From: ISO Standards Discussion
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 10:57:13 -0500
Subject: FYI: Kyoto Communique [Long Message]
From: Dennis Arter --
** Dennis, A big thank you from your fellow listmembers for keeping us informed. - Jane
ISO TC 176 COMMUNIQUE
Kyoto, Japan
INTRODUCTION
The 18th meeting of ISO/TC 176 was held at the Kyoto International Conference Hall (KICH) Kyoto, Japan with working sessions running from June 29th to July 9th, 2000. The work done over the period mobilized the expertise of over 300 delegates from 46 countries. The opening plenaries of the Technical Committee (TC) and Subcommittees (SCs) were preceded by meetings of the TC and SC Officers, the ISO/TC 176 Chairman's Strategic Advisory Group, the ISO/TC 176 Project Management Group and the Delegation Leaders of ISO/TC 176. These first meetings positioned the issues that would be discussed throughout the week.
The following initiatives were emphasized:
(1) progression of the ISO 9000, 9001, 9004 standards to FDIS stage and circulation of ISO 10012 as a Committee Draft 3 for comment and approval as a DIS;
(2) approval of a new strategic planning process and initial thinking related to the key issues facing the committee and the strategic intents to address them;
(3) finalization of the proposed ISO 9000 Sector Policy and formation of a liaison forum for sectors interested in particular applications of ISO 9001 and/or 9004;
(4) progression of product support activities for the Year 2000 family, including the approval of an international interpretations process;
(5) finalization of the text of the quality management principles brochure;
(6) progression on the Spanish translations of ISO 9000 documents;
(7) progression of cooperative approaches with other ISO technical and policy committees and IAF.
DOCUMENT PROGRESS
Subcommittee 1: ISO 9000
ISO/TC176/SC1 held its opening plenary session on July 3rd , 2000, and closing session on July 7th, 2000. The meetings were attended by 46 experts representing 20 countries, some of whom were actively involved with SC2/WG 18 as liaisons both before and after the main SC 1 meetings. WG1 addressed 1100 individual comments against ISO/DIS 9000, supported by WG2 and WG3. Through the hard work of the experts and liaison representatives, the document was moved forward to FDIS with resolution of the most contentious areas of comment. The FDIS document will now be circulated for ballot, consistent with the time frames for ISO/FDIS 9001 and 9004.
Subcommittee 2 - ISO 9001 and ISO 9004
ISO/TC 176/SC 2 opening and closing meetings were also July 3rd and 7th respectively, however many of the SC2/WG 18 task groups met from June 29th until July 9th. The meetings were attended by experts from 42 Member bodies and 11 Liaison members. During the almost two weeks of meetings, 3300 individual comments submitted against ISO/DIS 9001:2000 and ISO/DIS 9004:2000 were reviewed and dispositioned. Progress on the revisions was assisted by the use of innovative approaches to building consensus including the formation of a Consensus Facilitation Group and the holding of an open forum for discussion of key issues. Also key to the review were the over 240 validation responses received from organizations in 23 countries.
By resolution, SC2 elevated the revised DIS drafts to Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) status. The FDISs are anticipated to be circulated for ballot, after translation, in early September, 2000. The FDIS ballot is expected to close in November, 2000.
Subcommittee 3 - ISO 19011 and supporting documents
SC3/WG1 on Quality Assurance for Measuring Equipment produced a committee draft 3 (CD 3) of ISO 10012. This document will now be sent out for comment and ballot as a DIS. Publication of ISO 10012 is scheduled for early 2002. SC 3 representatives were also actively involved in SC2/WG 18/TG 1.10 in order to ensure that ISO 19011, the joint environmental and quality auditing standard, currently at CD 2, is adequately covered in the committee's product support efforts.
Project Management Group (PMG)
Several documents managed by the PMG have advanced through work completed in Kyoto.
(a) Quality Management Principles Brochure
The final text of the Quality Management Principles brochure was developed and will be now be published in conjunction with ISO Central Secretariat.
(b) Selection and Use brochure
Due to the need to base the brochure's contents on the FDIS text of the core standards, the project team did not officially meet in Kyoto. However, the project leader met with SC2/WG 18/TG 1.10 in order to coordinate the brochure's development with the rest of the product support material being developed.
(c) Spanish Translations
The Spanish Translation Task Group (STTG) progressed its development of an international Spanish language version of the ISO 9000 family and it was resolved that ISO/TC 176 ask ISO TMB to consider the documents produced as the official ISO Spanish versions.
PRODUCT SUPPORT
Work continued on activities targeted at meeting the needs of users as they begin to work with the new standards. Taking a holistic approach to product support, the committee is developing coordinated communications and marketing materials that will eventually extend from the 'core' (ISO 9000, 9001, 9004 and 19011) to the 'family' of ISO 9000 standards. For example, a Product Introduction Package (PIP) is now under development that will be composed of a number of guidance modules on the 'Process Approach', 'Documentation', 'Terminology', 'Self-Assessment' and 'the Application of 9001 (previously the 'permissible exclusions'). It is hoped that this material in combination with other product introduction and transition guidance will provide answers to the most commonly asked questions related to the new editions.
Recognizing that some users will require a more formal response from the committee, an international interpretations process has now been approved by the TC membership. Following review by the ISO/TMB, the process will move to implementation in conjunction with the broader product support activities.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The Chairman's Strategic Advisory Group (CSAG), held the second in a series of meetings designed to develop a new strategic plan for ISO/TC 176 activities. Building on a CSAG workshop held in March, a Strategic Planning Task Group (SPTG), composed of delegates nominated by member bodies, furthered the initial work. The overall development process leading to ratification of the plan at the next committee plenary (Birmingham, UK, September 2001) was approved by the committee.
SECTOR ISSUES
Comments that had been submitted against the proposed sector policy (previously approved as document N299R2) were dispositioned in Kyoto. The committee resolved to send the approved sector policy to the ISO/TMB for inclusion in the ISO Directives, noting that the policy is intended to apply to all ISO documents, including the new category of Industry Technical Agreements (ITA).
The committee also created a forum for liaisons with existing or planned applications of ISO 9001 and/or ISO 9004. This new group will report to the CSAG and will examine opportunities to promote the harmonization and alignment of sector needs and the convergence of sector solutions, in accordance with the approved sector policy.
COOPERATION WITH OTHER BODIES
The Committee passed a number of resolutions relating to its interaction with other bodies that are increasingly important to the work program of the committee, ISO and users in general. In particular, ISO/TC 207, ISO/CASCO, ISO/DEVCO and ISO/COPOLCO, were invited to participate in the strategic planning activities of TC 176. In addition, particular emphasis was placed on the need to develop closer links with DEVCO in order to ensure effective participation of developing countries in the work of TC 176.
CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT
Further action was taken in Kyoto on the framework of cooperation with ISO/CASCO. This framework currently addresses strategic, operational and national activities and the intent is that it be submitted for joint approval by the members of both committees.
Recognizing the need for more consistent messages on issues of conformity assessment outside of ISO, a framework of cooperation will now also be pursued with IAF. In addition, building on the success of previous joint communications between ISO/TC 176, ISO/CASCO, and IAF, the committee resolved to formalize a standing working group to meet on issues of joint concern.
IN CLOSING
The members of ISO/TC 176, Subcommittees 1, 2, 3 and all of the Working Groups, Task Groups and Project Groups assembled at the 18th meeting in Kyoto, Japan, express their sincere gratitude to the host, JISC, and the organizer, JSA, for the outstanding efforts of the organizing committee and staff. The committee also thanks the City of Kyoto and all the sponsors for providing the environment and resources which greatly facilitated the significant progress made.