Cooperation & Communication Strategy

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Overview

In March, 2004, the CANENA Council authorized formation of a Task Force on Regional Cooperation (TFRC). The TFRC was asked to formulate a guiding strategy containing both short- and long-term objectives for achieving and maintaining effective and complementary relationships between the Council and identified entities participating in electrotechnical standardization in the region of the Americas.

In his address at the March Council meeting, then CANENA President Tony Flood, asked the attending Council members for their opinions of the status of CANENA’s effectiveness in the areas of the following three primary Directives:

  1. Ensure that harmonized standards developed within CANENA are unimpeded in their adoption in each participating country.
  2. Ensure that the initiation and scope of a CANENA harmonization project has core support from industry, the relevant standards developers and other relevant entities in each participating country.
  3. Ensure that CANENA’s role in national, regional and international standardization is complementary, periodically assessed and clearly communicated through all channels.
The member input was considered in the drafting of this strategy.

The content of this CANENA Cooperation & Communication Strategy attempts to document: WHO are the electrotechnical standardization entities in each country participating in CANENA activities and throughout the region of the Americas; WHAT needs to be communicated to each entity to ensure our complementary relationship; and HOW do we maintain effective communication between CANENA and its members, and each of these identified entities.

It is to be understood that the types of relationships (e.g. direct, indirect, formal, informal, liaison, etc.) CANENA establishes and maintains may differ. It is the objective of this strategy to ensure that CANENA seeks the appropriate relationships and establishes the optimum channels of communication to ensure accomplishment of the three aforementioned primary Directives.

With whom does CANENA need to cooperate/communicate to be successful?

National Standardization Bodies

CANENA must establish and maintain a complementary relationship with those official entities that determine national standards policies and that provide national representation in regional and international standards forums in countries with CANENA activities.

  • ANSI Standing Committee for the Americas (COPANT)
  • SCC
  • DGN
  • INTECO
  • ICONTEC

CANENA has to be understood by each and be considered complementary to strategies, policies and practices.

National Committees to IEC

Where appropriate, CANENA must establish and maintain a complementary relationship with each IEC National Committee in countries with CANENA activities. The extent of that relationship may vary from country-to-country and may include direct liaison at the management levels and communication interfaces between sector “mirror committees” at the technical levels.

  • CNC Canada
  • MNC Mexico
  • USNC USA

CANENA has to be understood by each and be considered complementary to strategies, policies and practices and be committed to work through the national committee structure in any technical proposals or comments intended to influence an IEC standard, procedure or policy.

Nationally Recognized SDOs

CANENA’s international identity depends on ongoing recognition, coordinated procedures, and technical involvement from nationally recognized Standards Development Organizations (SDO) in countries with CANENA activities.

  • ANCE
  • DGN
  • CSA
  • NEMA
  • UL
  • INTECO
  • ICONTEC
CANENA must foster and maintain these relationships and ensure they remain mutually beneficial.

Nationally Recognized COs

CANENA must more fully define its role in conformity assessment and foster close association between nationally recognized conformity assessment laboratories in countries with CANENA activities as a means of realizing benefits from harmonized standards.

  • ANCE
  • CSA International
  • UL
  • Intertek
  • INTECO
  • ICONTEC
Electro-industry Trade Associations

CANENA must maintain a complementary relationship with prominent electro-industry trade associations in countries with CANENA activities, realizing these are the principal source of Council membership and it is their standardization priorities that are facilitated in CANENA.

  • CANAME
  • EFC EEMAC
  • NEMA
  • AHAM
  • ARI
  • ANFAD
Regional and International Standardization Bodies

IEC

Respectful of the primary role of National Committees to IEC, CANENA shall honor its commitments to IEC as expressed in the formal cooperation agreement between the two parties. (Also see National Committees to IEC above)

CENELEC

CANENA shall honor its commitments to CENELEC as expressed in the formal cooperation agreement between the two parties.

COPANT

Respectful of the primary role of the official national representation to COPANT, CANENA will seek a cooperation agreement with COPANT in order to ensure a complementary relationship in electrotechnical standardization within the region.

AMN (Asociación Mercosur de Normalización)

CANENA will explore a cooperative relationship with AMN and Mercosur countries in order to ensure a complementary relationship in electrotechnical standardization within the region. The benefits of a trilateral AMN-COPANT-CANENA cooperation agreement will be explored.

What does CANENA Need to Communicate?

CANENA official communications shall be purposeful, timely and authorized by the CANENA Executive Committee. Unless specifically authorized, neither CANENA nor its members shall claim to represent another standardization entity or its positions through official CANENA communications or forums.

The criteria for Council recognition of General Members and any other class of CANENA membership, and the particular nature of each according to CANENA By Laws shall be clearly and publicly communicated.

CANENA shall continually assess and clearly communicate to its members and the standardization community, its place (role) in national, regional and international standardization activities.

CANENA members in good standing shall be informed on the administrative matters of the Council and the Executive Committee and conduct of technical harmonization work programs in accordance with published CANENA By Laws and harmonization procedures.

Transparency is a cornerstone of CANENA communication. The following official CANENA communications shall be publicly accessible:

  • Committee Directory: All Technical Harmonization Committees and Technical
  • Harmonization Subcommittees, their scopes, active work programs and summary status of work programs and contact information for Chairs and Secretaries.
  • CANENA By Laws and CANENA Standardization Procedures and other relevant procedures.
  • Current list of CANENA Members in Good Standing
  • Notices and Summary Agendas of CANENA Council Meetings
  • Summary Minutes and Meeting Reports of the CANENA Council and Executive Committee
  • CANENA Annual Report
  • Official Agreements between CANENA and other Standardization Entities

How is cooperation/communication best achieved by CANENA?

CANENA shall initiate and ensure open channels of communication with each of the identified standardization entities.

The primary responsibility for communications with identified entities in a country with CANENA activities (National Member) shall be the CANENA Vice President who is elected to represent the CANENA General Members in that country. The Council and the Executive Committee shall act on the advice of the respective CANENA Vice President, or other member, to authorize or establish the necessary means for a cooperative and complementary relationship with each identified standardization entity.

The CANENA Secretary General, or a member authorized by the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for communication with regional and international standardization entities in countries other than those with CANENA activities. The Secretary General shall communicate annually with those entities with which CANENA has signed a formal cooperation agreement.

The Secretary General and the CANENA Registrar shall be responsible for communication with CANENA General members.

Within budgetary constraints, CANENA will accept invitations to attend general or subject specific meetings convened by an identified standardization entity. Whenever practical, the CANENA representative attending such meetings will exercise the opportunity to clearly convey a statement that establishes the atmosphere for a cooperative and complementary relationship.

The regular vehicles for communication between CANENA, its members, and the identified standardization entities shall be via CANENA’s website: www.canena.org, the CANENA Annual Report, and the CANENA Annual General Meeting. On a periodic basis, the CANENA Registrar will communicate with members in good standing by email on topics of general interest.