Introduction to Standards and IEEE Standards Development

Howard Wolfman

IEEE Workshop on Engineering Standards12 February 2011

What are Standards?

Standards are published documents that establish specifications and procedures designed to ensure the reliability of the materials, products, methods, and/or services people use every day. Standards address a range of issues, including but not limited to various protocols that help ensure product functionality and compatibility, facilitate interoperability and support consumer safety and public health.Standards form the fundamental building blocks for product development by establishing consistent protocols that can be universally understood and adopted.

What are Standards?

Standards fuel compatibility and interoperability and simplify product development, and speed time-to-market. Standards make it easier to understand and compare competing products.  As standards are globally adopted and applied in many markets, they also help with international trade.It is only through the use of standards that the requirements of interconnectivity and interoperability can be assured. Standards fuel the development and implementation of technologies that influence and transform the way we live, work and communicate.

Standards Development Organizations (SDOs)

Process of developing a standard is typically facilitated by a Standards Development Organization (SDO)SDOs adhere to fair and equitable processes that ensure the highest quality outputs and reinforce the market relevance of standards.  SDOs such as IEEE, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and others offer time-tested platforms, rules, governance, methodologies, and services that objectively address the standards development lifecycle, and help facilitate the development, distribution and maintenance of standards.

Standards Development Organizations

Most countries have some form of standardizing activities.– Many participate in regional and international

standardization activities.– Some countries have a number of standards

development organizations.While the goals of each SDO are essentially the same, each applies its own rules, processes, terminology to the standards development process.

Who participates in standards development

Stakeholders and Interested Parties– Individuals– Industry/Companies– Government/Federal Agencies– Public

IEEE Standards Association (SA)

Oversees development of standards within IEEE Global Membership– Over 7,000 individual members– 127 corporate members– Approximately 20,000 participants

Broad Standards Portfolio– Approximately 1,000 active standards– Approximately 400 standards in development

Governed by volunteersAn independent organization – Participants come together to develop standards

independent of any government organization

IEEE-SA MissionTo enable and promote the collaborative

application of technical knowledge to advance economic and social well-being

To ensure:• Global and timely market relevance• Technical integrity and excellence• Collaboration and community building

ConsensusDue

processOpenness

Right of appeals Balance

WTO Core Principles

IEEE-SA Values

IEEE-SA Global Strategy

Maintain a strong global standards perspective in IEEE Leverage IEEE expertise, competence, track record, and processes to achieve global standards goalsProvide a forum to develop market-relevant standardsRecognize and promote

– Emerging technologies– Standards life cycle requirements – Regulatory harmonization– Society betterment

IEEE Standards Are PervasiveAddress a broad spectrum of technologies

Aerospace Electronics Bioinformatics Broadband Over Power Lines Broadcast Technology Clean TechnologyCognitive RadioDesign AutomationElectromagnetic CompatibilityGreen TechnologyLAN/MANMedical Device CommunicationsNanotechnology

National Electrical Safety CodeNext Generation Service Overlay NetworksOrganic ComponentsPortable Battery TechnologyPower ElectronicsPower & EnergyRadiation/NuclearReliabilityTransportation TechnologyTest Technology

IEEE-SA Agreements

Agreements in place or under development in:

ChinaJapanKorea

Europe

Canada

Middle East

Brazil

South Africa

IEC/IEEE Dual Logo Agreement

Approved IEEE Standards are eligible for submission– IEC adoption takes about six months

IEC national members have the same rights regarding adoptions as with other IEC standardsDual Logo Standards currently exist in:– Design Automation– Microprocessors– Switchgear– Transformers

Joint Development addendum to agreement enables both organizations to work collaboratively– Joint copyright and distribution rights– Maintenance procedures developed

ISO/IEEE PSDO Agreement

Addresses adoptions and joint development workCovers the following areas:

ISO TC 204: Intelligent transportation

ISO TC 215: Point-of-care medical device standards

ISO/IEC JTC 1― SC 6 LAN/MAN― SC 7 Software

Engineering― SC 22 POSIX ― SC 25

Microprocessors― SC 31 Sensor

Technology― SC 36 Learning

Technology

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and IEEE

The IEEE is a Sector Member of– ITU-R (Radio Communications)– ITU-T (Telecommunications)– ITU-D (Developing Nations)

Example technical areas– Radio regulatory activities– Mobile broadband wireless access

Joint workshops– 2009: Geneva Auto Show Networked Car Workshop– 2008: ITU-T/IEEE Workshop on Next Generation Optical Access Systems– 2007: ITU-T/IEEE Workshop on Carrier-Class Ethernet

Board of Governors (BOG)Legal & fiduciary, strategy, policy, finance,

Bus Dev, International, Appeals, Awards

Standards Board (SASB)

Standards ProcessSCC Oversight

Corporate Advisory Group (CAG)

Corporate Program Strategy Sponsor

SponsorsSocieties, Standards

Coordinating Committees, CAG, etc.

