A rigorous standards adoption lifecycle has been developed for the identification, review and approval of standards or sets of standards.

Assisting the TSS with the standard adoption lifecycle are members of the Standards Implementation Working Group, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Standard Working Groups (SWGs). They will all interact at various stages of the process.

The standard adoption lifecycle will ensure that standards which are approved by the ISB are capable of delivering the target benefits.

Who is involved?

A number of different groups will be involved and interact in the various stages of the standard adoption lifecycle:

  • business owners - they are accountable for progressing standards in the lifecycle, from development through to approval and publication
  • members of the Standards Implementation Working Group
  • Special Interest Groups (SIGs) - they undertake technical assessments, identify risks and issues, and identify new and emerging standards
  • Standard Working Groups (SWGs)- they develop the business case and carry out impact assessments for the adoption of a standard(s) and will champion the use of the standard within the business
  • an ISB board review which will prioritise standards and make the final decision on the approval of a standard(s).

The standards adoption process: stages of review

The lifecycle can be broadly broken down into three main stages: an initial stage to identify standards that should be considered, a detailed review of the standard and the final decision by the ISB Board.

  • At ‘identify’ stage, the TSS facilitates the identification process by appointing members of the SIGs and other interested parties to scrutinise and identify relevant standards, both internally and externally. Standards that are deemed of potential benefit proceed into the standards adoption lifecycle.
     
  • At ‘under review’ stage, standards are reviewed against business need and are prioritised. SWGs are formed to develop a full work plan and business case, which includes an assessment of the potential impact and benefits. The TSS then passes its recommendations on to the ISB.
     
  • At ‘ISB decision’ stage the ISB hold a review meeting to make the final decision on whether or not the standard(s) should be approved and adopted. Approved standards will be published and included in the ISB standards library.

Timescales

Every standard or group of standards passing through the standard adoption lifecycle will have specific timescales and milestones. Once a standard(s) has been identified and enters the standard adoption lifecycle, a number of factors will influence its progress through the process, including the standards type, its prioritisation and its state of maturity.

  • New standards are standards which are emerging from within the escs system and have been identified as having business benefit by being recognised by the ISB. These standards will pass through every stage of the standards adoption lifecycle and can take up to 12 months for approval.
     
  • Standards for review are standards that have already been adopted in the escs system and flagged up for formal ISB review. As these standards are well developed, they will be fast tracked through the process and only pass through selected points of the lifecycle. These standards may only take three months for approval.

Standard(s) which have been formally approved by the ISB will have a review date scheduled every three to four years to ensure that the standard(s) continues to be relevant and of benefit to the business.