Overview

This section provides an overview of the ODI Open Standards Toolkit

Standards are documented, reusable agreements that solve a specific set of problems or meet clearly defined needs. Standards detail the language, concepts, rules, guidance or results that have been agreed, and are used when it’s important to be consistent, share data, repeat or automate processes, make comparisons, or reach a shared understanding.

Standards are used in industries and sectors across the world to document agreements on physical items, ideas, digital products, processes, and more. However, it is difficult to know what the right standards to adopt and use might be, and when and how to develop new standards.

To assist, the ODI has developed an Open Standards Toolkit. This toolkit is a curated pathway through the ODI Standards Guidebook for organisations that do not have regulatory authority over a sector, but who nevertheless may find value in driving standards adoption or development.

The Open Standards Toolkit is structured as follows:

• Section one: Introduction - a guide through open standards, their use, and when not to develop standards

• Section two: Value and open standards - a guide through the initial steps in standards adoption or development, and their associated impacts

• Section three: Adopting open standards - a guide through how to find and choose the right open standards

• Section four: Creating open standards - a guide through the development of open standards

• Section five: Stewarding open standards - a guide through stewarding and maintaining open standards

• Section six: Useful resources - a guide through tools and resources to help you develop an open standard