This document focuses on assigning and maintaining addresses that allow the unambiguous determination of an object in the physical world for purposes of identification and location in the context of public administration and public service delivery. During assignment, an address is first associated with a particular object in the physical world. During maintenance, the address changes, for example, it is re-assigned to a different object, one or more of the address components are modified (e.g. a street name change), or the address is retired when it is no longer used. This document:

a)       specifies a good practice for assigning and maintaining addresses and address data; and

b)       specifies a governance framework for assigning and maintaining addresses and address data.

Very often local governments (e.g. municipalities) are assigned the mandate for the planning, implementation, evaluation and ongoing maintenance of addresses, and they are often supported by other organizations, such as the national government, a postal agency, private sector companies and national or regional organizations. This document is applicable to all organizations who have an interest, role or responsibility in address assignment and maintenance, for example in terms of:

—     developing legislation, policies or regulations for addressing;

—     facilitating and coordinating the naming of address components (the constituent parts of an address) and announcing and communicating these names;

—     installing address component signs in the physical world;

—     designing and implementing business processes related to address assignment and maintenance;

—     designing, implementing and maintaining access to address data;

—     developing software to facilitate the above; and

—     using addresses.