ISO 37101 – Sustainable Cities

ISO 37101, “Sustainable development in communities – Management system for sustainable development – Requirements with guidance for use,” has just been released.  This new standard provides communities with a management system to foster sustainable development.  It covers the basics of quality management specifically for this task.

What’s involved in implementing ISO 37101?  As a management standard, ISO 37101 lays out a series of requirements.  It supports the quality system based on Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model.  Once you’ve defined your desired sustainability results, you’ll use “Plan” to create objectives and processes to deliver your goals.  You’ll use “Do” to implement these objectives and processes.  You’ll use “Check” to monitor and measure the results of your implementation.  And you’ll use “Act” to make improvements and foster even better results.

ISO 37101 is a conformity standard.  As a city, if you implement the requirements of the standard you can be certified as an “ISO 37101” compliant community.  So if you would like tangible proof of your efforts at creating an environmentally friendly community, this is one path you can take.

Like other conformity standards, ISO 37101 provides you with detailed information on context — the process of understanding the needs and expectations of what’s called “interested parties,” your citizens and others.  This section of the standard is a prelude to your “Plan” phase, with guidance on the various issues you should be considering and the purposes of this management system itself.    You’ll also get a  section on leadership, essential to the successful deployment of any system of this type.

Section 6 covers planning, which addresses both actions based on risks and opportunities and the objectives you’ll be defining.  Section 7 focuses in on support — the resources you’ll need for implementation.  Section 8 is on operational issues.  Section 9 reviews performance evaluation, including audits.  And Section 10 provides you with tools for improvements.

There are two additional informative Annexes.  Annex A discusses the maturity matrix.  This is a table that reviews various sustainability “purposes” and shows you how an organization progresses in that criteria over time.  Annex B is on the mapping of issues, indicators and metrics. It provides you with a table on the relationship of 3 standards, ISO 37101, ISO 37120 on indicators for city services and quality of life, and ISO/TS 37151 on smart infrastructure.   A 28-item bibliography completes this document.

This standard is a must for all those involved in smart city and other civic sustainablity initiatives.  You’ll want to get your copy from an authorized ISO distributor.  Here at Document Center Inc., we’ve been working with ISO standards since the early 1990’s.  Search for and order your standards with confidence at our webstore, www.document-center.com.  Here is a direct link to the order page for ISO 37101 for your convenience.

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