The British Standards Institution BSI Standards Report to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills Use of BIS funding for the financial year 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 The British Standards Institution BSI Standards Report to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills Contents 1. Executive Summary 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Financial 2 1.3 Support for Standards 2 1.4 Support for Standards Development 3 1.5 Support for Participation in Standardization 3 2. Background 4 2.1 National Standards Body 4 2.2 Areas of activity supported 4 3. Support for Standards 6 3.1 BSI membership for HMG 6 3.2 Contribution to membership of ISO/IEC/CEN/CENELEC 7 4. Support for Standards Development 10 4.1 Standards Development Programme 10 4.2 Spend Summary 11 4.3 Priority Areas Standards Development programme 12 4.4 BSI Staff Travel 13 5. Support for Participation in Standardization 14 6. Support for Consumer Participation in Standardization 15 7. Smart Cities Initiative 18 8. International Projects 19 Appendix A 20 Appendix B 22 Appendix C 25 Appendix D 27 BSI Standards Report to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills The British Standards Institution 1 1. Executive Summary BSI promotes knowledge 1.1 Introduction 1.3 Support for Standards about standardization in For 2011/12 BSI Standards (BSI) continued • BSI continues to improve its standards to implement its strategy of providing development tools to ensure it provides higher education in order a clear market sector focus for the an excellent, accessible service to its to support the next standardization work programme with an committee members and to its wider ongoing objective of enabling timely and stakeholders, and to maximize the generation of leaders for effective responses to the needs of UK transparency of its standardization industry and business. plc and associated UK Government (HMG) activities. priorities across each sector. • BSI continues to take leadership positions This work is largely funded by BSI, in the European (CEN/CENELEC) and however in key areas of public policy interest international (ISO/IEC) standards bodies to and HMG innovation priority, HMG fund deliver the maximum influence for the UK. these activities. • Working with donor agencies, BSI Throughout the funding year BSI has delivered projects to support the standardization and standards related standards and quality infrastructures in activities were successful in meeting the countries across the globe, including key objectives set through the annual funding trading partners, emerging economies and agreement set out between the Department developing countries. for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and • Through continued investment BSI. This report sets out the successes in technology BSI has improved achieved throughout the year. the accessibility for SMEs to the 1.2 Financial standards development process. These improvements include a variety of web- The overall funding allocation for the funding based tools which allow access to the year 2011/12 was £4,644k plus an in year work programme or the ability to view agreement of £89k targeted for the ‘Smart documents at key stages and comment Cities’ initiative (see section 7). The full BIS upon them. funding contribution towards standards- related activity was used. Total expenditure • BSI is working within the European and on these activities exceeded the 2011/12 international standards bodies to ensure BIS funding allocation with BSI making their standards are produced in a timely up the shortfall. BSI provides substantial manner and meet an agreed market need. support for further activities in addition • BSI promotes knowledge about to the traditional National standards Body standardization in higher education in (NSB) activities with which the funding is order to support the next generation of associated, in committee member training, leaders for industry and business. higher education and work with initiatives in other standards bodies that are developing a • BSI has increased the speed to market standards infrastructure. for published documents; European and international standards are now available from BSI more quickly than ever before. The focus on this activity is in response to industry requests, and can improve the UK’s competitive advantage. 2 The British Standards Institution BSI Standards Report to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills 1.4 Support for Standards • BSI launched an improved online draft review system in January 2012, in order Development to make it easier for users to find, read, • BIS funding contributes towards full comment on and share draft standards. programme management support for Modifications include a new search facility 119 UK standards technical committees that finds drafts using any information or whose work programmes largely comprise keywords entered. This is particularly good European and international work with for new users who are unfamiliar with some additional national work. standards. The site now has European and international draft standards as well as • BSI is the gateway for interested UK Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and parties to participate in international British Standards (BS) drafts, whilst users standardization, facilitating the publication can now share drafts with colleagues of 1,526 standards and related documents via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and during in the year. email. Users can modify their profiles to • BSI continues to provide a proactive subscribe to particular categories. When programme of standardization a new draft in that category is available, supporting HMG policy priorities with users are automatically notified. particular focus on BIS priorities in - There are now over 28,000 registered support of emerging technologies. users of the site. 5,107 people visited the website in April 2012. 3,342 of 1.5 Support for Participation those were new visitors and 1,765 were in Standardization returning visitors. • Celebrating 60 years of consumer - BSI is one of very few standards making involvement in standardization in the bodies providing open access to UK, BSI has refreshed its network of standards in this way. experts and hosted, with co-funding from BIS, the international forum for consumer involvement in standards – ISO COPOLCO (the consumer policy committee of the international organization for standardization). • BSI has continued to increase contact with Higher Education establishments in the UK and has made significant input to the development of a European strategy for education in standardization. Good practice has been shared with other standards bodies. BSI Standards Report to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills The British Standards Institution 3 2. Background There. is specific 2.1 National Standards Body In 2011/12, BSI modified its legal structure to clearly separate its NSB activities from development in emerging BSI has a Memorandum of Understanding its standards development, publishing technology areas in support (MoU)1 with HMG that explains BSI’s role as and assurance activities. The Director of the UK’s NSB. Standards continues to represent the NSB of the Technology Strategy. This role includes organizing UK interest in responsibilities, maintaining the position on European standardization. The importance the main board of BSI. of standards in supporting EU legislation is demonstrated by the view expressed by the 2.2 Areas of activity European Commission, Directorate General supported for Enterprise and Industry, “The European In recognition of the importance of the work Union has, since the mid-1980s, made an that BSI undertakes, and the fact that some increasing use of standards in support of aspects of this are not self-funding, BIS its policies and legislation. Standardization contributes financially to supporting specific has contributed significantly to the support areas of activity in three main areas: of the completion of the Internal Market in the context of the New Approach legislation, ‘Support for Standards’, which provides which refers to European standards support for activities that promote developed by the European standards standardization and supports the organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI.”2 infrastructure that is necessary for the UK to participate effectively in European and Effective participation in the European international standardization. The fund standards organizations safeguards UK includes provisions for a number of activities interests by ensuring that the standards used including a subscription fee that gives all to demonstrate compliance with European HMG departments and agencies benefits of Directives are acceptable to the UK. a large discount on the purchase price of BSI has worked alongside HMG to standards published by BSI. promote the interests of the UK in the ‘Support for Standards Development’, negotiations over the future of the European which covers activities that are related to standardization system and in a new developing standards content. The majority European regulation on standardization of the total funding is made available for which will be implemented in 2013. these development activities with priority After a broad consultation process, BSI given to areas that promote a number of reviewed and revised BS 0 – A Standard HMG policies, including competitiveness, for Standards, Principles of Standardization, innovation, reduction of trade barriers, which sets out how British Standards are fair trading and protection of consumer developed and