http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1206
ISO has just launched a user-friendly, interactive tutorial on its Web site on consumers and standardization, explaining what consumers can gain from International Standards and how standards benefit from consumer input.
Consumers and standards: partnership for a better world is a convenient, stand-alone distance learning tutorial which will be useful for any person who is relatively new to the world of standardization and consumer policy. This module will also be helpful to seasoned professionals from consumer organizations and standards bodies as a review of concepts and a repository of ideas and background sources.
The aim of Consumers and standards is to provide the user with a basic understanding of what standards are and what they do, and explain how consumers can participate in standards development and why they should do so. It also demonstrates how standards can improve goods and services for consumers, using specific examples.
This module was produced as part of an ongoing joint programme of the ISO Committee on consumer policy (ISO/COPOLCO) and the ISO Committee on developing country matters (ISO/DEVCO) to promote consumer participation in standardization, with support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Consumers International, a liaison organization to ISO/COPOLCO, also participated actively in its development.
ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele comments: "Consumers are often the end users of goods and services influenced by ISO standards. They value such characteristics as safety, quality, ease of use and interoperability which standards help to ensure. For over 30 years, ISO has benefited from the views of consumer representatives who have identified new areas for standardization, such as services and social responsibility and who have participated in technical committees producing standards that influence consumer products. This tutorial will help both to broaden and intensify consumer participation in developing ISO standards by providing the basic tools and references needed to understand and take an active part in the partnership with ISO."
Consumers and standards is designed to be used by representatives of consumer organizations, standards bodies or other types of organization, both from developing and developed countries. The module includes a glossary of terms and definitions, selected useful reference materials and a short description of these materials. Furthermore, the module is easy to navigate, and text can be magnified for easy access by the visually impaired. An interactive review quiz at the end of each section will help the user review concepts. An embedded feedback form is also available for comments and suggestions.
The module will take about a half-day to complete; its four-section format gives the user flexibility to complete the module in several sessions, if desired. The four sections address the following themes:
This tool, available in English and in French, is accessible directly in bilingual format from the "Consumers" section on ISO's Web site and from the "Publications and products" section. It is also available on a CD-ROM (ISBN 978-92-67-01172-1) on request (contact [email protected]) .
- Standards in our world
- How standards benefit consumers
- Ensuring that consumers have their say in standards-writing
- What are consumers’ interests and how does ISO address them?
Comments and requests for more information should be addressed to [email protected].
