This section presents an overview of the existing and planned structure for ISO/TC 108 and its resources, which are required to conduct the above listed projects. Only organizational structures directly responsible for standardization projects (WIs) are listed.

　

ISO/TC 108 is currently structured with six subcommittees and fifty-two working groups. The prime motivation for this structure is to facilitate the generation of quality standards in a timely, cost-effective manner.

　

Generally, the scope of the working groups assigned directly to TC 108 are oriented toward the broad areas of the basic science of mechanical vibration and shock and are concerned with topics that are of general interest to more than one subcommittee. The individual members are more likely to be from academia, private industry with an interest in basic research and Government laboratories. Generally, the standards produced by these working groups will have the widest audiences and will be directly referenced by the more than one subcommittee.

　

Examples of subject areas include the terminology and nomenclature used in TC 108 standards, signal processing of shock and vibration measurements, data acquisition parameter specifications, passive and active vibration and shock control devices and methods, vibration and shock structural analysis and diagnostics methods.

　

The scope of the subcommittees are largely concerned with the influence of vibration and shock on complex systems, e.g. humans, stationary structures, vehicles, and machines as well as reduction rotor vibration by machinery balancing, shock and vibration transducers and generators including calibration and mounting methods. The documents generated by the subcommittees often are more oriented toward the engineering aspects of standardisation. The individual expert members of the subcommittees are specialists with broad practical experience; often affiliated with manufacturing concerns as well as the Government and consumer communities. Subcommittees also have a working group structure which deals with a major subset of the subcommittee scope. The standards produced by a subcommittee more likely to directly influence public policy, the marketplace and generally have greater direct economic impact. The current structure in ISO/TC 108 is listed in Figure 3.

　

　

　

Currently, TC 108 is made up of 21 P-members and 24 O-member countries. The twenty-one voting P-member countries of TC 108 are: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The twenty-four O-member countries include: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Yugoslavia. The current working group structure of the six TC 108 and its six Subcommittees is presented below along with the responsible secretariats in parentheses:

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

The structure of a technical committee is important to the process of generating cost-effective quality standards in two main ways. It optimizes the time and cost requirements placed on the individual experts and it promotes fair and open debate. This is accomplished by focusing the early stages of a proposed standard to a small group of experts who, for the most part, work in the area of concern on a daily basis. The individual experts generating the committee draft are the backbone of the process and the most influential person in the process is the project leader.

　

The process of determining and maintaining work items for standardization is based on a vote of the P-member countries in an eight-stage process. A proposed standard usually starts at the preliminary stage, Stage O, to develop a scope. It is then brought forward as a new work item, stage 1 , that must be approved by a simple majority vote of the P-member countries with at least five of these member bodies agreeing to actively participate in the development of the proposed standard. Stage 2, the preparatory stage, takes the approved work item and develops a first working draft of the document for discussion by a working group. Stage 3 is the committee stage where the document is discussed and modified within the working group to generate a Committee draft. Stage 4, the inquiry stage, produces the Draft International Standard (DIS) for formal comment by member national bodies. Stage 5 is the approval stage wherein the final draft international standard (FDIS) is generated. The seventh stage is the publication stage and the eighth and final stage is standards review and maintenance. A published standard must be reviewed for relevance every five years.

　

A project leader is selected for the proposed standard to guide it through the first five stages of progress. At each stage a formal vote is taken to move the document along the process.

　

A summary of the current key managerial and administration positions in ISO/TC 108 is presented below along with the responsible ISO member body.