen as the maximum time the standards
development process steps should take. It remains important for the NSB to bring
the standard to the market in the shortest time possible.
It is quite obvious that there will be a difference in the “ Time to market ” between
an adoption of an international or regional standard, and the development of an
indigenous standard from beginning to end. Typical times for the individual steps
in standards development are shown in Figure 7.2.
Once a monitoring system is established, the first set of results will provide an
indication of the state of the NSB’s standards development activities. Then remedial
actions can be considered until the set time limits are met. Thereafter process
activities should be managed in such a way that the time limits are maintained,
and no slippages occur. The monitoring system should highlight individual prob-
lem cases as early as possible for remedial actions to be most effective. IT based
systems are much more efficient than manual paper-based systems.

It is not only important to track the times for the individual standards that are
under development in order to manage the individual projects more effectively,
but it is also a very useful metric to determine the averages over all the standards
developed within a given time period. This could even be a rolling metric meas-
ured every six to twelve months to indicate to management whether there are
bottlenecks in the process that need attention, e.g. editing may take too long on
average indicating a lack of resources in that area, or the approvals process takes
too long indicating the need for rethinking the process, etc.
Adopted Indigenous
standard standard
Proposal 2 months 2 months
Working document 2,5 months 20 months
Draft Standard 1,5 months 3 months
Public enquiry 2 months 2 months
Approval 3 months 3 months
Total 11 months 30 months
Source : Author’s elaboration.
Figure 7.2 : Typical maximum development times for standards development steps
Figure 7.2 provides some typical maximum targets for the individual steps in the
standards development process. Each NSB should, however, consider these and

determine their own targets. These are only general guidelines, and not any bind-
ing international or regional rule. If these times can be shortened even more with-
out compromising the steps necessary to ensure robust standards-development
practices, then the time-to-market can even be less than those in Figure 7.2. This
may even become imperative when national standards have to be developed as
a matter of national priority, especially in the case of standards referenced in a
new technical regulation that needs to be promulgated rapidly due to pressing
safety and health concerns, for example.
Cost per page
Production efficiency is normally measured as the output that has been achieved
in relation to the input of resources. Any production unit endeavours to maxim-
ise production efficiency, i.e. get the most out of the resources applied. And the
resources are frequently measured in terms of their monetary value as a common
denominator. The same applies to the NSB, i.e. how efficient is the NSB utilising
its budget for standards development ?
This should be a critical question for any NSB, even when the budget is provided in
full by the country. The NSB should always be able to give account of the usage of
national funds. Taking a cue from the KPI used by industry for efficiency, namely
cost of production per item produced, for standards development “ cost per page ”
of the standards developed and published could be a useful metric. Using the
number of standards is not appropriate since the length of standards varies tre-
mendously. The data should be developed in cooperation with the financial section
of the NSB in order to give it legitimacy.
All the costs incurred by the standards development, editing and publication
sections should be captured. This includes personnel costs, accommodation,
telephone, electricity and others needed to keep the sections fully operational.
Also included should be the costs of the management of the standards divisions.
Photocopying is frequently a large cost item that should not be neglected. The
costs of hosting TCs are very much part and parcel of the total cost.

The total number of actual pages of standards completed during the period are
fairly easy to determine. Cover pages, empty pages, back pages, etc. should not
really be part of this count. The cost per page can then be calculated and managed
year on year. A common experience is that the cost per page is fairly high when
first measured, and as more efficient processes are introduced it will come down
until such time that there are few inefficiencies left, and then it will climb slowly
as input costs increase over time due to inflation.
This could also be a very useful KPI to utilize in discussions with parties on allocat-
ing funding for standardization work, especially if it can be shown that the NSB
is becoming more efficient or when the needs for national standards are on the
increase. It should be noted that the cost per page metric is not the basis for the
determination of the selling price of national standards. The price of standards
should be a decision that is based on strategic issues such as the need to provide
standards to SMEs at a fair price, facilitating their use in industry and regulation,
etc. – see 7.4.1.
Average time between systematic reviews
It is good practice to review standards at least every five years 27) to ensure they
are kept up-to-date. After such a review, the standard should be confirmed if no
amendments or revisions are contemplated. Otherwise the standard should be
amended or revised in accordance with later developments, or it should be with-
drawn if no longer relevant. A useful KPI would be the percentage of standards
older than five years which have been reviewed. The target should be 100 %,
and anything less than 80 % should be a matter of concern requiring manage-
ment attention.
A calculation of the average time between systematic reviews of the whole body
of the standards published is an additional metric that will give a quick indication
as to whether the five-year review cycle has been implemented. If the average time
is below five years, then it is a good sign, but it should not exceed five years. An
average of five to eight years indicates that something is amiss, and the review
27) A standard can be reviewed much sooner if the need arises for a specific reason.

programme should be strengthened. An average time of more than eight years
indicates that a major problem exists, and it its quite conceivable that the review
programme is dysfunctional. Clearly, once a standard has been reviewed and
confirmed without any amendments or revision, the “ clock ” should be started
afresh, otherwise this metric will not make sense, i.e. some standards remain
stable over many years.
It is not only the percentage reviewed or average time between reviews that should
be determined. It is also extremely important to list those standards whose age
has exceeded five years, so that the NSB can attend to their reviews.
7.2.3 Participation in development of regional standards

If the RSB has established regional TCs, member NSBs should endeavour to par-
ticipate actively in order to gain the maximum advantage of being involved in the
development and implementation of such standards across the region, because
they will eventually have a marked influence on trade, technical regulations and
SPS measures. The mirror committee concept is also useful to determine country
positions in these situations (see 7.2.4).
Regional TCs should adopt International Standards as regional standards with
the minimum of changes, even though the perception of the region being different
to the rest of world may surface from time to time. If the members of the region
are also WTO members, then the RSB has no choice but to comply with the WTO
TBT Agreement as regards standards development, and any of its TCs likewise.
RSBs can play a very important part in facilitating the meaningful participation of
their member NSBs in International Standards development, through :
▸▸ supporting active participation of NSBs in international TCs; and
▸▸ developing a regional position on International Standards being developed
that NSBs could advance at international TCs.

