U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

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

Speakers
Debra Stoe, Physical Scientist, Operational Technologies Division, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Gordon Gillerman, Chief, Standards Services Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, Gaithersburg, Md.; Philip J. Mattson, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.; William Haskell, Project Officer, Policy and Standards Development Branch, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Andover, Mass.; Robert Vondrasek, Vice President, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Mass.; David McBath, InterAgency Board, New York State Police

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.

Date Published: June 1, 2010