Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-029858",
  "term": "Voluntary Consensus Standards Bodies",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. According to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-119, voluntary consensus standards bodies are domestic or international organizations which plan, develop, establish, or coordinate voluntary consensus standards using agreed-upon procedures. For purposes of the Circular, \"voluntary, private sector, consensus standards bodies,\" is an equivalent term. The Act and the Circular encourage the participation of federal representatives in these bodies to increase the likelihood that the standards they develop will meet both public and private sector needs. A voluntary consensus standards body is defined by the following attributes: 1.) Openness; 2.) Balance of interest; 3.) Due process; 4.) An appeals process; and 5.) Consensus, which is defined as general agreement, but not necessarily unanimity, and includes a process for attempting to resolve objections by interested parties, as long as all comments have been fairly considered, each objector is advised of the disposition of his or her objection(s) and the reasons why, and the consensus body members are given an opportunity to change their votes after reviewing the comments.\n\n2. Domestic or international organizations that plan, develop, establish, or coordinate voluntary consensus standards using agreed-upon procedures. These bodies are defined by openness, balance of interest, due process, the existence of an appeals process, and a consensus process.",
  "subject": "Sustainability and green living",
  "references": [
    "Greener Products Glossary",
    "Glossary of Sustainable Manufacturing Terms"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/voluntary-consensus-standards-bodies/"
}