1. ITU-T SG 17 Information session for Rapporteurs/Editors and other ‘officials’ of the Study Group
Geneva, 23 August 2011

2. Outline Role of chairmen, Rapporteurs, editors, liaison officers etc.
Modifying or creating new Questions
Types of meeting document and their usage
Coordination of the work (liaisons, GSI, JCA …)
Working with outside organizations: A.4, A.6 and A.5; A.23
Meetings outside Geneva
Electronic meetings
Rapporteur meetings
Alternative approval process (AAP) for ITU-T Recommendations
Author’s guide for drafting ITU-T Recommendations

3. Role of chairmen, Rapporteurs, editors, liaison officers etc.
Res*.1 §3
Rec. A.1
* In this presentation, unless otherwise noted, Resolutions mentioned refer to Res. adopted at WTSA-08

4. Governance and structure
ITU Plenipotentiary
Assemblies (PP)
(every 4 years)
WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION ASSEMBLY
Workshops,
Seminars,
Symposia, …
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION
ADVISORY GROUP
JCA
IPR ad hoc
WORKING
PARTY Q
STUDY GROUP
Focus Groups
GSIs
Consensus
Q = Questions  Develop Recommendations JCA: Joint Coordination Activity
GSI: Global Standards Initiative TSB: Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (= ITU-T Secretariat)
Note: Experts progressing the work of a Question are frequently referred to as “Rapporteur Group” (RG)

5. Study group management
Res.1 §3
Normally understood as SG chair & VCs, WP chairs & VCs and variants, plus SG Counsellor/Advisor/Engineer + Assistant
SG Officials: add Rapporteurs (and variants), liaison officers

6. Who nominates? SG chairs and VCs WP Chairs and variations
WTSA-08 by agreement (normally expressed with acclamation) based on proposal from the heads of delegations
WP Chairs and variations
Study group by acclamation based on SG management proposal
Normally well coordinated and accommodating the membership views to avoid problems/surprises
Rapporteurs and variations
SG / WP chair to propose names (in coordination with the other members of the SG management)
Formally by agreement of the WP (SG only if the Question is not allocated to a specific WP)
But normally also endorsed at SG level
Editors
Appointed by Rapporteur with the agreement of the Rapporteurs Group

7. Criteria for Rapporteurs, editors
Appointment primarily based on their expertise in the subject to be studied / text to be developed
Rapporteurs: Commitment should be for the whole study period, but there is more turn around at this level
Editors: Commitment at least until the approval of the work item
… and support for maintenance issues
A.1
2.3.1 The chairmen of study groups and working parties (including joint working parties) are encouraged to make most effective use of the limited resources available by delegating responsibility to rapporteurs for the detailed study of individual Questions or small groups of related Questions, parts of Questions, terminology, or amendment of existing Recommendations. Review and approval of the results resides with the study group or working party.
2.3.2 Liaison between ITU‑T study groups or with other organizations can be facilitated by the rapporteurs or by the appointment of liaison rapporteurs.
Specific persons should be appointed as rapporteurs to be responsible for progressing the study of those Questions, or specific study topics, that are felt to be likely to benefit from such appointments. The same person may be appointed as the rapporteur for more than one Question, or topic, particularly if the Questions, parts of Questions, terminology, or amendment of existing Recommendations concerned are closely related.
Rapporteurs may be appointed (and their appointments may be terminated) at any time with the agreement of the competent working party, or of the study group, where the Question(s) are not allocated to a working party. The term of the appointment relates to the work that needs to be done rather than to the interval between WTSAs. If the related Question is modified by WTSA, for continuity purposes, the rapporteur may, at the discretion of the new study group chairman, continue to progress the relevant work until the next meeting of the study group.
Rapporteurs, and their associate and liaison rapporteurs as well as the editors, play an indispensable role in coordinating increasingly detailed and often highly technical study. Consequently, their appointment should be primarily based on their expertise in the subject to be studied.

