Once accredited, Standards Development Organisations (SDO) have a series of on-going responsibilities to ensure their continued accreditation.

The first is to maintain and keep up-to-date the Australian Standards they develop within the scope of their accreditation. This process is overseen by the National Standards Office (NSO).

The NSO was established by Standards Australia to maintain a register of current Australian Standards projects and to ensure that information is available on all current Australian and International standards.

All SDOs must work closely with the NSO throughout the Standards development process. The ongoing requirements for all SDOs, including areas they should liaise with the NSO on, are included in Requirements for Accreditation of Standards Development Organisations.

When it comes to the registration of new Australian Standards development projects, ABSDO has developed Criteria for designation as an Australian Standard. This document addresses two sets of criteria:

• Part A – New project registration
• Part B – Final process approval

In addition, the NSO has developed NSO Procedure 1 – Standards Development Projects which sets out the requirements for accredited SDOs in relation to the preparation, amendment, reconfirmation or withdrawal of Australian Standards. This document, along with others relating to the functions of an SDO are available on the NSO webpages on the Standards Australia website.

• Delegates at International Meetings;
• Funding to Attend International Meetings;
• Access to Australian and International Standards;
• Numbering of Australian Standards; and
• NSO Responsibilities relating to ABSDO

Criteria to develop Australian Standards

Criteria for Designation as an Australian Standard

These Criteria apply to the preparation, amendment, reconfirmation or withdrawal of an Australian Standard.  They require registration and justification of new Standards projects with the National Standards Office (within Standards Australia) and specify how the Standards development processes will meet representative, transparent and consensus conditions.   Two major elements relate to the need to consider international Standards before developing a different national Standard (and justify this decision) and the ability of an SDO to delegate the role of final verification and process approval of their Standard to the National Standards Office.