Specialist Task Forces Process Overview (STF)
What is an STF?
Specialist Task Forces (STF) are teams established to support the ETSI Technical structure to accelerate the production of standards urgently required by the ETSI Members or the European Commission (EC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
STFs give ETSI a competitive advantage by making readily available the technical competence to quickly develop standards needed by the market and/or to implement European Union policies.
Why use an STF?
STFs can be requested by a Reference Body (Technical committee, ETSI Project, ETSI Partnership Project, Special Committee, Industry Specification Group), when the development of a standard requires specific technical competence not available in the Reference Body and/or the time scale cannot be achieved with the normal voluntary contribution of the delegates.
What are the sources of funding?
Funding can then be obtained from the ETSI budget, EC/EFTA contracts or voluntary contributions from ETSI Members.
Expertise for the STFs can be proposed by ETSI Member Companies or Organizations or by non-Member, with the support of an ETSI Member.
Who does the work?
The Reference Body is responsible for the technical guidance of the STF. The ETSI Secretariat provides assistance for financing, recruitment of experts, the establishment of contracts, project management, document editing, IT and logistic support.
The drafts produced by the STF will then be submitted to the normal approval process relevant to that type of standard.
How to request an STF?
Download the STF Terms of Reference Template. Complete at least Part I. Have the ToR approved by the Reference Body, if possible.
Send the initial ToRs to the Funded Activities (FA) HoFA before the date indicated in the STF Process Calendar.
Be prepared to defend the work behind the STF proposal at the Board/OCG meeting in September.
When the ETSI Board has indicated that the STF can proceed, complete the remaining parts of the STF Terms of Reference and have it approved by the Reference Body.
The ETSI Secretariat will manage the recruitment of the Service Provider and establish the project.
Please ensure you liaise with the ETSI Technical Officer and the HoFA at each step.
Contacts
For more information, you can contact:
- Head of Funded Activities: lea.belloulou@etsi.org
- Funded Activities (STF Support Team): stflink@etsi.org
Comments and suggestions to improve these pages are welcome (STF/TTF Support team: stflink@etsi.org).