SCC adds Publicly Available Specification to suite of standards-based tools

In response to the rapidly evolving commercial and societal needs of Canadians, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) have released new guidance for developing a fast-track standards-based tool to help industry, government and innovators address pressing problems.

The new Publicly Available Specification (PAS) is a standards document that can be developed to satisfy an urgent market or policy need. It is developed at the request of a sponsor to serve the demands of an emergent market, technology, service or public policy interest. The PAS offers an effective means of quickly introducing standardization, and for testing the value or validity of a particular approach or methodology. It can also serve as the basis for subsequent development towards more formal standardization.

The PAS is part of SCC’s suite of guidance documents that provide Canadians with flexible standards-based strategies and solutions. This suite of deliverables includes guidelines to develop:

• National Standard of Canada
• Technical Specification
• Other Recognized Document
• Publicly Available Specification 
• Workshop Agreement
• Community Sourced Guidance

Our deliverables brochure provides a comprehensive overview and scope of each option. This suite applies to accredited and non-accredited processes within Canada’s standardization system. All deliverables require the participation of subject matter experts, consultation, collaboration, transparency, neutrality, and structure. This includes using relevant existing international standards whenever possible to prevent barriers to trade. 

For more information about SCC’s guidance documents, contact csd@scc.ca.