Standards Interpretation Review Board
SIRB

1. Identification and purpose

   The Standards Interpretation Review Board (SIRB) is established jointly by the M Technology Association and the MUMPS Development Committee to arbitrate in matters of difference of opinion about the interpretation of the MUMPS standard.

2. Membership
   1. Members of the SIRB are appointed by their sponsoring organizations. The M Technology Association will appoint three members, and the MUMPS Development Committee will appoint two members.

   2. The duration of a member's term will be two years, unless specified differently at the time.

   3. Since members need to be able to attend to their private and professional responsibilities, members can terminate their term at will when circumstances make that necessary.

3. Mode of operation
   1. The SIRB does not create standards, nor does it review standards. Its task is to arbitrate in matters of difference of opinion about the interpretation of the current MUMPS standards.

   2. The SIRB can and will only serve in cases where all contending parties accept the ruling of the SIRB as final and authoritative.

   3. Unless all parties involved in a case before the SIRB agree differently, all communication regarding that case will be available to any requestor.

      In every case before the SIRB, public availability of the information presented to the SIRB will be the first issue to be resolved. If the parties involved can not agree on availability of information, the SIRB cannot and will not act.

   4. In a case where information will be available ('open' case), a party may request that a document not be generally available ('closed', i.e. not disclosed outside the SIRB or the parties involved). If one or more of the parties involved does not agree that the document should be 'closed', the document must either be withdrawn from consideration or be open and available.

   5. The main mode of communication of the SIRB will be written mail (paper mail). The main form of meetings will be telephonic conference call.

   6. The SIRB will meet yearly during the annual meeting of the M Technology Association.

   7. Members may need to disqualify themselves in matters that involve a conflict interest.

   8. If, in the case of such disqualifications, the number of members drops below three, the SIRB and all parties involved in a dispute will select mutually acceptable independent experts to sit in pro tempore.

   9. No vote within the SIRB is complete until all members have responded. If a member does not respond within 90 days from the start of the voting, that vote is counted as an abstention.

   10. A deciding majority within the SIRB will be 'all but one of the qualified votes'.

   11. The basic scenario for a case that is brought before the SIRB will be:
       • The SIRB will verify that all parties will accept the arbitration.

       • Policy for dissemination of information will be established.

       • All parties involved present their cases in writing.

       • The SIRB reviews the presentations and presents the documentation from the parties involved and their findings to all parties.

       • Then, if the contending parties desire so, the SIRB rules which party is 'most correct'.

       (There may be a number of iterations before a deciding vote occurs.)

   12. In an 'open' case, the SIRB will publish the a summary of the results of its review in the leading journal of the MUMPS community. In a 'closed' case, the SIRB will not publish anything.