Page 11 - Enterprise Engagement and ISO Standards eBook

Enterprise Engagement and ISO Standards

The process is inclusive and highly procedural. First, a new standard must be proposed. This
can only come from an organization that already has been elected to service on a country’s
Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The proposed standard is subject to a vote of the TAG in
the country in which it was submitted. If approved, the proposed standard is then presented
to the international body at the ISO plenary session, generally in September of each year.
The international body can vote to put it to a vote, which is a four month process conducted
online. If approved by two-thirds of participating countries, a separate vote is required to
elect a country to convene the working group. The working group (comprised of experts
from all over the world who are TAG members or observers) first meets to discuss the
standard and what it should contain. Meetings are both in-person and remote. Participation
can be active (as in helping to draft the standard) or at arms-length (observe with ability to
provide input but with no vote.)

Draft standards are produced and shared with interested persons on the committee – both
active members and vote-only members. Members work to build agreement and consensus.
Revisions are made and the standard is put to a vote by the committee.

A draft may be approved on the first vote of international members or revised further and
voted on again before ultimately becoming an official ISO standard. The entire process
takes, on average, three years.8

Standards Involving People

The ISO has developed thousands of standards addressing people; including how they work,
the quality of their outcomes and safety in the workplace. ISO TC94, for example, addresses
personal safety for healthcare professionals, including protective clothing and the safe use
of equipment. ISO TC198 provides requirements for the sterilization procedures healthcare
workers should adhere to in hospitals and clinics.9

The ISO 9000 quality series of standards describe how organizations can boost performance
around customer service, leadership and decision-making.10 These standards cover quality
in people-driven processes, including everything from writing manuals to choosing vendors
and subcontractors.11 Many other ISO standards impact people and their actions at work.
ISO TC 267, for example, addresses “strategic sourcing in facilities management, and the
development of agreements;” ISO 11568-1 addresses the management of specific financial

8 International Organization for Standardization (see: https://www.iso.org/ developing-standards.html)
9 ISO and Health (see: https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/archive/pdf/en/pub100343.pdf)
10 Engagement Strategies Media (see: http://enterpriseengagement.org/ISO-Engagement-Standards-Part-I-Why-
Now-Research-and-Potential-Implications/#a)
11 University of Pittsburgh (see: http://www.sis.pitt.edu/mbsclass/standards/martincic/iso9000.htm)

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