1. Task Group Chairman & Technical Contact Responsibilities
ASTM Headquarters
September 20-21, 2016
Kate Chalfin & Julia Moynihan

2. Objectives
At the end of this module, you will be able to serve effectively as a Task Group Chair and Technical Contact by:
Handling administrative responsibilities
Conducting an effective task group meeting
Preparing items for Sub and Main Committee ballots
Resolving negative votes on the website
Utilizing available resources at ASTM Headquarters
The mission of ASTM International is to be recognized globally as the premier developer and provider of voluntary consensus standards. The Task Group Chair is the driver for standards development. All systems and structures are designed to support this core role. This workshop will explain the role of TC and discuss the systems ASTM provides to support it.
This includes holding meetings, preparing for ballots and resolving ballot returns.
As with all of our training modules, we are interested in learning from your experiences and hearing your ideas for continuing to make improvements to our systems.
// 2

3. Being an Effective Task Group Chairman / Technical Contact
// 3

4. What is a Task Group?
Task Groups are formed for the following reasons:
1. Technical Discussions
Creating new standards
Reviewing and revising existing standards
2. Administrative Work
Promote membership/publicize activities
Plan a symposium
Please note that non-ASTM members can participate
ASTM Regulations section states that: A task group is an ad-hoc group operating in an unofficial capacity for the subcommittee for a specific activity. Task groups are established by the subcommittee chairman or by majority approval of the voting members of the subcommittee either at a meeting or by ballot.
Task group members tend to be a collection of sub-committee members whose goal is to develop the technical content for that specific standard. However, there is no requirement for ASTM membership to participate in a task group.
Task Groups are normally discharged once the standard they were developing/revising has been approved.
// 4

5. Responsibilities of Task Group Chairman
Establish missions and goals of task group
Assign a small working group with experience and expertise
- Ensure key players of industry are involved
Assign tasks with deadlines
Organize meetings
- Use face to face or virtual meetings
Coordinate task group reports at subcommittee meetings
The task group chairman is responsible for ensuring that all interested parties are invited to participate. Once all stakeholders are at the table, a general goal should be established and members of the TG can be assigned various tasks. Often times virtual meetings are requested to discuss in-depth technical matters pertaining to these tasks.
Task Group Chairman are also responsible for updating the sub-committee regularly at committee meetings.
// 5

6. Scheduling a Virtual Meeting
Easy scheduling through your staff manager or MyASTM
Virtual meetings and conference calls in between face-to-face meetings help accelerate the standards development process
ASTM offers the WebEx tool, the same tool we are using today, to host these virtual meetings. You can schedule a virtual meeting through the ASTM website or by contacting your staff manager. We can also set up conference calls, if that is preferred.
// 6

7. Scheduling a Virtual Meeting
From the ASTM website, click on “My Committees” and click on Plan Online Mtg/Conf. This will take you through scheduling (date, time and duration) an sending invitations to those you would like to participate.
// 7

8. Effectively Running a Meeting
Before the Meeting
Prepare agenda/presentation/TG report
Include ballot results, if any
Review ballot results, correspondence with negative voters, any action items from previous meeting
For subcommittee meetings, contact subcommittee chairman with meeting requirements
If you are the TG chairman, it is important that you run an effective meeting. Prior to the meeting it is helpful to prepare a report, review ballot items and negative votes and comments.
If a regularly scheduled committee meeting is approaching, be sure to let the sub-chairman know if you need time and meeting space for the Task Group.
// 8

9. Effectively Running a Meeting
During the Meeting
Start on time
Review the agenda and revise as necessary
If using virtual meeting tools, ensure all attendees know how to log in and use meeting tools
Recognize attendees who wish to speak
Maintain Order
This is a list of other ways to ensure an effective meeting:
Start on time
Make sure everyone is agreement with the agenda and revise if needed
Send out virtual meeting information and make sure everyone knows how to login and use the online tools
Recognize those that wish to speak
And Maintain Order
// 9

