From: JWest
Subject: Re: REQ: Proposed ISO 9001/Cox/Andrews/Oliveira/West
The following is the official communique from the ISO TC 176 SC 2 meeting held in Stockholm. It discusses the comments on Working Draft 3 and development of the first Committee Draft to be provided to the Participating Member Countries in Late July.
Jack West Chair, US TAG to ISO TC 176
---------------------------------------------
Communiqué from the 21st meeting of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 concerning the development of the Future editions of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004
During 29 June - 3 July 1998 ISO/TC 176/SC 2, its Working Group no. 18 (WG 18) and a number of subsidiary Task Groups met at the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, Sweden, to further the development of the next editions of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards. The meeting was well attended, with 96 experts being present, representing some 33 countries and 14 international liaison organizations.
The meeting focused on the following issues:
i) Comments against the third 'Working Drafts' of the standards
ii) The decisions of the June 1998 meeting of the ISO Technical Management Board (ISO/TMB)
iii) Co-ordination of the work of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 with that of ISO/TC 207/SC 1 Environmental Management Systems
iv) Co-ordination of the work of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 with that of ISO/TC 176/SC 1 Concepts and Terminology
v) Validation of the work
vi) The production of 'Committee Drafts'
vii) Improving communications viii) Scheduling of future work
1. Third Working Drafts
The April 1998 meeting of WG 18 resulted in the production of the third 'Working Drafts' of the future standards. These were circulated for comment to the experts who participate in the activities of WG 18.
Some 2,600 individual comments were returned against the drafts in advance of the meeting, with several hundred additional comments being delivered to the meeting. Nearly all the comments were submitted using a wordprocessor table template that had been agreed before the drafts were circulated. This allowed for rapid compilation and collation of the comments.
WG 18/Task Group 1.8.1 'Verification' met for several days in advance of the main meeting, to undertake a detailed evaluation of the comments submitted. The reports that TG 1.8.1 produced on the comments greatly assisted the drafting task groups in their work, enabling more rapid progress to be made. This also ensured that nearly all comments submitted were given due consideration.
The majority of comments indicated positive support for the structure and content of the drafts.
A number of comments sought clarity on the issue of how 'tailoring' of the future ISO 9001 standard will be conducted. This was in response to the planned withdrawal of the ISO 9002:1994 and ISO 9003:1994 standards, when the revised ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards are published.
Additionally, a number of comments requested improved harmonization between the terminology employed in the draft ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards and that defined in the draft of ISO/WD 2 9000:2000 Concepts and terminology.
2. ISO/TMB, ISO/TC 207/SC 1 and the Joint Task Group
All ISO Technical Committees are responsible to the ISO/TMB and are required to take due notice of its rulings.
At it meeting of 2-3 June 1998, the ISO/TMB passed a number of resolutions requiring ISO/TC 207 Environmental Management and ISO/TC 176 Quality Management and Quality Assurance to improve the co-ordination of their work efforts. This was in response to received views from industry, which has requested improved compatibility between the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 environmental management systems standards.
During its meeting of 14 -21 June 1998, ISO/TC 207/SC 1 committed itself to undertaking a review of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 standards, in response to the ISO/TMB resolutions. This review will place emphasis on obtaining information regarding compatibility with the ISO 9000 standards, and is due to be completed in June 1999.
ISO/TC 207/SC 1 also re-confirmed its support for the activities of the Joint Task Group on Co-ordination (JTG) with ISO/TC 176/SC 2, and prepared a paper giving comments against the third working drafts of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards.
Subsequently, a meeting of the JTG was called for 26 - 27 June 1998 to discuss the comments prepared by ISO/TC 207/SC 1, and to examine further compatibility issues. A number of recommendations were made, which will be included in a report on the meeting.
Both the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 comments and an early release of the JTG recommendations were taken forward for WG 18 to consider.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 is pleased to recognize the dedication of the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 members to the JTG, who willing gave their time to attend the meeting, at short notice, and almost immediately after their own plenary sessions.
3. ISO/TC 176/SC 1
Noting the comments that had been received on the need to harmonize the terms and definitions being used in the 9001 and 9004 drafts with those in the draft of ISO 9000 Concepts and terminology, ISO/TC 176/SC 2 and ISO/TC 176/SC 1 agreed to establish a liaison task team to address this issue.
