SISO Unballoted Products are Reference Products and Administrative Documents and are developed using a less formal process than Balloted Products. Unballoted Products are reviewed and approved by the appropriate committee(s) (SAC, CC, or EXCOM) and then forwarded to the EXCOM for final approval.
Below is a brief outline of this procedure. For more information, see Administrative Document SISO-ADM-002-2011.
Reference Products
SISO Reference Products may be the result of a SISO Study Group, Standing Study Group, Product Support Group or other activity. The committee having oversight over the group or activity approves SISO Reference Products prior to submission to the EXCOM for SISO approval. Approval and subsequent publication of a SISO Reference Product does not constitute SISO endorsement of either the findings or recommendations of the product. Products produced by third parties that meet the needs and Technical Acceptance Principles of the SISO community may also be accepted as Reference Products. When appropriate and required, the SAC will work with the producers to establish a Product Support Group to provide support to a SISO Reference Product. In such cases, the Product Support Group will use the procedures in the BPDSP to provide guidance for its operations.
Administrative Products
SISO Administrative Products are developed by the EXCOM, SAC, or CC to manage and/or direct the operations of SISO. Administrative products are approved by EXCOM, except as otherwise specified in SISO procedures. For products intended to guide the management of operations, a committee may charter a subset of its members or another group to develop the Administrative Product. The group developing the product must do so in a reasonably open manner including at a minimum posting on the sponsoring committee’s reflector.
Administrative Products affecting overall SISO operation shall be posted to general reflectors for comment; postings for more specific products (e.g., affecting only one committee) shall be posted to just the appropriate committee’s reflector. Once the sponsoring committee completes developing the product, it is sent to the EXCOM for approval. For emergent products resulting from on-going operations, e.g. guidance concerning relationships with an outside organization, or reports resulting from a specific appeal or investigation in accordance with SISO policy, a committee may charter a subset of its members or another group to address the issue raised.
Once the chartered/tasked activity is completed, a report and/or product will be submitted to the tasking committee for approval. EXCOM review and/or approval will be obtained as required. While the resolution of a specific appeal or investigation may be announced, publishing of the complete administrative product requires EXCOM approval.