6.2 Types of Work Item

Modifications of the standard could in principle be of two different types:

• New services/features/functions that in general affect several specifications and involve several TSGs / WGs;
• Technical enhancements or improvements that affect one or a small number of specifications and involve a single or a few Groups only.

Modifications of the latter type may be submitted to the Working Group(s) and then to the TSG directly as a Change Request without prior presentation/agreement of a WI Description sheet. Such CRs shall instead refer to the pseudo Work Item 'Technical Enhancements and Improvements'. The CRs relating to this type of modification shall be tagged with the work item code TEI<x> where <x> represents the Release number: e.g. for Release 16, the code would be "TEI16".

TEI Work Item codes shall not be used where an appropriate Work Item code exists.

TEI Work Item codes should not be used for the definition of new services/features/functions (i.e. Category B CRs).

TEI Work Item codes should not be used alone for functional modification of existing services/features/functions (i.e. Category C CRs).

Nevertheless, if a feature is functionally modified by a Category C CR using a TEI<x> Work Item code, the code(s) for the Work Item(s) which introduced that feature shall be used, plus the appropriate TEI<x> code for the first Release in which the CR is introduced.

If

• it is clear that the modification(s) can be completed within one TSG cycle, and
• the normal stage 1, 2, 3 sequence of CRs does not require one additional meeting cycle in each affected TSG,

then a TEI code may be used. TEI codes shall not be used where the development of modification(s) and interactions with other WGs are likely to prolong the outcome for a period of time greater than this; in such cases, a new specific Work Item shall be created instead.

For smaller features that are handled with Category B and/or Category C CRs within one TSG cycle, a provisional Work Item code shall be used before the CR(s) and the companion WID are submitted for approval to the TSG.

Notwithstanding the provisions of clause 4.10.2, TEI<x> is also to be used in a Category F and any related Category A CR(s) which add to or modify TR/TS content introduced in a Release prior to <x> and where no appropriate Release <x> Work Item exists. In this case the code(s) for the Work Item(s) which introduced the relevant TR/TS content shall be used, plus the appropriate TEI<x> code for the first Release in which the CR is introduced. The same TEI<x> shall be used in all mirror (i.e. Category A) CRs.

Example: TR/TS content is introduced into TS 23.456 under the Release 13 Work Item ABCD by means of a Rel-13 CR. Much later, an error is identified in the TR/TS content introduced by that Rel-13 CR which of course appears in the current Release 13 version of 23.456.According to the provisions of clause 4.10.0, a category F CR would be introduced into the current Release 13 version tagged with Work Item ABCD, together with category A (mirror) CRs to the Release 14, 15, etc versions of 23.456, each also tagged with code ABCD.However, it is felt that the seriousness of the error does not warrant taking the correction all the way back to Release 13, and so the category F CR is instead written to the current Release 15 version of 23.456. This is tagged with the Work Item codes ABCD and TEI15. Category A CRs are written to the Release 16, etc versions of 23.456, and these are also tagged with Work Item codes ABCD and TEI15.

NOTE : The order in which multiple Work Item codes appear on a CR cover sheet is not significant. (Thus in the foregoing example, the CRs could equally well show "ABCD, TEI15" or "TEI15, ABCD".)

The use of a TEI Work Item code alone should be avoided whenever possible, and any use of a TEI Work Item code should be considered very carefully.

For the other types of modification, the provisions of clause 6.3 apply.