Four experts from ISO/TC 176/SC 1, supported by the Secretary to ISO/TC 176/SC 1, attended the meetings of the task team during 30 June - 3 July 1998.
This work produced significant results and led to greatly improved understanding on the approaches the two sub-committees are taking towards the development and use of terminology within their respective standards.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 is pleased to recognize the efforts of all the task teams members, especially those from ISO/TC 176/SC 1. The excellent team-working between all members has enhanced the potential for ISO/TC 176 to meet the needs of its customers, by the production of a coherent future family of ISO 9000 standards.
4. Validation of the drafts
The validation programme for the drafts of the standards has now commenced. A questionnaire inviting individual organizations to participate in the validation programme has been distributed to member bodies. To date, over 100 organizations have replied.
5. Committee Drafts
Even with the high levels of comment against the third working drafts, and the issues they raised, WG 18 was successful in producing 'Committee drafts' (CDs) of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards as its main output of the meeting. These will be sent out to member bodies at the end of July 1998 for a four month review period, ending in November 1998. This review will be for comments only, not for a ballot.
(CDs are issued when it is considered that draft standards have reached a point of sufficient maturity to be circulated for review by the members of the full parent committee (or sub-committee) of a working group, instead of being restricted to review by the working group experts.)
This issue of 'tailoring' was reviewed in detail, and revised clauses on this matter will be given in the CDs.
The piloting of the use of a wordprocessor table template for the return of comments against the third working drafts has been reviewed and agreed to have been successful. It is intended that a similar template will be made available to members for the submission of comments against the CDs.
6. Improving communications
Noting the high levels of interest in the revisions to the ISO 9000 standards and the need to convey accurate information to prevent distortion in the market, WG 18 had already established a number of task groups to develop new product introduction programmes and supporting documentation.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 has now decided to take this issue a stage further, and has established an open access internet web site to ensure delivery of such new product information in a timely manner. This may be found at the following address:
www.bsi.org.uk/iso-tc176-sc2
In order to assist member bodies in the compilation of their own comments against the CDs, a wordprocessor table template for the submission of comments will be posted to this web site.
7. Scheduling of future work
The results of a recent ballot by ISO/TC 176 indicated that ISO/TC 176/SC 2 should maintain an intensive schedule to develop the committee drafts (CDs) of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards. Additionally, the ballot confirmed that the members of ISO/TC 176 wanted an extended consultation period for the CDs. This would allow greater opportunity to translate the CDs into other languages, prior to obtaining comment against them.
The resolutions of the June 1998 ISO/TMB meeting requested ISO/TC 176 and ISO/TC 207 to seek greater synchronization of their schedules (and of their sub-committees). It was considered that this would enhance opportunities for co-ordination efforts, to improve the compatibility of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards.
Noting these requirements, and comment by ISO/TC 207/SC 1, WG 18 proposed to ISO/TC 176/SC 2 that it should follow a revised schedule to include:
- Circulation of first CDs of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards in July 1998, for a four month review period, purely for comment, followed by - Circulation of revised (second) CDs for a five month review period, to be concluded by a formal ballot.
WG 18 also noted that if the results of the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 review of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 standards suggested that amendments to those standards should be produced to improve compatibility with the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards, then the revised schedule would offer a good opportunity for concurrent balloting of such amendments when the development of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards reaches the Draft International Standards stage.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 was pleased to be able to endorse this proposal.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 would like to thank the Secretary to the ISO/TMB and the Secretary to ISO/TC 176/SC 1 for their valuable input into the development of the revised schedule.
It is now planned that all WG18 task groups will meet in January 1999, at which time the comments received against the first CDs will be reviewed and the second CDs prepared for ballot. A new task group on 'new product support' will also be established. In the meantime, the task groups involved in 'new product introduction' intend holding an interim meeting to continue their work.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 will next meet in September 1999, when the ballot of the second CDs has been concluded and the ballot results are known.
In concluding this communiqué, the experts who attended the meeting in Stockholm wish to express their deepest gratitude to their hosts, the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) and Standardiseringsgruppen (STG), who provided excellent facilities and support for the meeting. Additionally, they would wish to thank the sponsors to the meeting for supporting their work, and to thank Stockholm City Council for a wonderful reception at the City Hall.
