How ISO works: an overview and how you can be involved

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You can use this document to understand the ISO world and the plain language standard, the first part of which ISO published in 2023. Its aim is to encourage you, and anyone interested in the plain language standard, to become involved in developing and promoting the standard, either at the international level or the country level.

 Note these 2 important things.

  • The information here is general and high-level: the information can’t be definitive because some arrangements vary between countries.
  • This document has no official status: it has not been reviewed by ISO.

ISO overview

The International Organization for Standardization (known as ISO) is a federation of 174 national standards bodies (NSBs). For example, Japanese Industrial Standards Committee and Standards Australia. The standards bodies are members of ISO. Here’s the full list.

ISO has produced 25,500+ standards. They are written and maintained by volunteer international experts. These experts are appointed by national standards bodies.

The organization has staff based in Geneva, Switzerland. They manage ISO’s work and support the volunteer experts who develop the standards.

ISO is funded by selling its standards. So, ISO carefully protects its copyright in standards. For example, it has these rules:

  • To access a draft standard, you need to be involved in developing it.
  • To access a completed standard, you need to pay for it.

Read on to see how ISO and its Plain Language Project fit together. And where there may be a role for you.

1. Projects

ISO

ISO establishes projects to focus on developing related standards.

Plain Language Project

In 2019, ISO established a Plain Language Project.

The project was proposed to ISO by Standards Australia at the suggestion of the International Plain Language Federation.

You

This entry in each section explains how you can apply to your national standards body (NSB) to be involved in the project, either at an international level or in your own country.

Some of this information varies between each country’s NSB. The best way to find out about how things work in your country is to contact your NSB. Here is a list with contact details. Even so, it’s almost certainly worth your time to review the rest of this document before you contact your NSB.

2. Levels of ISO’s deliverables

ISO

ISO has 3 levels of what it calls its “deliverables” (there are lots of defined terms in the ISO world):

      • At the “bottom” there are technical reports, which provide information only.
      • In the “middle” there are standards for guidance. They use the word “should” to guide users towards what the standard aims to help them achieve.

At the “top” there are standards that are mandatory. They use the word “shall” to direct users on what they must do if they are to comply with the standard. In the ISO world, these mandatory “shall” standards are known as being “normative.”

For example, a standard about paper sizes (such as A3 and A4) is mandatory. The mandatory nature of a standard about paper sizes helps, with tasks like these:

      • manufacturers of printers and photocopiers can make machines that will handle the relevant sized paper, and
      • manufacturers of paper can make paper that will fit all the compliant machines.

A technical report, or a standard for guidance, can evolve to become a mandatory standard.

Plain Language Project

The ISO plain language standard is a standard for guidance. It is not “normative.” It does not use “shall.”

You

Not applicable.

3. Committees

ISO

ISO establishes various types of committees of experts to manage projects in a certain field.

For example, in 1947, ISO established Technical Committee 37 to handle projects relating to language and terminology. That technical committee is known as TC 37.

Plain Language Project

TC 37 manages ISO’s Plain Language Project. 

TC 37 is international.

You

You can apply to your country’s national standards body for it to appoint you as one of its representatives on TC 37. But most NSBs require you to first be involved in the NSB’s “mirror committee” (see below).

4. Subcommittees and working groups

ISO

Technical committees like TC 37 create various types of subcommittees and working groups to develop standards or to manage standards-related issues.

Working groups and subcommittees develop draft standards and then submit them to their technical committee.

The technical committee then votes to approve standards. Each national standards body on the technical committee gets one vote.

Plain Language Project

In 2019, when TC 37 created the Plain Language Project, it set up Working Group 11 Plain Language to develop the plain language standard.

The working group is international. It is known as TC 37 WG 11.

You

You can ask your country’s national standards body to appoint you to TC 37 WG 11. But first you need to be involved in the NSB’s “mirror committee” (see below).

5. National standards bodies appoint experts to technical committees

ISO

Each national standards body chooses which ISO committees it wants to be involved in.

An NSB can be a participating member or an observing member of a committee.

It is easy for an NSB to join a committee.

Plain Language Project

You can see which NSBs are members of TC 37.

You

If your country’s NSB is not a member of TC 37, then you can encourage it to join.

At least 2 plain language practitioners have done that successfully with their NSB. They did that since the International Plain Language Federation started working with Standards Australia to initiate a plain language standard.