7.2.4 Participation in development of International Standards
Participation in International Standards development holds many advantages for
the NSB and its stakeholders. Developing countries, like developed countries, each
have a vote when approving International Standards. More importantly however,
developing countries should participate actively in international TCs. Sometimes
it is crucial that the voice of the developing country is heard clearly in order to
ensure that the international standard is useful not only in a developed country
context. Obviously the same holds true also at the regional level.
The ISO process
The stages utilized by ISO in developing International Standards follow the same
steps as discussed for national standards (see 7.2.1), albeit with slightly different
nomenclature – see Figure 7.2. The ISO system is a decentralized system with
ISO members being responsible for the development of the draft International
Standard. The ISO Central Secretariat then circulates the draft for comment, and
once the final draft has been agreed to by the TC, it is circulated for voting by ISO
members. The latter takes the place of the approval process at national level, e.g.
by a Standards Approvals Committee. Full details of the individual stages can also
be obtained in ISO documentation, specifically in the ISO/IEC Directives.

Table 7.1 : ISO deliverables and approval criteria
Type Intended Consensus level Approval criteria

of document use
International Normative Highest level 2/3rds majority of votes
Standard (IS) Experts (WG) cast by ISO Members
TC/SC No more than 25 % of
ISO Member Bodies total votes against
technical Normative Lower than IS 2/3rds majority of voting

specification Experts (WG) TC/SC P-members
(TS) TC/SC
publicly Normative Lower than TS Simple majority of voting
available TC/SC P-members
specification
(PAS)
technical Informative Lower than PAS Simple majority by
report (TR) No systematic review P-members voting in the
TC/SC
International Informative Outside of the ISO Approved by TMB
Workshop committee system
Agreement Proposed by outsider
(IWA) (usually an ISO Member
Body)
The ISO process provides for different types of normative or informative docu-
ments to be published depending on the level of consensus that has been reached,
pressure to reach the market more rapidly and the intended users. Table 7.1
and Figure 7.3 provide an overview of the ISO deliverables, their consensus level
and approval criteria. The time to market is linked to the consensus level, the
higher the consensus level the longer it takes.

TC/SC Route
1 NP
(new work item proposal) Deliverables
First CD (committee draft)

or ISO/PAS
2 Building expert consensus (publicly available

apecification)
DIS or ISO/TS
(technical specification)
3 Consensus building ISO/TR (technical report)

Fast track
within TC/SC for non-normative

documents
4 Enquiry on DIS
(draft International Standard)
Final text for processing
as FDIS
(final draft International
Standard)
5 Formal vote on FDIS

(proof check by Secretariat)
Final text of International
Standard
6 Publication of International
Standard ISO International Standard
International Workshop
Workshop Route
Agreement
Source : ISO.
Figure 7.3 : The ISO standards-development process

Some NSBs also publish normative documents other than national standards, with
consensus levels lower than national standards, due to time-to-market pressures.
The ISO system could be used as a point of departure to determine the criteria for
such lower-level normative documents at the national level.
Delegation to the international TC
The dynamics of international TCs is usually such that participants need to be

present in order to represent their country’s position on a standard. Comments
may be submitted in writing but commenting has more impact when presented
in person. Yet most NSBs have limited resources for participating in international
TCs – it is therefore important that a proper strategy is developed and followed
that will optimize participation in those international TCs that are very important
to the country. It is not beneficial to be a P- or O-member of a large number of TCs,
SCs or WGs and never attend meetings. The NSB may look good on paper, but it is
meaningless as regards promoting the interests of the country. As regards financ-
ing attendance, it may be useful to establish a fund managed by the NSB, that the
government and the private sector contribute to, and which can then be utilized
to fund the country’s participation in relevant TCs.
The delegation should have an appointed head, as identified by the relevant mirror
committee. The head of delegation could be an NSB or a stakeholder representative
and manages the delegation’s participation in the proceedings. The important
point is that the delegation members should be able to present a cohesive view.
It should be quite obvious that the delegation does not necessarily represent
the government of its country. It is good practice to establish a mirror committee
(see 6.4.6 for details) that can provide the delegation with a consolidated country
view which can be promoted at the international TC meetings. The delegation
should report back to the mirror committee after the meetings, and should receive
future input from the mirror committee. Once the International Standard is pub-
lished, it is then easier to adopt it as a national standard because of the country’s
active participation.

Establishing a national position
The national position regarding an International Standard under development

should be ascertained in the mirror committee based on the country’s priorities
and industry realities. This should not start when a draft or final draft is available,
but at the very beginning when a new work item is proposed, and all ISO members
are invited to comment. In the process of defining a nationalposition :
▸▸ Important issues need to be identified. These may relate to the industrial-base
capabilities and the requirements of the regulatory authorities. The issues
may be technical in nature or policy related – there are many aspects that
need to be considered.
▸▸ Priorities need to be identified and a consensus should be developed. If it is
not possible to establish a consensus, then there is essentially no country-
position possible, and the country will have to accept what others decide on
in the international TC. During voting on the approval of an International
Standard, formal abstention is possible.
▸▸ Delegation to the international TC must be made fully conversant with the
national position, because this is what the delegation will have to present
and promote.
▸▸ If it is not possible to attend the international TC in person, then comments
can be provided which will be presented during the meeting, but this does
not provide the country with a platform to persuade others in discussion on
the merits of the country’s position.
Once the draft International Standard has been circulated for voting, the national
position should include any comments that the NSB wishes to make, as well as the
country’s position on voting for or against the International Standard or abstaining
from voting. Comments accompanying the voting papers need to be provided in
writing in voting on a CD, DIS or FDIS.

