[dsdl-discuss] Re: Part 8

> I think that what I am preparing is going to be sent to the FCD ballot.
> Unless the FCD ballot demonstrates that "the text has been stabilised,
> consensus has been demonstrated, and the substantial support of the
> P-members of the SC has been obtained", it will not become a FDIS.
> The result of the FCD ballot may be another FCD or DIS, or (if everything
> goes very well) FDIS.

My understanding is that the an FCD ballot differs from a regular CD ballot
in that:

a) it indicates (to SC members and to other members of ISO and IEC) that the
committee's work on a standard is nearing completion

b) it gives ISO and IEC members a chance to read and to comment on the text
while there is still a chance to influence it from a technical standpoint.

As indicated in JTC1 N6747, the FCD ballot is akin to a 'Committee draft for
vote' (CDV) in general ISO/IEC procedures. I quote from page 4:

<extract>

The enquiry stage in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 (2.6) has been replaced
in JTC 1 by the final committee draft. It relates to the IEC Committee draft
for vote (CDV). In the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 the draft International
Standard (DIS) is circulated for a 5-month vote, whereas the FCD is
circulated for only 4 months with the possiblity of extension. It should
however be noted that JTC 1 circulates fasttrack documents as DIS for a
1-month review vote followed.

</extract>

An FDIS ballot can only take place if the FCD text is stable. The FCD text
is stable if EITHER there was no dissention in the FCD ballot OR all
technical comments in the FCD ballot have been resolved satisfactorily, i.e.
to the extent that the substantial support of P-members has been gained and
a consensus can be said to have been demonstrated (see 12.6.3.7).

Note that if there is no dissention at the FCD ballot, the FDIS stage can be
skipped altogether (see 12.6.3.10).

In my opinion, while it would be possible in principle for an SC to submit
an unstable text for FCD ballot, it would not be sensible to do so. If a
second FCD ballot becomes necessary, the whole process will have been
substantially delayed, since the comments of ISO and IEC members must again
be sought. An FCD ballot takes a minimum of four months, while a regular CD
ballot takes a minimum of three months (see. 9.4.1).

I also believe that it reflects poorly on the workmanship of the SC, if the
SC allows an unstable text to be submitted for FCD ballot. In an ideal world
there would be no need for an FDIS ballot for any of our standards! But I
think we should at least have the aim of avoiding substantial technical
comments from SC members.

Francis Cave

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