ARCHIVED 5.2.8. Standardization by Consensus, by Ballot and by Decree

 

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Standards are generally voluntary. Standardization agreements, especially in the case of de jure standards, are arrived at largely through discussion, persuasion and finally consensus of the participating members. Normative standards are widely used because they guarantee interconnectivity and interoperability, not because they are binding.

In international standardizing organizations, standards are developed by subject-field experts working in groups or committees. Once there is sufficient consensus for the standards document under study to move on to the next stage of development, the document is circulated for ballot. The participating member countries are called upon to vote on whether to accept or reject the document, or abstain. International standards are reached by international consensus among the members. Consensus is important since it represents a common viewpoint of the parties concerned. Comments may be attached to a ballot decision and acceptance may be conditional upon the resolution of issues raised in the comments. Comments are encouraged in the case of negative votes since they often constitute the starting point for future resolution. Because standards are voluntary, every attempt is made to reach as great a degree of consensus as possible.

ISO and IEC standards are most often adopted by countries as voluntary standards, but they may be adopted nationally by decree. Voluntary standards become mandatory if they are incorporated into national codes or regulations. When the standards are included in national legislation, they are no longer voluntary and are enforced by the law.

De facto standards are established by the market, especially in the case of information technology. Participation in the market requires the adoption of de facto standards and their terminology.