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ISBN 978-0-626-19702-5
SANS 1-2:2007
Edition 1
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL STANDARD
Standards for standards
Part 2: Requirements for the recognition of
Standards Development Organizations (SDOs)
in South Africa
Published by Standards South Africa
1 dr lategan road groenkloof private bag x191 pretoria 0001
tel: 012 428 7911 fax: 012 344 1568 international code + 27 12
www.stansa.co.za
© Standards South Africa
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SANS 1-2:2007
Edition 1
Table of changes
Change No.
Date
Scope
Foreword
This South African standard was approved by National Committee StanSA TC 200, Technical committee
for the development of standards, in accordance with procedures of Standards South Africa, in
compliance with annex 3 of the WTO/TBT agreement.
This part of SANS 1 was published in June 2007.
SANS 1 consists of the following parts, under the general title Standards for standards:
Part 1: The development of national standards and other normative documents.
Part 2: Requirements for the recognition of Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) in South
Africa.
Annex A is for information only.
Introduction
This document was prepared with anticipation that a new Standards Act would come into being in 2007
that would make provision for the recognition of Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) by the
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
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Edition 1
Contents
Page
Foreword
Introduction
1
Scope ....................................................................................................................................
3
2
Normative references ............................................................................................................
3
3
Terms and definitions ............................................................................................................
3
4
Recognition of a Standards Development Organization (SDO) ............................................
4
5
Procedure for the development of standards .......................................................................
5
6
Participation in the international standards development process ........................................
6
Annex A (informative) Example of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ..........................
8
Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 11
1
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Edition 1
This page is intentionally left blank
2
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SANS 1-2:2007
Edition 1
Standards for standards
Part 2:
Requirements for the recognition of Standards Development Organizations
(SDOs) in South Africa
1 Scope
This standard describes the underlying principles for the recognition of Standards Development
Organizations (SDOs) other than Standards South Africa (StanSA) in the preparation of national
standards and other normative documents for publication by StanSA.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. All
normative documents are subject to revision and, since any reference to a normative document is
deemed to be a reference to the latest edition of that document, parties to agreements based on this
document are encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent editions of the normative
documents indicated below. Information on currently valid national and international standards can be
obtained from Standards South Africa.
2.1 Standard
SANS 1-1, Standards for standards – Part 1: The development of national standards and other
normative documents.
2.2 Other publication
World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purpose of this document, the definitions in SANS 1-1 and the following terms and definitions
apply.
3.1
consensus
general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any
important part of the concerned interests, and by a process that involves seeking to take into account
the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments
NOTE Consensus need not imply unanimity.
3
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Edition 1
3.2
juristic person
legal entity created by or under the powers and authorities of law, upon which a personality equal to that
of a natural person is conferred by law
3.3
mirror committee
MC
group of representatives responsible for dealing with international standardization matters, appointed by
a technical committee or subcommittee in the field of the scope of the technical committee or
subcommittee
3.4
programme of work
list of published documents and documents under development, including all revisions, amendments
and reaffirmations
3.5
standardization
activity of establishing, with regard to actual or potential needs, provisions for common and repeated
use, and that are aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order in a given context
[ISO/IEC Guide 2]
NOTE In particular, the activity consists of the process of formulating, issuing and implementing standards.
3.6
Standards Approval Committee
SAC
an internal committee of Standards South Africa responsible for approval of all new work items, and the
ratification, revisions, amendments and withdrawals on the basis of due process of all normative
documents
[SANS 1-1:2003]
3.7
Standards Development Organization
SDO
body assuming responsibility for the preparation and maintenance of national standards and other
normative documents
[SANS 1-1:2003]
4 Recognition of a Standards Development Organization (SDO)
4.1 Standards South Africa (StanSA) may recognize an SDO by means of an agreement between the
leadership of the two parties. Such recognition of an SDO by StanSA shall be formalized in a signed,
written agreement. (See annex A.) Such recognition shall be based on an assessment by StanSA of the
need for standardization in that sector.
4.2 The written agreement (see 4.1) shall include recognition of primary areas of responsibility for the
SDO, whereby the areas of potential standards development shall be clearly defined.
4.3 The SDO shall be a juristic person with full legal capacity to act in South Africa.
4
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Edition 1
4.4 The SDO shall identify any potential conflicts of interest that it might encounter in the development
of standards. The resolution of any conflict, however identified, shall be to the satisfaction of the
Standards Approval Committee (SAC). A conflict that is not resolved shall be referred to the SAC and its
decision in the matter shall be final.
NOTE A conflict of interest includes certification, testing or consultation against standards that the SDO has
developed.
4.5 The SDO shall establish a documented procedure to coordinate the programme of work of the
organization to effectively prioritize and cover its primary areas of responsibility. It shall have an
obligation to provide reports on statistics, outputs and other matters for reporting purposes to the
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as and when requested by StanSA.
4.6 The SDO shall make available to StanSA, the results of appropriate investigation to determine its
compliance with the requirements of this standard. The frequency for the availability of these results
shall be defined and agreed upon by both parties. These results shall then be made available for public
review.