Subject: Re: REQ: Proposed ISO 9001/Cox/Andrews/Oliveira/West
The following is the official communique from the ISO TC 176 SC 2 meeting held in Stockholm. It discusses the comments on Working Draft 3 and development of the first Committee Draft to be provided to the Participating Member Countries in Late July.
Jack West Chair, US TAG to ISO TC 176
---------------------------------------------
Communiqué from the 21st meeting of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 concerning the development of the Future editions of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004
During 29 June - 3 July 1998 ISO/TC 176/SC 2, its Working Group no. 18 (WG 18) and a number of subsidiary Task Groups met at the Royal Institute of Technology, in Stockholm, Sweden, to further the development of the next editions of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards. The meeting was well attended, with 96 experts being present, representing some 33 countries and 14 international liaison organizations.
The meeting focused on the following issues:
i) Comments against the third 'Working Drafts' of the standards
ii) The decisions of the June 1998 meeting of the ISO Technical Management Board (ISO/TMB)
iii) Co-ordination of the work of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 with that of ISO/TC 207/SC 1 Environmental Management Systems
iv) Co-ordination of the work of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 with that of ISO/TC 176/SC 1 Concepts and Terminology
v) Validation of the work
vi) The production of 'Committee Drafts'
vii) Improving communications viii) Scheduling of future work
1. Third Working Drafts
The April 1998 meeting of WG 18 resulted in the production of the third 'Working Drafts' of the future standards. These were circulated for comment to the experts who participate in the activities of WG 18.
Some 2,600 individual comments were returned against the drafts in advance of the meeting, with several hundred additional comments being delivered to the meeting. Nearly all the comments were submitted using a wordprocessor table template that had been agreed before the drafts were circulated. This allowed for rapid compilation and collation of the comments.
WG 18/Task Group 1.8.1 'Verification' met for several days in advance of the main meeting, to undertake a detailed evaluation of the comments submitted. The reports that TG 1.8.1 produced on the comments greatly assisted the drafting task groups in their work, enabling more rapid progress to be made. This also ensured that nearly all comments submitted were given due consideration.
The majority of comments indicated positive support for the structure and content of the drafts.
A number of comments sought clarity on the issue of how 'tailoring' of the future ISO 9001 standard will be conducted. This was in response to the planned withdrawal of the ISO 9002:1994 and ISO 9003:1994 standards, when the revised ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards are published.
Additionally, a number of comments requested improved harmonization between the terminology employed in the draft ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards and that defined in the draft of ISO/WD 2 9000:2000 Concepts and terminology.
2. ISO/TMB, ISO/TC 207/SC 1 and the Joint Task Group
All ISO Technical Committees are responsible to the ISO/TMB and are required to take due notice of its rulings.
At it meeting of 2-3 June 1998, the ISO/TMB passed a number of resolutions requiring ISO/TC 207 Environmental Management and ISO/TC 176 Quality Management and Quality Assurance to improve the co-ordination of their work efforts. This was in response to received views from industry, which has requested improved compatibility between the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 environmental management systems standards.
During its meeting of 14 -21 June 1998, ISO/TC 207/SC 1 committed itself to undertaking a review of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 standards, in response to the ISO/TMB resolutions. This review will place emphasis on obtaining information regarding compatibility with the ISO 9000 standards, and is due to be completed in June 1999.
ISO/TC 207/SC 1 also re-confirmed its support for the activities of the Joint Task Group on Co-ordination (JTG) with ISO/TC 176/SC 2, and prepared a paper giving comments against the third working drafts of the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards.
Subsequently, a meeting of the JTG was called for 26 - 27 June 1998 to discuss the comments prepared by ISO/TC 207/SC 1, and to examine further compatibility issues. A number of recommendations were made, which will be included in a report on the meeting.
Both the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 comments and an early release of the JTG recommendations were taken forward for WG 18 to consider.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 is pleased to recognize the dedication of the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 members to the JTG, who willing gave their time to attend the meeting, at short notice, and almost immediately after their own plenary sessions.
3. ISO/TC 176/SC 1
Noting the comments that had been received on the need to harmonize the terms and definitions being used in the 9001 and 9004 drafts with those in the draft of ISO 9000 Concepts and terminology, ISO/TC 176/SC 2 and ISO/TC 176/SC 1 agreed to establish a liaison task team to address this issue.
