Annex M provides a bibliography of references where the reader can find additional information about the geographic information standards and activities described in this report.
2. Standardization of geographic information
2.1 ISOTC 211 standardization processes and procedures
ISO technical work is carried out under the overall management of the Technical Management Board TMB. The TMB reports to the ISO Council and its role is defined in the statutes of the organization.
TMB tasks include setting up technical committees, appointing chairs and monitoring the progress of technical work ISO 2013. The ISOIEC Directives ISOIEC 2011, ISOIEC 2012 are essentially the
rules for the development of International Standards and deal with matters of strategic planning, coordination, performance and monitoring of technical committee activities, as well as rules for the
structure and drafting of standards.
ISO standards are developed by groups of experts within technical committees ISOTCs. ISOTCs are made up of representatives of industry, NGOs, governments, academia and other stakeholders, who are
put forward by ISO’s members. Each TC deals with a different subject. ISOTC 211
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is the ISO technical committee responsible for standardization of geographic information. ISOTC 211 currently
has 35 participating members, 31 observing members and liaison relationships with more than 30 international organizations and more than 15 other ISOTCs. The Vienna agreement 1991 ensures
technical cooperation with the European Committee for Standardization CEN. The European Committee for Standardization CEN Technical Committee for geographic information, CENTC 287,
is the mirror committee to ISOTC 211, adopts their standards in order to make them mandatory within the European Union and produces technical guidance and best practice for spatial data infrastructures.
Once the need for a standard has been established, experts meet face-to-face or through online mechanisms to discuss and negotiate a draft standard. As soon as a draft has been developed, it is
shared with ISO’s members who are asked to comment and vote on it. If consensus is reached, the draft becomes an ISO standard, if not, it goes back to the technical committee for further edits. Key
principles for the development of standards are that ISO responds to standardization needs in the market rather than deciding itself when to develop a new standard; ISO standards are based on global
expert opinion; ISO standards are developed through a multi-stakeholder process; and ISO standards are based on consensus.
An ISO International Standard embodies the essential principles of global openness and transparency, consensus and technical coherence safeguarded through its development in a technical committee,
representative of all interested parties, and supported by a public comment phase the ISO Technical Enquiry. Other ISO deliverables include the ISO Technical Specification ISOTS, the ISO Public
Available Specification ISOPAS and the ISO Technical Report ISOTR with lower levels of consensus and therefore not the same status as an International Standard. An Industry Technical
Agreement ITA aims to bridge the gap between the activities of consortia and the formal process of standardization represented by ISO and its national members. An important distinction is that the ITA
is developed by ISO workshops and fora, comprising only participants with direct interest, and is therefore not accorded the status of an International Standard.
2.2 OGC standardization processes and procedures
