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INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING 
Commission VI 
Symposium held in Mainz, FR Germany, 22 - 25 September 1982 
STANDARDS OF COMPETENCE 
Comments on Outline 01.82 and on the Questionnaire (01-011) 
FROM : Adigun Ade Abiodum; Outer Space Affairs Division, United Nations; New York 
The establishment of a standard of competence which could be. universally adapted 
would be a worthwhile objective. However, as one examines the discipline of re- 
mote sensing as well as other fields in which it can be applied, it seems that 
man has operated in these other fields for a very long time. In fact, when we 
look at remote sensing by itself, the only thing new about it is the space seg- 
ment of the technology. Thus,if standards of competence were to be established 
in remote sensing, the logical questions would be: (1) What is the justification 
for establishing such a set of standards? and (2) In which aspects of remote sens- 
ing technology would these standards need to be established? Having read the pro- 
gramme of the symposium, I noted that a number of papers have been invited to 
address question No. 1. 
In case of question No. 2, it is apparent that there are a number of key elements 
associated with remote sensing technology: the space segment; data transmission 
and receiving segment; data processing and analysis; and education and training. 
Certainly, a number of standards have been established in the development of these 
elements, a process that spans over two decades. Thus when we deliberate on 
establishing standards of competence in remote sensing, will we be compiling 
and refining the standards that are already in existence in those countries 
where space science and technology has become deeply rooted, or are we concerned 
with establishing something entirely new? These are some of the questions and 
views that I have on this particular subject at this time. 
  
  
From : Dr. F.L. Clarke, M.H. Elfick, Dr. J. G. Fryer and Dr. H.L. Mitchell; 
The University of Newcastle, Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying; 
New South Wales, 2308, Australia 
We, the undersigned, constituting the entire Surveying and Photogrammetric staff 
of this Department, regret that we feel unable to respond to the enclosed I.S.P. 
Working Group VI questionnaire, aimed at establishing Standards of Competence 
for photogrammetrists and remote sensers in various categories. 
This is not to say that we are without interest in this matter. However, our in- 
terest lies in not only dissociating ourselves from the establishment of Stand- 
ards of Competence in such restricted areas, but in actively opposing it. We de- 
plore attempts, such as this appears to be to carve up a kingdom of general 
scientific and commercial interest into a multiplicity of jealously guarded 
little principalities and dukedoms, bristling with defence disguised as "Standards 
of Competence". It seems to us that the primary aim of this exercise is to make 
it unnecessarily difficult for a competent photogrammetrist or remote senser to 
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