Standards Working Groups/Projects

ISTO

IEEE-SA Governance Structure

IEEE Sponsors

Organization within IEEE that assumes responsibility for a particular standards ideaTakes responsibility for the technical content of the document and provides oversightResponsible for determining the scope and nature of the technical contentNot a financial sponsorshipIEEE already has a large number of Sponsors– There are the various societies within the IEEE – Within those societies, there are often many

committees that are active in standards development

IEEE-SA Development Groups

Technical Society/Sponsor

Subcommittees

Project Groups

IEEE Standards Development: Getting Started

Technica

l

•Determine technical area of interest

Existing

?

•Is IEEE already working in this area? = Join existing group•http://

grouper.ieee.org/groups/index.html (Working groups)

•http://standards.ieee.org/db/status/index.shtml (Projects)

•http://standards.ieee.org/db/balloting/ballotform.html (Join ballot)

New!

•New area of interest = Begin new project•Con

tact IEEE-SA staff

•http://standards.ieee.org/people/liaisons.html

What do good standards offer?

A balanced blend of: Technical alternatives Economic needs Global requirements

IEEE-SA Individual and Corporate Standards Development

Open, consensus process

Individual standards development– Each individual has one vote

Corporate standards development– One company/one vote

Results frequently adopted by national, regional, and international standards bodies

Five principles guide standards developmentEnsuring integrity and wide acceptance for IEEE standards

IEEE Standards Development

IEEE standards follow the standardization principles as stated by the WTO

Due Process

Develop operating procedures Publish and make procedures available Follow procedures

Openness

Everyone has access to the process;Make information and actions publicly available for examination;Include all materially interested and affected parties;Avoid antitrust situations/appearance of collusion;Opportunity to participate does not necessarily mean membership or a vote

Consensus

Agreement among the majority

– Not 100% agreement

Defined in the IEEE Sponsor

balloting rules as 75% of 75%

Consensus

Obligation to the majority – Approve and make available

expeditiously

Obligation to the minority– Attempt to resolve comments

Balance

Representation from all materially interested and affected parties – Goal for development

Encourage participation during standard’s draft development stages

– Mandatory for balloting Lack of dominance by any one interest group Common categories for interest groups: Producer, user, and general interest

Right of Appeal

The right to initiate a challenge of the process

Bases of appeal can be– Technical (within Sponsor)– Procedural

Three Choices for Standardization

• Standards−Documents with mandatory requirements

Recommended Practices– Documents with preferred procedures and

positions

Guides– Documents with suggested approaches to

achieve good practice but with no clear-cut recommendations

Determination of Method

Developers can choose the appropriate venue for development, depending on technology– Individual (one person, one vote)– Corporate (one company, one vote)

Type of standards development indicated at time of project approvalCan change during standards development– Recommended to use same type of planned

balloting method for development method

Once project enters ballot, method cannot change– Because ballot group must remain stable

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

IEEE-SA Standards

IEEE Standards Development: Process Flow

IEEE Standards Development: Project Authorization

A project may be started by any individual or companyEach project must be supported by a technical group in the IEEE– Referred to as a “Sponsor”– Official developer of standard

Projects approved through document called Project Authorization Request (PAR)– Summarizes details of project

IEEE Standards Development: Develop Draft Standard

Standard is written by working group– Working group consists of developers

interested in creating the standard

Working group chooses way to create first draft document– Group writes initial draft– Draft developed from existing

documents and specifications

Draft document refined in working group through multiple iterations and review

IEEE Standards Development: Consensus process

Consensus is determined through a ballotInterested persons or organizations are invited to ballot on draft standardsBallot group receives document, reviews it, and votes/comments on it– Vote yes (approve), no (disapprove), abstain– Can offer comments on document as well

Ultimate approval of standard is granted by IEEE-SA Standards Board

Publication & Maintenance

Standard published after approval

Standard is valid for 5 years after approval– After 5 years, must be revised,

reaffirmed, or withdrawn

SummaryStandards form the fundamental building blocks for product development by establishing consistent protocols that can be universally understood and adopted.

Standards fuel the development and implementation of technologies that influence and transform the way we live, work and communicate.

The IEEE Standards Association– Fosters an environment of mutual respect amongst all

participants.– Recognizes the value of partnership and collaboration.

IEEE standards– Strive to achieve a balanced blend of technical

alternatives, economic/market needs, and political views.– Adhere to five imperative principles of standards

development

Resources

http://standards.ieee.orghttp://standards.ieee.org/develop/index.htmlhttp://standards.ieee.org/develop/getinvolved.htmlhttp://standardseducation.org/The Ten Commandments for Effective Standards: Practical Insights for Creating Technical Standards, by Karen Bartleson, Synopsys Press, May 2010.

Contacts

Howard Wolfman, Principal, Lumispec Consulting– h.wolfman@ieee.org

Jennifer McClain, Program Manager, IEEE Standards Education– j.mcclain@ieee.org