A working group finishes a specification and asks for it to become a standard. Area directors review that document, and the group decides whether it is published. The group sits with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), where it provides technical management of the standards process.
IESG review is the step after that request, not a rewrite of the working group’s text. The group judges whether the specification is ready to be published and whether it should enter or move along the Internet standards track.
How a Specification Is Reviewed
- Working group request. Review begins after the working group asks for the specification to become a standard.
- Area director review. Area directors review the document the working group has put forward.
- Publication decision. The group decides whether the specification is published.
- Standards-track movement. It handles entry onto the Internet standards track and later movement along that track, including final approval of a specification as an Internet Standard.
Who Serves on the Group
The group is made up of area directors. A nominations committee selects them, and each serves a two-year term. An area director reviews the documents in that director’s care and takes part in the decision on publication.
Path from Request to Publication
The path runs from the working group’s request to the decision on whether the specification is published.
| Stage | What Happens |
| Working group request | The working group asks for the specification to become a standard. |
| Area director review | Area directors review the document. |
| Publication decision | The group decides whether the specification is published. |
| Standards track | A specification the group publishes can enter the Internet standards track and later move along it. |