Governance
Governance that can be examined.
SMA's credibility will rest on how it makes decisions. This page describes the governance model the organisation intends to formalise as it is established.
Intended model
Seven commitments.
These are commitments of intent. The detailed instruments — terms of reference, registers, procedures — will be published as they are approved.
- 01
Technical and clinical expertise
Decisions about standards and guidance are intended to be made by people with relevant, demonstrable expertise — clinicians, salvage professionals and technical specialists — not by commercial interests.
- 02
Documented decision-making
Significant decisions, their reasons and their dissenting views are to be recorded, so that the basis for every published position can be examined.
- 03
Conflicts-of-interest management
Participants in working groups and decision-making will be asked to declare relevant interests, with declared interests recorded and managed rather than ignored.
- 04
Standards consultation
Draft documents are to be published for comment before adoption, giving affected stakeholders a genuine opportunity to influence the final text.
- 05
Transparent revision processes
Documents will carry version histories, and changes will be made through a defined review process rather than informally.
- 06
Complaints and feedback
A clear route for concerns about SMA's processes, decisions or conduct, with complaints handled under a documented procedure.
- 07
Oversight of commercial activities
Paid services such as consultancy and assessment are to be governed so they cannot purchase influence over standards or certification outcomes.
No names until they are real.
SMA does not yet have a formally constituted board or advisory panel, and this website will not list named directors, advisers or office-holders until those appointments have actually been made and can be described accurately.
SMA is at a formative stage. It is not a statutory regulator, a formally recognised international standards authority or an accredited certification body, and it is not endorsed by the IMO, ISO or any other organisation. The commitments described on these pages are intentions that will be formalised as governance arrangements are approved and published.
Get involved
Help shape SMA's governance.
Professionals with governance, clinical or operational experience are invited to contribute to the design of these arrangements.