8. Role of SG chairman
The chairman shall direct the debates during the meeting, with the assistance of TSB
General Rules, specific Sector provisions
Proposes to the plenary new chairs and vice-chairs of WPs and Rapporteurs
Ensure all members can fully express themselves
Authorized to decide that there shall be no discussion on Questions on which insufficient Contributions have been received
IPR roll call
Judgement after AAP LC/AR
Authorize Rapporteur group meetings
Ensure that work progresses in between meetings
Rec.A.1
1.4 Conduct of meetings
1.4.1 The chairman shall direct the debates during the meeting, with the assistance of TSB.
1.4.2 The chairman is authorized to decide that there shall be no discussion on Questions on which insufficient contributions have been received.
1.4.3 Questions which have not elicited any contributions should not be placed on the final agenda of the meeting, and according to provisions of of WTSA Resolution 1, may be deleted if no contributions have been received for the previous two study group meetings.
1.4.4 Study groups and working parties may set up working teams (which should be as small as possible and are subject to the normal rules of the study group or working party) during their meetings, to study Questions allocated to those study groups and working parties.
1.4.5 For projects involving more than one study group, baseline documents may be prepared in order to provide the basis for coordinated study among the various study groups. The term "baseline document" refers to a document which contains the elements of common agreement at a given point in time.
1.4.6 Chairmen will ask, during each meeting, whether anyone has knowledge of patents or software copyrights, the use of which may be required to implement the Recommendation being considered. The fact that the question was asked shall be recorded in the working party or study group meeting report, along with any affirmative responses.
1.4.7 Study groups shall establish, and maintain a work plan, which includes target dates for consenting or determining each draft Recommendation.

9. Responsibilities: WP chairs, Editors
WP chairmen
Provide technical and administrative leadership
Recognized as having a role of equal importance to that of a study group vice‑chairman
Editors
Fine line to walk: editors while editors are not contributors – separation of roles
Record the consensus points, maintain issues lists, etc
Res.1:
3.1 The study group chairmen perform the duties required of them within their study groups or within joint coordination activities.
3.3 The mandate of a vice‑chairman shall be to assist the chairman in matters relating to the management of the study group including substitution for the chairman at official ITU‑T meetings or replacement of the chairman should he or she be unable to continue with study group duties. Each working party chairman provides technical and administrative leadership and should be recognized as having a role of equal importance to that of the study group vice‑chairman.

10. Responsibilities: Rapporteurs [1]
Coordinate the detailed study following guidelines provided by WP or SG
Basic goal: assist in producing Recommendations
Not obliged to produce them (e.g. lack of contributions)
Based on contributions received
Liaison role with other groups within and outside ITU, as needed and authorized by the SG
Adopt appropriate work methods
TSB EDH system, meetings of experts, etc
Provide timely progress reporting to parent WP/SG
particularly for work by correspondence or otherwise outside SG & WP meetings
Rapporteur Group meetings, editing meetings, etc
TD not later than the first day of the meeting
Draft new/rev Recommendations: whenever possible submit TD at least 6 weeks before the SG/WP meeting
A.1:
The rapporteur's responsibilities are:
– to coordinate the detailed study in accordance with guidelines established at working party (or study group) level;
– to the extent authorized by the study group, to act as a contact point and source of expertise for the allocated study topic with other ITU‑T, ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) study groups, other rapporteurs, other international organizations and other standards organizations (where appropriate) and TSB;
– to adopt methods of work (correspondence including the use of the TSB EDH system, meetings of experts, etc.) as considered appropriate for the task;
– in consultation with the collaborators for the study topic, to establish a work programme, which should be approved and reviewed periodically by the parent group and which lists the tasks to be done, the results anticipated (e.g., titles of possible draft Recommendations), liaison required with other groups and specific milestones, including proposed meetings, for each stage of the work to be completed (see Appendix I for model format);
– to ensure that the parent working party (or study group) is kept well informed of the progress of the study, particularly of work proceeding by correspondence or otherwise outside of the normal study group and working party meetings;
– in particular, to submit a progress report (e.g., of a rapporteur's meeting or editor's work) to each of the parent group's meetings (see suggested format in Appendix II), in the form of a temporary document to be submitted as soon as possible and not later than the first day of the meeting; when such a temporary document contains draft new or revised Recommendations, then it is encouraged, where possible, that it be submitted at least six weeks prior to the parent group's meeting.
– to give the parent working party or study group and TSB adequate advance notice of the intention to hold any meetings of experts (see clause below) particularly where such meetings are not included in the original programme of work;
– to establish a group of active "collaborators" from the working party (or study group) where appropriate, with an updated list of those collaborators being given to TSB at each working party meeting;
– to delegate the relevant functions from the list above to associate rapporteurs and/or liaison rapporteurs as necessary.
The basic goal of each rapporteur is to assist the study group or working party in developing new and revised Recommendations to meet changing requirements in telecommunication techniques and services. However, it must be clearly understood that rapporteurs should not feel under any obligation to produce such texts unless a thorough study of the Question reveals a clear need for them. If it turns out that this is not the case, the work should be concluded with a simple report to the parent group establishing that fact.

