187. The NISP specifies the minimum set of communication and information technology standards to be mandated for the acquisition of all NATO C3 systems. In order to assist planners and developers of future C3 systems and major upgrades to existing C3 systems, it also contains a set of emerging standards. In order to be able to judge on the timeframe in which mandatory standards will phase out, or emerging will become mandatory, a standards Traceability Matrix has been developed. It tracks NOSWG decisions for including or deleting standards and also keeps history of why these decisions have been taken. The matrix is meant to provide a quick overview of all NISP standards and is considered complementary to the NISP Rationale Document. It is both a "forward looking" and "history" document, i.e. it guides acquisition and development of new and emerging information systems, and gives an indication what standards are fading out (thus providing a baseline towards which standards existing systems should move). It could also answer questions why certain standards have been selected, and while others have been disregarded. The purpose of the Traceability Matrix is to provide background on the NOSWG decisions on why NISP standards have been selected, deleted or are considered fading. It should be seen as an integral part of both the NISP as well as the Rationale Document.

188. The Traceability Matrix identifies each NISP service area, and presents all associated standards in tabular form in the same order as the NISP. The tables refine each service area into one or more functional classes, with each class mapping to one or more mandatory, emerging, or fading standards in a life-cycle history column. A Remarks column provides optional information on why this standard has been selected, deleted or is considered fading as of NISP version 3. For earlier versions of the NISP no tracking has taken place. Where a mandatory standard has been identified against a particular service class or sub-class, the implication is that the standard should be offered at the boundary interface. Where an emerging standard is identified, the expectation is that it is likely to become mandatory, but that for the time being it does not fulfil all of the criteria for mandation. Where a standard is considered fading, the belief is that the standard, although currently still supported by the market, will be overtaken by newer technology in the short term. Projects are to take this into account in their planning.