Killing old/slow groups - transition thinking

Dave Crocker dhc@dcrocker.net
Fri, 13 Dec 2002 08:58:46 -0800


Margaret, et al,

>From <http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2418.txt>, Working Group Guidelines,

   2.2. Charter

   The formation of a working group requires a charter which is
   primarily negotiated between a prospective working group Chair and
   the relevant Area Director(s), although final approval is made by the
   IESG with advice from the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).  A
   charter is a contract between a working group and the IETF to perform
   a set of tasks.

Note the last sentence, which supports the broader view you are espousing,
although the opening sentence suggests a procedure that probably encourages
the more limited buy-in you are noting.  That is, formally, everyone is under the
contract, but the process of creating the thing often is not adequately
inclusive.

Charters are sometimes developed in an open group manner, but not always.

I have always felt that a BOF should be authorized only after there has been
demonstrated productive discussion on an open mailing list, and a
substantial charter draft.

Perhaps making this a requirement before chartering would encourage the
broader buy-in -- along with making that list discussion specifically cover
the feasibility of the milestones and a list agreement to them?

d/

Tuesday, December 10, 2002, 6:26:20 AM, you wrote:
Margaret> One of the weaknesses of our chartering process is that we view the
Margaret> charter as a contract between the AD and the WG chairs, when it
Margaret> really ought to be a multi-party contract between the AD, the WG
Margaret> chairs and the WG participants.  Participants should be encouraged
Margaret> to comment on the charter and milestones, and the document editors
Margaret> and key technical contributors should be explicitly "signed-up" for
Margaret> the milestones -- placing some of their personal credibility on the
Margaret> line.


d/
-- 
 Dave <mailto:dhc@dcrocker.net>
 Brandenburg InternetWorking <http://www.brandenburg.com>
 t +1.408.246.8253; f +1.408.850.1850