About RISSB

• Who we are
• What we do
• Governance
• Board Members
• Strategic Plan
• Business Plan
• Staff
• Committees
• DAB
• Work Plan
• Admin Documents
• Contact Us

RISSB Development Process

The RISSB is an accredited Standards Development Organisation (SDO) with Standards Australia.  All standards produced by the RISSB are Australian Standards.  The standard development process is rigorous and transparent.  The same process is used in developing other RISSB products although Guidelines are not exposed to the public for comment given their non binding nature.
Typically independent authors and validators are contracted to write and validate the products. The author works with one of the RISSB's managers and a RISSB Development Group to ensure that the product is acceptable to industry.  A RISSB Standing Committee oversights this work and ensures that proper governance and process is followed as well as approving the content of a product.  Once the final draft has been produced and validated the product is passed to the  RISSB Standing Committee for approval and then to the Development Advisory Board (DAB) which assures itself that RISSB's accredited process has been followed in its development of a RISSB product.  If the DAB endorses the product it is passed to the RISSB Board for its approval to publish.

RISSB Board

RISSB is overseen by a Board of directors comprising of an independent chairman and representatives of key rail industry organisations.  In general the Board meets quarterly.  A listing of current directors can be accessed at: http://www.rissb.com.au/site/about_board.php

Development Advisory Board 

Membership details and the remit of the Development Advisory Board (DAB) can be found at : http://www.rissb.com.au/site/about_dab.php
The DAB meets at least twice a year, usually in February and September.

RISSB Standing Committees

RISSB activities are supervised by a number of Committees.  This ensures RISSB stakeholders that RISSB activities are undertaken in an appropriate and transparent manner.
Membership details and the remit of the RISSB Standing Committees can be found at: http://www.rissb.com.au/site/about_committees.php .  These committees meet every three months, usually one month before the RISSB Board meetings.

RISSB Development Groups

Members of RISSB Development Groups have an important role to play in the development of RISSB products.  Membership of Development Groups is open to any interested person providing that he/she has a genuine interest in the product being developed.  Development Group Members are usually subject matter experts.  Importantly they will be asked to sign off on the product when it has been completed confirming that its conten is 'correct and represents good practice'. The roles and responsabilities of development groups can be found at:
Development Group Member Responsibilities 

Audits

The Australian Board of Standards Development Organisations (ABSDO) audit the RISSB annually to ensure that Standards are produced in accordance the Standards Australia Accreditation.

Budget

RISSB's annual budget  for 2010/11 is $3.25 million. 
Funding of $3m for the ACOP is provided on a 50/50 basis between Industry and Government.    This arrangement is underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Australian Transport Commission and the ARA. 
Industry provides $0.25 funding for non ACOP programs which include for example industry safety and safety culture initiatives.