When you look at our 5,000+ active committee members, they all bring different backgrounds and skill sets into the committee meetings.

With industries rapidly changing, we must focus on drawing in new expertise for both current and emerging fields. We must also ensure that our existing contributors are able to pass on their committee experience and wisdom to equally exceptional new contributors.

As part of our investment in the next generation of standards developers, each year we run a program to engage with emerging leaders from all industries.

In my time as CEO I have watched this program expand and evolve. With applications closing soon, I am excited to see what the 2018/2019 program will bring.

Not only should interested individuals apply, but I urge other CEOs and senior managers to encourage their own staff to apply.

Ultimately, it is an investment in your organisation’s future and in the standards that impact your industry. Together we can create the next generation of industry leaders and standards makers.

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Nicholas Burt is CEO of the Facility Management Association of Australia (FMA). He has over 20 years’ leadership experience, including appointments at the senior executive level within the community services and facility management sectors for both NGOs and local government. His roles have covered the entire spectrum of policy development and planning, program implementation and management. During seven years with the FMA, Nic’s commitment to improving process has helped to drive industry development and deliver high-quality services to stakeholders in the facilities management sector. Nic also chairs the Standards Australia technical committee MB-022, Facilities Management. He was heavily involved in the development of the international standard ISO 41001, Facility management – Management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.

Standards Australia: How does ISO 41001 assist organisations?
Nicholas Burt: International standards set a benchmark that can be applied around the world. Australia was heavily involved in the development of this standard (and the wider ISO 41000 series), making it very relevant in the Australian context. The standard provides a common set of definitions and a framework for an area that’s been ambiguous for a long time. This ensures a minimum level of quality for the facilities management function of any organisation, whether it’s an internal or outsourced function.

SA: What are the next steps for facilities management in Australia?
NB: Facilities management has a significant impact on the health, wellbeing and productivity of the Australian community. We need to build a greater awareness of the impact of facilities management moving forward so we can help organisations and businesses implement it.

SA: How do security risks impact facilities management?
NB: Personal security has become front of mind for many people, whether they’re visiting a building, living in it, or working there. As a result there is an entire aspect of facilities management dedicated to understanding and developing responses to modern security risks. Looking at recent events like the Bourke Street attack in Melbourne and the Las Vegas concert shooting, the situations we are dealing with around the world are rapidly changing, which is changing the way we prepare and respond. For example, most emergency response plans include a designated evacuation area. But what if you’re faced with an incident like the Lindt Café siege where multiple buildings are trying to evacuate to the same location? Another example is managing artificial intelligence and automation with the rising threat of cybersecurity. Facilities management now addresses a much broader range of issues and situations in order to protect the community.

SA: What do you think is in the future of standardisation?
NB: Standards play a powerful role for industry. As Australia moves towards a landscape of deregulation and self-regulation, this will be even more the case. Standards provide industry and representative bodies with an opportunity in situations where the government doesn’t necessarily need to formally regulate.

Standards Australia has changed the way public comment drafts are accessed.  

Users can now download all drafts open for public comment directly from our Public Comment Portal, without any redirections to other sites or email attachments. Drafts will also remain available from the SAI Global Store.

This is the first step in our journey of simplifying the public comment process.

Read more.

Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand, who operate as a business unit of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), have agreed to implement a 12-month pilot where the commissioning fees for joint standards development projects for the identical adoption of ISO and IEC standards would be waived. The agreement applies to projects initiated on 8 May 2018 or later.

The key objectives of this agreement are to continue the harmonisation of standards in Australia and New Zealand, encourage joint Australia/New Zealand adoptions of international standards for the mutual benefit of both economies, and introduce a more streamlined process which will enable faster delivery.

In practical terms, this means that if Australian and New Zealand stakeholders support the joint adoption of an ISO or IEC standard, the work can progress promptly.

When the 12-month pilot period ends on 8 May 2019, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand will assess the outcomes of the pilot and determine if this fee arrangement will continue as an ongoing business-as-usual practice. For more information on the current joint standards development process and the requirement for stakeholders to fund the development of joint standards, refer to the Joint Australian and New Zealand Standards Fact Sheet (PDF).

If you would like to find out more about developing joint standards, and you are:

• in Australia, please contact mail@standards.org.au
• in New Zealand, please contact joints@standards.govt.nz

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Standards Australia is looking to pilot a number of innovative approaches to standards development through the Incubator. These pilot projects will address some of the specific recommendations arising from the Technical Governance Review — Response to Final Report (PDF).

The intention is to test the following concepts with real standards development projects, in collaboration with existing and new committees.

• Running ‘agile’ standards development projects virtually through online collaboration platforms.
• Allowing greater access and transparency by providing full public access through online platforms.
• Trialling new and innovative methods of constituting standards development committees.
• Crowdsourcing content and expertise through new channels.
• Developing Plain English commentaries to public comment drafts to explain the rationale behind drafting changes.
• Testing new publication and approval methodologies.

Committees and technical experts interested in learning more about these initiatives should contact their relevant committee Project Manager or the Incubator directly at Incubator@standards.org.au for more information.

The next generation of standards development is now. Join the evolution!

The growing use of blockchain, and the opportunities for business in NSW and across Australia, was the focus of an industry roundtable held earlier this month in Sydney.

‍Read more.

Applications for Standards Australia's Young Leaders program and the IEC Young Professionals program both close on 30 June 2018.

Further information and the application process can be found on our website.

Thank you to all of the new committee members who attended last month’s webinar for making it a fun, interesting and challenging session.

If you are new to a Standards Australia committee and are looking for a taste of what’s to come then the upcoming webinar on 14 August 2018 is your chance to gain an insight into some of the activities of standards development. Remember to register your attendance to receive the Skype meeting invite. Don’t forget to complete the online pre-learning prior to attending.

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Standards Australia represents Australia on the two major international standards development bodies, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Our activities are reported on our International Updates page.

Highlights from June (PDF):

• A New Field of Technical Activity – Sustainable Finance
• Australia to update membership of ISO PC 311 Vulnerable Consumers
• Good things come in pairs in Industry 4.0

Access the latest standards development news in your industry sector via our Sectors page.

The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions. View draft standards currently open for comment.