Technical Standards Process Handbook
The Technical Standards Process Handbook (referred to as either the TSPH or Handbook) documents the process used in the development and maintenance of technical standards for urban and rural soil and water conservation practices. The Handbook is the primary reference document for the SOC and outlines the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the process including:
- SOC Council
- Agency Custodian
- SOC Coordinator
- Work Team Leader
- Work Team Members
- Technical Standard Draft Reviewer
Table of Contents OF "TSPH - 2009" PDF
- Chapter 1 - Background Information including the purpose of the Handbook, the definition of what does and does not constitute a technical standard.
- Chapter 2 - What is a Technical Standard?
- Chapter 3 - Developing and Revising Technical Standards including a description of the steps that structure the SOC process
- Chapter 4 - Responsibilities of Key Players in the SOC process
- Download the Handbook (DOWNLOAD PDF 468kB)
FOURTH Edition of the Handbook
The Handbook was revised during 2009 to reflect a few changes within SOC. The Fourth Edition of the TSPH is the most current.
New material covers:
- The inclusion of the Department of Commerce as a SOC member
- Guidelines for joint custodianship of a technical standard
- Expanded information related to the creation of companion documents
The Handbook requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher to view. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, it is available for free at www.adobe.com.









