For many years BSI-CPC (Consumer Policy Committee) has provided valuable direct consumer input into BSI Technical Committees where issues of consumer interest have arisen in the work programmes. (Many committee members have known these as ‘CPC reps’).
This area has recently been under review and has now been renamed as the Consumer & Public Interest Network. The name has been changed to include the public interest aspect and reflects the wider interests now being covered in standardization. Typically, CPI reps have a background in consumer affairs or public interest issues and specific expertise in relevant areas. They will have undergone some organised training to support their effective contribution to standards development.
The new network is supported by BSI Consumer & Public Interest Unit (CPIU) which now comprises Anne Ferguson (Committee Manager – Consumer and Public Interest Standardization) and Sue Metham (Consumer & Public Interest Executive).
The next issue of the Committee Members’ Newsletter will describe the changes in more detail. In the meantime, if you consider that your committee has a project with a strong consumer or public interest focus but does not appear to have a consumer and public interest representative, please get in touch with the unit at consumer@bsi-global.com.
