iso

1. International Organization for Standardization www.iso.org

2. Some consumer issues in standards – case studies DEVCO/COPOLCO Workshop Train the trainers Paris, France 20-25 February 2009 Acknowledgements to: Association française de normalisation(AFNOR), CI and members of COPOLCO

3. Consumer issues in standards – Standards in the service sector ISO/IEC Guide 76, Development of service standards – Recommendations for addressing Consumer issues

4. Consumer issues in standardsStandards in the service sector – need for a Guide ISO/IEC Guide 76 This Guide is needed because: • Standards are increasingly being developed for services, but typically fromtheservice provider viewpoint • Consumers have a wide range of choice in services(air travel, hotel, car repairs, health care, etc.) • Consumers expect many things: quality, durability, ease of use, safety, environmental friendliness, fairness ….and don’t get them,socomplaints about services are frequent. • Some services are very complex • Some services involve long-term commitment and large sums of money(e.g. home mortgage loans)

5. Consumer issues in standardsStandards in the service sector – what the guide covers The Guide addresses consumer questions about: • Choice of service • Service delivery • After-sales service / post service engagementsupport/complaints handling The Guide is practical: • Checklists to help standards developers • Examples of application in 3 contrasting service areas: hairdressing, a hotel, life insurance

6. Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector – Communication Service elements….. …..and the role of communication

7. Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector – Other useful guides and standards Using ISO/IEC Guide 76: preparation • Toolkit for standards development ISO/IEC Guide 51, on safety issues ISO/IEC Guide 50, on child safety ISO/IEC Guide 71, on elderly and people with disabilities ISO 10001,10002 & 10003, on codes of conduct, complaints handling and dispute resolution

8. Consumer issues in standardsSocial responsibility (SR) In 2004, ISO began work to develop ISO 26000, a new guideline standard on social responsibility of organizations. The problem: • ISO has well established, transparent procedures for developing standards but developing international guidelines for social responsibility was recognized as new territory for ISO, needing a process with extra safeguards. • SR posed a new challenge: a need for balanced stakeholder representation and a new level of transparency, to ensure credibility of this unusual standard. • A new approach was needed to ensure the participation of under-represented groups such as consumers and labour, in particular those from developing countries.

9. Consumer issues in standardsSocial responsibility (SR) (continued) • The solution: ISO took the following actions: • Set up a "working group"with unique processes to achieve balanced participation • NSBs were requested to submit nominations of experts from six distinct stakeholder categories (rather than national delegations) • Secured donor funding enabling sponsorship of under-represented categories particularly from developing countries, with additional regional seminars being held to facilitate participation • Added SR to its roster of capacity-building activities under the ISO Action Plan • An SR trust fund was also established bythe WG to sponsor participants.

10. Consumer issues in standardsSocial responsibility (SR) (continued) The results: • Approximately 25 consumer representatives out of approx. 300 experts participated at each meeting. • The working group operates at all levels in an established process whereby all stakeholder groups have equal decision-making power. • Established consumer rights have been included in the draft. • Because of the high level of consumer interest in SR, CI agreed to coordinate consumer activity in the process.

11. Consumer issues in standardsProduct standards where consumers have made a difference Life jackets The problem: Original draft considered the highest levels of safety. Conforming products would be OK in really hazardous situations or where use could be ensured. Not comfortable for leisure use by fishermen, canoers, water skiers etc.

12. Consumer issues in standardsProduct standards where consumers have made a difference Life jackets (continued) The solution: Consumer representative influenced the standard, so • Three consumer standards were developed(EN 393,395 & 396) with different performance levels appropriate for different situations. • Comfort, ease of use were addressed thus maximizing the chance of use • Flexibility in the design allowed for ‘fashion features’

13. Consumer issues in standardsProduct standards where consumers have made a difference Contraception – Condoms The problem: The existing International Standard assumed that condoms would be transported and stored in relatively controlled conditions and so a single temperature range was defined in the test standard. Consumer research showed that this was not the case in many countries, especially in tropical climates. The solution: The consumer representative was able to influence the technical committee to amend the range of testing to take into account storage conditions which would better reflect those found in tropical climates.

14. Consumer issues in standardsProduct standards where consumers have made a differenceSchool buses The problem: At least one child killed when crossing in front of a school bus. The problem was visibility. The solution: When the standard was being revised, the Consumer representative (father of a child who had been killed), influenced the standard. It now includes crossing arms at the front of the bus, improved performance for the mirrors and defrosting systems.

15. Consumer issues in standardsService standards where consumers have made a differenceWater services The problem The initial scope for this International Standard restricted it to the connected pipe and sewer systems, such as are usual in richer countries. Such a standard would not address water service issues for very many communities. The solution The CI representative persuaded the committee to enlarge the scope to include standards for the non-integrated networks characteristic of poorer countries: wells, bulk-delivered water, pit latrines and septic tanks.

16. Consumer issues in standardsService standards where consumers have made a differenceLeisure diving standards The problem: • Deaths have occurred because untrained people can provide diving services if they have the equipment to do so. The leisure diving industry was keen to use standards to differentiate themselves from these “cowboys”. The solution: • Standards were developed for the providers of diving services, diving instructors and for diving competencies at three levels. • Although service standards, they refer to product standards for the equipment needed to provide the services. • Consumer input ensured that requirements were verifiable, something the industry did not understand in the early stages of the standards development.

17. Consumer issues in standardsProduct standards where consumers have made a difference Complaints handling The problem: Service providers tend to consider their ‘average’ customer when developing complaints handling procedures. The solution: The consumer representative ensured that the standard considered the needs of all, including those with a visual or hearing impairment. The representative also ensured the document was relevant to non-commercial providers of services as well as to suppliers of consumer products.