0851996884.pdf

be coordinated with related committees in
ASTM and with other professional and
government organizations.
ASTM can be characterized shortly as
follows:

• Organized in 1898.


• Provides a management system and the
  administrative framework for the devel-
  opment of voluntary, consensus standards
  and promotion of related knowledge.


• Open membership, one vote per ‘voting
  interest’.


• Producers, users, academia and govern-
  ment represented.


• 34,000 members, 100 countries repre-
  sented, 131 technical committees, 2200
  subcommittees, thousands of task groups.


• Cost to participate in ASTM: $75 per year
  administrative fee, travel to meetings, time.

ASTM process for development of quality-

assurance standards

The ASTM process for the development of
quality-assurance standards is as summa-
rized here. Task groups are formed for each
biological control organism or product. Each
task group has a leader, who coordinates
standard development, writes drafts, distrib-
utes drafts to collaborators (who review
drafts and verify test methods) and submits
standards for ballot. The following steps are
usually followed.

Appointment of task-group leader (writer)

The task-group leader volunteers to write a
standard on a biological control organism.
Generally the organism is selected for one of
two reasons: (i) there is a pressing need for
standardization of that particular organism
for communication between producer and
distributor or end-user; or (ii) the organism
has not yet been described by IOBC guide-
lines, creating a void in the industry in terms
of product specifications. The task-group
leader is an individual with extensive experi-
ence with the biological control organism
being tested and may be a producer, supplier,
end-user, scientist, regulator or consultant.

Appointment of task-group members

(collaborators)

Additional task-group members consist of

volunteers, who review draft standards, test

described methods and give constructive

feedback to the task-group leader to incorpo-

rate into the next draft standard. These col-

laborators must also have extensive

knowledge and familiarity with the biologi-

cal control organism being tested.

Preparation of draft standard

The first step in preparing a draft standard is

selecting the appropriate format or type of

standard. The ASTM document can be pre-

pared as a classification, guide, practice,

specification, terminology or test method.

The majority of standards in preparation for

biological control organisms are written as

standard specifications with embedded test

methods. Although ASTM is rigid in its

requirements for style and form, the organi-

zation allows flexibility in content and stan-

dards are developed on a voluntary basis

within working groups.

Circulation of draft standard for peer review

and revision

The task-group leader completes draft stan-

dards, which are circulated to task-group

members and any other interested stake-

holders for comment. The task-group leader

incorporates suggested revisions into a new

draft standard, which is recirculated. This

process of revision and circulation for review

can be repeated for many cycles.

Acceptance of revised standard by task-group

members and submission for ballot

Task-group members accept revised stan-

dard and recommend submission to ballot-

ing process. The completed draft standard is

submitted to ASTM headquarters, where it is

prepared for ballot.

Voting by E35.30 subcommittee members

When a draft standard is submitted to

ASTM, a formal ballot is prepared and circu-

210 C.S. Glenister et al.