ITU Regional Standardization Forum for Asia-Pacific
(Jakarta, Indonesia, 27-28 October 2015)
Establishing a National
Standardization Secretariat:
NSS Options and Resource Requirements
Gary Fishman
Pearlfisher International gryfishman@aol.com
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• Limited resources
• Little or no ITU-T
Study Group
involvement
• Participate in higher-level ITU bodies
(Guidelines §2)
2

Responsible Agency (RA)
• Use existing resources as much as possible
• Responsible Agency has been authorized, or one can be agreed informally among involved agencies:
– Responsible for PP, Council, Member State (MS) issues
– Point of contact to ITU
– Approve contributions, Sector Member (SM) applications
– Approve MS delegations to ITU meetings
– Create T-NAC and appoint T-NAC Chairman
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– The main working level advisory committee for the NSS-General Level
– Responsible for all ITU-T matters of interest, including WTSA, TSAG and SGs
– Open to public and private participants
– Can create ad hoc groups as needed, e.g.:
WTSA, TSAG, a Study Group
– Draft national process procedures
– Acts as preparatory group for ITU-T meetings
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• Secretariat administrative functions are provided from within RA or contracted by
RA
– Monitor Circulars and other ITU communications, and facilitate responses
– Develop and maintain a website and email lists
– Support national level meetings
– Record-keeping
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NSS General Level
Priorities
• Top priorities for the NSS-General Level:
– Draft enabling legislation (if required)
• Including funding!
– Establish national procedures
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Moving Up To NSS-Study Group Level
Funding
Responsible Agency
National Advisory Committee (NAC) for ITU
(PP, Council, Budget, MS dues…)
Secretariat
Bureau
D-NAC R-NAC T-NAC
(Subcommittees: WTSA, TSAG, SGs)
• Participate in ITU-T SGs
• Operational functions NSG M
of RA move down to a NAC
• One National Study Group (NSG)
NSG N NSG X
for each ITU-T SG of interest
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• Overall responsibility for ITU matters, assigned under enabling legislation
• Ensure stable funding
• Approve national procedures
• Approve MS contributions
• Official point of contact with ITU
• Approve SM applications for membership
• Appoints NAC Chair and T-NAC Chair
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NSS-Study Group Level: NAC
• Open to public and private sector
• Chairs of T-NAC, R-NAC, D-NAC and NSGs are members of NAC
• Preparatory group for ITU-level events, e.g.,
Plenipot, Council
• Maintain national procedures for ITU
• Parent body to T-NAC, R-NAC and D-NAC
• Addresses ITU-level and cross-Sector issues
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NSS-Study Group Level: T-NAC
• Continues from the T-NAC of General Level
• Open to public and private sector
• Create National Study Groups, only as needed, one-to-one with ITU-T SGs
– T-NAC chair appoints NSG Chairs
• Change former ad hoc groups into permanent subcommittees of T-NAC, e.g.:
– SC-Policy: ITU-T policy matters and WTSA
– SC-TSAG: TSAG
– SC-SG: General and cross-SG matters
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NSS-Study Group Level:
National Study Group
• One NSG for each ITU-T SG of interest
• Open to public and private sector
• Preparatory group for the ITU-T SG and related regional groups, e.g.:
– Prepare contributions
– Propose national delegation members
– Report on ITU-T meeting results
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Funding
Responsible Agency
National Advisory Committee (NAC) for ITU
(PP, Council, Budget, MS dues…)
Secretariat
Bureau
D-NAC R-NAC T-NAC
(Subcommittees: WTSA, TSAG, networks, svcs)
• Participate in most NSG 2 NSG 3
or all ITU-T SGs
• Sufficient resources
• One National Study Group (NSG) for each ITU-T SG
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NSG 20

• How many communications does TSB send to Member States?
– About 300 Circulars, 100 Collective Letters and
100 Recommendation approval Notifications per 4-year study period: 1 every 2 or 3 days!
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Consultation on deletion of a
Rec and notice it is deleted, 15,
5%
Consultation on deletion of a
Question and notice it is deleted, 15, 5%
Questionnaire,
30, 10%
Informationonly, 15, 5%
Meeting notices, 75, 25%
Formal consultation of
Member States for Rec’n approval process, 30, 10%
Announcement that a Rec or
Question was approved or not approved, 60,
20%
Announcement of a workshop, seminar, forum, tutorial , 60,
20%
Legend: Type of Circular,
number, % of total.
Dashed outline: Possible response to TSB.
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Human Resources (Headcount)
Human Resource
Senior Manager
(RA)
Manager
Assistant Manager
National Standardization Secretariat
General
Level
Headcount
Study Group
Level
Headcount
Full Sector
Level
Headcount
0.2 0.2-1 1
0
1
0-1 (or 3)
1-2 (or 4)
1 (or 3)
2 (or 4)
Support Staff
Secretariat Bureau
(n) For all 3 ITU Sectors
0.4
0
0.4-2
1
2
~2
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Travel Estimates (% of time/person)
National Standardization Secretariat
General Level
Travel time
Study Group Level
Travel time
Full Sector Level
Travel time
Senior
Manager
10% 10-30% 30-40%
0% 0-30% 30-40% Manager
Assistant
Manager
0% 0-20% 20-30%
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• Chairs and secretaries of National
Advisory Committees, ad hoc groups,
NSGs, etc. are provided on a voluntary basis by those interested and participating in the work
– Not part of the NSS funding requirements
• Website, e-working method facilities
• ITU (and other organization) dues
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• At the NSS-General Level, until secure funding is arranged, it should be possible to initiate a national process and structure without major new funding resources, for example:
– Senior Manager (RA) could serve as Chairman of T-NAC
– Secretariat Bureau functions could be provided by sharing existing RA support staff
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• Legislation giving the RA responsibility for ITU/ITU-T should also provide for allocation of sufficient funds to carry out that role, including:
– Staff
– Travel
– Communication facilities
– Website
– Membership dues
– Secretariat Bureau
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• Contributions from other involved agencies – problematical
– Can lead to conflicts over leadership roles
• Solicit resources or impose obligations on participating private entities
– Useful only when there is a small number of players (e.g., an incumbent operator) but NOT sustainable nor recommended when there is a competitive private sector
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Thank you
Gary Fishman
Pearlfisher International gryfishman@aol.com
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