Document Development Guide

Document Development Guide: Standards and Reports

Standards Guide

• Draft prepared by Task Group—working draft only shared among committee members
• Task Group reaches consensus, either by agreement in a meeting or via e-mail or another means of circulation
  • Task Group may conduct a letter ballot if it wishes—in that case, 2/3 affirmative votes required to proceed

• Task Group sends draft to Headquarters, where it is edited and prepared for ballot
• Message and abstract of proposed standard sent to members of Administrative and Sponsoring STGs, asking them if they want to vote on the ballot
  • Message also asks for the members’ interest classification regarding the material being balloted
  • 4 week response time

• Ballot is posted on NACE Web site and message is sent to those who responded affirmatively to the distribution, and to interested parties who have asked to be included in the ballot list
• Draft is sent simultaneously to the TCC Reference Publications Committee (RPC) for review for compliance with NACE Style Manual, editorial, and organizational issues
  • Staff automatically incorporates RPC editorial changes, refers questions to Task Group chair

• 4 week response time for ballot; when deadline reached and > 50% of Total Balloting List have responded, ballot is closed
  • Voting results and comments available on technical committees’ online balloting pages
  • At least 2/3 affirmative votes, excluding abstentions, necessary for draft to proceed

• Task Group and STG officers review negative votes and comments on ballot
  • Work with negative voters to resolve their votes
    • Persuade voters to agree with Task Group’s point of view, or
    • Make changes to the draf 

• If negative voter will not withdraw negative, and/or if technical changes made to draft:
  • Reballot required
  • Ballot distributed to same list as before, with 4 week deadline
  • At least 90% affirmative votes, excluding abstentions, required for ballot to pass
  • Negative votes addressed, but do not have to be resolved 
  • Negative voters receive written disposition of their votes and notification of right to appeal 
  • Final RPC review 
  • Proceed to publication

Reports Guide

• Draft prepared by Task Group—working draft only shared among committee members
• Task Group reaches consensus, either by agreement in a meeting or via e-mail or another means of circulation
  • Task Group may conduct a letter ballot if it wishes—in that case 2/3 affirmative votes required to proceed

• Task Group sends draft to Headquarters, where it is edited and prepared for Review and Comment
• Review and Comment distributed to all members of Administrative and Sponsoring STGs and TCC members, plus any interested parties and additional persons requested by Task Group chair
  • 4 week deadline for respondents to provide input intended to improve draft

• Task Group reviews comments and decides which changes to incorporate in draft
• Task Group sends draft to Headquarters, where it is edited and prepared for ballot
• Message and abstract of proposed report sent to members of Administrative and Sponsoring STGs, asking them if they want to vote on the ballot
• Message also asks for the members’ interest classification regarding the material being balloted
• 4 week response time
• Ballot is posted on NACE Web site and message is sent to those who responded affirmatively to the distribution, and to interested parties who have asked to be included in the ballot list
• Draft is sent simultaneously to the TCC Reference Publications Committee (RPC) for review for compliance with NACE Style Manual, editorial and organizational issues
  • Staff automatically incorporates RPC editorial changes, refers questions to Task Group chair

• 4-week response time for ballot; when deadline reached and >50% of STG Balloting List have responded, ballot is closed
  • Voting results and comments available on technical committees’ online balloting pages
  • At least 2/3 affirmative votes, excluding abstentions, necessary for draft to proceed

• Task Group and STG officers review negative votes and comments on ballot
  • Work with negative voters to resolve their votes
    • Persuade voters to agree with Task Group’s point of view, or
    • Make changes to the draft
    • All negatives do not have to be resolved, but they must be considered and an effort made to resolve them 

• If changes that alter the substance of intent of the draft are made, reballot is required
  • If 2/3 affirmative votes, excluding abstentions, received on reballot, report passes

• Final RPC review
• Proceed to publication