Recent standards-management actions benefit association executives.

As a past four-term director of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), New York City, and an honorary member of ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, I commend ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT for its fine introductory article "Raising the Stakes for Standard Setting" in the May 2002 issue. I've recently reread the article in light of increasing association-related standards activities. While you have undoubtedly raised awareness among your readership of the critical issues related to standard setting, I'd like to point out some recent developments in national and global standardization that are of vital importance to association executives and may well benefit them. Let me provide some brief examples of these trends, initial responses to them, and additional resources of which association leaders should be aware.

1. The credibility and validity of association-based certification programs is under increasing scrutiny. The profusion and explosive growth of association and other certification programs creates confusion among users and the public. To address this issue, ANSI launched this year an independent, third-party accreditation of certification programs for professionals (i.e., business and industry professionals as well as service personnel). The "Accreditation Program for Personnel Certification Bodies" is based on a new global standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), both headquartered in Geneva known as the ISO/IEC 17024. Akin to the ISO 9001 quality management system standard, the program provides auditing and accreditation to qualifying organizations that certify professionals. Your readership. can learn more about this program by visiting www.ansi.org.

2. New standards are being developed.

ISO is serious[y studying the possible development of another international management system standard, this one focusing on corporate social responsibility. While ASAE members may be aware of social accountability issues, they may not know of the private sector social accountability standard (SA 8000) already being used by certain U.S.-based multinational, consumer-product companies. Beyond that, now comes the possibility that a recognized international standards developer of the relevance and reach of ISO may in the future promulgate a global, management system standard for corporate (and perhaps even association) social responsibility. Association executives should stay informed about these developments and how such standards may affect their organizations. Management system standards by ISO and IEC, such as for quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001), personnel certification (ISO/IEC 17024), and possibly others, can have a real impact on associations and their programs.

3. Additional resources are available.

New resources are becoming available all the time, particularly online sources for standards information, including Web sites that provide education and training on vital standards with both national and global relevance. Following are a few rich resources:

* Visit www.standardsleam.org and you'll find an e-learning education portal sponsored by ANSI. Among other valuable tools is the introductory short course "Why Standards Matter."

* Go to the ISO Cafe at www.iso.org for an introduction in user-friendly language that will teach you the essentials of ISO and what it does--and give examples from many areas of life and work as to how ISO standards provide technical, economic, and social benefits.

* Go to astmu.ihs.com for comprehensive Web-based training resources providing instruction on ASTM standards and other related technical information.

* Consider reading Standardization

Essentials: Principles and Practice (2001, Marcel Dekker), which provides a comprehensive introduction, primer, and overview to numerous aspects of American, Canadian, European, and international standardization, in addition, my late coauthor F.C. Brenner and I worked with business leaders to include pertinent case studies on strategic standardization management in diverse types of business and industry. Visit www.dekker.com for information about obtaining the book.

Again, thank you for helping to raise awareness of critical trends and standard-setting issues for association leaders and executives.

Steven Spivak Professor Emeritus, Univeristy of Maryland, College Park, and former Chair of the ISO Consumer Policy Committee, [e-mail]