11. Responsibilities: Rapporteurs [2]
Advance notice to SG/WP & TSB of intention to hold Rapporteur Group meetings, especially unplanned ones
See slide ahead with further details concerning Rapporteur Group meetings.
Establish a group of active "collaborators" where appropriate
Updated list of collaborators given to TSB at each WP/SG meeting
Delegate the relevant functions from the list above to associate rapporteurs, editors and/or liaison rapporteurs as necessary
Delegation does not transfer responsibility

12. Responsibilities: Rapporteurs [3]
Responsible for the quality of their texts
Delegation to editors does not relinquish the responsibility
Progress on the basis of written contributions
Establish and update the Question’s work programme
A.1:
Rapporteurs are responsible for the quality of their texts, submitted by the study group for publication. They shall be involved in the final review of that text prior to it being submitted to the publication process. This responsibility extends only to text in the original language and should take into account applicable time constraints. (See Recommendation ITU-T A.11 on publication of ITU‑T Recommendations.)
Rapporteurs should normally base any draft new or substantially revised Recommendations on written contribution(s) from ITU‑T members.

13. Modifying or creating new Questions

14. Rev/new Questions between WTSAs
Res.1 §7.4.1 Deletion of a Question between WTSAs
At a study group meeting, it may be agreed by reaching consensus among those present to delete a Question, e.g. either because work has been terminated or because no contributions have been received at that meeting and at the previous two study group meetings. Notification about this agreement, including an explanatory summary about the reasons for the deletion, shall be provided by a circular. If a simple majority of the Member States responding has no objection to the deletion within two months, the deletion will come into force. Otherwise the issue will be referred back to the study group.
Those Member States which indicate disapproval are requested to provide their reasons and to indicate the possible changes that would facilitate further study of the Question.
Notification of the result will be given in a circular, and TSAG shall be informed by the Director . In addition, the Director shall publish a list of deleted Questions whenever appropriate, but at least once by the middle of a study period.
Res.1 §7

15. Sequence for deletion of Questions
Res.1 §7.4
Sequence for deletion of Questions
Periodic check should be performed at SG meetings to identify Questions that are candidate for deletion, e.g.
work terminated
not receiving Contributions for current and two previous meetings
Special consideration can be given to “strategic Questions”
Steps:
By agreement at SG meeting
First Circular letter informing membership of the intention to delete the Question
Two months deadline for Member States to comment
No opposition: another Circular announcing deletion
Opposition (with reasons): back to SG at its next meeting for reconsideration
Periodic review:
Res.1 §

16. Types of meeting documents and their usage

17. SG Meeting documents Formal meetings Rapporteur group meetings
Contributions  members only
Reports  produced by TSB
Temporary documents  SG officials
Also: Liaison Statements
Working documents  these “do not exist”
[TSB] Circular Letters  whole ITU membership
[SG] Collective Letters  only SG membership
Rapporteur group meetings
Rapporteur group documents (single or multiple series)

