# Presentation: 458974

## Accreditation by ANSI as a Standards Developer

**Presentation to:  *****ICSP & GMF***
**April 30, 2008**
***Given by:  Anne Caldas***

## Mission

*To enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the American quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems and ensuring their integrity.*

## ANSI  is...

- Only accreditor of U.S. Standards Developers
- Only body that approves standards as American National Standards (ANS)

## Accredited Standards Developers

- Currently there are about 212 ASDs
- Developing standards in virtually all industry sectors
*A few examples:  medical devices, telecommunications, records management, fire protection, welding, earth-moving machinery, information technology and interoperability, air-conditioning and refrigeration, electrical safety, sunglasses, bicycle helmets, boilers and pressure vessels, metalworking skills assessment, welding skills certification, nuclear equipment operator certification, certification of hazardous waste incinerator operators, etc.  *
- Accreditation is distinct from approval of an individual standard as an ANS

## American National Standards (ANS) Process: Program Oversight Committees

- Executive Standards Council (ExSC)
- Accredits American National Standards Developers
- Accredits US Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) to ISO
- Oversees Accredited Standards Developer Audit Program
- Maintains most ANSI procedures and policies
- Hears appeals and considers complaints
- Board of Standards Review (BSR)
- Approves American National Standards
- Hears appeals and considers withdrawal requests
- ANSI Appeals Board (AB)

## Standards Developer Accreditation

- Only ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers may submit their standards through the American National Standard approval process
- ANSI-accreditation signifies that the standards developer is committed to an open, fair and time-tested consensus process that benefits stakeholders and the American public
- ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers are accredited to the requirements contained in the ***ANSI Essential Requirements:  Due process requirements for American National Standards (2008)***

## Benefits of ANSI Accreditation as a Standards Developer and ANS approval

- Public recognition (by industry, government and other interested parties)
- Hallmarks of the ANS Process
- Openness, due process, consensus by a balance of materially-affected interests, consideration of views and objections
- Transparency of the process
- Fundamental fairness - Ensures level playing field
- Minimizes some legal risks by requiring procedural safeguards (re: antitrust, product liability/negligence, etc.)
- Government acceptability (e.g. National Technology Transfer & Advancement Act of 1995)
- Accreditation is a prerequisite for the National Adoption of an ISO or IEC standard as an ANS

## ANSI Standards Developer Accreditation Requirements

- A standards developer’s written procedures for the development and approval of proposed American National Standards must meet ANSI due process and consensus requirements
- Openness
- Balance
- Discrete interest category definitions
- Lack of Dominance
- Public comment opportunity
- Consideration of Views and Objections

## ANSI Standards Developer Accreditation Requirements

- Comment Resolution and Response
- Recirculation Opportunity
- Consensus Body Vote
- Numerical Requirements for Consensus
- Standards Developer Appeals Process
- Policy for Retention of Evidence of Compliance
- Compliance with ANSI’s Patent Policy
- Compliance with ANSI’s Commercial Terms and Conditions Provisions
- Interpretations and Metrics Policies

## Standards Developer Accreditation Fees

- $3,000 Initial Application Fee
- Annual National Assessment Fee – sliding scale in 2007 from $1,655 for 0-3 ANS to $28,665 for 2001+
- Includes cost of periodic procedural audit (5 year cycle)
- 			**	****	**

## Accreditation Process

## Maintenance of Accreditation

- Procedural audit typically once every 5 years
- Submission of periodic compliance forms when ANSI’s procedural requirements change
- Submission of procedural revisions for approval (reaccreditation process:  similar to steps in the accreditation process)
- Payment of ANSI Membership/Maintenance of Accreditation Dues

## The American National Standard Designation

***   ******Signifies that standards...***
- Are developed using fair, open process that ensures a level playing field
- Meet the needs of materially affected interests
- Are voluntary – compliance is not required unless adopted by regulation or statute

