The Standards Development Process at the Canadian General Standards Board
The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) defines a standard as a document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree or order in a given context.
The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) currently has approximately 350 standards in English and in French - covering a wide range of products and services.
The Standards Division staff administers the standards-development process using balanced committees to arrive at voluntary consensus standards.
National Standards of Canada (NSC), CGSB standards and Government of Canada (GC) Standards are developed by the CGSB. A NSC is a standard prepared or reviewed by an accredited Canadian Standards Development Organization (SDO) such as the CGSB and approved by SCC. A CGSB standard is a document prepared in accordance with CGSB policies and procedures and approved by the CGSB. A GC Standard is a standard developed to state the particular requirements of government for a material, a product or a service, it may or may not meet the requirements of an NSC or CGSB standard.
| Development Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Stage 00 – Preliminary Stage | CGSB evaluates requests for new work items to develop or maintain standards. |
| Stage 10 – Proposal Stage | CGSB further evaluates and finalizes the proposed new work item and required funding in discussions with the requester. |
| Stage 20 – Drafting Stage | The public is advised of the existence of the new work item and the first drafts are prepared. |
| Stage 30 – Committee Development Stage | The draft is further developed and reviewed by the TC. |
| Stage 40 – Public Enquiry Stage | The draft is made available for public comment while the TC continues to review the draft |
| Stage 50 – Committee Approval Stage | The draft is approved by letter-ballot by the TC. |
| Stage 55 – Ratification Stage | The approved draft and the documented steps leading to its approval, are reviewed by the PPA. Proposed CGSB standards are ratified at this stage; and NSCs are submitted to SCC for ratification. |
| Stage 60 – Publication Stage | The standard is published, public notification is given, and distribution is initiated. |
| Stage 90 – Review Stage | Standards are reviewed in accordance with applicable schedules or needs and a decision is made to amend, revise, reaffirm, or withdraw. |
| Stage 95 – Withdrawal Stage | Public notification of withdrawal is given, a letter ballot or consultation is held, PPA approval is sought, and a withdrawal notice is published. |
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