18. GSIs, JCAs, focus groups GSIs Focus groups JCAs
Even though GSIs are not a group per se, some have a separate document series
Increase coordination of documents when meeting of RGs (not SGs)
Better visibility
Handling similar to formal meeting documents
Focus groups
They define their own series, from simple (single series) to complex ones (Inputs, outputs, TDs, LS, reports, etc)
BUT Practice shows it should be as simple as possible
JCAs
Also define their own documentation system, usually kept simple, if exists at all

19. Working with outside organizations
Rec. A.4, A.6 and A.5
Rec. A.23

20. Workshops, seminars Both a promotion and a working tool
Logistic support of TSB, technical lead from the SG
Two formats:
Workshops – demonstrations, technical issue resolution, and for the creation of specific deliverables
Seminars – sharing ITU-T vision and technical knowledge
Various designations: workshops, seminars, tutorials, symposia, forums, etc
Various focus:
Study group strategy focused
Information focused
Tutorial focused
Promotion focused
Audio and written archives: promotion and education tools
Updated list (and link to past ones):

21. Forums, consortia and regional SDOs
Qualification for exchanging information:
Forums, consortia: Rec. A.4
Regional SDOs: Rec. A.6
Exchange of messages with non-qualified organizations is also possible
Qualification for normative referencing
Rec. A.5
Objective: ensure implementability of ITU-T Recommendations (access to text, RAND IPRs, stability of text, consensus-based, etc)
Initiated by the SG or by the external organization
Via the TSB director
List of qualified organizations on ITU-T website 

22. About meetings

23. Types of meetings “Formal” meetings: “Informal” meetings:
TSAG, Study Group and Working Party meetings
“Informal” meetings:
Electronic meetings
Rapporteur & ad hoc group meetings
Correspondence groups (mostly TSAG)
Focus groups: case apart, as FGs define their own working methods
Focus here: SG and subordinated groups

24. Comparison Formal meetings
Documentation controlled by TSB
Convened by a Collective Letter
Strict rules for documentation deadline and participation eligibility
Decision-making capability
Participation of secretariat  Final reports by TSB
Informal meetings (incl. Rapporteur Group ones)
Documentation controlled by Rapporteur/Convener
Template, numbering, availability, archiving
Rapporteur is responsible for convening the meeting (see next slides re: steps)
Participation of non-members
Attendance versus written contributions
Consensus-building but not decision-making
Secretariat not present  reporting by Rapporteur/Convener
BOTH types of meeting must be equally transparent

25. SG/WP Meetings outside Geneva
Invited by a member or with the OK from a Member State (especially if inviter is not a member)
Invitation submitted to a WTSA or SG meeting
Needs agreement of TSB Director
Host must commit to cover at least costs surpassing allocated TSB budget
Host to provide suitable facilities and services normally at no cost to participants
Cancelation: fall back to original dates in Geneva
Specific requirements vary from SG to SG
TSB has example requirements based on recent experiences (e.g. WiFi, Internet access, size & number of meeting rooms, etc)
Res.1
2.2 Meetings outside Geneva
2.2.1 Study groups or working parties may meet outside Geneva if invited to do so by Member States, an ITU-T Sector Member or by entities authorized in this respect by a Member State of the Union and if the holding of a meeting outside Geneva is desirable (e.g. in association with symposiums or seminars). Such invitations shall be considered only if they are submitted to a WTSA or to an ITU‑T study group meeting and they shall be finally planned and organized after consultation with the Director of TSB and if they are within the credits allocated to ITU‑T by the Council.
For meetings held outside Geneva, the provisions of Resolution 5 (Kyoto, 1994) of the Plenipotentiary Conference as well as of ITU Council Decision 304 shall apply. Invitations to hold meetings of the study groups or their working parties away from Geneva shall be accompanied by a statement indicating the host's agreement to defray the additional expenditure involved and that it will provide at least adequate premises and the necessary furniture and equipment free of charge, except that in the case of developing countries equipment need not necessarily be provided free of charge if the government of the host so requests.
2.2.3 Should an invitation be cancelled for any reason, it shall be proposed to Member States or to other duly authorized entities that the meeting be convened in Geneva, in principle on the date originally planned.

