Policies & Procedures - 5.14 Standards Board

- approved 12/04, 12/09 -

Purpose, Scope, Sponsorship, and Objective
1. IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) shall, as a member society of the IEEE, sponsor standards development as required to meet the needs of: its membership, the IEEE at large, and the worldwide communications industry. The standards development activity shall be conducted in partnership with the IEEE-SA Standards Board, with appropriate liaison with and contributions to other standards bodies. ComSoc standards activities shall be restricted to communications, networking, and related fields, as defined in the scope of the Society and the charters of its Technical Committees.
2. The objective of ComSoc standards activities shall be the development of technically excellent and widely adopted standards. To this end, the Society will provide procedural guidelines, discussion forums, and support services for approved standards activities.
3. ComSoc standards activities shall be at the initiative of members and/or organizations within the Society or of individuals or entities outside of the society.
4. The ComSoc Director of Standards, reporting to the VP-Technical Activities, shall chair the ComSoc Standards Board which shall be constituted as a standing committee of the Technical Activities Council. The Director of Standards and the Standards Board shall stimulate and guide standards initiatives, support Working Groups, and encourage maximum exposure and influence of ComSoc standards activities.
5. A standards initiative is defined as an official application to the IEEE-SA Standards Board for a creation of a project (including creation of a Study Group, or a Working Group) leading to either revision of an existing standard or creation of a new one.
6. ComSoc sponsorship of IEEE standards initiatives and working groups shall be carried out in compliance with the bylaws and operating procedures prescribed by the IEEE-SA Standards Board. ComSoc sponsorship of working groups of other standards organizations shall be carried out in compliance with the bylaws and operating procedures prescribed by those organizations.
7. Both "top down" and "grass roots" standards initiatives shall be allowed. A "top down" initiative is an organizational initiative in the ComSoc Board of Governors, OpCom, the Standards Board, a Technical Committee, or any ComSoc organization. A "Grass Roots" initiative is one originating from any group of ComSoc members or individuals or entities outside of ComSoc.
8. A standards initiative goal is to form a Study Group and/or a Working Group as described in IEEE-SA Operations Manual and Operating Procedures for ComSoc Standards Development Sponsor (see sections 5.14.1 and 5.14.2)
9. Formation of a Working Group is based on creation of Project Authorization Request (PAR) that possesses the following criteria: significant marketing potential, compatibility with related standards, unique identity, and technical and economic feasibility. All PARs may be subject to Expert Group Review, the latter formed with help of an appropriate ComSoc Technical Committee(s).
Sponsorship of Standards Initiatives and Working Groups
1. A ComSoc standards initiative must obtain the written support of one or more Technical Committees. This support, registered with the ComSoc Standards Board, shall initiate the sponsorship request from ComSoc Standards Board. Sponsorship of a standards initiative shall continue as sponsorship of a Study Group and a Working Group resulting from the initiative. The supporting Technical Committees should assist the Working Group though the entire lifecycle of the project until and including forming a Balloting Group for the standard.
2. A Working Group or Study Group may be jointly sponsored by ComSoc and any other IEEE Sponsor.
3. Support of a Working Group by a Technical Committee must be renewed at the PAR renewal time. Loss of all Technical Committee support shall automatically terminate ComSoc sponsorship. The IEEE-SA Standards Board, or other sponsoring standards body, will be suitably informed.
4. The ComSoc Board of Governors may vote to terminate any ComSoc sponsored standards initiative, Study Group or Working Group, thereby withdrawing from that initiative or Working Group the privilege of calling itself a ComSoc sponsored activity.
Operations of a ComSoc Sponsored Standards Working Group (henceforth referred to as a "Standards Working Group")
1. Standards Study Groups and Working Group shall be open to all IEEE members, and those non- members that have material or professed interest in the project. Additional corporate memberships may be allowed as authorized in the bylaws and procedures of the IEEE-SA Standards Board.
