THE VALUE OF STANDARDS
Data standards are traditionally set through three main methods:
1. through product or service or vendor
domination in a specific market,
sector or network
2. by mandate through a governmental
or authoritative body, agency,
statute, regulation or law
3. through a voluntary, consensus-based
approach with an open, transparent
and collaborative process
A voluntary consensus-based approach to data standards is the most successful method. A groundbreaking report from the Delphi Group in 2003, from which PESC based most of its strategy and operations, highlights the value of standards and key factors on community views and perceptions of standards bodies.
Electronic Transcript Exchange: Benefits and Experiences of Early Postsecondary Adopters
Eduventures, October 2012
Delphi Group, 2003
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Andrew Updegrove
Electronic Exchange of Student Records
SPEEDE/ExPRESS, April 1997
CREDENTIAL MAPPING
READ ABOUT THIS INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL INITIATIVE
VIEW THE CURRENT DOCUMENTATION
PESC-EMREX-ELMO MAPPING
EMREX Technical Description and User Guide v1.0
EMREX and PESC - Comparison and Crosswalk
EDI/XML CROSSWALKS
Technical Mappings Aligning EDI & XML
PESC COMPLIANT JSON V 1.0
Rules for Transforming XML to JSON
JSON TASK FORCE
A4L, Credential Engine & PESC Collaborate on JSON
COMMON XML CREDENTIAL FOR
CERTIFICATES, DEGREES & DIPLOMAS
Read About PESC Approved v 1.0
PESC SERVES
as an open standards-development and
open standards-setting body operating on a voluntary consensus model producing
PESC APPROVED STANDARDS.
PESC COLLABORATES
with similar standards-setting bodies
and organizations to ensure a lifelong learning perspective making
PESC APPROVED STANDARDS
usable across PK12, higher education, labor, workforce and government.
PESC COLLABORATORS & PARTNERS
set a high bar and correspondingly
rigorous process for data standardization,
quality control and overall data management
and PESC provides support and links
to illustrate and exemplify the
power of collaboration.
Standards Development
FORUM FOR EDUCATION
is the governing body that
develops, produces, manages & maintains
all PESC APPROVED STANDARDS.
Standards Forum
Standards Development Forum for Education
Standards Development
FORUM FOR EDUCATION
is the governing body that
develops, produces, manages & maintains
all PESC APPROVED STANDARDS
ensuring alignment & coordination with
community initiatives & adherence to
PESC's Policies & Procedures Manual
for Standards Development,
Approval & Maintenance.
What is a voluntary consensus standard?
For some, voluntary consensus standard (also called Non-Government Standard) is a statutory or regulatory obligation. For others, the term ‘voluntary’ creates a perception of a wide-open, unstandardized market in which closed, proprietary applications and services reign; and access and control of data, serve as the value propositions to attract customers and clients.
The most important concepts to understand about voluntary consensus standards:
- - Voluntary consensus standards refer to data to be exchanged, shared, reported, sold and/or licensed between at least two separate and independent parties.
- - While the value of voluntary consensus standards lies in the open, transparent, neutral and balanced process in place in the user community to participate (equally), develop, produce and maintain a standard, the value proposition is based in costs-savings, return on investment, improved data quality and efficiencies gained in overall data management and service delivery.
- - Federal rules and regulations clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities for all Federal agencies with regard to voluntary consensus standards and Government-Unique Standards, including annual reporting to the Department of Commerce.
- - Voluntary consensus standards are governed by standards-setting bodies that operate on a voluntary consensus-based model.
- - A voluntary consensus standard can be mandated or required by an authoritative entity and emerges as a best practice model.
- - A Government-Unique or proprietary standard can become a voluntary consensus standard.
The U.S. General Accounting Office describes voluntary consensus standard in a summary of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) https://www.gao.gov/new.items/rc00122t.pdf:
“Government standards are developed by individual federal agencies for their own use. Although unique government standards sometimes are appropriate, such as standards for certain specialized military equipment, in other cases, a voluntary standard would suffice. This creates duplication for industry, which may have to provide two lines of production to meet both government and private needs and can put U.S. companies at a disadvantage in international trade.”
The major challenge for standards-development bodies and standards-setting bodes, like PESC, is maintaining a trusted, open, transparent, neutral, balanced and free voluntary consensus standard that in essence “levels the playing field,” while simultaneously promoting innovation in a market that may perceive the voluntary consensus standard as merely anti-competitive or optional compared to other technical standards.
From a Federal Agency perspective, there may be a lack of confidence in the utility, timeliness and sustainability of a voluntary standard and inconsistence guidance in existing statute, rules and regulations.
Standards Development
FORUM FOR EDUCATION
founded August 4, 2002
includes all Workgroups,
development initiatives & efforts; &
is the authoritative body that governs
resource mapping & maintenance of
education ecosystem schemas, taxonomies &
shared code sets in various technologies
(e.g. EDI, XML, PDF, JSON, etc.).
Standards Development
FORUM FOR EDUCATION
is governed by the
Change Control Board (CCB),
Education Record User Group (ERUG),
Technical Advisory Board (TAB) &
Steering Committee;
with reporting directly to the
PESC Board of Directors.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Kristi Blabaum
Systems Integration Analyst, Great Lakes
Chair, Change Control Board
Michael Morris
Director, Quality Management
EIS-Quality Assurance, ACT
Chair, Technical Advisory Board
Susan McCrackin
Senior Director, Financial Aid Methodology
College Board (retired)
Chair, Steering Committee
Matt Bemis
Associate Registrar
University of Southern California
Co-Chair, ERUG
Jason Weaver
Head of Product
Parchment
Co-Chair, ERUG
MEETING SCHEDULE
Weekly - Fridays 11am EST
LISTS
CCB@lists.pesc.org
ER_USERGROUP@lists.pesc.org
PESCforum@lists.pesc.org
PESCTAB@lists.pesc.org
Development initiates through Workgroups,
comprised of PESC Member representatives,
signified with submission of a Letter of Intent.
SAMPLE LETTER OF INTENT
POLICIES & PROCEDURES MANUAL
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE TEMPLATE
SUBMISSION FORM FOR CCB
STATUS UPDATE REPORTING FORM
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
WHAT IS THE STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT FORUM?
WHAT IS THE CHANGE CONTROL BOARD (CCB)?
WHAT IS THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD (TAB)?
WHAT ARE PESC APPROVED STANDARDS?
WHAT IS SEAL OF APPROVAL?
WHAT DOES VOLUNTARY CONSENSUS-BASED REALLY MEAN?
How did it start?
Who is involved?
What are the benefits?
How is it governed?
What is the current status?
How much does it cost?
How do I get involved?
Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council