26. Electronic meetings Increase in use (live, off-line)
Audio-conferences
or forum based discussion threads
Web-based collaboration
ITU-T trial, launched by TSAG in Dec 2007, to evaluate remote participation tools
GoToMeeting: used extensively within ITU for short (>2 hours) meetings, with up to 30 participants
GoToWebinar: used for covering Climate Change symposium in Kyoto, with up to 200 participants over 2 days (archived)
WebEx: one year trial offered by Cisco Systems
Important aspects to consider:
All concerned experts be informed about them
Clear beginning and end times/dates
Take time differences into consideration
For live events, keep times short (<3 hours), “share the pain”

27. Rapporteur group meetings
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– to give the parent working party or study group and TSB adequate advance notice of the intention to hold any meetings of experts (see clause below) particularly where such meetings are not included in the original programme of work;
In conjunction with their work planning, rapporteurs must give advance notice of any meetings they arrange, not only to the collaborators on their Question or project, but also to the study group (see clause ) and to TSB. TSB is not required to circulate convening letters for meetings below working party level. TSB will post a notice of rapporteur meetings on the study group web page, as provided by the study group.
The intention to hold rapporteur meetings, along with details of the issues to be studied, should be agreed in principle and publicized with as much notice as possible (normally at least two months) at study group or working party meetings (for inclusion in their reports) and via the study group webpage, for example. Confirmation of the date and place of any meeting should be provided to the collaborators (and any other ITU‑T members who have indicated an interest in attending or submitting a contribution to the meeting), to the relevant working party chairman and to TSB at least three weeks prior to the meeting.
Rapporteur meetings, as such, should not be held during working party or study group meetings. However, rapporteurs may be called upon to chair those portions of working party or study group meetings that deal with their particular area of expertise. In these cases, rapporteurs must recognize that the rules of the working party and study group meetings then apply and the more relaxed rules described above, particularly those that relate to document approvals and submission deadlines, would not apply.
The parent working party (or study group) must define clear terms of reference for each rapporteur. The general direction to be followed in the study should be discussed, reviewed as necessary and agreed periodically by the parent group.
When meetings are arranged to be held outside ITU premises, participants should not be charged for meeting facilities, unless agreed in advance by the study group. Meeting charges should be an exceptional case and only done if, for example, the study group is of the opinion that a meeting charge is necessary for the work to proceed properly. However, no participant should be excluded from participation if he or she is unwilling to pay the charge. Additional services offered by the host shall be voluntary, and there shall be no obligation on any of the participants resulting from these additional services.
Rec.A.1 §s , , 11, 13, 14, 15

28. Six steps
Pre-authorize
Plan
Authorize
Confirm
Hold
Report

29. Rapporteur meetings: pre-authorization
At SG or WP meeting, obtain agreement in principle to hold a RG meeting
Provide
Host, venue, dates (tentative or confirmed)
Mandate for the meeting (e.g. items for discussion)
Controversial topics: need to be more specific
Normally at least 2 months notice
List of pre-authorized RG meetings are listed in the SG home page
Urgent cases: SG management can authorize holding non-planned RG meetings
Announcement needs to go out with extra antecedence

30. Rapporteur meetings: planning
TSB does not circulate convening letters for meetings below working party level
notice is posted on the SG web page, as provided by the study group and update it as needed
Rapporteur is responsible for circulating meeting notices to the concerned experts (e.g. via mailing lists) soliciting contributions and participation
Rapporteur meetings, as such, should not be held during working party or study group meetings
Discussion on a Question during the SG/WP meeting is not a meeting of the Question – it is just part (i.e. a session) of the SG/WP meeting
During SG & WP meetings, the more relaxed rules at RG meetings are not applicable
document approval, submission deadlines, documentation availability
RG meetings in Geneva: as soon as possible, ask TSB for room availability
RG meetings outside Geneva: participants should not be charged for meeting facilities, unless agreed in advance by the study group and on an exceptional and fully justified case
Caveat: no participant should be excluded from participation if he or she is unwilling to pay the charge
Additional services offered by the host shall be voluntary, and there shall be no obligation on any of the participants resulting from these additional services

