Erik Puskar Standards Coordination Office 30 May, 2013 World Trade Center Moscow

Transcription

1 NIST and the Government Role in the U.S. Standards System Erik Puskar Standards Coordination Office 30 May, 2013 World Trade Center Moscow 1

2 Discussion Outline NIST Overview Government Role National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) Government Participation WTO TBT Inquiry Point Conclusions 2

3 NIST The Importance of Standards Article I, Section 8: The Congress shall have the power to fix the standard of weights and measures National Bureau of Standards established by Congress in 1901 Eight different authoritative values for the gallon Electrical industry needed standards American instruments sent abroad for calibration Consumer products and construction materials uneven in quality and unreliable Estimated that 80% of global merchandise trade is influenced by testing and other measurement-related requirements of regulations and standards 3

4 NIST Targeting Investments to Advance U.S. Innovation NIST Mission To promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by Deep research expertise underpins advancing technological innovation measurement e.g. lasers, memory, GPS, wireless science, Non-regulatory standards, status enables and important role technology as a convener that in facilitates ways that collaboration between industry and government enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. Addressing Challenges in Key Priority Areas Advanced Manufacturing Cybersecurity Forensic Science Advanced Communications Health IT Strengthening Technology Transfer Estimated that 80% of global merchandise trade is influenced by testing and other measurement-related requirements of regulations and standards 4

5 Robert Rathe Geoffrey Wheeler NIST at a Glance Major Assets ~ 2,800 employees ~ 2,600 associates and facilities users ~ 1,600 field staff in partner organizations Major Programs NIST Laboratories Baldrige National Quality Program Manufacturing Extension Partnership 5

6 Robert Rathe NIST Products and Services Measurement Research ~ 2,000 publications per year Standard Reference Data ~ 100 different types ~ 6,000 units sold per year ~ millions of data downloads per year Standard Reference Materials ~ 1,300 products available ~ 33,000 units sold per year Calibration Tests ~ 17,000 tests per year Laboratory Accreditation ~ 800 accreditations of testing and calibrations laboratories per year 6

7 All photos Corbis The Result: A Broad Impact On Everyday Life Helping ensure fair trade Advancing manufacturing and services Improving public safety and security Improving quality of life 7

8 U.S. Standards System: Public-Private Partnership Coordinates U.S. Federal Government role in standards Coordinates the U.S. private sector standards system National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 Directs NIST to coordinate federal agencies to: Use voluntary consensus standards Participate in the development of voluntary consensus standards to meet agency needs Coordinate with the private sector 8

9 What is the U.S. Government s Role? Major standards user Participant in standards development - Contributes to the technical underpinning by providing technical expertise Uses standards to carry out policy objectives and activities as determined by the agency or directed by specific legislation Does NOT generally oversee or control the process but does define requirements to be met by standards Goal: to protect health, safety and the environment as well as enable and accelerate deployment of technology while not creating unnecessary barriers to trade 9

10 National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act NTTAA: Law directing Federal Agency use of standards in regulation and procurement Passed in 1996, NTTAA directs federal agencies to: Use voluntary consensus standards where practicable Minimize development of agency-unique standards; report such instances Participate in the development of voluntary consensus standards to meet agency needs Reduce overlap and duplication, and increase efficiency, of conformity assessment activities Coordinate with private sector on both standards and conformity assessment activities 10

11 White House Memo for Heads of Agencies Reinforces innovation focus and private sector role in the standardization system Establishes principles for federal engagement in standards activities to address national priorities Outlines strategic objectives for federal agencies Recognizes the growth of ICT technologies and changes in the standardization system in the past decade Emphasizes the global nature and broad impact of standardization and standards policy 11

12 Extent of Federal Use of Standards In Regulation NIST has identified 9,100 citations of standards incorporated by reference; more than 7,000 are nongovernment standards In Procurement DOD, NASA and GSA maintain lists of standards suitable for use in procurement actions More than 10,000 standards are incorporated by reference by agencies for procurement purposes updated 9/9/10 12

13 Top Sources of Standards used by Federal Government ASTM International American National Standards Institute American Society of Mechanical Engineers Society of Automotive Engineers National Fire Protection Association American Petroleum Institute International Maritime Organization AOAC International Insulated Cable Engineers Association Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. updated 9/9/10 13

14 NIST Roles in Standards and Standardization Unique mission driven roles: Technical standards coordination among federal agencies and between federal govt. and private sector Ensuring technical quality of standards contribute NIST expertise and knowledge Meeting standards needs for the federal government through workshops, competitions, etc.; NIST Special Publications; Federal Information Processing Standards Operating the U.S. WTO TBT Enquiry Point and Notification Authority Addressing national priorities e.g., Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Smart Grid, Health IT, etc. 14

15 In Numbers Federal Participation in Private Standards Development More than 3,000 federal government staff participate in over 500 standard developing organizations Approximately 400 NIST staff participate in ~ 1500 Committee Activities in ~ 100 Standards Developing Organizations updated 9/9/10 15

16 U.S. WTO TBT Inquiry Point: What We Do Types of Questions Respond to Technical Inquiries Is a product regulated in a specific country? What are the mandatory regulatory requirements for a specific product? What technical standards must a product meet in order to be sold in another country or region? Are there conformity assessment requirements (testing, inspection, certification, etc.)? 16

17 Economic Impact Study Conclusions Reducing exporting risks and avoiding exporting mistakes through access to up-to-date and reliable information about product technical requirements. The avoided consequences of exporting mistakes include: delayed customs clearance, customs fines and penalties, need for expedited (and therefore more costly) engineering changes, and reshipments 17

18 Summary Under the NTTAA, NIST coordinates federal use of voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment activities The U.S. Government is a strong participant in the standards process, but does not oversee the system At last count, more than 7,000 private sector standards were incorporated by reference into federal regulations with a similar number for procurement More than 3,000 federal government staff participate in private sector standards development activities 18

19 For Further Information: National Institute of Standards and Technology Standards Coordination Office 100 Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, MD USA www. nist.gov Telephone: