The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is pleased to invite members and stakeholders, and particularly private sector representatives, to an outreach meeting that will formally unveil the new Standards Alliance Phase 2 (SA2) program, which identifies new opportunities for participation. The meeting will be at Washington, DC headquarters on March 12, 2020, from 2:00-4:00 pm.
The SA2 will build on the past successes, lessons learned, and impact of the first phase of the Standards Alliance to support the capacity of developing countries in the areas of legal and regulatory framework, standards development, conformity assessment procedures, and private sector engagement. Achieving these goals also helps companies succeed globally by increasing market access for U.S. companies through more predictable and transparent avenues for trade and investment in partner markets/regions.
The SA2 will include projects and activities in United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) eligible countries representing a variety of geographical regions and levels of economic development, subject to the agreement of USAID. In consultation with USAID Missions, U.S. government, and private sector experts, ANSI will select the countries/regions based on demonstrated commitment and readiness for assistance, as well as U.S. private sector interest and development impact. ANSI expects to engage on both a national and regional level when appropriate, and to engage partners in Latin America, Africa, Middle East/North Africa, and the Indo-Pacific.
A key feature of the SA2 is the public-private nature of the arrangementleveraging the foremost standards and conformance expertise and experience from the private sector, coupled with funding from both the private and public sector. Private sector organizations, government agencies, and USAID Missions will have the opportunity to propose areas of focus for each country/region's work plan, specific projects or activities, or individual experts to conduct training or other technical exchange.
At this introductory outreach meeting, ANSI will outline the scope of the project and parameters of potential partnerships with the private sector. Conversely, ANSI members and stakeholders are encouraged to share their priorities and international interests, which will guide and optimize the program. In particular, ANSI is seeking input to guide the landscaping and needs assessment efforts of the first year of the program.
Call-in information will be provided, although in-person participation is highly recommended. To RSVP, please email [email protected] by COB on March 10.
ANSI will distribute an agenda prior to the event.