31. Rapporteur meetings: authorization
Authorization by SG management
Typically: by the SG chairman in consultation with TSB and the concerned WP chair
Management can agree on a different arrangement
Three criteria to be met:
clear terms of reference
sufficient documentation to be discussed
sufficient number of participants / membership representation
Further considerations
collocated with other related Questions?
strategic importance of holding the meeting

32. Rapporteur meetings: confirm
Circulate confirmation of date and venue:
After authorization by SG management – see next slide
At least three weeks before the meeting to participants
Copy to TSB and SG & WP chairmen
Update displayed in the SG website

33. Rapporteur meetings : report
Obligation, as a TD, before the start of the next meeting of the parent group
If contains draft Recs: as much as possible at least six weeks before the meeting
Should include:
Date, venue and chairman
Attendance list with affiliations
Agenda of the meeting
Summary of technical inputs & results
Result of IPR roll call
LSs sent to other organizations
Additionally: stable archive of meeting documents needed
Default: SG Informal FTP Area
Transparency of the process  succinct, clear, timely
A.1:
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– in particular, to submit a progress report (e.g., of a rapporteur's meeting or editor's work) to each of the parent group's meetings (see suggested format in Appendix II), in the form of a temporary document to be submitted as soon as possible and not later than the first day of the meeting; when such a temporary document contains draft new or revised Recommendations, then it is encouraged, where possible, that it be submitted at least six weeks prior to the parent group's meeting.
Rapporteurs should prepare a meeting report for each rapporteur meeting held and submit it as a temporary document to the next study group or working party meeting. See clause 3.3 for submission and processing of temporary documents.
This report should include the date, venue and chairman, an attendance list with affiliations, the agenda of the meeting, a summary of technical inputs, a summary of results and the liaison statements sent to other organizations.
Rapporteurs will ask during each meeting, whether anyone has knowledge of patents or software copyrights, the use of which may be required to implement the Recommendation being considered. The fact that the question was asked shall be recorded in the meeting report, along with any affirmative responses.

34. Alternative approval process (AAP) for ITU-T Recommendations
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– to give the parent working party or study group and TSB adequate advance notice of the intention to hold any meetings of experts (see clause below) particularly where such meetings are not included in the original programme of work;
In conjunction with their work planning, rapporteurs must give advance notice of any meetings they arrange, not only to the collaborators on their Question or project, but also to the study group (see clause ) and to TSB. TSB is not required to circulate convening letters for meetings below working party level. TSB will post a notice of rapporteur meetings on the study group web page, as provided by the study group.
The intention to hold rapporteur meetings, along with details of the issues to be studied, should be agreed in principle and publicized with as much notice as possible (normally at least two months) at study group or working party meetings (for inclusion in their reports) and via the study group webpage, for example. Confirmation of the date and place of any meeting should be provided to the collaborators (and any other ITU‑T members who have indicated an interest in attending or submitting a contribution to the meeting), to the relevant working party chairman and to TSB at least three weeks prior to the meeting.
Rapporteur meetings, as such, should not be held during working party or study group meetings. However, rapporteurs may be called upon to chair those portions of working party or study group meetings that deal with their particular area of expertise. In these cases, rapporteurs must recognize that the rules of the working party and study group meetings then apply and the more relaxed rules described above, particularly those that relate to document approvals and submission deadlines, would not apply.
The parent working party (or study group) must define clear terms of reference for each rapporteur. The general direction to be followed in the study should be discussed, reviewed as necessary and agreed periodically by the parent group.
When meetings are arranged to be held outside ITU premises, participants should not be charged for meeting facilities, unless agreed in advance by the study group. Meeting charges should be an exceptional case and only done if, for example, the study group is of the opinion that a meeting charge is necessary for the work to proceed properly. However, no participant should be excluded from participation if he or she is unwilling to pay the charge. Additional services offered by the host shall be voluntary, and there shall be no obligation on any of the participants resulting from these additional services.

