(ISO: Geneva) -- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards for business, government, and society, has just published a new handbook giving guidance to national standards bodies (NSBs) on how to finance their activities.

Financing NSBs—Financial Sustainability for National Standards Bodies  (ISO, 2010)  is the latest in a series of books developed by ISO targeting developing countries and transition economies in particular, but not exclusively. Developing countries make up some three-quarters of ISO’s membership of 163 NSBs.

The financial sustainability of any organization, including any national standards body (NSB), is critical. In addition, standardization activity requires revenue so that the NSB may operate effectively to meet the needs of customers and stakeholders over the long-term. Almost all ISO members are not-for-profit organizations that work to meet the standardization needs of their stakeholders and reinvest any surplus back into this activity.

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