The various levels of involvement in the standardization system

Essential components of the standardizing system, experts provide the technical knowledge necessary to the development of standardizing documents and represent the people who need and use the standardizing documents.

Standardization: a collective work

Standardization is a collective work which is done with the active and efficient assistance of experts supported by their organizations, ready to seek and to find together, with mutual respect and in acceptable economic conditions, a satisfactory solution to the technical and organizational questions addressed by the standard. This collective work is intended for the major players in the country's economy, for the industry, for the statutory organizations. This collective work is dependent on the methodological and logistical support of the standardization operators, i.e. AFNOR and the standardization offices.

Expert in a French standardizing committee

An expert who is a “member of a French standardizing committee” is instrumental in the preparation of the draft standards included in the program of his committee, as well as of the corresponding international and European standards. He is an instrument for feedback and the expression of his organization's needs. He may participate in European or international work.

An expert masters his technical fields and is knowledgeable about the strategic and economic issues at stake for his organization. He contributes to making his company or organization known to his French partners, and to international partners.
He relies on a national (or international, when necessary) network of business connections and conducts a technological survey for his company or his organization.

Chairman of a French standardizing committee

The chairman of a French committee is responsible for the committee's work program. He conducts the committee's work in such a way as to obtain consensus. He ensures that the technical level of the standards is consistent with the technical level of the sector, and that economic constraints are taken into account. He organizes the French participation in the European and international work. He conducts the meetings, permanently seeking consensus. He is recognized as the committee's representative.

Expert in European or international working groups

An expert in European or international working groups takes an active part in the work of the French "mirror" structure for the preparation of draft standards. Although working in a personal capacity, he takes into account the recommendations formulated in the French structure which appointed him, and reports to it regularly on the progress of the work.

An expert masters his technical fields and is knowledgeable about the strategic and economic issues at stake for his organization. He is capable of making technical statements in English.
He contributes to making his company or organization known to his European or international partners. He relies on a European or international network of business connections and conducts a technological survey, at this level, for his company or his organization.