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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is comprised of standards institutes from around the world. The nongovernmental organization includes approximately 150 members with representatives from private and public sectors. The organization's primary goal is to facilitate the development and coordination of product and service standards that are designed to enhance private sector trade and governmental legislation development.
The ISO framework includes highly specific standards that are applied to particular products and processes and generic management standards that can be applied to any organization. It is important to note that the International Standards Organization does not certify compliance with ISO standards. Private companies and, in some countries, governmental bodies evaluate organizations to determine their compliance with ISO standards.
The ISO 9000 series of standards includes ISO 9001, which addresses management practices relating to design, development, production, installation, and servicing activities. The generic 9001 standards focus on manufacturing activities. However, the organization published ISO 9000-3 guidelines to assist project managers in applying the 9001 standards in software development environments.