This document was compiled at NIST and is intended for informational purposes only. It does 

not represent official government policy and does not convey endorsement of any specific 

recommendations listed. 

OBSERVATIONS REGARDING

The U.S. Model of Public-Private Cooperation in Standards Setting

Underpins a strong, responsive system that is critical to sustaining competitiveness, 

technological innovation and economic growth.

Provides flexibility to choose standards based on important considerations such as 

technical quality, market relevance and global coherence.

Meets the needs of both government and industry for internationally accepted solutions.

Provides for leadership of initiatives by both the private and public sectors.

Contributions of Standards to Technological Innovation, Competitiveness, Trade

Technology is increasingly infused into the systems and processes that make the world 

work. Standards are paramount to ensure the interoperability within and among existing 

and future systems of systems.

Standards from all sources can lead to technological innovation.

In all industries, standards are important tools for interoperability, production efficiency 

and global deployment.

When technologies based on standards compete with each other for marketplace 

dominance, rapid innovation by one spurs competitive response by others in the market.

Successful standards can help create opportunity for further product differentiation and 

more choices for users and consumers.

The U.S. technology industry traces its competitiveness to the strength and broad 

acceptance of the standards on which it relies.

Federal Government Role

The role of the federal government has varied historically and needs to become more 

consistent and sensitive to its impacts.

There needs to be a locus for developing standards related public policy at the national 

level. The bottom-up approach followed within the government to date has left a policy 

vacuum. 

Those areas in which the government is uniquely equipped to motivate action by the 

system should be recognized and consciously added to government planning.

The federal government should continue to promote the private sector led system and to 

identify and support the technical work it perceives to be in the national interest.

The federal government should continue to play the role of facilitator and active 

participant in standardization activities.

Federal leadership and policies directed toward standardization should be carefully 

considered, crafted and implemented to ensure that they do not discourage innovation or 

negatively impact US business opportunities for growth abroad.

Federal government policy should highlight the strategic role and value of 

standardization in accomplishing national policy objectives.
This document was compiled at NIST and is intended for informational purposes only. It does 

not represent official government policy and does not convey endorsement of any specific 

recommendations listed. 

Federal Government Effectiveness

Law and policy in the United States have institutionalized the role of the federal 

government as a customer of the standardization system rather than taking on a 

leadership role in setting strategy, objectives and directions for standardization.

Confusion within the government as to appropriate roles leads to lost opportunity for the 

public sector to be an equal and effective partner in standardization.

The effectiveness of U.S. government participation depends on the level of involvement 

and commitment of resources and manpower to the process.

Effectiveness could be improved via better communication between the public and 

private sectors, better framing of the issues at the outset where the government has an 

interest, and clear definition of end goals.

Government Agencies

There is little existing guidance on the nature of the government’s interest in standards 

and how this should be reflected in agency practices.

There is inconsistent interpretation and policy implementation across federal agencies, 

resulting in broadly varying policies relating to agency staff participation in 

standardization activities.

Obsolete policies and regulations impede progress and innovation in key technology 

areas.

The current structure of government offices charged with standards and conformance 

work varies widely across agencies and may not be as efficient and streamlined as 

possible.

Need more consistent interpretation and policy implementation across Federal agencies 

related to government participation in standards development.

Need better coordination of government engagement in standardization, better 

prioritization of needs and clear timelines.

Agency leaders should work to increase alignment of standardization goals and 

objectives within and across agencies, especially in cross-cutting areas. Where objectives 

are overlapping or unclear, agencies may be providing redundant support or even 

competing with each other for work in different portfolios. 

When an agency or agencies commit to a cooperative standardization effort with 

industry, that commitment should be consistent and the results that the effort produces 

should be used where feasible. There should be clear communication regarding both 

successes and failures. 

NIST Role

NIST’s expertise on standards and technology issues, and its well-deserved reputation as 

a science-based organization that serves as an honest broker, can and should be leveraged 

by the U.S. government.

NIST is in a unique position within the government to coordinate across agencies on 

national and international policy issues that related to the standards system and standards 

themselves.
This document was compiled at NIST and is intended for informational purposes only. It does 

not represent official government policy and does not convey endorsement of any specific 

recommendations listed. 

NIST leadership can accelerate the development and availability of standards where a 

national public policy priority has been identified and there is an urgency to achieve 

results quickly. 

NIST’s roles as facilitator and convener should be explicitly recognized and 

institutionalized. These roles assume a long term commitment by NIST, standards 

organizations and standards users to ensure that adequate support is provided throughout 

the standardization lifecycle – through development to deployment – with explicit 

consideration of demonstrating interoperability where needed via test beds, joint testing 

activities and other means. 

NIST should lead development and implementation of a real-time mechanism for the 

government to let the impacted community know when a standards-based solution is 

needed, and for SSOs to let the government know when key standards are being revised.

NIST should be called on to improve the objective tools and guidance available to 

agencies when they must make value judgments about when standards efforts can be 

accorded governmental preference.

Private Sector Role

The private sector continues to play a leading role in the U.S. standards system. A 

significant fraction of standards that are developed and used are created with little or no 

participation by federal agencies.

The private sector is uniquely positioned to address market needs for standards, and with 

appropriate engagement can partner with the federal government to help meet the federal 

government’s standards needs.

The private sector is in a central position to identify emerging trends and issues where 

active federal government engagement may be necessary to help maintain a level playing 

field for U.S. interests.

Adequacy of Resources

Standards participation is an investment in the future and has to be viewed as such by the 

leadership of agencies and corporations alike.

More resources need to be applied to increase participation in standards setting activities 

– funding of travel, membership dues.

Need sustained and properly resourced participation.

For standards of significant interest to the federal government, particularly those 

addressing national priorities, the federal government should consider multi-year 

investments to assure continuity of federal engagement, and to indicate federal 

government support.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Standards

IPR policies of SSOs need to take into account the interests of both IPR holders and those 

seeking to use or implement the IP included in the standards or standards.

IPR policies of SSOs should be easily accessible and the rules governing the disclosure 

and licensing of IPR should be clear and unambiguous.
This document was compiled at NIST and is intended for informational purposes only. It does 

not represent official government policy and does not convey endorsement of any specific 

recommendations listed. 

SSOs are in the best position to establish effective policies for addressing IPRs related to 

the standards that they develop. IPR are important to encourage innovation. It is 

important to take them into account during the standards-setting process, particularly with 

respect to interoperability standards for technologies with a significant ICT component.

SSOs have demonstrated responsibility in drafting IPR policies They should continue to 

be the focal point for the content of their standards and specifications and in dealing with 

the related IPR issues in their policies and procedures. There is no one ideal, one-sizefits-all IPR policy.

While to date there have been few definitive instances of patent hold up among the very 

large number of standards developed and deployed, further discussion about the potential 

impact of IPR in standardization for technologies of interest in meeting national priorities

is timely.