2. A Standards Working Group shall operate in conformance with the hierarchy of governing documents as listed in sections 5.14.1 and 5.14.2. Members of IEEE ComSoc Standards Working Groups shall be encouraged to join IEEE ComSoc and the IEEE Standards Association. Working Group officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary) must be members of IEEE ComSoc and IEEE Standards Association. All members of an IEEE standards sponsor balloting group must be members of IEEE ComSoc of any grade or pay the corresponding fee. Further all members of Sponsor Balloting Group must be members of IEEE Standards Association, or pay the fee according to IEEE-SA rules.
3. A Standards Working Group shall be financially self sufficient.
4. A Standards Working Group shall submit an activities report to the ComSoc Standards Board no less frequently than twice a year. Financial reports must be submitted to ComSoc Standards Board on the L50S form according to the schedule prescribed by IEEE.
5. Each Standards Working Group shall maintain a Web site, accessible through the ComSoc and IEEE-SA web sites, that provides current content accurately reflecting its activities.
6. A Standards Working Group shall work collaboratively with the ComSoc Standards Board, other co-sponsoring IEEE organizations, the IEEE-SA Standards Board, and its sponsoring Technical Committees to compose balanced Balloting Groups for Sponsor ballot of the standard.
Operations of the ComSoc Standards Board
1. The ComSoc Standards Board shall encourage, nurture, and guide ComSoc standards initiatives and the resulting Working Groups, and shall proactively advance the visibility and influence of ComSoc standards activities.
2. The ComSoc Standards Board shall be an activity under the Technical Activities Council. Its budget shall be part of the VP-Technical Activities budget.
3. The Director of Standards shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the VP-Technical Activities, for a two-year term, renewable at most for one more consecutive term. The Director of Standards shall appoint eight additional members of the ComSoc Standards Board for two-year terms. All members of ComSoc Standards Board must be members of the IEEE Communications Society and the IEEE Standards Association.
4. The ComSoc Director of Standards serves as the Chair of ComSoc Standards Board and additional officers, appointed by the Chair, shall be: Vice-Chair and Secretary.
5. The ComSoc Director of Standards shall serve as ComSoc’s representative to the IEEE-SA Standards Board and shall foster beneficial contacts and interaction between ComSoc standards activities and the IEEE-SA Standards Board and Standards Association.
6. With consent of the IEEE Standards Association, the ComSoc Standards Board shall maintain appropriate liaison with other relevant accredited standards organizations.
7. The ComSoc Standards Board shall actively assist Working Groups in forming Balloting Groups, satisfying requirements of ComSoc and of the IEEE-SA Standards Board, and accomplishing the latter’s goals. The ComSoc Standards Board shall track and log activities of Working Groups and the status of Technical Committee liaison or sponsorship.
8. The ComSoc Standards Board shall stimulate interest in standards activities by Technical Committees, and shall provide information and guidance to Technical Committees.
9. The ComSoc Standards Board shall insure harmonization of Standards Projects with ComSoc technical activities, publications, and Conferences.
10. The ComSoc Standards Board shall stimulate specific standards initiatives if and when it deems such initiatives are needed.
11. The ComSoc Standards Board shall maintain a presence on the ComSoc web site that describes ComSoc standards activities, provides information on how to undertake a standards initiative, and provides links to the web pages of Working Groups.
12. The Director of Standards shall deliver to the ComSoc VP-Technical Activities at least four reports each year on the status of ComSoc standards activities, with recommendations for enhancements to those activities.

The ComSoc Standards Board shall hold face-to-face meetings twice per year in conjunction with ComSoc BoG meetings. Interim meetings can be held by teleconferencing. Face-to-face meetings should be announced at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of the meeting and the agenda should be made available at least 14 calendar days before the meeting. Teleconference meetings and the associated agenda should be announced at least seven calendar days prior to the meeting. At the discretion of the ComSoc Director of Standards, discussions and voting can be held electronically via email.