Standards touch all aspects of our lives, therefore, all social industries need standard setters. ISO has just released international standard guidelines on the competencies required of standards professionals to enhance and harmonize the required skills and attract new talent to the standardization field.
Standards come in many types, from corporate specifications to national, regional, and international guidelines, and thousands, if not millions, of standards professionals work on their development. While the work involved in developing standards varies, many common skills are required. Various guidelines have been published, such as the National Qualifications Schemes of several countries and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Education Guidelines No. 5 and 6 for Standard Professionals.
Recognizing the need for international guidance and promoting entry into the standards-setting industry, ISO has developed a two-part International Workshop Agreement (IWA) that sets out competency requirements for organizations around the world.
IWA 30-1 Competencies for Standards Professionals Part 1: Standards-Related Organizations specifies the knowledge, skills and attributes required for people working on standardization within a company, IWA 30-2 Competencies for Standards Professionals Part 2: Standards-Related Organizations applies to those organizations involved in any part of the standards life cycle. These documents include task and subtask structures, common competencies, competencies by task, and standard professional career development roadmaps.
Donggeun Choi, chairman of the ISO technical committee that formulated the standard, said that there are millions of standardization jobs around the world, and the standard field has always needed new forces to join.
He said: “Standards are constantly evolving in response to changing market needs. These standards will help new professionals enter the world of standards and existing standards to exercise and improve their skills.”