Overview of the AWS Standard Revision Process
The following information provides an overview of the AWS Standard revision process, with key documents available for download.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact Ed Pinero.
- An initial public survey on V1.0 of the AWS Standard was used to gain a first round of feedback from those who have engaged with and implemented the AWS Standard since 2014.
- The AWS Technical Committee met in March 2018 to consider this feedback and to build on insight and feedback provided over the course of 2017 from AWS members, partners and stakeholders globally.
- 12 major themes emerged from the information provided. The Technical Committee used this information to draft the AWS Standard V2.0 Draft 1.1. This version of the Standard was circulated for a 6-week consultation which concluded on the 17th June 2018. During this period, workshops and webinars were held to gain further insight from those wishing to submit a consultation response.
- The Technical Committee met in June 2018 to review the information provided in this second round of consultation. Comment Disposition by Technical Committee on Draft 1 can be viewed here.
- AWS then developed the AWS Standard V2.0 Draft 2.0 which was circulated for a 30-day consultation period on the 1st September 2018. Comments on this second draft can be found here.
- In addition, guidance material was drafted to support the consultation on the revised Standard. Note that these guidance documents have been superseded by the currently available General Guidance to V2.0 which is available to download here. To view the guidance developed to support the consultation, select from the following downloads:
Guidance on Stakeholder Engagement
Guidance on Water-related High Conservation Values
- Following this final round of consultation, AWS developed the AWS Standard V2.0 Draft 3.0 for review at the AWS AGM in Edinburgh on the 1st November 2018.
- Comments were solicited at the AGM to provide final inputs to the process to prepare a version for Member Ballot. Comment Disposition by Technical Committee on Draft 3 (post-AWS AGM) can be viewed here.
- The final version was recommended for approval by the AWS Technical Committee and submitted for Member Ballot on 17th January 2019. Members were able to submit comments on the final version of the Standard during the ballot process. The comments and the Technical Committee’s responses are available here.
- The official public launch of the AWS Standard 2.0 took place on World Water Day, 22nd March 2019.
- Provisional guidance was issued on 22nd March, with a six month “input cycle” with a goal of issuing final guidance in the Third Quarter 2019.