7.2.5 Adopting international or regional standards as national
standards
International Standards have reached a dominant position in international trade. It
may therefore be self-evident that any country wishing to integrate with the global
trade system has little choice but to adopt International Standards as national
standards in order to support its industry in the export markets or to ensure the
smooth implementation of technical regulations based on such standards. It is
however useful to also consider the other benefits that accrue by doing so, namely :
▸▸ enabling knowledge and technology transfer (that can be used to improve
products, services and processes) ;
▸▸ obtaining results of work of experts worldwide (including those from indus-
try and governments) covering needs of stakeholders in a broad variety of
countries ;
▸▸ increaseing opportunities to access the global market and to participate in
transnational supply chains ; and
▸▸ meeting the obligations under the WTO TBT Agreement and avoid unneces-
sary barriers to trade.
When to adopt
Adopting International Standards is a useful mechanism especially for develop-
ing countries to connect with international markets. If the country or the NSB
(depending on the international standardizing body’s practices – see 2.4.2) has
participated in the development of the International Standard, and the country’s
position has been taken into consideration, then adoption should even be a given.
Clearly, adoption of International Standards can also take place long after the
International Standard has been published, and even if the country or the NSB
has not participated in its development, but when it discovers a need for a spe-
cific existing standard. Once an International Standard is adopted, any existing
national standards of the same scope need to be withdrawn.
As regards regional standards, the country may be obliged under Regional Trade
Protocols or the like to adopt the Regional Standard as is. The country or its NSB

would have participated in its development ; hence adoption should not be a major
issue. Once the regional standard has been adopted, any national standard of the
same scope has to be withdrawn.
ISO/IEC Guide 21
The mechanism for adoption of International Standards is provided for in ISO/IEC

Guide 21. This Guide could also be the basis for the adoption of regional stand-
ards. The Guide details the way in which adoptions should be numbered at the
national level, the way in which technical deviations are indicated and the degree
of correspondence between the international and the national standard. It is very
good practice to follow this Guide, as a national standard identified in this man-
ner immediately indicates to users its equivalence to the International Standard.
There are quite a few permutations available for the adoption of International
Standards as national standards – see Table 7.2. The adoption can be :
▸▸ identical which includes a direct translation but no editorial, struc-
tural or technical changes, if endorsement is the chosen option and not
republication ;
▸▸ modified which may include editorial changes provided that the editorial
changes are clearly indicated in the text of the standard ; and no substantive
structural or technical deviations with minor ones clearly identified ; or
▸▸ not equivalent which includes editorial changes and technical deviations
even though the international standard may have served as the basis for the
national standard.

Table 7.2 : ISO/IEC Guide 21
Degree of Adoption / Editorial Structure Deviations as

correspondence publication changes as specified
method specified
Identical Endorsement No No No
Re-publication Yes a No No
(reprint, identical
translation)
Modified Re-publication Yes Yes b Yes c
Not equivalent Re-publication Yes Yes Yes
a. Editorial changes are limited to safeguard the identical status of the adoption –
see ISO/IEC Guide 21 for details.
b. Provided there can be easy comparison of the content of the two standards, or, if more than one
ISO standard is adopted, there is a list identifying the changes.
c. Provided that the technical deviations are identified and explained.
The NSB staff should know and clearly understand the details of ISO/IEC Guide 21
in order to advise national TC members in this regard. If the NSB does not adhere
to the limitations recommended by the ISO/IEC Guide 21, the national standard
cannot be considered to be an adoption of the international or regional standard.
The process for adopting an international or regional standard
The process to adopt an international or regional standard as a national standard

follows the same logic as the development of an indigenous standard, i.e. one that
is developed from scratch – see Figure 7.4. The main difference is that the develop-
ment of working drafts that are continuously worked on and revised to render them
more relevant to the situation and to achieve consensus, falls away. These steps
are replaced by the committee considering the international or regional standard
as is for adoption, only making small changes that are absolutely necessary in the
process. Even the public comment period should be maintained.

Stage 0
NSB Work Programme
Preliminary Work Item
Stage 1
Evaluation by relevant TC/SC
New Work Item Proposal
Stage 2 Building consensus within

Committee Draft TC/SC for adoption as is or
Technical review with modifications
and editing
Stage 3 Comments by public
Public Enquiry Draft (non-TC members)
Final editing
Stage 4 Approval by NSB Council or
Final Draft Standard Standards Approval Committee
Stage 5
Publication of National Standard
National Standard
Source : ISO
Figure 7.4 : Process for adopting international or regional standards
7.2.6 Project management of national standards development

The purpose of project management is to ensure the success of the individual project,
i.e. developing and publishing the standard, and meeting the project objectives, i.e.
within a given time frame and within budget. Therefore, the development of a national
standard, and the standards development programme and portfolio, fit clearly within
the realm of project management as defined in the ISO 21500 series of International
Standards on project management. Hence, project-management principles can be very
effectively applied to all the steps of standards development. The purpose of managing
the standards development process includes the successful completion of the project,
i.e. the publication of the standard, as well as doing so within the applicable time limit
and within budget.

In the context of project management, the following terms should be considered :
▸▸ Portfolio represents all of the standards in the six-monthly work plan.
▸▸ Programme represents the activities related to a specific sector, e.g. agricul-
ture, services, etc. and contains more than one project.
▸▸ Project represents a single standard.
The Director of Standards would be the portfolio manager, the various heads of
divisions the programme managers and the technical officers handling the various
standards development projects would be the project managers.
In ISO 21500, project-management processes are grouped into five process groups,
namely initiating, planning, implementing, controlling and closing. These five pro-
cess groups can be applied to each of the standards-development process steps,
thereby facilitating effective project management of the whole process in the most
efficient manner. In between, the steps will always be a decision-making point,
before moving to the next standards-development step and implementation of
further project management logic. A formal project plan that details the what,
how, who and when of each of the five process steps supports all involved in the
standards development process to fulfil their responsibilities.
The initiating process determines the nature and scope of the standards-devel-
opment project. If this stage is not performed well, it is unlikely that the project
will be successful. A clear understanding of the NSBs resources and capabilities
are needed here and any gaps should be identified early and addressed before
the project goes any further.
After the initiation stage, the project is planned to an appropriate level of detail.
The main purpose is to plan time, cost and resources adequately to estimate the
work needed and to effectively manage risk during project execution. A failure to
adequately plan greatly reduces the project’s chances of successfully accomplish-
ing its goal, i.e. the development of the standard.
The implementation phase ensures that the deliverables of the project-manage-
ment plan are executed accordingly. This phase involves proper allocation, co-
ordination and management of human resources and any other resources such
as material and budgets. The output of this phase are the project deliverables.

Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution
so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective
action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project. The
key benefit is that project performance is observed and measured regularly to
identify variances from the project management plan.
Closing includes the formal approval of the standard and the ending of the project.
Administrative activities include the archiving of the files and documenting lessons
learned for use in future project planning.
ISO has developed a Project Management Methodology 28) based on ISO 21500:2012,
Guidance on project management for TCs operating within the ISO system. It con-
tains the concepts and processes of project management that are important for,
and have an impact on, the effective and efficient management of International
Standards development projects. Its sections, together with examples, detail : (i)
preparation of the proposal ; (ii) planning of the project including developing a
draft project plan and the detailed project plan ; (iii) development of the project ;
(iv) controlling the project ; (v) lessons learnt, and ; (vi) portfolio management. Its
contents, appropriately customized for the development of national standards,
would be a useful guideline for an NSB to implement project management to
streamline its standards development process.
7.3 Publication
Publication is the final stage in the development process of a standard. It comprises
a number of individual steps, such as (i) final quality control of the standard, (ii)
publication of the standard, and (iii) documentation control.
7.3.1 Final quality control

Editing is a final check on the quality and integrity of the draft standard. Hence,
editing should not be conducted by the Secretariat, but by an independent editing-
section. Editing considers the format, checks all references, deals with ambiguities
28) Project Management Methodology in the ISO environment can be obtained from the ISO/CS.

in the language, and ensures that the draft standard complies with the NSB’s stated
editing rules for national standards. Editing is not allowed to change the technical
content of the draft standard and editorial changes have to be discussed at least
with the Secretariat and sometimes even with the Chair of the TC. Good practice
indicates that a comprehensive editing manual which is part of the NSB’s formal
procedures should guide this activity.
It is good practice to also conduct a preliminary editing of the draft standard before
it is circulated for public comment (see 7.2.3) otherwise there is the risk that many
of the comments will deal with editing issues rather than technical content. Edit-
ing should take place before the draft standard is presented for approval. A final
check before the approved standard is made publicly available is another useful
safeguard to ensure the integrity of the published standard and to integrate any
comments the approvals committee might have made.
7.3.2 Publication of the standard

Once the draft standard has been approved as a national standard, it must be
published without delay. Firstly, public notice should be given that the stand-
ard has been approved. This depends to some extent on the legislation the NSB
operates under in the case of a government department or a statutory body. In
some countries this notice has to be placed in the Government Gazette to give the
national standard legal standing ; otherwise it cannot be referenced in regulations.
The new standard should immediately be listed in the standards catalogue of the
NSB. Nowadays this catalogue is usually electronically based and available on the
Internet – see also 7.4.3. The standard should be made available for purchase as
hard copy or electronically on the Internet. Failure to provide for the purchase of
an electronic version (usually as a PDF file) will seriously compromise standards
sales of the NSB. Purchasers will just go elsewhere on the Internet to other NSBs if
they cannot get it from their country’s NSB, or worse get obsolete or illegal copies
from others.
It is counterproductive to print vast numbers of the standard and more efficient
to establish a print-on-demand system. Once a customer orders a standard, this

system should produce a hard copy printed and bound within a few minutes. A
dedicated desk computer, a printer that can print both sides, and a machine to
bind copies are required. Once volumes increase, more sophisticated commercial
type solutions can be considered.
7.3.3 Documentation control

Documents are very important in the standards business in terms of supporting
transparency and traceability. It is important that everybody knows exactly which
version we are working from, and the integrity of the approved standard has to be
secured for legal and other reasons. Quality-management systems such as those
that conform to at least ISO 9001 therefore place an emphasis on proper document
control and document management.
ISO 9001 requirements
ISO 9001 requires that a documented procedure shall be established to define the
controls needed to :
▸▸ approve documents for adequacy prior to issue ;
▸▸ review and update as necessary and re-approve documents ;
▸▸ ensure that changes and the current revision status of documents are
identified ;
▸▸ ensure that relevant versions of applicable documents are available at points
of use ;
▸▸ ensure that documents remain legible and readily identifiable ;
▸▸ ensure that documents of external origin determined by the organization
to be necessary for the planning and operation of the quality management
system are identified and their distribution controlled ; and
▸▸ prevent the unintended use of obsolete documents, and to apply suitable
identification to them if they are retained for any purpose.
In addition, the organization shall establish a documented procedure to define the

controls needed for the identification, storage, protection, retrieval, retention and
disposition of records. Records shall remain legible, readily identifiable and retrievable.

