Standards development for beginners – Part3. Accredited standards developers and the consensus process
From the very first days serving on a technical committee, you will hear about consensus and consensus standards. The committee’s job is to build consensus, and the standard’s publisher’s job is to facilitate consensus. The need for consensus drives the time it currently takes to develop a standard and the level of expertise required on the committee. What makes consensus so critical?
Consensus is the element that distinguishes a standard developed by a recognized or accredited standards body from any other set of documented best practices.
The development of consensus standards follows formal procedures set by accrediting organizations in each country, typically a National Standards Body, like ANSI in the US and SCC in Canada. To develop consensus standards, an organization needs to obtain accreditation and renew it at regular intervals. Following the accredited process implies working with a balanced matrix of stakeholders, documenting the committee debates, submitting the draft for public reviews, and offering opportunities for appeals.
Because of the strict requirements of the accredited consensus-building process, the output is recognized and accepted by the entire industry. It is understood that no single group dominates the outcome. Consensus extends beyond agreement: it is the outcome nobody may be happy about, but everybody can live with it!
If a group of experts meets and produces a set of best practices, they can also call it a standard. For example, standards in large organizations are created for internal use. In this case, it will be a non-consensus standard, perfectly sufficient in some scenarios.
Non-consensus industry standards can be useful within their specific context and quicker to develop, but they do not reflect the wide-ranging perspectives and interests that a consensus process ensures. Sometimes, a non-consensus standard serves as a base or a seed document for a consensus standard, but it can only reach this status through the accredited process.
So, next time you find yourself at a committee meeting, remember: you might not get exactly what you want, but you’ll end up with something everyone can live with – and that's the beauty of consensus!
Content by Timalta Strategy