1. IEEE SA Standards Board
The IEEE SA Standards Board is established by the IEEE SA Board of Governors according to clause 5.1 of the IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual. The details of its responsibilities beyond that specified in the IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual are stipulated by these bylaws, as supplemented by the IEEE SA Standards Board Operations Manual.
The IEEE SA Standards Board is responsible on an Institute-wide basis for:
- Encouraging and coordinating the development of IEEE standards
- Reviewing all proposed IEEE standards to determine whether the proposed standards conform to the requirements established by the IEEE SA Standards Board and whether consensus has been achieved for approval of the proposed standards
Matters of standards policy, financial oversight, new directions in standardization, and other standards-related activities in fields of interest to the Institute as stated in the IEEE Constitution are the responsibility of the IEEE SA Board of Governors (BOG).
2. IEEE Standards
2.1 Role of IEEE Standards
IEEE SA develops and publishes standards that include but are not limited to definitions and terminology; methods of measurement and test; systems; products; technology; ratings structures; temperature limits and application guides; recommended practices; and safety. Rating and dimensional information included in an IEEE standard result from technical considerations. Rating information developed by other competent organizations may be included provided it is consistent with good engineering practice.
The approval and publication of an IEEE standard implies that the document represents a consensus of the parties who have participated in its development and review. Since every attempt is made to involve all interests in the activity, it can be presumed that the document represents a consensus of interests concerned with the scope of the standard. Consensus is established when, in the judgment of the IEEE SA Standards Board, substantial agreement has been reached by directly and materially affected interest categories. Substantial agreement means much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity. Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered, and that a concerted effort be made toward their resolution.
2.2 Purpose of IEEE Standardization
IEEE standards provide a common ground for communication in some specific area of electrotechnology. They also provide criteria for measuring the acceptable performance of equipment or materials pertinent to the field of electrotechnology.
The purpose of the review by the IEEE SA Standards Board is to ensure that IEEE standards represent a consensus of interests from those that are materially affected by these standards and that proper procedures have been followed during the development of these standards.
An active IEEE standard gives an authoritative reference that is kept up to date through revision at least every ten years by the Standards Committee responsible for its preparation.
3. Governance
The policies, procedures, rules, and regulations by which the IEEE and IEEE SA Standards Board activities are governed are embodied in six documents. The IEEE Certificate of Incorporation legally establishes the IEEE. The IEEE Constitution, which can be approved and amended only by the voting members of the IEEE, contains IEEE’s fundamental objectives and organization. Implementation of the constitutional provisions, in specific organizational units and their policies, is contained in the IEEE Bylaws (PDF), which are approved and amended by the IEEE Board of Directors. The IEEE Policies contain more detailed statements of specific policies, objectives and procedures that may be approved only by the IEEE Board of Directors. The IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual provides specific objectives and policies that relate to standards activities in the IEEE. The IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual is created and amended by the IEEE SA BOG. The sixth document, the IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws, is published herewith. Its purpose is to provide specific policies that relate to the management and creation of approved IEEE standards. The IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws are created and amended by the IEEE SA Standards Board, with final approval by the IEEE SA BOG.
The precedence of these documents should be remembered by all those engaged in IEEE management duties. The IEEE Bylaws shall not be in conflict with the New York Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, the IEEE Certificate of Incorporation, or the IEEE Constitution. The IEEE Policies must conform to the provisions of all of these documents. Accordingly, the IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual shall conform to and not conflict with the provisions of the IEEE governing documents cited above. The IEEE SA Standards Board Bylaws shall conform to the policies of the IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual. Questions of procedure or interpretation shall be addressed to the Managing Director, Standards.