Developing standards

Technical work on Moroccan standards development is being led by the technical standard-setting committees (CTN).

In their work, the technical committees develop their own programs of work to identify various elements’ market needs.

In order to ensure the coordination of work in all subjects of common interest, relationships between the various technical committees involved have been established.

Moroccan standards are developed by the technical standard-setting committees (CTN) in an eight-step process:

• Step 1: Proposal.
• Step 2: Inclusion into annual standard-setting plan.
• Step 3: Drafting.
• Step 4: Committee.
• Step 5: Public survey.
• Step 6: Approval
• Step 7: Signature of the approval order and its publication in the official bulletin.
• Step 8: Release.

A summary of each of these eight steps is given below.

Step 1: Proposal

• The first step of Moroccan standards development must follow the need for the standard in question. A request is submitted to the relevant CTN secretary in order to decide if it should be included into the annual standard-setting plan.

Step 2: Inclusion into annual standard-setting plan

• Standards proposals are included in the General Standard-Setting Plan (PGN) which is submitted to the Higher Interministerial Council on Quality and Productivity (CSIQP).

Step 3: Drafting

• In order to develop these standards proposal, the technical standard-setting committee’s secretary collects basic documents, such as regulation and foreign and international standards. The standards proposals are presented according to the model established by SNIMA.

Step 4: Committee

• The technical standard-setting committee secretary in question decides on meeting dates, prepares for these meetings and ensures that all involved parties are represented.

• The standards proposal is examined as long as necessary, until a consensus is reached on the document’s technical content. Once obtained, the committee further develops and elaborates the text with a view to its submission to public survey.

Step 5: Public survey

• In order to ensure that the standards proposals approved by the technical standard-setting committees correspond to the public good, a large consultation (3 month public survey) is organized by the committee secretary and economic operators. Survey-takers are chosen on the basis of their technical, economic, legal and regulatory interest in the standards proposal.

• Once the survey is complete, the secretary reviews the information gathered and incorporates it into the proposal, making revisions where necessary.

• If there are no pertinent comments from the public, the PNM goes on to the approval stage.

Step 6: Approval

• Standards proposals are transmitted by SNIMA to CSIQP for their input. CSIQP members are permanent representatives designated to this position by their government department.

Step 7: Signature of the approval order and its publication in the official bulletin

• Standards approval order are given by SNIMA to the concerned ministers and submitted for publication in the official bulletin.

Step 8: Release

• When the approval of the final standards proposal is granted, the text is sent for final printing and publication as a Moroccan standard.

All Moroccan standards can be re-examined at the request of any concerned party or following the evolution of a related standard.

The harmonized and coded system given below allows for the systematic development and oversight of proposals: