Understanding Definitions and Acronyms

The following definitions and acronyms are provided as a resource to guide those seeking to gain a greater understanding of ACCT’s American National Standard (ANS) Development Process.

Definitions

• ACCT (Association for Challenge Course Technology, Inc., doing business as ACCT International)
  A 501(c)(6) international trade association serving the challenge course, aerial adventure park, and ropes course industry through standards development, government relations, credentialing, professional development, and the advancement of its members. In the Standards Development Process, ACCT is an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) responsible for developing and maintaining standards under ANSI’s due process framework.
• ANS (American National Standard)
  A voluntary consensus standard developed by an Accredited Standards Developer (ASD)—like ACCT—in accordance with the ASD’s Accredited Procedures (AP) and the ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards (ER) and subject to ANSI’s neutral oversight and approval. These requirements are designed to ensure that the development of American National Standards is a fair and responsive process that is open to all directly and materially interested parties.
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
  A private, nonprofit organization that accredits the procedures of voluntary standards-developing organizations (but doesn’t develop standards itself) and approves individual documents as American National Standards (ANS) when they meet due process requirements.
• ANSI Standards Action
  A weekly publication issued by the American National Standards Institute that serves as the official public notice vehicle for activities related to American National Standards (ANS). It’s essentially the bulletin board where ANSI posts announcements that keep the standards process transparent and allow stakeholders to participate.
• AP (Accredited Procedures)
  The standards development procedures formally submitted by ACCT (or another ASD) and accredited by ANSI as meeting the ANSI Essential Requirements—covering openness, balance, consensus, due process, etc.—for the development, revision, reaffirmation, or withdrawal of an American National Standard (ANS). The official title of ACCT’s Accredited Procedures is “Procedures for Organization, Development, and Maintenance of Challenge Course Standards by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT).
• ASD (Accredited Standards Developer)
  An organization, such as ACCT, that has voluntarily submitted its written procedures to ANSI and been accredited by the ANSI Executive Standards Council (ExSC) as meeting the Essential Requirements (ER) for due process and governance in standards development. Accreditation is a prerequisite for submitting documents for approval as an American National Standard (ANS).
• ASD Admin (ACCT/Accredited Standards Developer Administrator)
  An individual appointed by the ACCT Board of Directors who coordinates Standards Development Processes. This individual may be a staff member of ACCT or a volunteer.
• BOD (Board of Directors)
  The ACCT Board of Directors (BOD) oversees governance, strategic direction, and fiduciary responsibilities of ACCT. It acts on behalf of the Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) by overseeing the Standards Development Process, approving procedures, and making policy decisions. The BOD consists of nine voting members elected by ACCT’s membership and the ACCT Executive Director, who serves as a critical, but non-voting, member.
• BSR (ANSI Board of Standards Review)
  The ANSI body responsible for reviewing and approving individual candidate documents to become American National Standards (ANS). The BSR ensures submissions comply with due process, consensus, and Essential Requirements, reviewing unresolved objections and managing formal approvals.
• BSR-8 (Board of Standards Review—Form 8)
  The BSR-8 is submitted by an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD)—such as ACCT—to ANSI. Its purpose is to initiate the public review and comment period for a proposed new, revised, reaffirmed, or withdrawn standard by listing the project in ANSI Standards Action.
• BSR-9 (Board of Standards Review—Form 9)
  The BSR-9(Board of Standards Review—Form 9) is the final formal submission from an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD)—such as ACCT—to ANSI. It serves as a comprehensive checklist of procedural evidence demonstrating that the standard development process has complied with ANSI’s Essential Requirements (ER) and the developer’s accredited procedures (AP).
• CB (Consensus Body)
  A group of individuals approved by ACCT to develop and reach consensus on ACCT’s proposed American National Standards (ANS) in accordance with ANSI’s Essential Requirements (ER) and ACCT’s Accredited Procedures (AP). Participation in the CB is open to all materially affected persons and organizations. Membership on the CB must be balanced so that no single interest category, organization, or individual dominates the decision-making process. The CB operates using due process, ensuring openness, fairness, and the opportunity for all materially affected persons to be heard.
• ER (ANSI Essential Requirements)
  The foundational document—Essential Requirements: Due Process Requirements for American National Standards—that outlines the criteria for openness, balance, consensus, appeals, audits, maintenance, and more. Accredited Standards Developers (ASDs)—like ACCT—must align their procedures with these Requirements.
• ExSC (ANSI Executive Standards Council)
  ANSI’s standing committee charged with accrediting standards developers (ASDs), overseeing procedural compliance, requiring audits, and maintaining the integrity of the American National Standard (ANS) process. The ExSC also handles periodic reviews of an ASD’s procedures and may suspend or withdraw accreditation for non-compliance.
• PINS (Project Initiation Notification System)
  ANSI’s open system for notifying the public and stakeholders about the intent to develop or revise an American National Standard (ANS). Use of the PINS supports transparency and coordination and is required by Accredited Standards Developers—like ACCT—when initiating or revising standards under periodic maintenance.
• SDO (Standards Developing Organization)
  Any group that develops and publishes technical standards through a consensus-based process. ANSI accredits SDOs to ensure their procedures meet ANSI's requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process. ACCT is an SDO. It is also an ASD.
• SWG (Standard Writing Group)
  ACCT volunteer groups tasked with drafting standards. SWGs, also referred to as task groups or task forces, are created and overseen by TIRE, the Consensus Body, or the ACCT Board of Directors, tasked with drafting standards.
• TIRE (Technical Information, Research, and Education Committee)
  The TIRE Committee serves as a central hub for generating and refining technical content within ACCT’s standards ecosystem. It plays a pivotal role in researching, documenting, and preparing the technical underpinnings of draft standards. As delegated by the ACCT Board of Directors, TIRE oversees the development of draft standards, coordinates standards writing task groups, and harmonizes the work product.
• WTO (World Trade Organization)
  In the context of ANSI standards, the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Code of Good Practice defines internationally recognized criteria—such as openness, transparency, impartiality, and consensus—for standards development. The ANSI process, including ANS designation, conforms to these TBT guidelines, facilitating international acceptance of U.S. standards.

ACRONYMS SUMMARY TABLE

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