Standard Dimensions

Resume
Identification
Standard Dimensions
Source
Knowledge Age Standards: A Brief Introduction to Their Dimensions by Yesha Y. Sivan published in Information Technology Standards and Standardization: A Global Perspective. Technical University of Aachen, ISBN 1-878289-70-5, Idea Publishing 2000.
Description
A framework of standards that includes five dimensions: Level, Purpose, Effect, Sponsor, and Stage, each of which contains five categories that together define the dimension.
Purpose
The dimensions show:

how standards can be produced and used by entities from different Levels (individual, organizational, associational, national, and multinational);

how they can have one or more Purposes (simplification, communication, harmonization, protection, and valuation);

how they can cause diverse Effects (constructive, positive, unknown, negative, and destructive);

how they can be developed by different Sponsors (devoid, nonsponsored, unisponsored, multisponsored, and mandated); and

how they can be in different Stages (missing, emerging, existing, declining, and dying).

Dimensions

Dimension 1:
Level Dimension 2:
Purpose Dimension 3:
Effect Dimension 4:
Sponsor Dimension 5:
Stage
Individual Simplification Constructive Devoid Missing
Organisational Communication Positive Nonsponsored Emerging
Associational Harmonisation Unknown Unisponsored Existing
National Protection Negative Multisponsored Declining
Multinational Valuation Destructive Mandated Dying

Dimensions Description
The Level dimension: will prompt us to think about the users and producers of the standard. Who uses your standard? Is it used by individuals, organizations, perhaps nations or the entire world? Was it developed by one of the international bodies, or perhaps by an association of companies? Perhaps it was developed by a particular person?
The Purpose dimension: will prompt us to think about the aims, both intended and actual, of standards. What about your standard? Perhaps it was originally intended just to create vocabulary, or perhaps it was intended to protect consumers from potential harm. Some standards, and yours may be among them, were originally designed to support simplification, but later they were used to support protection.
The Effect dimension: will prompt us to consider the pros and cons, the benefits and problems, and the payoffs and tradeoffs that standards have. What about your standard? For example, it may currently have positive Effects on one organization, but long-term negative, and perhaps even destructive Effects on another organization. Or just the opposite; it may have negative Effects now, but constructive Effects in the future. We may also find that we basically know nothing about the Effects of your standard.
The Sponsor dimension: will prompt us to consider the origin of the standard. Who developed your standard? Can you identify it? Was it a single entity that is making lots of money off it? Or perhaps a not-for-profit coalition of many organizations? Is it a standard with a punishment attached to it, or just a recommendation?
The Stage dimension: will prompt us to think about the process of making the 10 Sivan standard. What about your standard? Does it already exist? Is it widely used by many people? Perhaps its use is already declining, as its negative Effects overcome its positive Effects?