4.7 StanSA shall reserve the right to withdraw the recognition of an SDO if, in its opinion, the
performance of the SDO is not compliant with this standard, or for any other valid reason.
4.8 Any stakeholder that has a complaint in relation to the process followed or a decision taken by a
Technical Committee (TC) managed by an SDO may lodge a complaint with that SDO in terms of its
defined procedures. If the complaint remains unresolved, the complainant may appeal to StanSA who
shall deal with the appeal in terms of SANS 1-1.
4.9 The SDO has the right to appeal to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the South African Bureau
of Standards (SABS) when necessary and thereafter the Council of the SABS in respect of any decision
by StanSA that affects it. The decision of the Council of the SABS shall be final and binding.
5 Procedure for the development of standards
5.1 The SDO shall have in place a set of written procedures that shall be followed in order to govern
the development of national standards that are compatible with the requirements in SANS 1-1. These
procedures shall include a reference to the necessary facilities and resources committed to carrying out
the work. The potential overlapping of the scope of work shall be managed by StanSA.
5.2 The procedures shall be made available to all interested parties on request.
5.3 The SDO shall forward copies of their operating procedures, as approved by SAC, to StanSA.
These shall be freely available and subject to public comment. StanSA shall be notified of any proposed
changes to the said procedures.
5.4 The SDO shall then set up a committee for the technical work to be undertaken in accordance with
the requirements of SANS 1-1.
5.5 The SDO shall develop, implement and maintain a procedure for the identification of needs for
standards. This procedure shall take into account regional harmonization, national imperatives and the
requirements of the WTO/TBT agreement. The SDO shall make available its programme of work to all
interested parties and shall forward copies to StanSA at defined intervals in line with national
commitments under the WTO/TBT agreement. This programme of work shall include all standards and
other normative documents that are being developed by the SDO or are undergoing maintenance. The
list shall also include projects that the SDO intends to develop in the near future but, for various reasons,
have not begun yet. Reference to the project management process shall also be included. The SDO
shall subscribe to INFOPLUS, which is a standards updating service.
5
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Edition 1
5.6 The SDO shall ensure that proper configuration control is in place for all standards published and
for those still under development.
5.7 The SDO shall have separate documented complaints handling and appeals processes whereby
any interested party can appeal any decision made by the TC or the SDO. Records of any appeal shall
be maintained for a period of not less than 10 years.
5.8 The SDO shall maintain records that demonstrate that due process has been followed during the
development of each normative document and that progress was made based on the attainment of
consensus by a committee representative of the valid interest groups in the field of endeavour
concerned (see SANS 1-1).
5.9 Upon completion of the development of a standard, the SDO shall deliver an electronic, print-ready
copy of the Draft South African Standard (DSS) to StanSA in a format acceptable to StanSA for
circulation for public comment. StanSA shall make available any information, advice and training
required by the SDO.
5.10 All interested parties, domestic or foreign, shall have the opportunity to comment on the national
DSSs. At the request of any interested party, StanSA shall make available any such draft standard. Fees
charged for such services shall be separate from delivery costs, and shall be the same for both domestic
and foreign parties.
5.11 The SDO shall submit all candidate national standards for approval by SAC. Such approval shall
not be unreasonably withheld and shall be subject to provision of evidence by the responsible SDO that
due process was followed and consensus achieved. The SDO may make use of the series of forms
developed by StanSA for this purpose, or they may develop their own procedure.
5.12 In the event of a dispute over the withholding of approval, the SDO may invoke the appeals
process (see SANS 1-1).
5.13 All national standards shall be published promptly by StanSA after approval by SAC and shall be
readily available to all interested parties (both domestic and foreign).
5.14 StanSA shall make available a record of all national standards and other normative documents
that have been approved for publication in the standards catalogue. In general only the latest edition of
any standard shall be sold.
NOTE There might be instances where a superseded copy of a standard is required, e.g. for regulatory or
contractual reference. The Standards Sales department of the SABS will endeavour to keep a copy of all
superseded standards required for such purposes.
5.15 All standards developed by an SDO shall be maintained in accordance with the requirements in
SANS 1-1.
6 Participation in the international standards development process
6.1 To link the activities of the SDO with international standardization activities in the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and similar bodies, the
SDO should formally develop relationships with the relevant international TCs and subcommittees (SCs)
by registering an appropriate grade of membership (P-membership or O-membership in the case of ISO
and IEC (see SANS 1-1)) through the SABS.
6
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Edition 1
6.2 For each international TC and SC, the SDO shall appoint a mirror committee (MC) headed by a
Chairperson (known as the MC Chairperson) who shall be responsible for dealing with international
standardization matters in a manner mandated formally by the SDO's relevant TC.
6.3 All comments and votes submitted to international TCs and SCs shall be sanctioned by the MC
Chairperson and sent to the SABS in due time for forwarding to the international bodies concerned.