Applying documentation control to the standards development and
publication process
An important element of such documentation control is to establish a proper

document register, with a clear control over who has only access to view, and who
has access to change or update a document. The revision status of the document
needs to be clearly identified including its date of approval. Documents that have
been withdrawn need to be archived. The same holds true for all stages of the
standards development and publication process.
Committee documentation, draft standards for public comment and the final
draft standard could be the responsibility of the TC Secretariat. It is important,
though, that the system should be a common system for all. The integrity of the
system will be compromised if each Secretariat establishes its own independent,
small system. The system integrity needs to be such that if staff move, the system
remains intact – see Figure 7.5.
Committee
Committee Approved Approved
Committee
documents standard standard
documents
documents
Repository Standards
Draft standard information
for comment centre
Final draft
standard
Withdrawn
Technical standard
Committee
secretariat Archive
Source : Author’s elaboration
Figure 7.5: Documentation control system
Approved standards and the archive of withdrawn or superseded standards would

be the responsibility of a specific repository. The standards information centre
should always provide the most recent version of the approved standard to any

interested party, either electronically or in hard copy. The system architecture
should facilitate searching for specific drafts or standards, and it should support
determining key performance criteria such as “ time for each standards develop-
ment stage ”.
Applying documentation control to Committee documents
Committee documents should always be identified in such a way that the revision
status can easily be seen. This is to ensure that the TC members all use the same
document during discussions. The final draft standard will be edited, so the pre-
editing and post-editing versions should also be clearly identified.
Committee members should be given access to committee documents. This needs
to be controlled through password or other relevant means. Committee members
should not be able to change these documents, this is the sole responsibility of
identified NSB staff.
Applying documentation control to Approved standards
Once a standard has been approved, the approved text should be identified and
secured in such a way that it can only be changed by a person authorised to do
so, e.g. the person responsible for managing the IT system. This system should be
able to stand up in a court of law if the standard is subjected to legal proceedings.
In some countries, a signed hard copy will be necessary. The requirements of the
country should therefore be followed carefully in the case of current, approved
standards. This definitive copy of the approved standard should be kept in a safe
depository away from every-day usage of the standard.
Once a standard has been withdrawn or replaced by a revised standard, it should
be placed in an archive for reference purposes. This is a very important element
of the document control system for standards, as it happens quite frequently that
earlier versions of the standards need to be consulted for technical requirements
of a product that was manufactured years ago, e.g. for maintenance or repair
purposes, or in a court of law in legal proceedings.

Generally speaking, the standards information-centre should not double for the
repository of the definitive text, even though great care has to be taken that their
data is kept up to date with the most recently approved standards. Due to copyright
requirements of standards, access to standards by interested parties needs to be
controlled. Normally read-only access is available in the NSB, outside the standard
has to be paid for before the text is downloaded. Modern IT systems that provide
read only access externally are being implemented in some NSBs and may be a
way for the future.
7.4 Dissemination
Once a standard has been developed and published, the NSB should do its utmost
to disseminate the standard for use by government, business and industry, and
even by society in general. This means that the NSB has to establish appropriate
marketing schemes, ensure that an effective standards information-centre is in
operation, and that standards can easily be obtained, i.e. purchased, by custom-
ers. If the NSB is the designated National TBT Enquiry Point, additional systems
need to be in place to fulfil the requirements of the WTO TBT Agreement should
the country be a WTO member.
7.4.1 Standards information

Standards are information, and the NSB should establish a well-equipped stand-
ards information-service to disseminate this knowledge into industry, authorities
and society in the most effective way. National standards should occupy the centre
stage, but information on regional and International Standards are equally impor-
tant, as are standards of the major trading partners. The standards information-
service entity of the NSB should become the automatic first port of call for anybody
wishing to obtain standards information in the country and even beyond.

First contact of the customer with the NSB
The standards information-service is frequently the first contact a customer has

with the NSB. Therefore, it should be easily accessible, i.e. in close proximity to
the entrance to the NSB, and with a functional design. The standards information-
service should be open to the public as long as possible, e.g. it should not be closed
during lunch time.
The staff should be trained to deal with customers in a very friendly and profes-
sional manner. The staff should know the national standards well, and they should
be able to find their way around international or regional standards fairly easily.
A professional service will go a long way to convince customers that the NSB is an
organization they can rely on and with which they can do business.
It is not only the walk-in customers that are important. Requests arriving by tel-
ephone, e-mail, SMS and other electronic media need to be attended to promptly
and professionally as well. Although various KPIs are available to manage and
measure prompt attention, easy ones that could be implemented include a tel-
ephone that should be answered within three or four rings, or e-mails that are
responded to within the hour.
From hard copy to IT based standards
The past few decades have seen a revolution as regards standards information-
centres. In the past, the centre was like a library, with thousands of standards in
hard copy arranged by country in racks. These days, the standards only available
in hard copy are very few. Most of them will be available electronically. Hence,
the more modern approach to a standards information-centre is to provide com-
puter screens for the customers on which they can search and read national,
international and other standards in the centre. This demands investment in the
appropriate hardware, software, network connections and process – see also 6.3.2.

7.4.2 Catalogue
The NSB should maintain a catalogue of all its current national standards. This
catalogue should be accessible in the public domain and an IT-base catalogue (also
known as a standards database in some NSBs) is most efficient, since it facilitates
electronic searches by the standards information service and customers. The
catalogue should be readily accessible on the NSB Website.
For every approved standard the catalogue should list the number, date of publica-
tion, the International Classification for Standards (ICS) number 29), full title and
a short synopsis of the contents of the standard. The catalogue entry should also
identify any International Standards which the NSB has adopted as a national
standard. All of this information should enable customers to unequivocally identify
the standards they are looking for before purchasing them. The NSB should ensure
that the catalogue is meticulously kept up-to-date. Newly approved standards
need to be listed in the catalogue immediately, together with a note on whether
they are new developments or revisions of older standards. Withdrawn standards
should be removed from the catalogue.
7.4.3 Marketing
Marketing is defined in many ways, but a useful one to consider is to see it as
“ the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying
customer requirements profitably ”. This is an area where many NSBs still operate
in a “ wait and see ”, reactive mode, thinking that customers who require informa-
tion on standardization will eventually come to see the NSB. In the fast-moving
29) The ICS (International Classification for Standards) is intended to serve as a structure for cata-
logues of international, regional and national standards and other normative documents, and to be
used for classifying standards and normative documents in, for example, databases and libraries.
The ICS is a hierarchical classification which consists of three levels. Level 1 covers 40 fields of
activity in standardization, e.g. road vehicle engineering, agriculture, and metallurgy. The fields
are subdivided into groups (level 2) and some of these groups are further divided into sub-groups
(level 3). The ICS notation consist of three groups of number separated by a point, e.g. 40.040.20
Lighting, signalling and warning devices. Further information can be found in the ISO publication
International Classification for Standards, available as a free download from:
http://www.iso.org/iso/international_classification_for_standards.pdf.

