ISO/ IEC JTC1/SC22 N1236


Title:   Procedures for handling of Defect Reports in SC22

Date:    1992-08-28

Status:  Approved by SC22 plenary in Ellivuori, Finland



1       Introduction

        1.1     Purpose
          
                The purpose of this document is to set forth the procedures by which Defect
                Reports, including requests for interpretations, are handled by ISO/IEC
                JTC1/SC22 (SC22).

        1.2     Scope
          
                These procedures conform to and amplify the requirements and definitions
                specified in the ISO/IEC JTC1 Directives (6.13 in Edition 2;
                14.4 in Edition 3). They span the full range of
                documents originated by SC22, including standards and technical reports,
          
                The procedures cover all aspects of SC22 processing including:
                a)      flow of documents
                b)      development and approval
                c)      publication
                d)      synchronization with member body activity

        1.3     Guiding Principles
     
                Several principles have given rise to these procedures. They have been derived
                from comments made to documents distributed within SC22 and from the
                JTC1 Directives. These principles are:
           
                a)      Identification - All requests for interpretation identify some lack of
                        clarity in the document, and as such these can be viewed as one form
                        of Defect Report, and can be addressed under the defect resolution
                        procedures in accordance with the JTC1 Directives and this document.

                b)      Technical Content - The SC22 working group (SC22/WG) that is
                        responsible for the document for which a Defect Report has been
                        received is responsible for the development of the response.
          
                c)      Responsiveness - The process should be sufficiently rapid as to allow
                        as little time as possible to pass between the time of receipt of a Defect
                        Report and the time the requestor receives an interim response.

                d)      Visibility - The procedures should provide for appropriate visibility of
                        the response to the reported defect among all users of the document.

                e)      Stability - Substantive changes should be made to a document only
                        when demonstrably necessary to correct a significant defect. Frequent
                        or gratuitous changes may complicate compliance and synchronization
                        with other documents.

                f)      Limitation of Scope - These procedures do not grant SC22/WGs license
                        to make substantial alterations to the functionality described by a
                        document.

2       Submitter Procedures

        This section identifies sources for Defect Requests, and the actions to be taken by the
        submitter.

        2.1     Sources of Requests

                Defect Reports may be submitted only by:
                a)      a National Body of ISO or IEC
                b)      an SC22/WG
                c)      the project editor for the document
                d)      an organization in liaison with ISO/IEC

        2.2     Submission Procedures
          
                The submitter of a Defect Report shall prepare and submit ISO/IEC Form 14
                (see attachment 1) in accordance with the instructions on the form.

3       Processing

        This section details the processing of a Defect Report, and assigns specific respon-
        sibilities to SC22/WGs and to SC22.

        The SC22 working group (SC22/WG) that is responsible for the document for which
        a Defect Report has been received is responsible for the development of the response.
          
        3.1     Overview

                The responsible SC22/WG shall develop the response to a Defect Report. It
                shall maintain a log of all Defect Reports and their responses. The response to
                the Defect Report shall result in a contribution either to a Technical Corrigen-
                dum (TC) or to a Record of Response.

                a)      Handling Requests Without a Responsible WG

                        Where no SC22/WG exists with responsibility for a document that is
                        the subject of a Defect Report, SC22 shall establish an ad hoc group
                        to act as a WG for the purpose of developing a response. This group
                        shall perform all of the actions required by a SC22/WG according to
                        these procedures. Results shall be recorded by the SC22 Secretariat
                        which shall maintain a Defect Report Log for each document for that
                        purpose.

        3.2     SC22/WG Actions

                The SC22/WG Convener is responsible for ensuring that all SC22/WG actions
                specified by these procedures are performed by the SC22/WG.

                a)      Tracking

                        Each SC22/WG shall maintain a log of Defect Reports for each of its
                        documents as required by the JTC1 Directives (6.13.3.7). Each entry in
                        this log shall include: 

                        i)      the unique Defect Report number assigned by the SC22/WG,
                        ii)     full identification of document numbers (including CCITT
                                references in joint projects) 
                        iii)    status of the Defect Report, 
                        iv)     date when submittal occurred, 
                        v)      date when response is required, 
                        vi)     date when ballot terminates,
                        vii)    date of publication of response to the Defect Report.
 
                        The interim response to the submitter, and all other correspondence on
                        this Defect Report, shall include the unique Defect Report number.

                        Maintaining the following additional information may prove useful to
                        the SC22/WGs:
                        i)      description of reported defect
                        ii)     response
                        iii)    references within the document, and references to other relevant
                                documents 
                        iv)     classification (per internal SC22/WG classification scheme)

                        The Convener shall submit the up-to-date Defect Report index to the
                        SC22 Secretariat immediately before each SC22 meeting.

                b)      Developing

                        The responsible SC22/WG shall develop a response to the Defect
                        Report, in accordance with these procedures.

                        Once the SC22/WG has approved the response to the Defect Report,
                        the SC22/WG shall forward an interim response to the submitter. This
                        response should refer to the original submitter's correspondence,
                        include the SC22/WG identification number, and the response to the
                        Defect Report. This response should also make clear that this is an
                        interim response, and a final response must be approved by SC22.

                c)      Publishing

                        For each document, the responsible SC22/WG shall construct responses
                        to Defect Reports as follows:

                        i)      Responses requiring normative changes to a document shall
                                specify the textual amendments to be applied.

                        ii)     Responses not requiring normative changes may specify textual
                                amendments to an informative annex.

                        Responses requiring textual amendments, as deemed necessary by the
                        responsible SC22/WG, shall be incorporated into a Technical Corri-
                        gendum, for publication by SC22.

                        Where the response to a Defect Report is not incorporated into a TC,
                        it shall be incorporated into a Record of Response, for publication by
                        SC22.

                d)      Batching

                        A Technical Corrigendum or a Record of Response may include
                        responses to several Defect Reports. The content and timing of
                        publication is the responsibility of the SC22/WG. Any batching shall
                        take into account the number and significance of the responses and the
                        SC22/WG's plans for revision of the document.


                e)      Distribution

                        Once the resolution has been approved by SC22, the SC22/WG shall
                        send to the submitter of each Defect Report, under cover of a final re-
                        ply letter, a copy of the approved response to that Defect Report.

        3.3     SC22 Actions

                The SC22/WG shall forward draft Technical Corrigenda to the SC22 Secre-
                tariat, requesting a letter ballot by SC22 and simultaneous distribution to JTC1
                for review and comment on the draft Technical Corrigenda by those P-
                Members of JTC1 that are not P-members of SC22. 

                The SC22/WG shall forward draft Records of Response to the SC22
                secretariat, requesting a default letter ballot with a seventy-five day response
                time.

                Distribution of the TC or Records of Response shall be accomplished by the
                SC22 Secretariat consistent with ISO/IEC JTC1 Directives and SC22
                procedures.

4       Synchronization

        This section ensures that Defect Report resolutions to SC22 Standards and Technical
        Reports are handled the same in the national bodies. This is of particular importance
        for those SC22 documents that were developed by SC22 member bodies.

        4.1     Member Body Development

                For those SC22/WGs that use national body development, the SC22/WG shall
                recommend to SC22 those changes to its synchronization plan which
                accommodate the handling of Defect Reports. SC22 shall review and approve
                those changes. The same changes are required to be approved by the appropri-
                ate National Body organization.