Special Technical Committees: How They Are Changing NIJ's Standards Development Process

NIJ has established a new standards development process based on Special Technical Committees whose members include practitioners, scientists, researchers, subject matter experts, staff of test laboratories and major criminal justice stakeholder organizations, and representatives knowledgeable in standards development and conformity assessment. The members collaborate to develop the standard and ensure that practitioner needs are addressed. The members' diversity guarantees the standard package — the performance standard, the conformity assessment program requirements, and the selection and application guide — is valid and respected by the user community. This workshop will highlight the NIJ standards development process and how it fits with the processes of other government agencies and private sector organizations. Also discussed will be the difference between regulatory and voluntary standards. The panelists each have experience with the NIJ process and will discuss standards development and conformity assessment from their individual perspectives.