modern trade environment this no longer holds true, and NSBs, like any other
business will have to market their services proactively, in competition with many
others, especially the private sector operators providing conformity-assessment
services based on their own standards. It is also not a given that the public sector
will automatically think about the NSB and national standards when they are
developing technical regulations or SPS measures, or have to define national
purchases. The NSB has to market the advantages of using national standards
also to the public sector.
The process of marketing is that of bringing a product, in this case the national
standard, to market, which includes these steps :
1. broad market research ;
2. market targeting and market segmentation ;
3. determining distribution, pricing and promotion strategies ;
4. developing a communications strategy ;
5. budgeting ; and
6. visioning long-term market development goals.
The traditional marketing mix refers to four broad levels of marketing decision,
namely :
▸▸ The product aspects of marketing deal with the specifications of the actual
goods or services, and how it relates to the end-user’s needs and wishes. In
standards, the product element not only consists of the design and quality of
the standards (i.e. without errors), but could also mean the format, packaging
(selling in sets), licensing models and branding. Branding, a key aspect of
marketing, refers to the various methods of communicating and maintaining
a brand identity for the NSB, the national standards and the related deriva-
tive products.
▸▸ The price refers to the process of setting a price for standards or related ser-
vices (e.g. training or consultancy) and it is the amount that a customer pays
for it. The NSB should set a price for national standards that is appropriate
for the market realities in the country. National standards that are adoptions
of ISO or IEC standards may not be given away without charge, as this would

negate their copyright 30) and undermine the value they bring. The price has
little to do with the cost of developing standards, as this would render them
very costly and basically unaffordable (see also 7.2.2). Most NSBs price their
standards in accordance with the number of pages of the standard. The price
of the standard should be devised and proposed by the marketing and/or
sales department to the Board or Council for consideration and/or approval.
The prices have to be reviewed and if needed revised periodically (annually)
to accommodate market conditions.
▸▸ The place refers to how the standard and related services get to the customer.
In the case of standards this would be more related to the mode of distribu-
tion : a hard copy purchased from the NSB directly, a copy sent through email,
or downloaded from a webstore or through online viewing (see 7.4.4). Other
services, such as training and consultancy should be provided in appropriate
places accessible to the customers.
▸▸ Promotion includes all aspects of marketing communications such as adver-
tising, sales promotion, including promotional education, public relations,
personal selling, product placement, branded entertainment, event market-
ing, trade shows and exhibitions.
Marketing is expensive but absolutely essential. Hence, it should be carefully

planned and managed. It should have a proper budget with KPIs and should be
approved by the Board or Council. Top management should be accountable for its
proper functioning. Some NSBs have established marketing divisions, and these
need to report to an appropriate management level in the organization.
7.4.4 Sales of standards

As regards standards sales, the mode of operation has shifted from printing a
thousand or so hard copies to providing standards online. Hard copy standards are
still required though, especially for SMEs and others that do not yet have access to
the internet. Such hard copies should be provided by a print-on-demand system
30) In the case of ISO, members have to fulfil the requirements of the ISO POCOSA agreement.

which need not to be very elaborate – a server, printer and binding machine is
all that is required.
The most common way to obtain standards is to purchase them online from a
Webstore. It is therefore important for the NSB to establish its own Webstore. Cus-
tomers should be able to purchase standards by credit or debit card payment, or
other relevant electronic fund-transfer systems, not only from within the country,
but also outside the country. The standards that are provided as an electronic file
should be watermarked so that they cannot be tampered with to ensure the integ-
rity of the purchased standard as far as is possible. Such a purchase must clearly
imprint details of the customer, the member and the type of licence, on each page
of the standard. This serves the purpose of constantly reminding the customer on
the proper use of the publication and help the member track unauthorized use.
The NSB that fails to provide standards in such a Webstore might lose standards
sales to other NSBs, especially if the national standard is an adoption of an Inter-
national Standard as other NSBs may have adopted the same. Typical examples
would be standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and similar that would be pur-
chased more often than other, more product typical standards. Such a Webstore
presupposes an effective and efficient IT system and connectivity to the Internet
– see also 6.3.2.
The NSB should keep track of the standards purchased by number, title and
quantities and provide this information on a quarterly and annual basis to its
senior management and Board or Council. This information is extremely useful
in shaping future marketing endeavours (see 7.4.3) and it can be used as feedback
to enhance the SWP (see 7.1.3).
7.4.5 WTO TBT National Enquiry Point

The WTO TBT Agreement requires all member states to establish a National TBT
Enquiry Point. This enquiry point must answer all reasonable requests for infor-
mation from WTO member states regarding the country’s :
▸▸ current and draft technical regulations ;
▸▸ current and draft standards ;

▸▸ conformity assessment procedures or systems ;
▸▸ membership of regional or international standardization bodies ; and
▸▸ source of the text for any draft technical regulations or draft standards.
For more than 60 % of the WTO members the NSB is the National TBT Enquiry
Point 31). Most of the others are the ministry responsible for trade or industry. In
this respect the standards information-service has a very important part to play
as the information window of the country towards the global trading system in
respect of standards and technical regulation information.
The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (the “ TBT Committee ”) requested
that the WTO Secretariat prepare a guide on best practices for enquiry points.
In 2019, the TBT team in the WTO’s Trade and Environment Division has developed
the WTO TBT Enquiry Point Guide 32) that addresses the establishment of enquiry
points, tasks that relate to notifications, responses to requests for information or
comments, and the coordination of, and reactions to members’ notifications. Also,
this guide discusses other activities undertaken by enquiry points and outlines
some of the challenges that have emerged with experience.
Each year the WTO receives more than 3 500 TBT and SPS notifications proposing
new measures that may affect international trade. Evaluating these notifications
on the WTO Website is a laborious but essential process. The WTO, UN and ITC have
developed an electronic support system designed to help government agencies
and SMEs to keep track of the latest information on regulatory requirements for
international trade. This system, known as ePing 33), allows access to WTO members’
notifications of TBT and SPS measures. It also facilitates dialogue among the public
and private sector in addressing potential trade problems at an early stage. Users
of ePing will be able to easily keep up-to-date with notifications affecting foreign
markets and products of particular interest to them.
31) All the TBT Enquiry Points of WTO members and their contact details are listed on the WTO
website at : http://tbtims.wto.org/en/NationalEnquiryPoints/Search.
32) WTO TBT Enquiry Point Guide is available on the WTO website at :
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbt_enquiry_point_guide_e.pdf.
33) http://www.epingalert.org/en.

