The objective of focus groups is to help advance the work of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) study groups and to encourage the participation of members of other standards organizations, including experts and individuals who may not be members of ITU. Focus group activities may include an analysis of gaps between current Recommendations and expected Recommendations, and provide material for consideration in the development of Recommendations.

Procedures and working methods are established to facilitate the financing of focus groups, the completion of work on a well-defined topic and the documentation of the results.

The process of establishment is described in order to help identify, in a timely and collaborative manner, all study groups concerned by the scope of a potential focus group, and to agree on a study group or the Telecommunication Standardization Advisory Group (TSAG) as the parent group.

The management of a focus group is placed under the responsibility of a parent group (study group or TSAG), in association with other involved study groups in the case where the work area of the focus group overlaps with the responsibility and the mandate of those study groups (see clause 2.2).