Project 11

Project 11 is part of the development of a new set of international software documentation standards.  For background on what this project comprises and where it fits into international standards, go here.

The project started in 2005, and recruited about a dozen 'section authors' and over 100 reviewers from around the globe.

In the second half of 2005 and the first half of 2006, these people drafted and refined a number of sections of what will become ISO 26511: a user documentation standard aimed at people who manage the development and maintenance of user documentation.

Project 11 has now entered its next phase, which is the bringing together of the developed material into a single draft standard, and the review and approval of that standard through to ISO 26511.

One of 26511's sibling standards, 26514, is already being moved through the ISO process, and it's time for everyone who's been involved in Project 11 (and anyone else who would like to be involved) to put their energies into helping the ISO process run smoothly.

Involvement from here on in will be on a nation by nation basis (because that's the way ISO is constituted).  To get involved, you should contact your 'national body' (for the most part, national standards bodies such as ANSI and BSI).  There is a list of national bodies for each country here.

Your national body will no doubt ask which ISO working group you're interested in.  The full title of our group is ISO/IEC JTC1 SC7/WG2.  We'd welcome not just feedback on our standards, but people to actually attend our twice-yearly meetings (and you may be interested to know that they're held in a variety of exotic places around the world!).  Your national body will tell you what you need to do to get involved at that level.  Or you can just submit comments on draft standards through your national body.

Look forward to seeing you at the next WG2 meeting! 

Phil Cohen, WG2