Changes to the Standards & Conventions – Process

The Best Practice Spreadsheet Modelling Standards and Conventions are maintained by the SSRB in accordance with an open licence agreement.

Any party may propose an addition, deletion or modification to the Standards by submitting a 'Best Practice Spreadsheet Modelling Standards - Proposal Form' to the SSRB. Each proposal is subject to the same approval process, as follows:

  1. Completion and submission of a 'Best Practice Spreadsheet Modelling Standards Proposal Form' to the SSRB via proposals@ssrb.org which requires the following categories of information including (see changes to the standards and conventions approval criteria for more details in relation to these categories):

    1. Submitting Party contact details;
    2. Submitting Party qualifications and experience;
    3. Type of proposal (addition, deletion or modification);
    4. Overview of proposal;
    5. Exact wording of Standard or Convention to be added, deleted or modified;
    6. Exact wording of new Standard or Convention to be added or modified;
    7. Summary of primary spreadsheet issues addressed by the proposal;
    8. Description of how the proposal complies with each of the eight Criteria for Approval; and
    9. Description of how the proposal meets the criteria for Standard or Convention Classification.

  2. Preliminary review of submission by SSRB Proposal Committee;
  3. Provision of Clarification Questions by SSRB Proposal Committee to Submitting Party (if required);
  4. Preparation of final submission by Submitting Party to SSRB;
  5. Dissemination of final submission to SSRB members (four weeks in advance of formal SSRB Meeting or decision making vote);
  6. Consideration and discussion of final submission at formal SSRB meeting; and
  7. Vote to approve submission proposal by SSRB members:

    1. If approved by 75% of members - the Standard or Convention is added, deleted or modified for inclusion into the next version of the Best Practice Spreadsheet Modelling Standards; or
    2. If not approved by 75% of members - the proposal is not approved, and in certain cases a report may be prepared by the SSRB Proposal Committee to the Submitting Party with suggested areas to address to gain future approval and/or summary of the reasons why the proposal was not approved.

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