Four experts from ISO/TC 176/SC 1, supported by the Secretary to ISO/TC 176/SC 1, attended the meetings of the task team during 30 June - 3 July 1998.
This work produced significant results and led to greatly improved understanding on the approaches the two sub-committees are taking towards the development and use of terminology within their respective standards.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 is pleased to recognize the efforts of all the task teams members, especially those from ISO/TC 176/SC 1. The excellent team-working between all members has enhanced the potential for ISO/TC 176 to meet the needs of its customers, by the production of a coherent future family of ISO 9000 standards.
4. Validation of the drafts
The validation programme for the drafts of the standards has now commenced. A questionnaire inviting individual organizations to participate in the validation programme has been distributed to member bodies. To date, over 100 organizations have replied.
5. Committee Drafts
Even with the high levels of comment against the third working drafts, and the issues they raised, WG 18 was successful in producing 'Committee drafts' (CDs) of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards as its main output of the meeting. These will be sent out to member bodies at the end of July 1998 for a four month review period, ending in November 1998. This review will be for comments only, not for a ballot.
(CDs are issued when it is considered that draft standards have reached a point of sufficient maturity to be circulated for review by the members of the full parent committee (or sub-committee) of a working group, instead of being restricted to review by the working group experts.)
This issue of 'tailoring' was reviewed in detail, and revised clauses on this matter will be given in the CDs.
The piloting of the use of a wordprocessor table template for the return of comments against the third working drafts has been reviewed and agreed to have been successful. It is intended that a similar template will be made available to members for the submission of comments against the CDs.
6. Improving communications
Noting the high levels of interest in the revisions to the ISO 9000 standards and the need to convey accurate information to prevent distortion in the market, WG 18 had already established a number of task groups to develop new product introduction programmes and supporting documentation.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 has now decided to take this issue a stage further, and has established an open access internet web site to ensure delivery of such new product information in a timely manner. This may be found at the following address:
www.bsi.org.uk/iso-tc176-sc2
In order to assist member bodies in the compilation of their own comments against the CDs, a wordprocessor table template for the submission of comments will be posted to this web site.
7. Scheduling of future work
The results of a recent ballot by ISO/TC 176 indicated that ISO/TC 176/SC 2 should maintain an intensive schedule to develop the committee drafts (CDs) of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards. Additionally, the ballot confirmed that the members of ISO/TC 176 wanted an extended consultation period for the CDs. This would allow greater opportunity to translate the CDs into other languages, prior to obtaining comment against them.
The resolutions of the June 1998 ISO/TMB meeting requested ISO/TC 176 and ISO/TC 207 to seek greater synchronization of their schedules (and of their sub-committees). It was considered that this would enhance opportunities for co-ordination efforts, to improve the compatibility of the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards.
Noting these requirements, and comment by ISO/TC 207/SC 1, WG 18 proposed to ISO/TC 176/SC 2 that it should follow a revised schedule to include:
- Circulation of first CDs of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards in July 1998, for a four month review period, purely for comment, followed by - Circulation of revised (second) CDs for a five month review period, to be concluded by a formal ballot.
WG 18 also noted that if the results of the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 review of the ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 standards suggested that amendments to those standards should be produced to improve compatibility with the ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards, then the revised schedule would offer a good opportunity for concurrent balloting of such amendments when the development of the future ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards reaches the Draft International Standards stage.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 was pleased to be able to endorse this proposal.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 would like to thank the Secretary to the ISO/TMB and the Secretary to ISO/TC 176/SC 1 for their valuable input into the development of the revised schedule.
It is now planned that all WG18 task groups will meet in January 1999, at which time the comments received against the first CDs will be reviewed and the second CDs prepared for ballot. A new task group on 'new product support' will also be established. In the meantime, the task groups involved in 'new product introduction' intend holding an interim meeting to continue their work.
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 will next meet in September 1999, when the ballot of the second CDs has been concluded and the ballot results are known.
In concluding this communiqué, the experts who attended the meeting in Stockholm wish to express their deepest gratitude to their hosts, the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) and Standardiseringsgruppen (STG), who provided excellent facilities and support for the meeting. Additionally, they would wish to thank the sponsors to the meeting for supporting their work, and to thank Stockholm City Council for a wonderful reception at the City Hall.