| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Supplement | Sup-004 |
| Title | Governance Structure: Board and Working Groups |
| Status | ADOPTED (Edition 2026a) |
| Edition | 2026a |
| Depends On | GOVERNANCE.md (ownership, stewardship) |
| License | CC-BY 4.0 |
1. Scope
This supplement defines the organizational governance structure of the ROCOM association (CVR 46774043). It specifies the composition and responsibilities of the Board of Directors and the Working Groups that develop and maintain the Rocom specification.
The model follows established practice from DICOM and HL7 standards organizations, adapted for the scope and size of Rocom.
2. Reference Models
| Organization | Board | Working Groups |
|---|---|---|
| DICOM | Board of Directors — appointed from radiology/medtech leadership | Functional Groups — each maintains a PS3.x part |
| HL7 | Board of Directors — CEO-level from medtech and health organizations | Work Groups — chaired by board-appointed experts |
ROCOM adopts the two-tier model: a Board provides strategic direction and appoints Working Group leadership; Working Groups execute specification development through the CP/Supplement process.
3. Board of Directors
3.1. Composition
The Board consists of 5 to 9 members, recruited from leading positions in:
- Robotics and autonomous systems
- Healthcare IT and hospital operations
- Standards organizations (e.g., ISO, IEC, CEN, HL7, DICOM)
- Building management systems and infrastructure
3.2. Appointment
Board members are recruited and confirmed by the ROCOM association in accordance with its articles of association. The Board is responsible for its own succession planning.
3.3. Responsibilities
The Board is responsible for:
- Strategic direction. Setting the scope, roadmap, and Edition timeline for the Rocom specification.
- Edition approval. Formal approval of Editions before publication.
- Working Group leadership. Appointing a Chair and Vice-Chair for each Working Group.
- Conflict resolution. Resolving disputes between Working Groups or on cross-cutting specification matters.
- Representation. Public representation of the ROCOM association and the Rocom standard.
- Oversight. Ensuring vendor neutrality and adherence to the stewardship principles defined in GOVERNANCE.md.
3.4. Meetings
The Board meets at least quarterly. Meetings may be in person or remote. Decisions are made by majority vote. The Board may delegate operational authority to the Specification Steward (Tech Happens Europe ApS) for day-to-day management.
4. Working Groups
Working Groups are the primary bodies for specification development. Each Working Group is responsible for one of the four partner contract planes defined in Part 1, Section 5.
4.1. Structure
| WG | Name | Contract Plane | Specification Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| WG-1 | Robot | Robot Vendor | Part 5: Transport Profile, VDA 5050 binding, capability registry, robot conformance |
| WG-2 | Infrastructure | BMS Infrastructure | Part 5: BMS protocols, access control, elevators, zone authorization |
| WG-3 | Workforce | Availability Provider | Part 4: Availability Provider Interface, HR/turnus integration. The workforce includes both humans and robots as agents. |
| WG-4 | Task | Task Source | Part 4: Task Source Interface, task generation, prioritization, enterprise system integration |
4.2. Leadership
Each Working Group has:
- Chair — appointed by the Board; responsible for WG direction, meeting facilitation, and liaison to the Board.
- Vice-Chair — appointed by the Board; assumes Chair duties in their absence; supports Chair on cross-WG coordination.
4.3. Membership
Working Group membership is open to any individual or organization with interest in the WG’s scope. Participants contribute through:
- Correction Proposals (CP) and Supplement proposals
- Review of proposals from other members
- Implementation experience and testing
- Participation in WG meetings and discussions
The Chair and Vice-Chair do not veto proposals — they facilitate consensus and escalate unresolved matters to the Board.
4.4. Cross-WG Coordination
When a proposal affects multiple Working Groups:
- The originating WG identifies the affected WGs.
- Chairs of affected WGs are consulted before the proposal advances to PROPOSAL status.
- If consensus cannot be reached between WG Chairs, the matter is escalated to the Board.
5. Relationship to Specification Steward
The Specification Steward (Tech Happens Europe ApS) handles day-to-day operations:
- Repository maintenance and CI/CD
- Processing CP and Supplement submissions
- Running the Rocom Certification Program
- Organizing WG meetings and maintaining minutes
The Steward does not set specification direction — that authority resides with the Board and Working Groups.
6. Current Status
As of this supplement, the Board is not yet constituted. The first Board will be recruited and appointed by the ROCOM association in accordance with its articles. The Specification Steward (Tech Happens Europe ApS) provides interim stewardship until the Board is operational.
7. Cross-References
- GOVERNANCE.md — ownership, stewardship principles, certification
- Part 1, Section 5 — partner contract planes
- CONTRIBUTING.md — CP and Supplement process
- CP-003 — initial governance principles (funding, held-in-trust, Advisory Board)