6. Organizations can apply to have a representative on committees and working groups

ISO

Organizations that would like to be involved in developing a standard can apply to ISO to be appointed as a liaison organization to a committee or working group.

If ISO approves the organization’s application, then the organization gets to appoint representatives to the committee or working group. The representatives can do the following:

      • attend and speak at meetings so as to express the liaison organization’s views
      • see documents
      • get input from their organization about its views and position on drafts

Although the representatives get to vote in meetings, they do not get to vote in formal ISO ballots, for example to approve a standard for publication. Only NSBs get a vote on formal ISO ballots.

Plain Language Project

For example, 3 plain language organizations have been appointed as TC 37 WG 11 Liaison Organizations. They are the 3 organizations that formed the International Plain Language Federation:

Also, these organizations are Liaison Organizations:

ISO has various categories of liaison organizations. TC 37 WG 11’s liaison organizations are all Category C, which is for “organizations that make a technical contribution to and participate actively only in a specific working group.”

You

If you are involved in an organization that would like to apply to be a WG 11 Liaison Organization, then the organization can use this form to apply to ISO.

      • There are rules about which organizations can be liaison organizations.
      • There is also guidance for liaison organizations.

7. National mirror committees

ISO

Each national standards body creates its own national mirror committees to mirror the work of the ISO committees it has joined.

The mirror committee appoints some of its members to join the relevant ISO technical committee.

A mirror committee’s work involves tasks such as these:

      • contributing to the development of international standards in the mirror committee’s field
      • deciding which ISO standards to adopt for the mirror committee’s country
      • adapting, translating and localizing those international standards to suit the language, culture, and needs of the mirror committee’s country.

The arrangements about adapting and adopting a standard vary between NSBs. Some NSBs require funding for this process.

Plain Language Project

For example, to mirror TC 37’s work, Standards Australia has a mirror committee CS-117 Translating, Interpreting and Related Technology.

That mirror committee quickly appointed 2 Australian plain language experts to TC 37 WG 11.

You

The rules about who can be appointed to a mirror committee is one of the key things that vary between countries. Some NSBs require that experts on a mirror committee be nominated by an independent, not-for-profit organization.

If you are interested in getting involved, then contact your national standards body. Here is a list with contact details.

You can apply to join the mirror committee of your country’s NSB. Then if you are appointed, you can likely also apply to be a representative on TC 37 WG 11.

See also the next row about a mirror committee setting up a working group. This may entitle you to join TC 37 WG 11.

8. Mirror committees in some countries can set up a local working group

ISO

Some countries’ NSBs allow their mirror committees to set up a working group of experts that reports to the mirror committee.

Plain Language Project

For example, Standards Australia’s mirror committee to TC 37 has set up a working group for the Plain Language Project.

You

Experts in the relevant field can be on that working group, even if they are not appointed by an independent not-for-profit organization.

Depending on how your country’s NSB handles this, you may be able to encourage your NSB’s mirror committee to set up a working group for the Plain Language Project.

Then if it does, you can apply to join that working group. In some NSBs, this entitles you to join TC 37 WG 11.

9. Countries can endorse or adopt the ISO plain language standard

ISO

ISO’s guidance for countries to implement a standard is in its document called Regional or national adoption of International Standards and other International Deliverables — Part 1: Adoption of International Standards, GUIDE 21-1. 

 Here is a brief summary.

If a country adopts the standard, it becomes a standard of their country. When it adopts the standard, it can do one of the following:

      • adopt it as is (what ISO calls “identical”),
      • adopt it with editorial and substantive changes, or localize it to their own country (what ISO calls “modified”), or
      • adopt a portion of it (what ISO calls “not equivalent”).

There are requirements associated with each option. These are some examples:

      • If a country adopts the standard as identical, it is allowed to make insignificant changes and does not need to identify them.
      • If a country modifies the standard, it must identify and explain the changes.
      • If a country adopts only a portion of the standard or changes it substantially, it will be considered a different standard, not connected to the ISO one.

Plain Language Project

You can see which countries have adopted the standard.

Each country has its own process for this, as set out by its NSB.

You

Depending on how your country’s NSB handles this, you may not have to be a member of your country’s NSB’s mirror committee to participate in your country’s endorsing or adopting the standard.

The International Plain Language Federation has set up a committee to help plain language practitioners around the world to work together:

      • They coordinate this work internationally.
      • They help with implementing and promoting the standard in their country, whether through their NSB or independently.

 If you’re interested in getting involved, contact the committee chair through our contact us form.

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