10. Task Group Reports
Written report to be included in subcommittee meeting minutes
Report(s) should include:
1. The status of the project, including projected timeline for milestones
2. A recommendation on items for ballot
3. A recommendation for disposition of negative votes
4. Requests for data, review or assistance from ILS
Task group reports should be given at sub-committee meetings and written reports included in sub-comm meeting minutes.
The reports should include:
Project status and timeline
Recommendations for items on ballot
Recommendations for disposition of negative votes
And requests for review/assistance from the ASTM Inter Laboratory Studies team
// 10

11. Responsibilities of the Technical Contact
Main author of new draft standard or revision
Should be very familiar with standard
Practice good communication skills
May be asked to address technical questions about the standard, but cannot provide official interpretations
Consider revisions needed based on customer inquiries
The TC is the main author of the standard. They should be familiar with the document, have experience, knowledge about the subject matter and good communication skills.
The TC may receive questions from committee members or stakeholders and must be willing to address these technical questions, without providing an official interpretation.
And lastly the TC needs to consider revisions based on user inquiries.
// 11

12. Responding to Inquiries on Standards
ASTM membership and staff are prohibited from offering official interpretation of standards
Official responses must follow Section 16 of the ASTM Regulations
Inquiries may be handled informally by Subchairs and technical contacts
Be clear that the response is a personal opinion
Do not use ASTM stationery for the response
ASTM does not provide interpretations of standards. If someone wants an interpretation of a standard, it is best to advise them that the only action a committee or subcommittee may take is to introduce a revision to the standard to further clarify it’s intent. If they feel that a revision to a standard would clarify the technical content, they should be encouraged to provide the subcommittee with that information.
If you are being asked for your opinion, you might offer it, but be clear that it is only your opinion. Do not use your title as Task Group Chair in writing. Do not use the ASTM Logo or letterhead. Do not give the impression that it is an ‘official response’.
Section 16 of the ASTM Regulations covers how official responses should be handled.
Consult your staff manager if there is a particular issue in this regard.
// 12

13. Leading the Balloting Process
Gain approval of subcommittee chairman for work item registration
Register work item via MyASTM
ASTM requires the following items for registration:
1. Rationale for the activity
2. Scope, keywords, target ballot date
Write the draft standard or revision
Submit draft to ballot online with rationale / cover letter
As the TC, it is your responsibility to gain approval from the SC chair to register a work item. You will need to register this work item through the ASTM website and keep it up to date. The work item registration should include a rationale for the activity and will require a target date for ballot.
Once the work item is registered you will have access to upload the draft standard or revision to ballot. Again, you should have approval from the SC chair to submit to ballot. A cover letter explaining the activity is required, include as much background information as possible to give reviewers a clear understanding of your work.
And be sure to include your contact information.
// 13

14. Registering a Work Item
// 14

15. Registering a Work Item
To register a work item, go to the ASTM website, login and click on “My Committees”.
From the right tool bar, select Ballots and Work Items and then Submit/Edit
// 15

16. Registering a Work Item
From the next page, select I need to register a work item for a revision or new standard.
// 16

17. Registering a Work Item
This is where you will select whether you’re registering a new standard or revising an existing standard. Select the committee and sub-committee that have jurisdiction over the item and click continue.
// 17

18. Registering a Work Item
Here you need to select that you are submitting original material and have read and agree to the ASTM Intellectual Property Policy.
// 18

19. Registering a Work Item
Now you need to select the target date for ballot, confirm approval from SC chair. Here you will indicate who will be the technical contact for the work item. Typically it is the task group chairman who is registering the work item, so the default “I will” is correct. Sometimes, others register the work item for the technical contact, and in those cases they can indicate the correct person.
// 19

20. Registering a Work Item
Enter the standard you’re revising and include the rationale for the revision. This is not the same thing as the rationale for the ballot item. You want to indicate what the general purpose of the work item is. Later when developing the ballot item, the rationale will detail the history and finer technical aspects of the ballot item.
// 20

21. Registering a Work Item
This is the final step in registering a work item. You can select to have a collaboration area and click submit. Once it is submitted you will receive a confirmation of the Work Item number and an from ASTM with instructions for constructing the ballot item and a link to the Word document for the standard you are revising. Save this for your reference. If you chose to have a collaboration area, you can start setting that up.
// 21