7.5 Customer services
The NSB should be a centre of excellence not only for the development, publication
and dissemination of standards, but also for the implementation of standards.
One of the objectives of standardization is the transfer of technology and good
business and organizational practices, and the NSB should be able to facilitate
such transfers related to specific standards and even standardization in a broader
sense. Two mechanisms for such transfers would be training and consultancy.
A customer hotline is a different type of service that could also be established.
7.5.1 Training
The NSB should provide training for its Secretariats and the Chairs of ISO/TCs –
see 6.2 – but it could provide training on a much wider basis. It has been shown that
once an NSB offers good training schemes, e.g. with regard to quality management
systems, then trainees are very likely to come back to the NSB once the decision
is made to have the company certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 if the NSB is also
an accredited certification body.
Some training possibilities include the following :
▸▸ implementation of management-system standards such as ISO 9001,
ISO 14001, ISO 45001 ;
▸▸ the effective utilization of standards as the basis for technical regulation and
SPS measures ; and
▸▸ implementation of selected standards with a wider impact, e.g. wiring
requirements for houses and factories, building material standards, vehicle
safety standards, and welding standards.
In some countries, training institutions may have to apply for and receive formal
recognition from the authorities, e.g. ministry responsible for education or similar,
before they may provide training schemes. In addition, in many countries, industry
can claim tax benefits if their employees are trained at such recognized training
institutions. Where such systems are in place, it is recommended that the NSB
participates fully in order to gain the maximum advantage for its training services.

7.5.2 Consultancy
Consultancy, i.e. providing information or training to a company on an individual
basis, can be a very useful and more focussed mechanism to transfer knowledge
regarding the implementation of specific standards, be they system management
type standards or product standards. Such services do however, come with an
important caveat : If the NSB is a provider of any type of conformity-assessment
services, this would constitute a major conflict of interest, and the NSB would
never be able to gain accreditation for its conformity-assessment services. If the
NSB does not provide testing and certification services, consultancy for the imple-
mentation of standards may be a useful addition to the services the NSB provides
to its customer base.
7.5.3 Customer hotline

The NSB is frequently a complex organization with many divisions and sections.
Hence, for somebody from the outside it may be difficult to connect with the
appropriate person in the NSB regarding a specific issue. This could be a com-
plaint, request for general information regarding the NSB or standardization or
even providing the NSB with information the person believes the NSB should
take note of. It may be useful for the NSB to establish a customer hotline (e.g.
telephone number, e-mail address, etc.) staffed by professional employees who
are well-versed in standardization issues and with strong communication skills.

Conclusion
This publication, following on from earlier ISO publications such as Fast Forward :
National Standards Bodies in Developing Countries and Financing NSBs : Financial
sustainability for National Standards Bodies, deals with the subject of GSP at a
greater level of detail and much more comprehensively. It includes information
relevant to the standards-development process as contained in the WTO TBT Agree-
ment, as well as the collective experience from many NSBs that have endeavoured
to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency in the face of rapidly changing market
conditions and dwindling government financial support.
The major innovation of this publication is that it looks at the NSB through the
“ lens ” of value chain concepts that are routinely used in business circles to opti-
mise strategic and operational activities of a company. It is focussed on smaller
NSBs operating in developing countries, but the concepts can be equally applied
to well-established NSBs in the developed countries. On the other hand, this is not
a recipe that should be applied without thinking and adjustment to take national
realities into account. Good business-acumen and effective project-management

will always be necessary to optimise the standards development process in any
country and in any NSB.
The publication therefore fills a need that has been articulated more frequently in
recent times, especially since the WTO TBT Agreement contains broad principles,
the ISO/IEC Directives are focussed more on the international scene and ISO/IEC
Guide 59 deals with the very specifics of the process rather than with the NSB as an
organization. ISO/CS trusts that ISO members and others will find the publication
useful to evaluate their activities and to establish GSP in their organizations for the
benefit of stakeholders and the country as a whole. Standardization practices are
not static, and ISO/CS invites all users to communicate new and different insights
in GSP so that future revisions of the publications can take these into account.

Standards referenced
ISO/IEC Guide 2:2000, Standardization and related activities – General vocabulary
ISO/IEC Guide 17:2016, Guide for writing standards taking into account the needs
of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
ISO/IEC Guide 21-1:2005, Regional or national adoption of International Standards
and other International Deliverables – Part 1 : Adoption of International Standards
ISO/IEC Guide 59:2019, ISO and IEC recommended practices for standardization
by national bodies
ISO/IEC 17000 : –, Conformity assessment – Vocabulary and general principles
ISO/IEC 17020:2012, Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation of
various types of bodies performing inspection
ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing
audit and certification of management systems – Part 1 : Requirements
ISO/IEC 17024:2012, Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies
operating certification of persons
ISO/IEC 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibra-
tion laboratories
ISO/IEC 17043:2010, Conformity assessment – General requirements for profi-
ciency testing

