Imperial Bureau of Standards

"There are no small jobs at the Bureau of Standards."

―Flob^[1]

The Imperial Bureau of Standards, also simply known as the Bureau of Standards, was a department of the Galactic Empire tasked with the standardization of industrial production around the galaxy. It included multiple bureaucratic departments including Weights and Gauges, Redundancy, Verification, and Fuel Purity. Syril Karn joined the Bureau, serving in Fuel Purity, in 5 BBY, after his uncle Harlo's intervention.

Operation

"Some sectors might naturally appear more exciting from the outside. Weights and Gauges may seem a more vibrant arena than Redundancy or Verification, but walk the floor, talk to any lifetime employee, you'll be surprised."

―Flob, to Syril Karn^[1]

The Bureau of Standards^[4] was a department of the Galactic Empire responsible for organizing the bureaucracy around the galactic industry. The Bureau calculated the production quotas and outputs which were then distributed to the myriad imperialized corporations which worked for or with the Empire, and monitored said corporations' adherence to them.^[5] Any discrepancies were reported to the Bureau's Data Center, which was in turn closely monitored by the Imperial Security Bureau that had agents on standby to intervene if any crimes were suspected.^[2] The Bureau also performed worker productivity studies aimed at improving or adjusting Imperial working standards.^[5]

The Bureau maintained a central office on Coruscant employing thousands of civilian employees tasked with observing and enforcing the bureaucratic regulations of the Galactic Empire throughout the galaxy. Its members were assigned to different Departments, including but not limited to the Weights and Gauges, Redundancy, Verification, and Fuel Purity, in which Syril Karn secured^[1] an unexceptional office job.^[6]

History

"Fresh start, eh? New Beginnings. We just happen to have an immediate opening in Fuel Purity. I'd hate to see you miss your chance."

―Flob, to Syril Karn^[1]

Syril Karn worked in Fuel Purity, one of the various departments of the Imperial Bureau of Standards.

The Imperial Bureau of Standards had been established and operating^[1] by 5 BBY,^[7] maintaining an office in a Coruscant skyscraper. Syril Karn's uncle Harlo had close relations with a Bureau supervisor, Flob, a connection Eedy Karn would exploit to get her son a job in the company's Coruscant office.^[1] Obsessed with Cassian Jeron Andor, the fugitive who cost him his career, once hired in the Fuel Purity Department Karn used Bureau resources to report him six times as a missing fuel specialist, an unresponsive energy engineer and a fuel purity field officer suspected of forging Imperial reports. These reports were flagged and led to ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero's intervention, who called Karn in for questioning in the ISB Central Office.^[2] Karn revealed the discrepancies in her predecessor's review regarding Andor, and as a reward Meero provided him with a clean record which granted him a promotion within his Department.^[8]

In 3 ABY,^[9] a rebel informant was detained after attempting to steal classified information from the Bureau of Standards. According to a HoloNet News report by Dorna Parros, the informant had spent the last three years infiltrating the department but were under constant surveillance by the Imperial Security Bureau.^[10]

At some point, the Bureau of Standards conducted Worker Productivity Study TJ8210, which determined that starving workers underperformed and were thus bad for production; as a result, the Empire continued to pay the workers in imperialized enterprises.^[5]

Behind the scenes

"When you go to the Imperial Bureau of Standards where Syril [Karn] works, you go, “Oh my God,” and he's just working at the Fuel Purity desk. But that's what it takes to run this Empire. So the scale of it is really what we're trying to suggest here."

―Tony Gilroy^[11]

Concept art of the Fuel Purity department by Peter McKinstry and Luke Hull

The Imperial Bureau of Standards was first pictured in the sizzle reel for the Star Wars: Andor television series released on December 10, 2020.^[12] It first appeared in "Announcement," the seventh episode of the series,^[1] which aired on October 19, 2022.^[13] It was first identified in that episode's guide on StarWars.com.^[4]

Tony Gilroy and the other writers used the Imperial Bureau of Standards to suggest the large scale of the Empire.^[11] Concept artist Peter McKinstry^[14] and production designer Luke Hull created a sketch of the Fuel Purity department in the office on Coruscant. The sketch included two droids that look similar to IT-O interrogation droids.^[15]