SMB

IEC Council delegates to the SMB (Standardization Management Board) the management and supervision of the IEC's standards work. The SMB is a decision-making body which reports to the CB (Council Board). The SMB comprises:

• A Chair, who is an IEC Vice-President


• Fifteen members elected by the Council and their alternates appointed by the NC (National Committee)


• (seven permanent members, appointed from NCs paying the highest percentage of annual dues combined with the highest number of TC/SC secretariats held, and eight members elected from full member NCs, account being taken of personal qualifications, a balanced geographical distribution, and the number of TC/SC secretariats held by their respective NC.)


• The IEC General Secretary as an ex officio member, without vote

The SMB is responsible for the setting-up and disbanding of TCs (technical committees) and SCs (subcommittees), approval of their scopes; appointment of TC/SC Chairs and allocation of secretariats; allocation of standards work, timeliness of standards production; approval and maintenance of the Directives; reviewing the need for, and planning for, IEC work in new fields of technology; and maintenance of liaisons with other international organizations.

SMB sub-groups

The SMB has set up sub-groups:

• Advisory Committees to advise, guide and coordinate IEC work under the auspices of SMB with the aim of ensuring consistency


• Strategic Groups to provide strategic guidance and roadmaps on specific areas of technical activity that require coordination both for new initiatives and ongoing work


• Ad-hoc Groups to to deal with specific topics (technical or operational), usually exist for a short time (12 months or less)

The SMB meets three times a year.