ISO/IEC 17065:2012, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying
products, processes and services
ISO 9001:2015, Quality management systems – Requirements
ISO 14001:2015, Environmental management systems – Requirements with guid-
ance for use
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Require-
ments with guidance for use
ISO 21500:2012, Guidance on project management

Annex A :
Using the diagnostic tool

The diagnostic tool, available from ISO/CS in the form of an Microsoft Excel spread-
sheet, provides member bodies with a mechanism to consider their organization
and its governance, assess their own standards development practices and the
resultant national standards to see whether they achieve the key principles of
GSP 34). It is based on the NSB value chain as described in chapters 5, 6 and 7 of
this GSP publication.
The diagnostic tool consists of a series of questions based on the NSB value chain
depicted in Figure 5.2 arranged as a series of milestones. These are arranged in
the following nine value-chain areas :
1. administration and finance infrastructure ;
2. human-resource management ;
3. product and technology development ;
4. technical committees ;
5. planning ;
6. development ;
7. publication ;
8. dissemination ; and
9. customer service.
For each of the milestones, a series of questions needs to be answered. Some of

these will be for information only, but most of them will be scored depending on
how well the organization complies with them. These scores are aggregated for
each of the milestones after which a radar diagram can be constructed that would
indicate to the NSB how well it complies with international good practices as in
the example of Figure A-1. These radar diagrams are a useful visual indicator for
management and other governance entities to determine progress in becoming
an effective and efficient NSB over time.
The scoring is based on a 0 to 4 points system, and the evaluation of the aggregated
scores can be broadly considered as follows :
▸▸ Score 0 to 1.0 : Little or nothing is in place and the NSB has to develop the
relevant milestone from scratch.
34) The GSP diagnostic tool can be downloaded via this link: go.iso.org/gsptool.

▸▸ Score 1.1 to 2.0 : Rudimentary systems and in need of much fundamen-
tal development.
▸▸ Score 2.1 to 3.0 : Reasonable system in place but in need of
further development.
▸▸ Score 3.1 to 4.0 : Good system – no need for fundamental development, but
maintenance is important.
Aggregate scores should be calculated to at least one decimal place to allow for
a meaningful depiction in the radar diagram. However, the quantitative analysis
is a very coarse one, and the aggregate scores should not be taken as absolutes.
They provide a quick reference as to the current state and future development
of the NSB. This tool does not replace a proper assessment of processes such as
would be undertaken, for example, to determine compliance with ISO 9001, or
other in-depth management-system assessment techniques.
In the example radar diagram in Figure A-1 the series 1 could constitute the assess-
ment of the first year, and series 2 that of the second year, showing the progress
that has been achieved. The segments denoting the nine value-chain areas are
indicated by green (support activities) and yellow (core activities) segments. This
is a further visual help for the NSB to determine which of the value chain areas
require attention.

Assessment results
Country
Year 1 Year 2
Core activities Support activities
Policy environment
Customer hotline Legal status of the NSB
Customer services Consultancy 3.5 Legal status of national standards
Training services Institutional independence
WTO TBT Enquiry Point services [If placed in the… Regulatory neutrality
3.0
Standards sales Council / Board Administrative and finance
Marketing and communication 2.5 Director or CEO infrastructure
Dissemination
Standards catalogue Management structure
2.0
Standards information centre Standards department
1.5
Document control Financial policy
Publication 1.0
Figure A-1 : Example of a GSP assessment radar
Human resource
Approval of the standard Premises
management
0.5
ISO/IEC/CAC Recruitment of personnel
0.0
Regional standards organizations Training system
Product and

Key performance indicators Document types
technology
Public enquiry IT support system development
Development
Committee process Stakeholder engagement
Draft national standard for public comment Liaison with Associations Technical
Working documents of the TC Liaison with Authorities committees
TC Business Plans TC membership and structures
Planning
Proposal for development of a standard Roles and responisbilities of Chairs, Secretariat…
Coherence of standards TC support services
Relevance of standards National Standardization Strategy
Standard for a standard Standards Work Programme
Management system
Source : Author’s elaboration
About ISO
ISO (International Organization for Standardi-
zation) is an independent, non-governmental
international organization with a membership
of 164* national standards bodies. Through its
members, it brings together experts to share
knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-
based, market-relevant International Standards
that support innovation and provide solutions to
global challenges.
ISO has published more than 22 500* Interna-
tional Standards and related documents covering
almost every industry, from technology to food
safety, to agriculture and healthcare.
For more information, please visit www.iso.org
*July 2019
International Organization
for Standardization
ISO Central Secretariat
Ch. de Blandonnet 8
Case Postale 401
CH – 1214 Vernier, Geneva
Switzerland
iso.org
© ISO, 2019
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-92-67-10986-2
We care about our planet.
This handbook is printed on recycled paper.

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practices

2.1 The history of standardization .............................................................................................................................. 18

3.1 World Trade Organization (WTO) ....................................................................................................................... 40

ISO publication on Good Standardization P ractices – 1

4.1 The Six Principles of Standardization ........................................................................................................... 64

5.1 The Quality Infrastructure (QI) .............................................................................................................................. 90

6.1 Administration and financial infrastructure ........................................................................................... 98

7.1 Planning ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 124

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5. The international engagement team from Standards Australia.

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2) Under revision. Stage at the time of publication : ISO/DIS 17000:2019.

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3) Refer to UNIDO Guide on Quality Policy at https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/

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2.1.1 Early beginnings

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2.2.1 Standards and the private sector

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2.2.3 Standards and the consumer

The consumer benefits from standardization in several ways, such as :

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2.2.4 Standards and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

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NOTE : Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technol-

2.4 Diversity of standards

2.4.1 Technical content

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2.4.2 Development process

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Development process Development process principles

Legal status Voluntary

Figure 2.1 : The standards environment

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Regional standards bodies (RSBs)

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National standards bodies

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Industry sector and NGO-type standards organizations

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2.5 Users of standards

2.5.1 Industry and commerce

2.5.2 Purchasers and consumers

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2.5.4 Organizational and product innovators