Last edit: 01/08/2023
A new ISO standard has to go through six maturity stages:
(10) PROPOSAL STAGE: we are at the very beginning: the very first document is called new work item proposal (NWIP) and it is submitted to the committee for vote. The person being nominated as project leader is named on the Form. If there are possible complications around copyright, patents or conformity assessment they should be raised at this early stage. This stage can be skipped for revisions and amendments to ISO standards that are already published.
(20) PREPARATORY STAGE: Usually a working group (WG) is set up to prepare the so called working draft (WD). The WG is made up of experts and a Convenor (usually the Project leader). During this stage, experts continue to look out for issues around copyright, patents and conformity assessment. Successive WDs can be circulated until the experts are satisfied that they have developed the best solution they can. The draft is then forwarded to the WG’s parent committee who will decide which stage to go to next (Committee stage or Enquiry stage).
(30) COMMITTEE STAGE: This stage is optional. During this stage the draft from the working group is shared with the members of the parent committee. If the committee uses this stage, the committee draft (CD) is circulated to the members of the committee who then comment and vote using the Electronic Balloting Portal. Successive CDs can be circulated until consensus is reached on the technical content.
(40) ENQUIRY STAGE: The Draft International Standard (DIS) is submitted to ISO Central Secretariat by the Committee Manager. It is then circulated to all ISO members who then have 12 weeks to vote and comment on it. The DIS is approved if a two-thirds of the P-members of the TC/SC are in favour and not more than one-quarter of the total number of votes cast are negative. If the DIS is approved and no technical changes are introduced in the draft, the project goes straight to publication. However, if technical changes are introduced, FDIS stage is mandatory.
(50) APPROVAL STAGE: This stage will be automatically skipped if the DIS has been approved and no technical changes are introduced. However, if the draft incorporates technical changes following comments at the DIS stage (even if the DIS has been approved) the FDIS stage becomes mandatory. If this stage is used, the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) is submitted to ISO/Central Secretariat (ISO/CS) by the Committee Manager. The FDIS is then circulated to all ISO member for an 8 week vote. The standard is approved if a two-thirds majority of the P-members of the TC/SC is in favour and not more than one-quarter of the total number of votes cast are negative.
(60) PUBLICATION STAGE: At this stage the secretary submits the final document for publication through the Submission Interface. But if the standard has passed through the Approval stage, the manager may submit the project leader’s responses to member body comments on the FDIS. Only editorial corrections are made to the final text. It is published by the ISO Central Secretariat as an International Standard.