22. Collaboration Area
// 22

23. ASTM Collaboration Area
Collaboration area features include:
1. A central location for draft documents
Add comments, start a new discussion
2. File repository
Add related files, images, tables, etc.
3. Task group member list
Easily send to individuals or entire task group
4. History
See actions taken over the life of the collaboration area
Collaboration area can be established as part of the work item registration process or at a later date
The collaboration area was created for task group members to have a central location to work together. Before this was created much standards development communication was done by .
This tool now allows you to upload drafts, related files and submit comments. You can invite members (both ASTM and non-ASTM members) to join and it will save their information. You can send communications through this.
If you select not to have a collaboration area when you’re registering a work item but change your mind later, you can still add one.
Once your collaboration area has been created and you want to access it again, you would …. (next slide)
// 23

24. My Collaboration Areas
Login in to you’re my ASTM account, select “My Committees” and from the right tool bar, select “My Collaboration Areas”.
// 24

25. My Collaboration Areas
Once you find your collaboration area, this is what it will look like. You can see the tabs at the top for discussion, files, members etc.
Any questions on anything we have covered up to this point?
// 25

26. Submitting a Ballot Item
// 26

27. Submitting a Ballot Item
When the document is ready for ballot, whether using a collaboration area or good old fashioned other means, the next step is to submit the item for ballot. Under ‘My Committees” in “Ballots and Work Items” you will find submit/edit (same place where you went to submit a work item).
// 27

28. Submitting a Ballot Item
The second radio button on this page is where you go to submit your ballot item.
// 28

29. Submitting a Ballot Item
Here, you will go through three data entry screens that capture the information about your ballot item such as what committee and subcommittee the item is coming from, the type of ballot (new standard or revision), the level of balloting (subcommittee or concurrent), and the Work Item number. Here you will also upload the document. At the end you will receive a confirmation that your document has been loaded for ballot.
// 29

30. While the Item is on Ballot
notification will be sent when a negative vote or comment has been received
Ability to monitor ballot input when received
Can view, print and download negatives and comments
Communicate with negative voters
all members will be notified when the ballot is issued. All ballots are open for at least 30 days. During that time if any member returns a negative or comment, a notice will go to the technical contact the next day informing you that the item has received a statement. The notice directs you to the online negative vote resolution screens. In a couple of slides I will show you what the online negative vote resolution screens look like. This is open for the technical contact and subcommittee chairman while the ballot is open. All of the members can see the ballot returns after the ballot closes but only you can see them during the open ballot time.
// 30

31. After the Ballot Closes
Review ballot results, comments and negatives
Contact negative voter(s) prior to subcommittee meeting
Communicate with subcommittee chairman to determine if a virtual meeting, time during the subcommittee meeting, or both are needed to address ballot results
Inform negative voters of the outcome of vote consideration
Depending on the amount of input there may be several useful strategies to dealing with the negatives and comments received during the ballot. As mentioned, the online negative vote resolution page will be your go to place for viewing ballot returns. Based on your assessment, you may want to ask the subcommittee chairman to give you extra time at the meeting to handle your ballot returns. If there is time before the meeting, you may want to schedule a virtual task group meeting or conference call to discuss the returns. After the returns have been considered, it is often good practice to follow up with the members who provided their returns to let them know the outcome of the consideration.
// 31

32. Reviewing Ballot Results and Resolving Negative Votes
// 32

33. Reviewing Negatives & Comments
Lets take a look at the Online Negative Vote Resolution Screen
// 33

34. Reviewing Negatives & Comments
// 34

35. Reviewing Negatives & Comments
// 35

36. Reviewing Negatives & Comments
// 36

37. Resolving Negative Votes Online
// 37

38. Resolving Negative Votes Online
// 38

39. Resolving Negative Votes Online
// 39

40. Resolving Negative Votes Online
// 40

41. Resolving Negative Votes Online
// 41

42. Available Tools ASTM assistance provided for the following:
Standard Templates
Form & Style
ASTM Process/Regulations
Interlaboratory Studies Program (ILS)
Editorial Assistance
Symposium & workshop
Administrative Assistance
Setting up Webex meetings
Collaboration Areas
// 42

43. Questions?
// 43

44. Thank you!