The mission of FISWG is to develop consensus standards, guidelines and best practices for the discipline
of image-based comparisons of human features, primarily face, as well as to provide recommendations
for research and development activities necessary to advance the state of the science in this field.

This mission is supported by the following objectives:

• Coordinate the interaction of organizations that are actively engaged in the discipline of image based comparisons of human features. NOTE: For the purpose of brevity, the term “Facial Identification” will be used throughout the rest of this document to mean “the discipline of image based comparisons of human features”.
  
• Facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information through organization representation by
  members of the facial identification community to maximize collective resources.
  
• Articulate and advance the scientific basis of facial identification by promoting documentation, collaboration, gap identification, and prioritization of specific research, development, test and evaluation topics.
  
• Standardize best practices for facial identification, including methods, protocols, procedures, research, technology and training to competency.
  
• Cooperate with other national and international organizations to develop standards.
  
• Promote and disseminate FISWG standards and best practices to the members of the relevant operational facial identification communities, including, but not limited to, criminal justice, intelligence, immigration, border protection, and identity management.
  
• Maintain currency of the above objectives and respond to emerging facial identification challenges, such as technology advancement and legal requirements.

 

(The above is extracted from the FISWG Overview document, version 2009.06.15.)