Workshop “Young Professionals in Standardization 2026”

On 28 April this year, the workshop “Young Professionals in Standardization 2026” took place at the Golden Floor Conference and Training Centre in Warsaw. We met with young specialists to explore the practical aspects of working in Technical Committees (TCs). The event was substantive, engaging, and highly practical.

Workshop Proceedings
The workshop was opened by Ewa Zielińska – President of PKN, and Anna Komar – Director of the External Relations Department, who welcomed the participants, encouraged active involvement throughout the meeting, and presented the event agenda with its main objectives.

At the beginning of the meeting, the moderators conducted a short integration session. Participants gathered at workshop tables had the opportunity to get to know one another and define their expectations regarding the event.

Participants took part in two workshop sessions:

• a simulation of standards review – analyzing different types of documents and learning how to identify errors and ambiguities,
• a simulation of TC voting – learning the principles of decision-making and the responsibilities connected with it.

First Workshop Session – Standards Review Simulation
Each group worked with a different type of standard:

• an original standard,
• a translated standard,
• an endorsed standard.

The variety of materials allowed participants to recognize the specific characteristics of each type of standard and sparked numerous questions and discussions regarding the practical work of TC members. During the exercise, PKN representatives also actively participated in the group work, answering questions and clarifying any doubts that arose.
During the summary of the group work, participants primarily pointed out the difficulty of completing tasks under time pressure. Discussions also focused on how to distinguish technical errors from editorial ones, as well as on the actual influence TC members have on the content of translated and endorsed standards.

Second Workshop Session – TC Voting Simulation
The meeting began with a short introduction to the principles of voting within Technical Committees. Participants were presented with the different types of voting procedures and the conditions that must be met for a vote to be considered valid.
The topic generated considerable interest and became the starting point for discussions about the responsibility associated with decision-making in TCs.
During the practical part, participants received voting cards together with assigned roles, which enabled a simulation of the TC decision-making process. By analyzing three different cases, participants gained a better understanding of the principles determining whether votes are accepted or rejected.
In the next part of the workshop, the groups worked on answers to questions such as:

• what factors may discourage participation in voting,
• why it is worthwhile to engage in voting on draft standards.

The exercise enabled participants to identify both the barriers related to involvement in the standardization process and the benefits resulting from active participation in TC work.

Thank You for Your Participation and Engagement
There was no shortage of discussions about the real challenges of working in TCs, the role of expert knowledge, as well as the value of fresh perspectives and the analytical skills brought by young professionals.
Together, we also examined:

• what motivates people to participate in standardization work,
• what barriers may arise,
• what real influence TC members have on the content of standards.

We would like to thank all participants for their activity, engagement, and openness.
Your conclusions and feedback will help us further develop future editions of the event.