How LTSC Work Gets Done

There three stages to standards development work:

1. Project Initiation: Projects are initiated by existing Working Groups or by external groups who propose new standardization projects. Projects must be approved by the IEEE New Standards Committee. Please contact the ltsc chair for more details.
2. Standard Development: The bulk of the work in creating a standard involves developing a draft standard that is ready for the formal IEEE approval process. This work is carried out within the individual working groups listed in the Navgation panel to the left. Work is done via email reflectors, teleconferences (often using Breeze^TM to collaboratively edit documents), and face-to-face meetings as needed. Any materially interested person may participate. There is no membership requirement for participation although LTSC membership is required for voting and for posting to the mailing lists. Individuals may represent their organizations' views if they choose but there is no organizational membership in the LTSC.

   Note: The same process applies to "standards," "guides" or "recommended practices." The difference among these three work products lies only in the degree to which they are normative (standards), informative (recommended practices) or suggestive of alternatives (guides).

3. Standards Approval: When a Working Group decides it is ready (and the LTSC Sponsor Executive Committee approves), a draft standard is put into the formal IEEE Sponsor Ballot process. This is managed by and requires membership in the IEEE Standards Association, which in turn requires membership in either the IEEE Computer Society, the IEEE or both. Please see the IEEE Standards Association site for details.
4. Standards Maintenance: Maintaining a standard is the responsibility of the Working Group that produced it. Please contact the appropriate Working Group chair if you would like to comment on an existing standard.