Making lives easier, safer and better

We operate in a world where change is a constant, and where challenges and disruptions can be global in scale. To be well positioned within this global context, we must have a clear and agile strategy that defines our purpose and what we want to achieve, whilst allowing us to anticipate change and adapt quickly to the world around us.

In this sense, the notion of continuous improvement is one of shifting and evolving targets. We have come a long way in our nearly 75-year history – and contributed to great progress – but today’s world is not the same as yesterday’s nor will it be the same as tomorrow’s. We need to go further if we want to ensure that ISO will continue to be at the forefront of positive change.

With this in mind, the ISO Strategy 2021-2030 sets out our vision (why we do what we do), our mission (what we do and how we do it), our goals (what we need to achieve to realize our mission and vision) and our priorities (where we need to focus our resources to make this happen). These priorities are designed to be regularly reviewed, and adjusted when needed, to respond to any changes in our external environment.

We have defined 2030 as a milestone to reflect on our progress and evaluate our fundamental work as an organization. This time frame aligns with the United Nations’ ambitious Global Agenda for 2030, which, as outlined through the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, will require international collaborative effort to become a reality. ISO is built around an ethos of collaboration and believes that standardization plays a key role in transforming our world into a sustainable one.

Drivers of change

Understanding the context in which ISO operates is essential to defining our priorities. 

This includes identifying external drivers of change and evaluating their impact on our organization. In envisaging ISO’s role over the next decade, we have identified four primary drivers of change as the areas where we see International Standards having the most impact and relevance in the world – the economy, technology, society and the environment.  

Vision

Why we do what we do

Mission

What we do and how we do it

Goals

What we need to achieve to realize our mission and vision

Priorities

Where we need to focus our resources to make this happen

ISO President (2020-2021)

Eddy Njoroge

Together, we all have a role to play: the ISO Strategy 2030 sets us on an important journey towards success.

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Eddie Njoroge

Our Vision for 2030

Making lives easier, safer and better

At ISO, we believe that International Standards, although largely invisible in our daily lives, are a crucial component to making things safer and better in the world around us. By achieving this, we can contribute to improving people’s quality of life every day.

Our Mission

Through our members and their stakeholders, we bring people together to agree on International Standards that respond to global challenges.

ISO standards support global trade, drive inclusive and equitable economic growth, advance innovation and promote health and safety to achieve a sustainable future.

ISO provides a neutral platform where experts the world over come together to develop and agree on standards. The building of consensus across multiple levels establishes trust and credibility in our organization, and the International Standards we produce, that make us a global leader in our field.

The goals we have set ourselves are stepping stones to our vision and will help us to ensure that our work makes lives easier, safer and better.

They will help maximize our impact and ensure that, through our members, we bring experts together to agree on International Standards that address global challenges. ISO’s goals for 2030 are:
 

Goal 1

ISO standards used everywhere

Goal 2

Meeting global needs

Goal 3

All voices heard

ISO Standards usedeverywhere All voicesheard Meeting global needs Vision Making lives easier, safer and better

We will focus on seven priorities to achieve our goals and maximize our impact within the context of the drivers of change

Each priority primarily supports one goal, as shown below.

 

Goal 1

ISO standards used everywhere

Priority 1.1:
Demonstrate the benefits of standards

Priority 1.2:
Innovate to meet users' needs

Goal 2

Meeting global needs

Priority 2.1:
Deliver ISO standards when the market needs them

Priority 2.2:
Capture future opportunities for international standardization

Priority 2.3:
Advance environmental sustainability through ISO standards

Goal 3

All voices heard

Priority 3.1:
Strengthen ISO members through capacity building

Priority 3.2:
Advance inclusivity and diversity in the ISO system

To achieve our goals by 2030, we will need to continually measure our progress and evaluate our success.

To this end, we have developed a structured and consistent measurement framework to:

  • First, measure our progress toward achieving our strategic priorities
  • Then measure our success according to our overall goals

A detailed framework of indicators and measures is part of our strategy implementation plan, which will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to remain relevant, agile and responsive to change.

At a high level, we expect to measure success as outlined in the diagram.

Goals

Success
indicator 1

Success
indicator 2

Success
indicator 3

We will know we have succeeded in achieving our goals when these things happen

Priorities

Progress
indicator 1

Progress
indicator 1

Progress
indicator 3

We will know we are making progress towards our goals when these things happen

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Publications

The ISO Strategy 2030 outlines our vision and our mission for the next 10 years and a set of goals and priorities to help us get there. The three goals are stepping stones to our vision. We will focus on six priorities to achieve our goals and maximize our impact.

Snapshot

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