35. ITU-T A.8
AAP applies to Recommendations of the ITU-T having no policy and regulatory implications
AAP starts when a WP or SG has consented a text, i.e. concluded that the work on a Recommendation is sufficiently mature
AAP covers the majority of the ITU-T work. About 95% of Recommendations go thru AAP
Approved AAP and TAP Recommendations have the same status in ITU-T
A.8 describes the set of events of the approval process

36. ITU-T A.8 – Process overview
Study group chairman action
Text subject to adjustment
Text review

37. ITU-T A.8 – Last call
4-week time period beginning with the Director of TSB announcement
Member States and Sector Members can comment
According to Resolution 31, Associates can also comment
TSB post the comments received
Decision by the study group chairman, in consultation with TSB
No comments -> Approval
Typographical comments -> Approval with typographical changes
Comments of substance
-> Initiate the comments resolution
-> Consider the comments at next study group meeting

38. ITU-T A.8 – Comments resolution
Under the direction of the study group chairman
Accomplished by appropriate study group experts
Comments are addressed by correspondence or at meetings
New edited draft Recommendation is prepared and provided to TSB
Decision by the study group chairman, in consultation with TSB
-> Initiate additional review
-> Consider approval at next study group meeting

39. ITU-T A.8 – Additional review
3-week time period beginning with the Director of TSB announcement
Member States and Sector Members can comment
According to Resolution 31, Associates cannot comment
TSB post the comments received
Decision by the study group chairman, in consultation with TSB
No comments -> Approval
Typographical comments -> Approval
Comments of substance -> consider approval at next study group meeting

40. ITU-T A.8 – Procedure at study group meeting
Intention to approve the Recommendation at study group meeting is announced by the Director of TSB
Study group review the draft text and associated comments
Changes are made during the meeting based on comments, contributions, temporary documents, including liaison statements
Changes should not have a major impact on the intent of the Recommendation or depart from points of principle agreed at previous WP or SG meeting
The study group chairman, in consultation with the TSB considers whether the changes are reasonable and the proposed text stable
A Member State present can declare that the text has policy and regulatory implications or there is a doubt
Approval shall proceed under TAP (Resolution 1)
Approval must be unopposed
If unopposed agreement is not reached, Recommendation is approved if no more than one Member State present opposes the decision further to consultation with their Sector Members present
If the Recommendation is not approved, the study group chairman, after consultation with the parties concerned may proceed without further consent to a next AAP

41. Author’s guide for drafting ITU-T Recommendations
This author's guide permits uniform, efficient preparation of texts by TSB for publication. It covers the rules for drafting a Recommendation in a standard manner.
Available at an easy-to-remember URL:
A.1:
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– to give the parent working party or study group and TSB adequate advance notice of the intention to hold any meetings of experts (see clause below) particularly where such meetings are not included in the original programme of work;
In conjunction with their work planning, rapporteurs must give advance notice of any meetings they arrange, not only to the collaborators on their Question or project, but also to the study group (see clause ) and to TSB. TSB is not required to circulate convening letters for meetings below working party level. TSB will post a notice of rapporteur meetings on the study group web page, as provided by the study group.
The intention to hold rapporteur meetings, along with details of the issues to be studied, should be agreed in principle and publicized with as much notice as possible (normally at least two months) at study group or working party meetings (for inclusion in their reports) and via the study group webpage, for example. Confirmation of the date and place of any meeting should be provided to the collaborators (and any other ITU‑T members who have indicated an interest in attending or submitting a contribution to the meeting), to the relevant working party chairman and to TSB at least three weeks prior to the meeting.
Rapporteur meetings, as such, should not be held during working party or study group meetings. However, rapporteurs may be called upon to chair those portions of working party or study group meetings that deal with their particular area of expertise. In these cases, rapporteurs must recognize that the rules of the working party and study group meetings then apply and the more relaxed rules described above, particularly those that relate to document approvals and submission deadlines, would not apply.
The parent working party (or study group) must define clear terms of reference for each rapporteur. The general direction to be followed in the study should be discussed, reviewed as necessary and agreed periodically by the parent group.
When meetings are arranged to be held outside ITU premises, participants should not be charged for meeting facilities, unless agreed in advance by the study group. Meeting charges should be an exceptional case and only done if, for example, the study group is of the opinion that a meeting charge is necessary for the work to proceed properly. However, no participant should be excluded from participation if he or she is unwilling to pay the charge. Additional services offered by the host shall be voluntary, and there shall be no obligation on any of the participants resulting from these additional services.

