Specialist Task Force 308:
Review of the ETSI Standards Engineering Process

Who we are:

Team Leader:     Jean-Charles Point

Team Member:   Steve Randall

What we do:

The STF will produce the following deliverables, for TB approval:

• DTR/MTS-00000-0 Title "Recommendations for improvements to the ETSI Standards Engineering Process" Scope: Analysis of the technical working practices of the ETSI Technical Organisation and of similar organisations (SDOs, Fora) and recommendations for improvements. Download Draft ETSI TR 1 (2007-01)

The Work Item will be approved by TC MTS, under which the STF will run.

Read our Terms of Reference

Why we do it:

This STF proposal arises from actions on Interoperability identified in ETSI/B53(05)21 (clause 5).

More detailed description of the STF scope can be found in document B53(05)35: Proposed Interoperability Strategy.

This project will provide ETSI with the means to position itself as an architect/integrator and leader in projects that include standards development work of other SDOs.

The intention of the proposed project is to propose modifications and extensions to ETSI's existing standards development process to make it applicable to the context of multi-SDO standardisation. Of special interest will be the possible application of stricter project control methods and an improved focus on interoperable standards. A more structured approach to interoperability testing, including a proposed formal feedback to the standards development process, will be addressed in a separate STF (currently named STF IOP-B)..

The output of this project will be a range of recommendations based on a thorough analysis of TWP (the ETSI Technical Working Procedures) and other guidelines, such as those from TC MTS. The analysis will also include practical experience from entities such as the PTCC and the ETSI TO as a whole.

Using analysis tools such as SWOT, the project will consider:

• the use of (existing) methodologies and good working practices (not limited to ETSI, but also covering e.g. IETF, OMA);

• general project planning and management;

o planned creation of work items;

o realistic release scheduling;

o timely introduction of complementary activities:

• the use of practical validation techniques;

• the development of conformance test specifications;

• the development of interoperability test specifications;

• the use of common project management and support tools

• the scope for improving interoperability

o the extent to which the relationship between different specifications are understood and considered;

o the standardization of system architectures and the essential impact that this has on interoperability;
steps taken to avoid typical interoperability pitfalls;

o the development of profiles;

o the production of standards in a multi-SDO environment;

o the impact of open source specifications;

• the correct application of ETSI drafting rules

The scope of this work will not be restricted to processes related to the development of protocol standards but will also include the standardization of middleware and services. It aims at arriving at an improved way of managing a project covering the work multiple SDOs.

Although the intended audience of the revised working procedures which this project will propose will be ETSI TB officials and senior Secretariat staff, the material should be usable in industry to provide a bridge between specification of standards and the development of products and systems based on those standards.

Time plan for the work:

We intend to complete the work by March 2007. 

How to contact us:

If you would like more information, please contact the STF Leader: pointjc@jcp-consult.com
 

Last updated: 2013-04-13 17:28:39