Development of ISO Standards for Critical Minerals

The Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is supporting the administration of Canadian participation and leadership in the development of various international standards related to critical minerals, including through the relevant Canadian Mirror Committees to International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 298 (Rare Earths), TC 333 (Lithium), TC 345 (Specialty Metals and Minerals), and Project Committee (PC) 348 (Sustainable Raw Materials), with the objective of eventual adoption of relevant standards into Canada’s national standards system. The work will involve the following: Canadian Mirror Committees related to Critical Minerals The contractor will manage all aspects of the Canadian engagement through the Canadian Mirror Committees to ISO TC 298 (Rare Earths), TC 333 (Lithium), TC 345 (Specialty Metals and Minerals), and PC 348 (Sustainable Raw Materials) by ensuring the following activities are performed: • Providing ISO procedural guidance and project management (e.g., communications support including agendas, meeting minutes and other documentation required); • Leading on interactions with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), ISO secretariat and other relevant bodies; • Providing Member support including insight into all required versions of standards as they are developed through the ISO standards development process, and ensure they are suitable for adoption domestically as a National Standard of Canada; • Preparing all necessary materials related to standards development; • Undertaking general member recruitment (maintaining Canadian expert participation and representation in existing committees) and provide proper training; • Leading on Committee meeting organization and hosting (coordinating logistics, administration of meetings and video/teleconferences, etc.); • Leading on administration of funding support and outreach; • Disseminating published ISO standards/works and reports to relevant Canadian stakeholders, as permitted; and • Leading the process of implementing published ISO standards into the adoption domestically as a National Standard of Canada. Additional work to be performed includes: Canada Hosting a Lithium Plenary Session: Incremental responsibilities will be needed for one-year to support the delivery of a Lithium Plenary Session to be hosted by Canada in 2025. This additional work will include: • Event planning, logistics and coordination, such as venue selection, scheduling of sessions, and provision of technical facilities suitable for presentations and discussions. • Execution of event to ensure a seamless and productive conference, including oversight and delivery. Building up Capacity for Canadian Participation in new Committees (TC 345 and PC 348) Incremental work with in-depth experience will be required to attract and secure a critical mass of Canadian experts required to launch and maintain expertise on the relevant Canadian Mirror Committees and to participate on an ongoing basis including in the new TC 345 (Specialty Metals and Minerals) and PC 348 (Sustainable Raw Materials), which launches in 2024. Duties will include: • Advising and engaging with Canadian academic, industry and government on the development of the workplan/scope for newly established critical-minerals related Committees at the ISO; • Facilitating the transition of knowledge, and capitalizing on years of experience in standards development processes to address the potential gap left by retiring professionals in this area foreseen over the next few years. Effective knowledge transfer is crucial for maintaining continuity and expertise in this vital sector. • Providing mentoring to the newly appointed Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Canadian Mirror Committees, offering guidance and support to further leadership skills and a deep understanding of the standards development process. Natural Resources Canada is committed to achieving a procurement process that reflects the diversity of Canada. We are dedicated to identifying and reducing barriers in our procurement processes. We continue to work on improving practices that will help ensure that equity group members are well-represented. To this end, minority-owned businesses are encouraged to apply to our processes.