## Consensus...

- ...means substantial agreement has been reached by directly and materially affected interests categories.  This signifies the concurrence of more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity.  Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered, and that an effort be made toward their resolution

## ANS Approval Process

- _Stage 1:_  PINS form to ANSI
- Announcement of project initiation
- PINS deliberation if claim of conflict or duplication is raised
- _Stage 2_: Approval of draft
- Consensus body approves text of draft standard
-  Must meet numerical requirements for consensus as described in developer’s accredited procedures  (e.g. approval by a majority of consensus body and 2/3 of those voting, etc.)
- _Stage 3_:  Public Review
- BSR-8 form initiates announcement in *Standards Action.  *Developer may also announce in industry publications, etc. (multiple public reviews are possible)

## ANS Approval Process

- _Stage 4:_   Comment resolution
- Public and consensus body member comments
- _Stage 5:_  Recirculation (if applicable)
- Unresolved  negative comments from consensus body members and public review commenters as well as any substantive changes to the text, must be recirculated to the entire consensus body to allow them to vote, reaffirm a vote or change a vote
- _Stage 6:_  Appeals at developer level

## ANS Approval Process

- _Stage 7:_  Submittal to ANSI for approval based on procedural compliance – not technical content
- Submittal of final standard for approval with evidence of consensus (BSR-9 form)
- _Stage 8:_  Notification
- Notification of final approval/disapproval
- _Stage 9_:  Appeal at ANSI
- Hearing is scheduled if appeal is filed

## Appeals

- Informal resolutions encouraged
- Appeals to a developer:  in accordance with accredited procedures
- Appeals to ANSI:
- Board of Standards Review (BSR) – ANS
- Executive Standards Council (ExSC) – accreditation and procedural compliance issues
- Appeals Board – final level after the BSR or ExSC appeal concludes

## Audit Process – Summary Flow

- Data Collection

- Conduct  Audit
- 1) On site or Mail-In
- 2) Informal Post Audit Briefing for On-site Audit

- Post Audit
- 1) Develop Audit Report
- 2) Formal Post Audit Telecon
- 3) Transmit Audit Report

- Audit Report and Audit Response are Reviewed by Audit Sub-Committee

- Audit Closed

- Audit Discussed at ExSC

- Accreditation
- Suspended/
- Withdrawn

- Audit Closed

- Appeal to ANSI Executive Standards Council

- Special Audit

**Audit Process – Summary Flow**

| Appeal to ANSI Appeals Board |
| --- |

## ANSI’s Standards Action

- _[www.ansi.org/standardsaction](http://www.ansi.org/standardsaction)__ _
- Available freely to the public
- Published every week
- Includes national and international activity
- Announces: PINS (project initiation notices); public review periods for American National Standards:  accreditations and standards; and final approval decisions.
- Announces meetings, all actions re:  ANS; any proposed revisions to ANSI procedural requirements, etc.

## Contacts: Procedures & Standards  Administration

- Ms. Anne Caldas, Director, ANSI/PSA
- 	Telephone: 212-642-4914
- 	E-mail: _[acaldas@ansi.org](mailto:acaldas@ansi.org)__ _
- Mr. Jim Thompson, Manager, Standards Developer & U.S. ISO/TAG Accreditation Programs
-  	Telephone:  212-642-4963
- 	E-mail: _[jthompso@ansi.org](mailto:jthompso@ansi.org)_
- Mr. Jay Moskowitz, Director, ANSI Audit Program
- 	Telephone:  212-642-8925
- 	E-mail: _[jmoskowi@ansi.org](mailto:jmoskowi@ansi.org)__ _

## Information Sources

- _[www.ansi.org](http://www.ansi.org/)__ _
- Public Library
*Standards Action*
*Electronic Standards Store (ESS)*
- _[www.NSSN.org](http://www.nssn.org/)_
- E-mail:  _[psa@ansi.org](mailto:psa@ansi.org)__ _