The DKE Structure
The administrative organs of the DKE comprise the union of sponsors, the concerned associations, the Council, the president and the vice-presidents, the Board of Directors with the business organization and the technical committees and subcommittees.
The union of sponsors is composed of companies, public authorities and other institutions supporting the work of the DKE both financially and by delegating their staff to cooperate in the DKE work.
The Council (LA) consists of 30 leading personalities from industry, science and administration, who are appointed from major concerned associations that are affected by DKE work.
The LA is the highest decision-making body in the DKE. Its duty incorporates the general control of the DKE and international and regional cooperation in the field of electrotechnical standardization. The President of the DKE, elected by the LA from among its members, represents the DKE both within the organization and in public. He participates in decisions regarding organizational, administrative, personnel and financial issues.
The following boards work on behalf of the LA:
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Technical Advisory Board International and National Coordination (TBINK), representing the German Committee of the IEC and of CENELEC,
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Technical Advisory Board ETSI (TBETSI),
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Technical Advisory Board Evaluation for Conformity (TBKON).
The Permanent Advisory Group Technology (BKT) of the LA analyses areas of standardization in the field of new technologies. In addition, the Financial Advisory Board has been created by the LA as an advisory body for issues of financing.
The DKE standardizing bodies comprise the committees (K), subcommittees (UK) and working groups (AK).
In addition, there are joint committees and joint subcommittees which consist of a DKE working body in collaboration with one or more other DIN standards committees. The working bodies are generally assigned as German "counterpart committees" to the corresponding IEC and CENELEC technical committees so that generally only a single German body is responsible for the entire national, regional and international work and/or cooperation in the specific field of activity.
In order to ensure coordination and control of the standardization procedure, nine divisions have been established which are subdivided into subjects, taking into account as far as possible the various national, international and technical aspects. In order to represent the interests of the committees and working groups under the divisions, the Council nominates one of its members as divisional chairman (FBV).
The divisional chairman co-ordinates all activities within his division, including, among other things, the choice of new fields of activity or the establishment and/or dissolution of existing committees, which are submitted to the TBINK for decision. He is also responsible for mediation in standardization procedures between the objecting party on the one hand and the committees and working groups on the other; he may involve a technical advisory board for this purpose.
Phases of the Standardization Process
The stages of standardization procedure vary according to the type of standard and the issuing organization. It is a common feature that standards are prepared in a multi-phase process in a democratic manner, involving all concerned associations according to the consensus principle.
Particular attention is drawn to the following facts:
- within the framework of mediation and arbitration procedures, maintained objections to draft standards are discussed and decided upon.
The Board of Directors consists of one or more managing directors. One of them assumes the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors conducts the DKE business in accordance with the internal regulations and the guidelines approved by the Council. It is their duty to implement the decisions taken by the Council. The Board is in charge of the proper support of the technical bodies. With regard to technical aspects it is responsible to the DIN Director and the VDE Board of Directors for sound management. With regard to financial aspects it reports to the VDE Board of Directors. In legal relations the managing directors act on behalf and account of the VDE.
Financing of DKE
The DKE business organization finances about 95 % of its budget from the proceeds of standards prepared by the DKE and sold by the VDE VERLAG and Beuth Verlag.
The remainder is contributed by the union of sponsors, which has about 400 member companies, five associations of the electrical industry and nine associations closely connected to electrotechnical standardization.