BHN ‘ Services ‘ Standardization
Quality infrastructure
Standardization in Support of Trade and Quality in Haiti
BHN is the national body responsible for conducting standardization activities and promoting quality in Haiti, integrating the country into regional and international trade.
2012Inauguration of the BHN
7Technical committees
ISO / IECAffiliated members
CROSQRegional member
Definition
What is standardization?
Standardization is “the activity of establishing, in the face of real or potential problems, provisions intended for common and repeated use, aimed at obtaining the optimum degree of order in a given context”.
Its purpose is to provide reference documents containing solutions to technical and commercial problems concerning products, goods and services that repeatedly arise in relations between economic, scientific, technical and social partners.
The Bureau Haïtien de Normalisation (BHN) is working to integrate Haiti into regional and international trade – overcoming technical barriers to trade and enjoying the benefits of globalization.
Standardization produces four types of results:
A standard
Reference document establishing consensus requirements for a product, service or process.
Technical specification document
Document describing the precise technical requirements applicable to a product or service.
Guideline or guide
Document providing recommendations and guidelines for a given activity or field.
A code
Document establishing a set of practical rules to be followed in a specific field.
Benefits
Why is standardization important?
Standardization brings tangible benefits to Haiti and all its economic stakeholders:
Trade
Regional & international integration
Facilitate Haiti’s access to regional and international markets by reducing technical barriers.
Companies
National competitiveness
Boost the competitiveness of Haitian companies against foreign competitors on local and export markets.
Consumers
Protection & safety
Protect the health of consumers and the environment through minimum quality criteria.
Market
Transparency & sanitation
Contributes to market transparency and improves communication between all parties concerned.
Participants
Early information
Gives access to upstream market requirements and enables you to influence the determination of product and service requirements.
Exchanges
Trade development
Stimulate the development of exchanges and the adoption of more efficient working methods.
Foundations
The 5 principles of standardization
Generally speaking, standards must respond to a market need, be based on science and experience, and be based on a multi-stakeholder consensus.
Simplification
Reduce unnecessary complexity to facilitate trade and working methods.
Consensus
Collaboration between all parties interested in a field of activity to develop balanced standards.
Application
It’s the application of the standard that’s fundamental, not just its publication.
Planning
Priorities are set taking into account areas of activity, consumer protection, public health and import/export activities.
Review
Standards should be reviewed at regular intervals, and revised when necessary.
Types
Different types of standards
Standards cover a wide range of fields, depending on their purpose and scope of application:
Basic standards
Fundamental principles and general rules applicable in a given field.
Terminology standards
Harmonized definitions and vocabulary for a given sector.
Product standards
Requirements a product must meet to be compliant.
Test standards
Methods and protocols for testing and evaluating products or materials.
Process standards
Requirements for manufacturing and production methods.
Service standards
Quality criteria for service provision.
Process
Developing a standard: what are the stages?
The development of a standard follows a rigorous, multi-stakeholder process, from identification of the need to official publication:
Identifying needs
Identification of market needs, economic players and stakeholders in the target sector.
Work scheduling
Planning of development activities by BHN according to priorities and available resources.
Development – APNH
Drafting of the preliminary draft Haitian standard (APNH) by the technical experts of the committee concerned.
Expert consensus (GT and SC)
Discussion and validation by working groups (WGs) and subcommittees (SCs) involving all parties concerned.
Public inquiry (EP)
Public consultation of the draft standard to gather comments from all interested parties.
Adoption of EP results
Processing of comments received during the public inquiry and integration into the final project.
Adoption CT
Formal adoption of the project by the relevant technical committee.
Certification
Validation and official approval of the standard by the BHN, followed by publication in the Journal Officiel (OJ).
Players
Who participates in the standardization process?
A National Standards Body brings together the private and public sectors, representatives of civil society and professional associations. The process involves the participation of all interested parties:
International institutions
Major standardization bodies
At the international level, three major institutions are involved in the standardization process:
International Organization for Standardization
The world’s leading body for voluntary international standards covering almost all sectors of activity.
International Electrotechnical Commission
International organization responsible for developing standards in the field of electricity and electronics.
International Telecommunication Union
United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
The situation
Where are we in Haiti?
The BHN, inaugurated on December 14, 2012, is the national body responsible for conducting standardization activities and promoting quality in Haiti.
BHN achievements & affiliations
Participation & contact
Application form
Would you like to take part in the development of Haitian standards or obtain information about our standardization work? Fill in this form and BHN will contact you.
