Standards Development - An Introduction
Standards are the foundations of social well-being in an age of globalization and convergence across traditional technology and market boundaries.
Standardization provides the foundation on which technology innovation is based. It enables more complex solutions to be developed at a better cost structure. Standards drive technological innovation, fuel growth of global markets, expand consumer choice, support interoperability and help protect public health and safety.
IEEE Standards are developed using a time-tested, effective and trusted process. This process is broken down into a six stage life cycle.
Explore each stage to learn more.
IEEE prides itself on its mission to advance technology for the benefit of humanity.
Standards Development Administration
IEEE Standards Development Principles
As a global standards development organization, IEEE supports and advocates a set of standards development principles, executed by the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA). These principles provide a community for voluntary cooperation among interested parties and stakeholders, enable technical excellence, global interoperability, and innovation to foster economic growth and societal prosperity.
These principles are:
- Direct participation
- Due process
- Broad consensus
- Balance
- Transparency
- Broad openness
- Coherence
- Development dimension
Related Link
IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) governing bodies are responsible for maintaining and overseeing the following governance documents:
| Governance Document | Description | Governing Body |
|---|---|---|
| IEEE Constitution, Bylaws and Policies | Govern the operation of IEEE | IEEE Board of Directors |
| IEEE SA Operations Manual | Govern the operation of the IEEE SA | IEEE SA Board of Governors |
| IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws | Govern the operation of the IEEE SA Standards Board | IEEE SA Board of Governors |
| IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual | Govern the management of the standards development process | IEEE SA Standards Board |
Governance and Oversight of the IEEE SA
IEEE SA Board of Governors (BOG) members are elected by IEEE SA members.
The BOG establishes the guidelines and directs the operation of the IEEE SA, and is beholden to the IEEE Bylaws and maintains the established policies and procedures for the operation of the IEEE SA in the IEEE SA Operations Manual. The IEEE SA President serves as the Chair of the BOG and reports to the IEEE Board of Directors as the representative for the IEEE SA.
Governance and Oversight for the IEEE Standards Development Process
The IEEE SA Standards Board (SASB) reports directly to the IEEE SA BOG, and oversees the IEEE standards development process as set forth by the IEEE SA Operations Manual and Bylaws. It also provides guidelines for the development of individual and entity standards. Standards Board members are appointed by the BOG and must be IEEE SA members in good standing.
The following committees have been appointed by IEEE SASB to facilitate the standards development process:
- New Standards Committee (NesCom) – Recommends the approval of new or revised standards project requests to the SASB.
- Standards Review Committee (RevCom) – Recommends the approval of standards to the SASB.
- Procedures Committee (ProCom) – Recommends to the SASB improvements and changes in procedures to promote efficient discharge of responsibilities by the SASB, its committees, and other IEEE committees engaged in standards activities.
- Patent Committee (PatCom) – Recommends updates to the IEEE SA patent policy, provides educational material related to the patent policy, and reviews conformity with the patent policy procedures.
- Audit Committee (AudCom) – Conducts routine reviews and inspections to assure that each standards-developing entity, through its Standards Committee and Working Group policies and procedures (P&P), is adhering to the procedures described in the IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws and the IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual.
View more information about the policies of the IEEE SA BOG and IEEE SA SASB
Annual Report Deadline
15 February
IEEE SA Financial Certification Form
All Standards Committees must submit the IEEE SA Financial Certification Form. If a Standards Committee and/or its Working Groups do not have a NextGen banking account, the Standards Committee Chair certifies that their groups did not have financial activity for that year.
If the Standards Committee and/or its Working Group(s) has a NextGen banking account, both the Standards Committee Chair and Treasurer and the Working Group Chair and Treasurer must complete the IEEE SA Financial Certification Form.
For groups that have a NextGen banking account, the IEEE SA Financial Certification Form requires submission of the following:
- Certification that all transaction detail has been posted to NextGen Financials Cloud
- Principle of Business Conduct/Conflict of Interest (POBC/COI) form
Per subclause 5.3.7 of the IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual, all Standards Committees and Working Groups must use the banking services provided by the IEEE Treasury department as their only bank account.
All Standards Committees and Working Groups with a NextGen Banking account may be subject to audit. See subclause 5.3.8 of the IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual for more information.
Questions should be directed to the IEEE Internal Audit Director at [email protected].
Related Links
A Working Group Chair Fundamentals online course on the IEEE SA standards development process is now available for free. This course not only provides Working Group Chairs with the fundamentals needed to chair a working group but also provides information to Working Group participants or anyone interested in participating in IEEE Standards about the process.