Specifications are intended to impose limitations on the supplied product, but should not be exclusive. Although readability is important, this is often made difficult by the use of legal language. In developing a guide specification, the following should be considered: conceptual solutions, industry surveys, descriptive parameters, salient parameters, performance ranges, avoidance of unrealistic specifications, and refinement of salient parameters. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed practical standards for contract specifications including the use of a modified Construction Specification Institute format, generic specifications, and unbiased guidelines. The Corps has established a Mandatory Center of Expertise for Intrusion Detection Systems, which has particular impact on the development of specifications for electronic security applications. Some new features of the Corps security guide specifications are alarm definitions, a description of a standard intruder, technical data package submission requirements, and multi-faceted system testing requirements. (Author abstract modified)