FAQ: Maintenance of IEEE Standards
1.What changes are being made to the maintenance process for IEEE standards?
Effective January 2012, each IEEE standard will beallowed to continue as an active standardonlyif a revision processfor that standardis completed and approved within 10 years from the date that the standard is approved or last revised. It is not necessary that the document be changed, just that the opportunity existed to make appropriate changes and the requisite ballot group confirmed decisions to change or not change the document. The reaffirmation and stabilization processes will be eliminated beginning January 2012. In addition, the maintenance timeline for completing a revision will be extended to 10 years rather than 5 years.
2.Why is the IEEE eliminating reaffirmation and stabilization as a means to maintain an IEEE standard?
The IEEE-SA Standards Board (IEEE-SASB) determined that it was important to have a process that permitted the standard to be revised when addressing comments provided during a maintenance review process, and to streamline/simplify the maintenance process to ensure that participants would comply with the policies and procedures of both IEEE and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which accredits IEEE as a standards developingorganization (SDO).
3.How will the new maintenance process benefit Sponsors and Working Groups?
The new process will be streamlined to be simpler, less confusing, and focused on three actions by the Sponsor: revision, amendment, or withdrawal. In addition, the process extends the maintenance timeline from 5 years to 10 years, allowing Sponsors and Working Groups additional time to review and complete a revision cycle. Each year, the IEEE-SA will provide to Sponsors a status of all projects, with standards in Years 5 through 10 highlighted, to ensure that Sponsors are aware of their deadline for revision. Sponsors will then take action on standards in the list that they believe require revision, amendment, or withdrawal.
Sponsors will be able to focus their efforts and resources on standards that require revision or need to be maintained as active (see FAQ#15). Standards that do not require revision may be transferred after 10 years to inactive status and reserved, or can be withdrawn immediately via a withdrawal ballot.
4.How will the new maintenance process benefit standards implementers?
Standards implementers will benefit from the focus on revisions of standards that require maintenance action, rather than a diffusion of Sponsor efforts to meet administrative requirements for reaffirmation or stabilization. Implementers who participate in Sponsor ballots will be able to address significant errors in a process where changes can be made to the document during the ballot. This should allow IEEE standards to remain pertinent and of high technical value.
5.When will the new policies go into effect?
The new maintenance policies will go into effect on 1 January 2012. At that time, active standards can only be maintained through a revision process.
6.What will happen to thereaffirmation and stabilization processes?
The reaffirmation and stabilization processes will be eliminated as of 1 January 2012; the currently stabilized and reaffirmed standards will be treated as active or inactive as described in FAQ#7 below.
7.What will be the status of IEEE standards going forward?
Approved IEEE standards will either be active or inactive. Active standards must undergo a revision processevery10 years (i.e., approved as revised standards by the IEEE-SASB within10 years ofthe prior revision, even if the standard is not changed), and can be amended at any time. Standards can become inactive through a Sponsor ballot to withdraw, orwill be made inactive if they do not complete a revision process within 10 years.
8.What are the categories of inactive standards?
Inactive standards fall into one of three categories:
inactive-superseded: These standards have been replaced with a revised version of the standard.
inactive-reserved: These standards are removed from active status through an administrative process for standards that have not undergone a revision process within 10 years.
inactive-withdrawn(valid for standards categorized after 1 January 2012): These standards have been removed from active status through a ballot where the standard is made inactive as a consensus decision of the balloting group.
9.What will happen to standards that have been reaffirmed or stabilized prior to the policy going into effect?
Standards that have been reaffirmed or stabilized prior to 1 January 2012 will be transitioned into the new maintenance timeline. The Sponsor of the standard will be required to revise the standard according tothe greatest of the following timelines:
-By 31 December 2018
-Within 10 years of initial approval
-Within 10 years fromthe last maintenance action (revision, reaffirmation or stabilization)
If no action is taken, the standards will be transferred to inactive-reserved status.
10.What will happen to stabilizations or reaffirmations in ballot on 1 January 2012 when this new policy is implemented?
The stabilization/reaffirmation ballots will be given 1 year to complete the stabilization or reaffirmation process. If the ballot is not successfully completed by 31 December 2012 (i.e., approved by the IEEE-SASB), then the standard will be transitioned into the new timeline (see FAQ#7). No new stabilization or reaffirmation ballots will be permitted after 31 December 2011.
11.Can an inactive-withdrawn or inactive-reserved standard be revised?
Yes. Any standard can be revised at any time. The inactive-withdrawn or inactive-reserved standard will remain inactive. The active standard will be the revision approved by the IEEE-SASB, and will be identified using that approval date.
12.What will happen to standards that were withdrawn prior to 1 January 2012?
No changes will be made to withdrawn standards, and they will remain withdrawn unless revised. These standards will continue to be identified as “withdrawn.”
13.What will happen to the timeline of a PAR when this new policy is implemented?
The timeline for PARs will not change. The initial PAR timeline will remain at 4 years after the PAR is approved.
