In health care, standards are explicit statements of expected quality in the performance of a healthcare activity. They take the form of specifications for medical procedures, clinical practice guidelines and protocols, standard operating procedures, and statements of expected healthcare outcomes. The process of developing standards to meet local health care needs requires the participation of both technical experts and the healthcare providers who will use them. It may also involve the adaptation of international standards, tailoring them to local conditions to ensure their attainability. This case study describes the methods used to revise national family planning standards in Jamaica, using a consultative process which involved national and international family planning specialists and facility-level providers.