ISO deliverables

In addition to International Standards, ISO can also offer other forms of normative agreements for situations where speedy publication is important, has developed a schematic representation of the different types of deliverable available. A description of each deliverable can be obtained either by clicking directly on the diagram, or on the links below.

Schematic representation of ISO deliverables

ISO Standard

A normative document, developed according to consensus procedures, which has been approved by the ISO membership and P-members of the responsible committee in accordance with Part 1 of the ISO/IEC Directives as a draft International Standard and/or as a final draft International Standard and which has been published by the ISO Central Secretariat.

The way it is done

A text corresponding to an approved work item is developed as necessary through the preparatory and/or committee stages until consensus is reached in the committee. (In case of doubt, approval by 2/3 of the P-members voting may be considered to constitute consensus.) The text is submitted to all ISO member bodies for a five-month vote as a draft International Standard (DIS) and is approved if twothirds of the P-members vote affirmatively and not more than a quarter of all votes cast are negative. A final text is prepared taking into account member body comments on the DIS and this text is issued for formal vote as a final draft International Standard (FDIS). If the text is again approved by two-thirds of the P-members voting and if not more than a quarter of all votes cast are negative, then the text is approved and the Central Secretariat publishes the International Standard.

ISO/PAS Publicly available specification

A normative document representing the consensus within a working group.

The way it is done

A TC/SC may decide that a particular work item should result in publication of a PAS. Normally this decision should be agreed at the outset, i.e. simultaneously with approval of the New Work Proposal Item (NP). The text is developed through the preparatory stage within a working group. At the end of this stage the text shall be submitted for approval either by correspondence or at a meeting for publication as a PAS. Acceptance of the document requires approval by a simple majority of the Pmembers of the TC/SC under which the WG operates.

Notes

1. PAS may be processed in one language only.
2. Competing PAS offering different technical solutions are possible provided that they do not conflict with existing International Standards. (A TC/SC may decide to revise an ISO standard to allow conflicting PAS.)
3. PAS shall be reviewed at least every three years to decide either to confirm the PAS for a further three years, revise the PAS, process the PAS further to become either a technical specification or an International Standard, or to withdraw the PAS. After six years, a PAS shall either be converted into an International Standard or be withdrawn.
4. ISO member bodies may adopt PAS and publish them as documents having the same authority as an ISO/PAS.

ISO/TS Technical specification

A normative document representing the technical consensus within an ISO committee.

The way it is done

a) A TC/SC may decide that a particular work item should result in publication of a technical specification. Normally this decision should be agreed at the outset, i.e. simultaneously with approval of the NP. The text is developed through the preparatory and committee stages at the end of which the text shall be submitted for a three-month vote by the P-members of the committee to approve publication of the document as a technical specification. Acceptance of the document requires approval by two-thirds of the P-members. If the acceptance criterion is satisfied, the document shall be sent to the Central Secretariat for publication as an ISO/TS.

b) In cases in which a committee had decided to produce an International Standard, but subsequently discovered that there was insufficient support for the publication of a standard, the committee may agree, by the above process, to publish the document as a technical specification.

c) Any P-member or category A or D-liaison organization of a committee may propose that an existing document be considered for adoption as a technical specification. The process for approval is as described in a).
NB: A-type liaison: participation by an organization in a TC or SC which can make an effective contribution to the work of the committee. D-type liaison: participation at the working group level only or contribution to a specific project

Notes

1. Technical specifications may be processed in one language only.
2. Competing technical specifications offering different technical solutions are possible provided that they do not conflict with existing International Standards. (A TC/SC may decide to revise an ISO standard to allow conflicting technical specifications.)
3. Technical specifications shall be reviewed at least every three years to decide either to confirm the technical specification for a further three years, revise the technical specification, process it further to become an International Standard or withdraw the technical specification. After six years, a technical specification shall be either converted into an International Standard or withdrawn.
4. ISO member bodies may adopt technical specifications and publish them as documents having the same level of authority as the ISO/TS.

ISO/TR Technical report

An informative document containing information of a different kind from that normally published in a normative document.

The way it is done

When a committee has collected information in support of an approved work item or work items, it may decide, by simple majority vote of the P-members, to request that the information be published in the form of a technical report. The ISO Secretary-General, if necessary in consultation with the Technical Management Board, shall decide whether to publish the document as a technical report.

International Workshop Agreement (IWA)

An IWA is an ISO document produced through workshop meeting(s) and not through the technical committee process.

The way it is done

Any interested party can propose an IWA and can participate in developing one. An ISO member body will be assigned to organize and run the workshop meeting(s) resulting in the IWA. Market players and other stakeholders directly participate in IWA and do not have to go through a national delegation. An IWA can be produced on any subject.

• An IWA can be developed swiftly (published in less than 12 months) to address a rapidly emerging market need or public policy requirement.
• The ISO brand can give international recognition and credibility to your organization’s work.
• IWAs can be used as precursors to International Standards.

ISO Guide

Guides provide guidance to technical committees for the preparation of standards, often on broad fields or topics.

The way it is done

Guides are prepared by Policy Development Committees (PDCs, such as CASCO or COPOLCO), or by committees or groups established by the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) and operating under the TMB (e.g. REMCO). A number of Guides are jointly developed between ISO and IEC and then published as ISO/IEC Guides.

After consensus has been obtained in the group preparing the Guide, the draft is disseminated to all ISO member bodies for a four-months enquiry vote as a DIS. A draft Guide is approved if not more than 1/4 of the votes cast by the ISO member bodies are negative. In the case of ISO/IEC Gudies, the acceptance criteria has to be met in both organizations independently.

If the acceptance criteria are met, the Guide is published without being subject to an additional approval vote as an FDIS.