Info/exptl RFCs [Re: Killing old/slow groups - transition thinking

[Geoff Huston]

In reading these notes it strikes me that there is a basic issue about the
Working Group activity and the chairs' abilities to manage the direction
of the group - particularly in the online space.

Chairs who closely follow the group's email meanderings and constantly
attempt to focus the discussion, summarize points of agreement and
keep the group focussed on current activities tend to work effectively
and then hit the issue of a review bottleneck in the IESG.

It is then a salient observation that WG chairs quickly learn that
the IESG is going to do the fine-grained review and the overall
outcomes in terms of timeliness are often not directly under their control.
This observation often has some consequent impact on the levels of
energy they then devote to moving the WG along.

It appears to be a trust thing - the more the IESG is willing to
trust the WGs in terms of outputs the more onus is placed on the
WG to get it right and the more onus is placed on the WG chair
to ensure this. The more the IESG acts as a venue of the final
pass document drafting the more the WG is motivated to stand
aside and let the IESG do the work and hand them documents
that are sorely in need of such review.

regards,

     Geoff