IEC SRD 63326:2025

Overview

IEC SRD 63326:2025 - City needs analysis framework (CNAF) is an IEC Systems Reference Deliverable that defines a structured approach to identifying, describing and analysing the needs of cities to support smart city planning, policy and standards development. The document sets out the vision, mission and operating principles for a proposed working group on city needs, explains the framework methodology, and positions the CNAF to support alignment of smart-city standards with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Keywords: IEC SRD 63326, City needs analysis framework, CNAF, smart cities, sustainable development goals

Key Topics

The standard covers practical and conceptual topics without prescribing technical implementation details:

• City systems approach - systems-level view of urban infrastructure and services to link needs to solutions.
• Hierarchy and stratification of city needs - methods to classify and prioritise needs according to city typologies and stages of development.
• City typologies and survey methods - guidance on urban classifications and research methods for needs surveys.
• CNAF methodology and approach - framework details for analysing needs, mapping needs to objectives and sustainable development targets.
• Smart solution domains - descriptive needs and stakeholder perspectives for:
  • City information modelling (CIM)
  • Water systems
  • Intelligent Operations Centres (IOC)
  • Smart urban planning
  • Management of public health emergencies (PHE)
• Alignment with SDGs and standards harmonization - a common language to help Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) align their work.

Applications and Who Uses It

IEC SRD 63326:2025 is intended as a reference framework for a variety of stakeholders involved in smart city work:

• Government agencies and urban planners - to prioritise investments, design policy and coordinate cross-sector initiatives.
• Standards Development Organizations and technical committees - to ensure standards address relevant city needs and are interoperable across domains.
• Private sector solution providers and utilities - to map product/service offerings to verified city requirements.
• Researchers and universities - to use a consistent methodology for comparative studies and pilot projects.
• Civil society and regulators - to evaluate social, health and sustainability impacts and ensure inclusive decision-making.

Practical uses include needs assessment, requirements definition for smart-city projects, mapping standards to SDGs, and scoping interoperability work across domains.

Related Standards

• Builds on the descriptive framework in ISO 37105 (cities and communities).
• Published as an IEC Systems Reference Deliverable to inform IEC Smart Cities technical work and cross-SDO harmonization.

For implementers and policymakers, IEC SRD 63326:2025 provides a practical, standards-oriented lens to translate city priorities into coherent smart-city strategies and interoperable solutions.