Summary

Recommendation ITU-T A.7 describes working methods and procedures of a focus group such as its establishment, terms of reference, leadership, participation, financing, support, deliverables, etc.

ITU-T focus groups are a flexible tool for progressing new work. Such flexibility may allow for groups developing a wide range of deliverables. Since there have been many instances in which the membership of a focus group does not have experience in the development of technical specifications, it has been common that focus group deliverables, although useful, needed to be reworked by the parent study groups.

The creation of focus group guidelines for their working, including continued coordination with their parent group, could facilitate the swift development of deliverables by the parent group.

Appendix I provides a set of guidelines to guide study groups and focus groups when implementing ITU-T A.7 focus groups that aim at producing specifications that can be efficiently streamlined from focus group deliverables to ITU-T Recommendations or Supplements, or otherwise.

This 2016 edition of the Recommendation integrates the 2012 edition and its Amendment 1 without introducing any modifications to the text.