ISO/TC 211 Internal

Information for project leaders, editors and convenors

2012-02-06

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Help page for project leaders and editors

Some practical information, which includes links to the ISO/IEC Directives, standards templates and other ISO documentation for writing standards.

NB - Check list

Terminology

See ISO/TC 19104:2008 and the latest version of the terminology spread sheet.

Harmonized models

It is the responsibility of the leader/editor to make their internal UML models available for comment to the HMMG as soon as those models are in draft form. They should be an Enterprise Architect package built within a recent copy of the Harmonized Model (available at http://www.isotc211.org/hmmg/EArchitect/). An XMI export of that package should be e-mailed to the HMMG chair and copied to the secretariat. The purpose of this is to identify harmonization issues early so that they may be handled by the appropriate editing body (PT or EC).

According to Resolution 236 the project leaders'/editors' shall be members of the HMMG during the project period.

XML Resources

1. It is the responsibility of the leader/editor to make the XML available to the XMG for validation and further dissemination accordingly to ISO/TC 211 XML Policies.
2. The XML shall conform to the requirements expressed in ISO/TC 211 XML Policies. The purpose of this is to identify harmonization and XML validation issues early so that they may be handled by the appropriate editing body (PT or EC).
3. According to XMG Terms of reference, the project leaders/editors are ex officio members of the XMG during the project period.
   

Editing committees

Terms of reference for the Editing Committees: N 2517
Guidelines for the Editing Committees: N 2518

See also information for project leaders/editors below.

Information for project leader/editors in ISO/TC 211

This site is to help the project leaders and editors in their work.

Please visit the Standards development area of the ISO web site, which includes the Directives and all tools needed. There are several ways to go into the different places you need, for example:

• Under Processes and procedures you will find the ISO/IEC Directives Part 1, Basic procudures for the technical work and Part 2, Rules for the structure and drafting of International Standards (ISO/IEC Directives and ISO Supplement)
  
  
  • Under Drafting standards you will find the ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, the ISO Templates for drafting standards, and other guidelines for preparation of text and graphics.
    
    
• Under IT Tools you will find som of the same issues.
• How to write Quantities, units, symbols and signs.

Please note that

• a first working draft shall be submitted to the TC for information 6 months after the approval of the project.
• when the project team decides that the draft is ready for Committee Draft (CD), it shall be sent to the convenor of the WG. The convenor shall distribute the draft to the whole WG for final comments before it is sent to the secretariat for distribution as CD for ballot and comments. The convenor of the WG shall submit the draft to the secretariat.
• when the draft is sent out as a CD, the project team is dissolved. An editing committee is appointed to resolve comments on the CD.

Aslo note that

• the figures shall be submitted to the secretariat in the original, reversible files. See "Guidelines for the preparation and submission of graphics" for acceptable formats.
• the new ISO time frame is given in document N 1498.

Check-list

The secretariat notes that there are certain items that keeps coming up in all drafts, and has therefore collected these in a check-list.

Terminology

Please note that project leaders shall check the terminology to assure harmonization. The latest version of the terminology spreadsheet.

For harmonization with other ISO standards, note that ISO has now issued the "Concept Database", where all terms and definitions from all ISO standards is include.

Project teams

For each project the member bodies nominate experts to work on the project. These experts forms the project team, which automatically becomes part of the WG to which the project is assigned. The project leader will receive a list of the appointed experts from the secretariat. Whenever a change is given from the member bodies to the secretariat, the project leader will be notified. Only experts appointed from the member bodies via the secretatiat shall be on the distribution list of the project leader. If the project leader receive information from someone that wants to participate in the work, he/she must ask this person to contact their member body for official nomination.

It is important that the project leader includes the whole project team in the work, also those that are not able to attend meetings. The whole team shall have the opportunity to comment on new versions before it proceeds to CD.

If you have any questions, please contact the secretariat.

Check-list - typical problems using the ISO templates and writing standards

This list is a collection of typical problems with the documents the secretariat receives. All are covered in the Directives and templates, and the link above to ISO is the site where you can find information. This list is just a supplement and reminder.

Templates

Download the reference manual and take a quick look before you start!
Remember that this is a template, all necessary styles are already included.

• Do not change the styles
• Do not add styles – "Special" shall be used if you need another style

Exception:
Most of our standards have code lists, and a style for this may be added

• Do not manually change the automatically generated text (except text in normal paragraphs). If you need to change title, number, date, stage etc. you have to go into "Doc.Info"
• The most commonly used styles are included in "Elements".

Important checkpoints

Normative language
Check the use of normative statements, it shall be shall, or it shall be may.

Annexes
Annexes shall appear in the order they are sited in the document.

Paragraphs
Hanging paragraphs and stand alone paragraphs are not allowed.

Figures
Figures shall be in a reviseable format. Exceptions are photographs.

Do not use colours unless it is necessary for the understanding of the figure.

There shall not be text in the figures, use keys below the figure. Remember that the standards are translated into many languages. It shall not be necessary to redraw the figures. Exceptions here are the UML-models. Check out ISO's web site on preparartion and submission of graphics.

References

• There shall be references to all figures and tables and annexes in the text.
• If you refer to a specific clause, figure or table in another standard, you need to include the year (e.g. ISO 19101:2002, 6.3 or ISO 19101:2002, Figure 3).
• There is no need to include the title of the standard you refer to in the text.
• When you refer to a subclause, you shall only use the number (e.g. "see 6.3.1).
• Refer to "Annex A" or "A.1", not "Annex A.1".
• When referring to the document at hand, use "this International Standard" or "this Technical Specification". "This document" shall only be used in the clauses Normative references and Terms and definitions. If you work with a standard with several parts, you refer to "this part of ISO 191xx".

Grammar
Use complete sentences in the normal text! (Definitions are an exception with special rules.)

Other reminders
Be consequent in the use of capital letters; don't use it unless it has significance.

Remember that the typical reader of the standard has not been involved in the committee work!

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