14.What will happen to revision projects under development when this new policy is implemented?
PARs for revision projects under development remain valid after the new policy is implemented. However, the revision project needs to be completed (i.e., approved by the IEEE-SASB) within 10 years after the approval of the existing standard in order to ensure that the standard remains continuously active. At the 10-year mark, the existing standard will be transferred to inactive-reserved status if it has not otherwise been approved as a revised standard by the IEEE-SASB.
15.What if I submit a revision PAR near Year 10 of the life of the approved standard? Can the timeline of the approved standard be extended?
No. There is a 10 year cutoff on the maintenance of an approved standard. If the revision project has not been completed and approved by Year 10, the approved standard will be transferred to inactive-reserved status.
16.How can IEEE minimize unnecessary or arbitrary changes?
The consensus process is the arbiter of what changes should be made, and which should not be made. The Sponsor ballot process allows materially interested parties and technical experts to determine through consensus whether specific changes should be made to the draft standard. Those interested in helping to ensure that arbitrary changes are avoided should participate in the Sponsor ballot process (see
17.What if a standard undergoes a revision ballot and reaches consensus with no changes to the original standard? Will the standard designation change?
Revisions that consist of no changes to the standard must be indicated when submitted for Mandatory Editorial Coordination (MEC) review. When approved and published, the frontmatter of the standard will indicate that a revision maintenance action was performed on a given date and that no changes were made to the document. No other changes will be made to the standard, and the standard designation will not change.
18.Can a revision ballot consist of only changes to update the normative references and the bibliography?
Yes, a revision can consist of only changes to normative references and the bibliography.However, during the Sponsor ballot, revision procedures apply, i.e., the entire document is open to comments and changes.
19.Will Sponsors and Working Groups have access to any comments that were received during previous reaffirmation or stabilization ballots conducted prior to 1 January 2012?
Yes. The Sponsor or designee can access previous reaffirmation and stabilization ballot comment results through the IEEE-SA myProject™ system.For assistance, contact your Professional Staff Liaison <insert hyperlink to
20.Willthis process be submitted for approval by ANSI?What happens to any standard that is recognized as an American National Standard (ANS)? Will a revision be required on an earlier timeline?
Yes, the process will be submitted for approval by the ANSI Executive Standards Council (ExSC).Preliminary review by ANSI has indicated no objections to this improvement in our processes, but final approval will be needed from the ExSC.
An ANS can be revised prior to Year 10 if deemed appropriate. Any standard that is currently an ANS will need to report to the administrator of the Standards Review Committee (RevCom) during Year 5 and explain whether a revision is in progress, or whether a revision is slated to be completed within the next 5 years.
21.How does this process affect standards that are developed jointly or adopted as International Standards (e.g., through the PSDO or dual-logo agreements)?
The international adoption, joint development, or normative reference processes will not change. Sponsors and Working Groups will need to coordinate the 10-year maintenance timeline with the partner or adopting organization. Questions about specific projects should be directed to .
22.Can a revision be done prior to 10 years?
Yes. A Sponsor and Working Group can conduct the revision of a standard at any time. A revision prior to Year 10 will keep the standard continuously active for another 10-year period after the approval of the revision by the IEEE-SASB.
23.Can standardsstill be amended?
An amendment (for additions or changes to a standard) or corrigendum (for technical corrections to a standard) can be created for any active standard. An inactive standard cannot be amended either by an amendment or corrigendum.
24.Can a withdrawal be done prior to 10 years? Has the withdrawal process changed?
Yes. A Sponsor and Working Group can conduct a withdrawal ballot at any time. The withdrawal process has not changed.
25.Are inactive standards available for purchase?
Yes, inactive standards are available for purchase from the IEEE website < Purchasers should note that inactive standards are not maintained, so they may contain significant obsolete or erroneous information, and are used AT THEIR
OWN RISK.
26.How will you know the status of an IEEE standard?
The IEEE website < will show the status of any IEEE standard as a part of the search result.
27.Were options other than eliminating reaffirmation and stabilization considered? Why was this option preferred?
Yes. Other options, including the option of evaluating a standard through a two-step process, were considered prior to accepting the current process. The Procedures Committee (ProCom) of the IEEE-SASB and an ad hoc of the IEEE-SASB itself considered the various options and determined that the current process was simplest, least taxing on volunteer resources, and allowed standards developers to concentrate on keeping IEEE standards relevant and reducing IEEE’s legal risk associated with outdated standards by making needed revisions where warranted by the Sponsor, Working Group, and Sponsor Balloting Group.
28.Does the patent policy apply to inactive standards?
Patent Letters of Assurance (LoAs) may not apply to inactive standards. LoAs are irrevocable once submitted and accepted, and apply, at a minimum, from the date of the standard’s approval to the date of the standard’s transfer to inactive status. Whether an LoA for an inactive standard applies depends on the discretion of the LoA submitter.