Article #102 - General Background on Standards-Related Organizations
There is no clear-cut, accepted ontology for classifying the various types and roles of standards-related organizations, and no simple, commonly agreed upon ranking as to the significance or importance of various organizations. The realm of standards-developing organizations has evolved greatly in recent years, with the proliferation and increasing impact of more informal types of organizations like industry consortia. This evolution has been driven by many factors, in particular the expansion of information technology sectors (driving greater needs for standards), and the Internet and its associated facilitation of communication both toward dispersed communities of stakeholders and within dispersed working groups. Twenty years ago, standards making occurred in a few, accredited international standards organizations and in government-sponsored (or accredited) national standards bodies. Today, those bodies continue to function, but are now obliged to cooperate, complement and compete with quite an array of other standards-related organizations. [Illustration adapted from 'Presenting ECMA International',ECMA, European Computer Manufacturers Association or European Association for Standardizing Information and Communicatio
2003]
Categories of Standards Organizations
Standards researchers identify many different types of standards-related organizations (the delineations are not clear cut and there are many overlaps among these categories):-
'Official' SDOs (Standards-Developing Organizations):
- International SDO's (the ISO, IEC and ITU), which generally function on the principle of one country/one vote. (Some specific definitions would say that the ITU is not an International SDO because it does not function on the basis of one country/one vote - although in most other ways it can be seen as an official international SDO.)
- National Standard Bodies, generally one principal NSB per country (in the US it is ANSI) - federates, coordinates, represents and administers, but does not usually develop standards.
- Regional SDOs (government accredited, spanning a group of countries, for example, Europe, North America, Asia, the Americas, etc.).
- Nationally Accredited SDOs (~270 business and industry, standards developers, trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, consumers, academia, and government agencies accredited by ANSI).
- Accredited Committees and Sub-groups of International and National SDOs.
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'Recognized' SDOs (also 'official', in slightly different manners):
- National or International SDO Affiliated or Designated Organizations (for example, designated to maintain or develop specific standards or codes, including for example, the IEEE or UCC).
- Recognized Organizations (consortia, trade groups, professional societies whose impact and contributions are so great that National and/or International SDOs recognize them and work cooperatively with them) these consortia are usually international, with formal liaisons to international SDOs.
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Standards Developing Groups (many of these organizations are also quite recognized now, with structured relationships with other, more formal SDOs):
- Industry specific or cross-industry consortia, trade groups or professional societies.
- Special interest groups, Initiatives.
- Forums.
- Private sector companies.
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Standards Influencing Groups:
- Industry trade groups (with policy influencing objectives, like the ITI).
- Special interest groups for general promoting or promoting implementation of specific standards and technologies (like user groups)
- Private sector companies.
Many standards-related organizations have internal Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs). It is important to note that the term 'US Technical Advisory Group' specifically relates to subcommittees (usually hosted by ANSI Accredited SDOs), which represent the US (via ANSI coordination) in specific ISO and IEC technical areas. Participation in US TAGs is the officially recognized means for US input to enter the international standardization arena.
Characteristics of Standards-Related Organizations
The standards-related organizations that fall into all of these different categories often have both similarities and differences, which do not necessarily correspond to any given category. For example, some formal SDOs have adopted principles of open standards, as have many recognized consortia, whereas some still maintain some very closed processes.Table 1 below summarizes some of the ranges of issues that characterize standards-related organizations.
