What are Standards?

Standards define best practice in many different areas.

The International Standards Organisation (ISO) Guide 2, defines a standard as a document established by consensus and approved by a recognised body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context

The purpose of a standard to create order or a common understanding of a process, a service or a product.

Standards are developed at different levels ranging from individual, to national and international levels.

In Uganda, UNBS develops national standards that provide requirements for materials, manufacturing, testing, packaging and labelling to ensure that products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.

Standards are developed by bringing together all interested parties such as manufacturers, consumers and regulators of a particular product. The parties agree on the standard based on consensus which is built on science, technology, and best practices including regulatory and society needs.

Benefits of using standards

• All parties benefit from standardization through increased product safety and quality as well as lower transaction costs and prices.
• Using standards can offer a set of powerful business and marketing tools for organizations of all sizes.
• You can use them to fine-tune your performance and manage the risks you face while operating in more efficient and sustainable ways;
• Standards help you to demonstrate the quality of what you do to your customers; and help you to determine how to embed best practices into your organization.
• Standards help you to meet regulatory requirements.

To date UNBS has published more than 4,700 Uganda Standards. We also have a stock of other regional and international standards.

You can buy standards from our online store at https://webstore.unbs.go.ug ; or from our Information Resource Centre at the UNBS Headquarters; or send an email to info@unbs.go.ug           

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Othieno Andrew

Manager, Standards Department

Email: andrew.othieno@unbs.go.ug