NEMA October 2009 ElectroIndustry - 17

• Protection against obsolescence. Standards organizations are generally highly motivated to provide an orderly way to migrate to new versions of standards. • Reduced Development Time and Costs. Finding trained and experienced personnel for standardized technologies is easier than for proprietary technologies. KEY POSITIONS Can an activity this important be left to just any random individual off the street? Of course not; that is why it is critical to identify key positions, and then engage alternates and candidates who can step in to technical and management assignments so that issues of interest can be addressed and continuity can be maintained. Below are some of the managerial positions within the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the United States National Committee of the IEC (USNC). In addition to these managerial positions and ensuring the timely progress for standards development, consideration needs to be given to support for the following international and domestic titles: IEC TC/SC Chair: The chair of a committee is responsible for the overall management of that committee, including any SC and/or WG, where appropriate. He/she shall advise the Standardization Management Board on important matters relating to the committee via the TC secretariat. IEC Secretary: The secretariat is responsible for monitoring, reporting, and ensuring active progress of the work, and shall use its utmost endeavour to bring this work to an early and satisfactory conclusion. The secretary nominates the chair of the committee to the next higher committee (TC or SMB). Knowledge of the IEC Rules, Statutes, and Directives is critical. IEC Convenor: Once set up, the WG/ PT/MT is under the responsibility of the project leader or its convenor, who is expected to manage the development of the project or maintenance of the publication. IEC Delegate: Serves to represent the U.S. at a Technical or Subcommittee Plenary meeting where management and technical decisions will be made affecting the operation and strategic objectives of the committee. IEC Expert: Serves as the technical expert participating in the development of specific documents. While not precisely representing the U.S., the individual must be knowledgeable of the products and installation practices in the country. USNC Technical Advisor: Serves to provide technical guidance for the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) responsible for developing U.S. proposals and U.S. positions on IEC documents. USNC TAG Secretary: Serves to provide administrative and secretarial support for the U.S. TAG, including guidance on IEC policies and procedures. USNC TAG Member: Contributes to the development of U.S. proposals for submittal to IEC and of U.S. positions on IEC documents. To achieve the benefits of standardization, an admonition from the IEC General Secretary Ronnie Amit must be applied: “The quality of the end-product standard reflects the quality of the participants in the standardization development.” ei Ken Gettman, Director of International Standards | ken_gettman@nema.org › Invisible & Necessary—Electrical Insulating Materials for the New And Old John Gauthier, Secretariat of IEC TC 15 and Consultant to NEMA Insulating Materials Section Whether it’s facilitating the movement of electricity from generating plants to a distribution system or through them to an electrical or an electronic product, one of the most essential elements in the electrical industry is electrical insulating materials (IMs). That importance relates to existing as well as future technologies. Visible or invisible, easily detected or hidden behind a wall or within a device, electrical IMs enable safe and reliable movement of electricity through wires and cables to its ultimate use—lighting a room, powering a TV, or energizing a factory. The appropriate selection and use of insulating materials is key to reliability and safety from Madison, Wisconsin, to Milano, Italy. U.S. manufacturing industry interests in ensuring the availability of both the quality and interoperability of insulating materials, in all their uses—nationally and internationally—are the focus of the NEMA Insulating Materials Section (IMS). For more than three decades, NEMA IMS members have been at the forefront of developing industry and national standards aimed at providing their customers with safe and reliable products in domestic as well as global markets. Over the years, the industry section members have created a wide range of NEMA standards that have migrated into national and international documents. And, with recent attention focused on the global markets and their potential, IMS has placed increased importance on the work undertaken in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Committee 15 (Solid electrical insulating materials), where test and performance standards for NEMA electroindustry • October 09

NEMA October 2009 ElectroIndustry

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