PESC | STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT

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?

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

Value of Standards

Delphi Group, 2003

Value of Standards in Indiana

Indiana Commission for Higher Education

Certification

Andrew Updegrove

A Business Case for the

Electronic Exchange of Student Records

SPEEDE/ExPRESS, April 1997