Table 1 Characteristics for Standards-Related Organizations
| Issues | Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational | 'Official-ness' | Restricted -> Non-accredited -> Accredited |
| Participation | Closed -> Open -> Individual -> Company -> Country | |
| Consensus | Simple Majority -> Unanimity | |
| Market Place | Local -> National -> Regional -> International | |
| Maintenance | Onetime -> Ongoing | |
| Time/Speed | Slower -> Faster | |
| Process | Informal development process -> Formal process | |
| Funding Source | Government -> Dues -> Publications | |
| Cost | $ -> $$$ | |
| Visibility | Unknown -> Brand name recognition | |
| Activity Related | Phase of Standards Work | Conceptual -> Anticipatory -> Participatory -> Responsive |
| Applicability | Convention -> De facto -> Published | |
| Specificity | Specific and narrow -> Abstract and broad | |
| Horizontal Breadth | Sub-sector -> Cross-industry | |
| Vertical Depth | Single step, process, or product -> Supply chain -> Life-cycle | |
| Technical Focus | Single layer -> Multiple technical layers |
The background explanations in this document do not attempt to coin new definitions for standards and SDOs where even the research community has no coherent, globally adopted terminology. However, this discussion highlights a few points:
- It is useful to recognize that a variety of definitions exist for standards and SDOs.
- Multiple, qualitative factors must be taken into consideration when analyzing and comparing standards and SDOs.
- Each factor may or may not be significant - an intangible accumulation of factors will help determine the importance of various standards to GridWise™ architectural efforts.
What is a Standard?
A standard can be defined as a set of technical definitions and guidelines, "how to" instructions for designers, manufacturers and users. Standards promote safety, reliability, productivity and efficiency in almost every industry that relies on engineering components or equipment. Standards can run from a few paragraphs to hundreds of pages, and are written by experts with knowledge and expertise in a particular field who sit on many committees. Standards are a vehicle of communication for producers and users. They serve as a common language, defining quality and establishing safety criteria. Costs are lower if procedures are standardized; training is also simplified.Standards are considered voluntary because they serve as guidelines, but do not of themselves have the force of law. Standards organizations cannot force any manufacturer, inspector, or installer to follow standards. Standards become mandatory when they have been incorporated into a business contract or incorporated into regulations. A code is a standard that has been adopted by one or more governmental bodies and has the force of law.
At different phases in the birth and life of a service or product, standards may be developed for different purposes. From a concept or idea, anticipatory standards may be drawn up. As markets emerge, participatory standards emerge corresponding to products or services. As markets collide with existing markets and regulatory needs are felt, responsive standards are established. All of these phases of standards are influenced by environmental factors, including technology, regulatory environments, markets, and architectural guidelines (if they exist). [Illustration adapted from Krechmer 2002.]
National standards bodies, like ANSI, tend to define standards as only those emitted by 'accredited' standards bodies. They term de facto standards as 'conventions'. In other sectors, broadly accepted guidelines are often termed as 'standards; for example, we now often read about 'Web Standards' of the W3C (whereas the W3C does not 'officially' publish standards). Many professionals would say that it is not whether a standard is emitted by an 'accredited' body that counts, but the extent of its actual acceptance and use. Regulatory and judicial bodies (defining codes and interpreting law) tend to give more credence to standards developed through 'accredited' bodies, but also recognize and draw from standards work of 'non-accredited' groups.
A General Picture of the Standards-Related World
The diagram below depicts the general layout of the standards-related world, differentiating between international, regional and national bodies, accredited and non-accredited, and standards development organizations (SDOs) as opposed to influence groups less involved in standards development.
The groupings and delineations are illustrative, but readers should remember that these terms have different connotations for different professionals - depending on an individual's relationship to the standards-making process and depending on industry sectors. 'Officialness' and accreditation does not necessarily reflect a standard's impact.
A General Picture of GridWise-Related SDOs
The diagram below presents a number of organizations of the standards-related world, mapping the acronyms of SDOs related to GridWise into the schema of the Standards-Related World.
ANSI is included as the United State's Official National Standards Body. Although it does not develop standards, it federates accredited standards developing organizations and represents the US in official international SDOs.
Some readers might argue that the only truly international SDOs are the ISO and the IEC, because the ITU accepts members that are not countries and the UN/CEFACT is not at its origin a standards developing organization.
The international SDOs (both accredited and non-accredited) are the most diverse group -with a variety of sizes, formats, funding mechanisms, and standards processes.