42. Contents of the guide
This author's guide is intended to provide a common approach to the preparation of ITU-T texts that are intended for publication, e.g., draft Recommendations.
It attempts to cover the kind of questions likely to arise in the preparation of an ITU-T Recommendation and provides, through application of its own rules, an illustration using the normal order of the elements of drafting a typical Recommendation.
For common texts developed with ISO/IEC, [ITU-T A.23] applies instead of this author's guide.
Some check-lists that study groups are requested to follow have been added as Annexes.
Annex D : Actions required to improve the quality of ITU-T Recommendations
A.1:
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– in particular, to submit a progress report (e.g., of a rapporteur's meeting or editor's work) to each of the parent group's meetings (see suggested format in Appendix II), in the form of a temporary document to be submitted as soon as possible and not later than the first day of the meeting; when such a temporary document contains draft new or revised Recommendations, then it is encouraged, where possible, that it be submitted at least six weeks prior to the parent group's meeting.
Rapporteurs should prepare a meeting report for each rapporteur meeting held and submit it as a temporary document to the next study group or working party meeting. See clause 3.3 for submission and processing of temporary documents.
This report should include the date, venue and chairman, an attendance list with affiliations, the agenda of the meeting, a summary of technical inputs, a summary of results and the liaison statements sent to other organizations.
Rapporteurs will ask during each meeting, whether anyone has knowledge of patents or software copyrights, the use of which may be required to implement the Recommendation being considered. The fact that the question was asked shall be recorded in the meeting report, along with any affirmative responses.

43. Annex D: Actions required to improve the quality of ITU-T Recommendations
Before a draft Recommendation is proposed for approval, consent or determination, the Rapporteur should ensure that all of the bullet points of the check list below have been reviewed and that they have been fulfilled adequately :
The draft, which is proposed for approval, consent or determination:
has been thoroughly reviewed for technical accuracy;
is technically sound with as few options as feasible;
has content that does not conflict with the content of an already approved Recommendation;
does not contain case studies within the normative part;
has only short illustrative examples, if necessary, included in the normative part;
follows the author's guidelines (including the use of ITU-T templates, which can be found at:
has been spell-checked and is grammatically correct, to the extent practicable;
contains definitions that have been developed after consulting the ITU-T Terms and Definitions database and following the guidance of the standardization committee for vocabulary (SCV) (see Annex B);
has all acronyms, including those in the figures and tables, correctly spelled out;
has the normative part making use of all references in clause 2 (References);
has all references in clause 2 (References) qualified in accordance with [ITU-T A.5].
A.1:
The rapporteur's responsibilities are: …
– in particular, to submit a progress report (e.g., of a rapporteur's meeting or editor's work) to each of the parent group's meetings (see suggested format in Appendix II), in the form of a temporary document to be submitted as soon as possible and not later than the first day of the meeting; when such a temporary document contains draft new or revised Recommendations, then it is encouraged, where possible, that it be submitted at least six weeks prior to the parent group's meeting.
Rapporteurs should prepare a meeting report for each rapporteur meeting held and submit it as a temporary document to the next study group or working party meeting. See clause 3.3 for submission and processing of temporary documents.
This report should include the date, venue and chairman, an attendance list with affiliations, the agenda of the meeting, a summary of technical inputs, a summary of results and the liaison statements sent to other organizations.
Rapporteurs will ask during each meeting, whether anyone has knowledge of patents or software copyrights, the use of which may be required to implement the Recommendation being considered. The fact that the question was asked shall be recorded in the meeting report, along with any affirmative responses.