Standards Development for Beginners - Part 2. Balanced Matrix

As a new technical committee member, you might be curious about your fellow members and how they came to be on the committee. It's important to note that not all members are technical experts in the committee's subject matter, but each one has a vested interest in the standards being developed.

Committees are often formed based on the “balanced matrix” principle, where the standards development organization invites representatives from various stakeholder categories. These categories can include manufacturers, regulators, users, consumers, and general interest groups, among others. The specific categories and the number of committee members vary by industry. Some committees limit their membership to a fixed number, while others can include hundreds of members. The key is to ensure that diverse stakeholder interests are proportionately represented, preventing any single category from dominating the committee. The method for achieving this balance varies between standards developers.

For example, according to the CSA Group’s Directives, the largest stakeholder category cannot be more than the sum of the minimum of two smallest categories. The largest category in ASME’s health and safety committees should not exceed one-third of the total voting membership. ASTM considers a committee balanced when the combined number of voting members from the user, consumer, and general interest categories equals or exceeds the number of voting members in the producer interest category. As opposed to CSA, the number of voting members varies, while each CSA committee has a fixed number of positions in each category.

As you engage with your fellow committee members, remember that the diversity of perspectives is a strength, ensuring the development of well-rounded and widely accepted standards. Your unique insights and collaboration are vital to the success of this endeavour. Welcome to the team!