Last Thursday Zenergy’s Stephen Thorpe had the distinct honour of being recognised at a Standards Recognition Luncheon at Government House in Wellington. Hosted by Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand, and attended by the Hon Cameron Brewer, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, this reception recognises the contribution of committee experts to standards in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This invitation provided a wonderful moment to reflect on the journey that began over twelve years ago. Back in 2014, Stephen became involved with the ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC 1), Special Committee 40 (SC 40), which focuses on the standardisation of IT service management and IT governance. At that time there was growing recognition that as data systems had become more distributed and complex, standardisation offered an important mechanism for ensuring risk management, controlling data movement, and securing intellectual property in organisations. Along with colleagues at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Alan-Litchfield and Brian Cusack, our Special Committee 40 has published some 33 standards in that time and we have 8 in development. In the Working Group 1 of SC 40, much of the committee’s work has been focused on preparing for the impact of agentic AI and challenges to data sovereignty. Our standards provide guidance on the nature and mechanisms of governance and management together with the relationships between them, in the context of IT within an organisation.
Through international committee involvement, my small part to play has been an honour to represent AUT and New Zealand and helped facilitate the global conversation on IT governance. Participating in international standards committees is not just an academic exercise; it is an economic imperative for New Zealand. Our involvement influences the conversation in the interests of our nation’s future prosperity and export earning potential in the ICT sector. Because all participating countries in the development of an ISO standard receive one vote, New Zealand holds the exact same voting power as larger global players, ensuring our unique perspective is voiced and considered.
As we look toward the future, particularly with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, the need for robust international standards has never been more pressing. We need more academic and other experts to step up. Joining a New Zealand standards mirror committee offers a gateway to forward the collective work of governance, software systems, and engineering, while simultaneously ensuring these global frameworks are suitable for Aotearoa New Zealand.
If you are want to make a structural impact on the global stage, I highly encourage you to get involved in the work of international standardisation.
–Stephen
