ISO standards equal proven results.
The International Organization for Standardization, commonly referred to as ISO, is the leading authority in international business standards. According to its web site, ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 163 countries, with one member per country and a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland that coordinates the system. ISO is recognized world wide as the premier voice of a common set of management standards, processes and measurements.
Benefits of Implementing ISO
Organizations such as federal agencies can benefit greatly from obtaining ISO certifications. ISO offers a variety of certifications in areas including quality management and environmental management. The certifications within the ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards are particularly beneficial to federal agencies.
ISO 14001:2004, for example, specifies requirements for an environmental management system that enables an organization to develop and implement policies and objectives that incorporate legal requirements and relate to significant environmental aspects the organization regularly encounters. It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those which it can control and those which it can influence. Federal agencies are able to implement processes that promote environmental stewardship and point to the agency's commitment to environmental protection. ISO states, "International standards provide the technological and scientific bases underpinning health, safety and environmental legislation."
Why are Standards Important?
Another benefit Federal agencies experience from the ISO standards implementation involves the multilateral recognition that is provided by the international standards. Federal agencies are often tasked with providing guidance to state and local agencies regarding management and environmental policies. The ISO standards allow agencies to implement, process and measure data using a common set of standards. ISO states that the standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability. Furthermore, the standards can be implemented at an economical cost.
International Partners
Federal government agencies are often interlinked with international agencies. Therefore, ISO's international partners are an important benefit to federal agencies. Some of the international partners who collaborate with ISO are the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Maritime Organization. These partnerships provide solid international relations with organizations that are respected throughout the world.
