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NACE Standards Program Transition Frequently Asked Questions July 20, 2020

  

 

  1. When does the new Standards Program launch?

 

The new NACE Standards Program will officially launch during Corrosion Technology Week (CTW) 2020 in Houston, Texas USA, September 13 – 17, 2020. Virtual training for Standards Committee officers has already begun and will continue through CTW.

 

  1. How does the new Standards Program differ from the previous program?

 

In October 2019, the NACE Board of Directors approved the establishment of an independent standards-only committee structure focused on meeting the corrosion control industry’s needs.  Governed by the Standards Board, standing Standards Committees are responsible for a defined topic area and manage a portfolio of standards in that field.  Standards Committee members serve as a dedicated consensus body for their standards portfolio, eliminating the need for the canvass process.  Processes will be streamlined to develop and publish relevant standards and technical reports in a timely manner.  This organization will function separately from the existing Technical Coordination Committee (TCC).  There will be no TG structure for standards under the Standing Committees; all standards will be developed by interested members under the direction of Document Project Managers within each Standards Committee.

 

  1. How do I join a Standards Committee?

 

In July 2020, all current technical committee members will receive an email invitation to participate in Standards Committees in their areas of expertise.  Announcements will be made on the NACE website and in Materials Performance magazine to invite interested parties to join Standards Committees. You must “opt-in” to join a Standards Committee. Transfer from an existing STG to a Standards Committee is not automatic.

 

Committee membership is open to materially interested parties, including technical experts from government, industry, regulatory agencies, and academia, not just current Task Group (TG) members.  Membership in NACE International is not required, enabling the Standards Program to better serve emerging industries or current industries where NACE has a growing presence; although Standards Committee members are encouraged to join NACE.

 

Additional information on Standards Committee member responsibilities is available in the Standards Committees Operating Manual (SCOM), which is posted on the About NACE Standards web page under Standards Documents.

 

  1. What does it mean to maintain “balance” of the voting members of a Standards Committee?

 

Balance means that Voting Members in any one interest classification (User, Producer, General Interest) should not significantly outnumber the members in the other interest classifications. The intent is that no one interest classification has the ability to exert undue influence. To accomplish this, the Standards Committee Chair shall strive to have no one interest classification with more than 50% of the total committee voting membership.  In addition, the total percentage of Voting Members within a Standards Committee from any one company or organization shall not exceed 10%.

 

  1. Will TGs continue to meet?

 

There will no longer be TGs in the new Standards Program.  Members of former standards- developing TGs are encouraged to join the Standards Committees responsible for their standards of interest.  There may be Task Groups established to operate under TCC as defined in the Technical Committees Operating Manual (TCOM), but these TGs will not be involved in standards development.

 

  1. I’m a member of a TG, what do I do to participate in the new system? How do I know which Standards Committee to join?

 

If you are currently a member of a TG, you will most likely want to join the Standards Committee that will be responsible for the standard previously developed by your TG.  A list of the documents assigned to each Standards Committee will be posted on the About NACE Standards web page.

 

  1. Who can be a Document Project Manager (DPM)?

 

Any member of a Standards Committee may be appointed a DPM by the Standards Committee Chair. The Document Project Manager serves as the focal point for all activities related to a standard’s development and retains the role until the standard is approved and published.  

 

  1. My TG is developing a draft. What approval balloting process will be followed?

  1. Prior to July 15, 2020, if a TGC has been established, approval ballots will be conducted utilizing the current TGC as the consensus body.
  2. As of July 15, 2020, no more canvass ballots will be issued to establish a consensus body. The TG members should join the appropriate Standards Committee. 
  3. As of July 15, 2020, any approval ballots of new standards will be held until the change-over occurs on September 14. The ballot will then be distributed to the assigned Standards Committee for a 28-day ballot.  If a consensus body has been set and the ballot is for a reaffirmation, an approval ballot may be sent out until August 15,2020.
  4. After September 14, 2020, the entire voting process will be conducted through the Standards Committees. 

  1. My TG is in the midst of the balloting process. How should the TG proceed?

  1. Prior to August 15, 2020, reballots will be conducted utilizing the current TGC as the consensus body. This ensures that the reballot closes on September 13 (prior to the change-over on September 14).
  2. After August 15, 2020, the voting process will be conducted through the Standards Committee. This will require some work to start over in the new program.  For example, if the TG is preparing a document for a reballot, it will be issued as a 28-day approval ballot utilizing the assigned Standards Committee as the new consensus body.  Subsequent reballots, if necessary, will follow the procedures outlined in the Standards Committees Operating Manual (SCOM).
  3. After August 15, 2020, any draft document that has completed the entire ballot process, had comments adjudicated, and TCC approval to publish has been obtained, the document will be finished with a TCC ratification ballot. If these conditions have not been met, the draft will be issued to the Standards Board for a 14-day Standards Board ballot (not submitted through the TCC process). 
  4. After September 14, 2020, the entire voting process will be conducted through the Standards Committees.
  5. As of September 14, 2020, existing document-developing TGs and TGCs will be disbanded. NACE will not operate two parallel standards development programs.

  1. What happens to current TG Chairs and Vice Chairs?

 

Since there will no longer be Task Groups in the new Standards Program, TG Chairs and Vice Chairs will no longer serve in their current roles.  However, it is likely that TG Chairs and Vice Chairs will be considered for Document Project Manager positions within the Standards Committees.

 

  1. In the past, my TG has addressed complex issues that required in-depth technical discussions to reach resolution. How will the new Standards Program support these types of discussions?

 

There will be several alternatives for in-depth technical discussions.  The Document Project Manager should advise the Standards Committee Chair when there is a situation that requires resolution of conflicting viewpoints.  Since most Standards Committee face-to-face meetings will be scheduled over multiple days, there should be sufficient time on the agenda to allow discussions to resolve a particular standard’s issues.  There may also be a possibility to schedule breakout meetings to enable multiple SC documents to be worked on simultaneously.  Virtual meetings may also be scheduled to address specific issues.  The Document Project Manager will be encouraged to communicate with the Standards Committee Chair and the NACE Staff Standards Liaison to discuss the options and determine which one would best enable the issues to be thoroughly vetted.   

 

 

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