CORPORATE PROGRAM GOVERNANCE

The IEEE-SA Corporate Program is governed by the Corporate Advisory Group (CAG), a committee of the IEEE-SA Board of Governors (BOG).  The CAG serves as an advisory body to IEEE-SA corporate members and the IEEE-SA BOG, developing rules that govern the "Entity Standards Development Process," which all IEEE Corporate Standards follow.

Use of Terminology 
To clarify, in reference to Corporate Program participants, IEEE's official position is to utilize the terms "entity" or to refer to participants who are "persons of any category other than an individual" rather than using the term "corporate." This is appropriate because other "non-individuals" such as organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions can also participate in an entity ballot. So, while "Corporate Standards" is used as a general term, it doesn't cover all the possibilities for participation, and the official rules do recognize this in their terminology.

Governing Documents 
Most of the standards development policies and procedures of IEEE apply to both standards developed under IEEE's individual method of development and to standards developed under the Corporate or Entity  method.  However, to ensure a fair and equitable process, there are established rules and processes that specifically apply to the Entity Process. These rules should be implemented by the Sponsor of any corporate working group and are defined in the Study Group Guidelines (PDF) as well as the Baseline Policies & Procedures for Entity Working Groups (DOC).

The IEEE-SA Standards Board Bylaws and Standards Board Operations Manual contain specific rules concerning corporate standards development.

IEEE-SA Standards Board Bylaws

• Clause 5.2.1: Participation in IEEE standards development 
  Shows that corporate participation and representation is acceptable for an IEEE standards development group
• Clause 5.2.1.1: Openness 
  States that all IEEE standards development meetings and official Sponsor ballots have to be open to all participants. (Voting rights at meetings are usually determined by the rules of the Sponsor or the specific working group.)
• Clause 5.2.2: Sponsor 
  Defines sponsors and shows the various types found at IEEE.
• Clause 5.2.2.3: Sponsor balloting group 
  Defines "person," which includes all the various types of corporate participants. Also states the type of balloting group and voting rights in the working group is determined when the PAR is created.

The IEEE-SA Standards Board Operations Manual

• Clause 5.4: Standards ballot by the Sponsor 
  The rules concerning how a ballot group is defined and conducting a ballot.
• Clause 5.4.1.1: Balloting Balloting group made of entities 
  Addresses how to identify balloting participants in a corporate ballot; persons who are of any category other than individual.