How to Form a Working Group
Sometimes before the PAR is officially approved by the IEEE SA Standards Board, the foundation of the Working Group has been formed via collaboration of experts in this area of interest during the identification of the need for a proposed standard and in creating the PAR for submittal. Study groups, which consists of potential working group participants who have gathered to work on the PAR, to gain the support of their potential Standards Committee and to study the need for the standards — can also serve as the foundation of a Working Group.
Once a PAR is approved and the working group can officially begin its work to develop the standard, sometimes to garner more expertise and to ensure representation from all impacted parties and/or balance among the industries affected by the standard, a call for participation is issued. Call for participation is usually coordinated with the IEEE SA Media Contact.
IEEE also has a breadth and depth of expertise in a diverse collection of technology spaces. With this, when forming a working group team, the membership of IEEE can be approached for their interest in participation as well. And the membership of relevant industry groups and other standards bodies can also be approached.
When forming the Working Group, it’s important to strive to have a balance of interests represented and to have active, interested, expert participants. Other key aspects of forming the Working Group team is the role the participants of the Working Group will play and how the working group will be governed.