6.4 Only delegates formally authorized and mandated by MCs may attend international TC and SC
meetings, and related technical meetings such as Working Groups, Task Forces, Maintenance Teams
and others. The SABS shall handle all notifications to the international secretariats regarding authorized
attendees, based on advice from MC Chairpersons.
6.5 All activities of MCs, including submission of comments and votes, as well as the attendance of
international committee meetings, shall be formally and timeously reported by the MC Chairperson to the
relevant TC of the SDO.
NOTE The relevant TC of the SDO might wish not to delegate such activities to another group, and deal directly
with them instead. In that case, the TC is deemed to be the MC with regard to international work, and its
Chairperson is likewise deemed to be the MC Chairperson unless otherwise determined.
7
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Edition 1
Annex A
(informative)
Example of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Memorandum of Understanding
between
XXXX
and
Standards South Africa (a division of SABS)
1. Preamble
WHEREAS a National XXXX [describing the organization or association and its objectives] is formed;
WHEREAS the South African Bureau of Standards is responsible for the promotion and maintenance
of standards and quality in connection with commodities and the rendering of services;
AND WHEREAS the Parties wish to enter into a joint venture for the development and or adoption of
technical and operating standards for XXXX in South Africa;
NOW THEREFORE the Parties have reached the following understanding:
2. Definitions and interpretations
2.1 In this Memorandum of Understanding, (hereinafter referred to as "this Memorandum"), unless
inconsistent with or otherwise indicated by the context
2.1.1
"XXXX" means the ……………. [the organization, association, regulator, etc. involved]
2.1.2
"Technical Committee" means the XXXX Technical Committee established in terms of
clause 4 of this Memorandum.
2.1.3
"the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)" means SABS established by
section 2 of the Standards Act, 1993 (Act No. 29 of 1993), herein represented by
Dr GR Visser in his capacity as Executive of Standards South Africa, duly authorized
thereto;
2.1.4
"Party" and "Parties" means the XXXX and Standards South Africa;
2.2 The singular includes the plural, the masculine includes the feminine and vice versa where this
Memorandum requires.
2.3 The headings and titles of the memorandum shall not be deemed part thereof or be taken into
consideration in the interpretation or construction of this Memorandum.
8
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3. Objective
The objective of the Parties is to enter into a joint venture for the development and or adoption of
technical and operating standards for the XXXX industry in South Africa referred to as the "XXXX
Committee".
4. Establishment and functions of the Technical Committee
4.1 The Technical Committee shall be established in terms of Standards South Africa's operating
procedure as provided for in the Standards Act, 1993 (Act No. 29 of 1993) and published as
SANS 1-1, as it may be amended from time to time, and it may establish subcommittee(s)
whenever appropriate.
4.2 Any subcommittee(s) established in terms of clause 4.1 shall have the power to exercise the
authorities duly delegated to it by the Technical Committee.
4.3 The development and or adoption of technical and operating standards for the XXXX industry in
South Africa shall be the responsibility of the Technical Committee and, or, its subcommittee(s)
in accordance with the Standards Act, 1993 (Act No. 29 of 1993) requirements.
4.4 The Technical Committee and or its subcommittee(s) shall be responsible for the maintenance
and review of existing standards within the scope(s) of activity.
4.5 The Technical Committee shall be headed by the person designated by the XXXX who is
agreed to by the Technical Committee members and Standards South Africa, and shall in
respect of meetings, be Chairperson.
4.6 All the secretariat and support functions of the Technical Committee and any of its
subcommittee(s) will be provided for by Standards South Africa.
NOTE The parties should revisit this clause during the course of the relationship as they gain experience.
This might result in greater autonomy being granted to XXXX, subject to the development of supporting
standards.
4.7 All decisions of the Technical Committee and its subcommittee(s) shall be taken in terms of
Standards South Africa's operating procedures as set out in clause 4.1.
5. Copyright
The copyright of all national standards vests in Standards South Africa. Standards that are developed or
adopted in terms of this Memorandum will be provided to XXXX by Standards South Africa in electronic
format for record purposes.
9
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6. Whole memorandum
6.1 The Parties agree that no variation of, addition to, consensual cancellation or novation of this
Memorandum in its entirety or of any term or condition thereof shall be of any force or effect
unless reduced to writing and signed by the Parties or their authorized representatives.
6.2 Where the Act or any other legislation is amended in such a way as to affect this Memorandum,
this Memorandum will be considered as having been amended accordingly and the Parties shall
take immediate steps to effect steps to amend the actual documents.
THUS DONE AND SIGNED at................................... on this the .................................... day of
................................................................ in this Year Two Thousand and Seven.
As witnesses
1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
____________________________
(Name): ....................................................
(Designation): ....................................................
THUS DONE AND SIGNED at................................... on this the .................................... day of
................................................................ in this Year Two thousand and Seven.
As witnesses
1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
10
_________________________________
GR Visser
StanSA Executive
Standards South Africa
Duly authorized hereto
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Edition 1
Bibliography
ISO/IEC Guide 2, Standardization and related activities – General vocabulary
© Standards South Africa
11