P322
		Response to WG15 AI 9605-14: Conformity Assessment


9605-14   Members Bodies - provide comments to the convener on
	  documents  N633,   and  N634	 regarding  conformity
	  assessment plans  and interoperability before August
	  1 for input to the SC22 meeting.

Subject:	Re: (wg15-uk 1086) (SC22WG15.871)
		WG15 National Body input on conformity assessment discussion
To:		isaak@ljo.dec.com (Jim Isaak)
Date:		Thu, 1 Aug 1996 10:16:01 +0100 (BST)
Cc:		sc22wg15@dkuug.dk (SC22/WG15 Posix)

Jim Isaak wrote:
>
> August 1st is the target for any input on the Action Plans for
> conformity assessment so I can note these in my report to SC22.
>

The UK MB comments to WG15 are that, while the aims of the JTC1 papers
are to be applauded, we believe that sourcing and directing the
required effort at SC and WG level will be problematic.

Experts are drawn to contribute to the standards process usually because
they (or their employers) see a need for a document to clarify existing
practice or to point a way for emerging technology.  The experts are
volunteers but the costs to their employers are not insubstantial.
These 'technology' experts are not necessarily the same group of people
with expertise in conformity assessment, and JTC1 will need to attract
people from that group in order to achieve its goals.

This implies extra costs, not just in financial terms, but also in terms
of the management of the standardisation process, where different groups
of experts may need to be shepherded through the sequence necessary to
create a single 'conforming' standard.

Management of the process will have to take account, from the very start
of a project, whether conformity assessment is likely to be a requirement
of that project, and if so whether the necessary effort is available.  In
some circumstances, where a project is deemed to be of critical importance
but where conformity experts are not available for whatever reason, JTC1
may have to decide whether to proceed at all, and if so whether to attempt
to 'buy in' the conformity expertise; the effects here could be very
extensive indeed.

--
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David Cannon			       University of Exeter,  IT Services
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