IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall Process: Operation of the Nominating and Recall Committees
draft-ietf-poised95-nomcom-04
The information below is for an old version of the document that is already published as an RFC.
| Document | Type | RFC Internet-Draft (poised95 WG) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | James Galvin | ||
| Last updated | 2013-03-02 (Latest revision 1996-03-20) | ||
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draft-ietf-poised95-nomcom-04
Network Working Group J. Galvin
INTERNET DRAFT VeriFone/EIT
draft-ietf-poised95-nomcom-04.txt March 1996
IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall Process:
Operation of the Nominating and Recall Committees
Status of this Memo
This document is an Internet Draft. Internet Drafts are working
documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its Areas, and
its Working Groups. Note that other groups may also distribute working
documents as Internet Drafts.
Internet Drafts are valid for a maximum of six months and may be
updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is
inappropriate to use Internet Drafts as reference material or to cite
them other than as ``work in progress''.
To learn the current status of any Internet Draft, please check the
1id-abstracts.txt listing contained in one of the Internet Drafts Shadow
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Coast), munnari.oz.au (Pacific Rim), or nic.nordu.net (Europe).
Abstract
The process by which the members of the IAB and IESG are selected,
confirmed, and recalled has been exercised four times since its formal
creation. The evolution of the process has relied principally on oral
tradition as a means by which the lessons learned could be passed on to
successive committees. This document is a self-consistent, organized
compilation of the process as it is known today.
1. Introduction
By 1992, many aspects of the operation of the Internet Architecture
Board (IAB), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the Internet
Engineering Steering Group (IESG) had been reviewed and changes were
being implemented. Included in those changes was the process by which
members of the IAB and IESG are selected, confirmed, and recalled.
Since 1992, the process of selection and confirmation has been exercised
four times: 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. The recall process has not been
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exercised.
A single paragraph in RFC1602 is the extent to which the process has
been formally recorded to date. Informally, following the 1992 exercise
of the process, an internet draft was distributed recording many of the
details of the operation of that first nominating committee. In
addition, in both 1994 and 1995, the POISED working group met, which
facilitated the "oral tradition" transference of the selection and
confirmation process lessons learned, including the email archives of
the working group mailing list. This document is a self-consistent,
organized compilation of the process as described by each of these
sources.
The process described here includes only items for which the consensus
of those participating in the various discussions was easily recognized.
As a result, two assumptions are made.
(1) The Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) and Internet Research
Steering Group (IRSG) are not a part of the process described here.
(2) The organization (and re-organization) of the IESG is not a part of
the process described here.
In addition, this document specifies time frames for which the frame of
reference is IETF meetings. The time frames assume that the IETF meets
at least once per year with that meeting occurring during the North
American Spring time, i.e., the IETF meets at least on or about March of
each year.
The remainder of this document is divided into four major topics as
follows.
General
This a set of rules and constraints that apply to the selection and
confirmation process as a whole.
Nominating Committee Selection
This is the process by which volunteers from the IETF community are
recognized to serve on the committee that nominates candidates to
serve on the IESG and IAB.
Nominating Committee Operation
This is the set of principles, rules, and constraints that guide
the activities of the nominating committee, including the
confirmation process.
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Member Recall
This is the process by which the behavior of a sitting member of
the IESG or IAB may be questioned, perhaps resulting in the removal
of the sitting member.
2. General
The following set of rules apply to the selection and confirmation
process as a whole. If necessary, a paragraph discussing the
interpretation of each rule is included.
(1) The principal function of the nominating committee is to recruit
and nominate candidates for open IESG and IAB positions.
The nominating committee does not select the open positions to be
filled; it is instructed as to which positions to fill. At a
minimum, the nominating committee will be given the title of the
position to be filled. The nominating committee may be given a
desirable set of qualifications for the candidates nominated to
fill a position. The nominating committee does not confirm its
candidates; it presents its candidates to the appropriate
confirming body as indicated below.
(2) The annual selection and confirmation process is expected to be
completed within 3 months.
The annual selection and confirmation process is expected to be
completed one month prior to the friday of the week before the
Spring IETF. It is expected to begin 4 months prior to the friday
of the week before the Spring IETF.
(3) One-half of each of the then current IESG and IAB positions is
selected to be refilled each year.
A given position is selected every other year. The intent is to
replace no more than 50% of the sitting IESG and IAB members in any
one year.
A position may be refilled with its sitting member, if the sitting
member is nominated by the nominating committee.
(4) Confirmed candidates are expected to serve at least a 2 year term.
The nominal 2 year term of a confirmed candidate begins no later
than the last day and no sooner than the Open Plenary session of
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the Spring IETF meeting, as determined by the mutual agreement of
the confirmed candidate and the currently sitting member. The term
ends no later than the second to last day and no sooner than the
Open Plenary session of the second Spring IETF meeting following
the beginning of the term, as determined by the mutual agreement of
the confirmed candidate and the currently sitting member.
(5) Mid-term IESG vacancies are filled by the same rules as documented
here with four qualifications. First, the most recently
constituted nominating committee is reconvened to nominate a
candidate to fill the vacancy. Second, the selection and
confirmation process is expected to be completed within 1 month,
with a prorated time period for all other time periods not
otherwise specified. Third, the confirming body has two weeks from
the day it is notified of a candidate to reject the candidate,
otherwise the candidate is assumed to have been confirmed. Fourth,
the term of the confirmed candidate will be either:
a. the remainder of the term of the open position if that remainder is
not less than one year.
b. the remainder of the term of the open position plus the next 2 year
term if that remainder is less than one year.
(6) Mid-term IAB vacancies are filled by the same rules as documented
here with four qualifications. First, the most recently
constituted nominating committee is reconvened to nominate a
candidate to fill the vacancy. Second, the selection and
confirmation process is expected to be completed within 1 month,
with a prorated time period for all other time periods not
otherwise specified. Third, the confirming body has two weeks from
the day it is notified of a candidate to reject the candidate,
otherwise the candidate is assumed to have been confirmed. Fourth,
the term of the confirmed candidate will be either:
a. the remainder of the term of the open position if that remainder is
not less than one year.
b. the remainder of the term of the open position plus the next 2 year
term if that remainder is less than one year.
(7) All deliberations and supporting information of all the
participants in the selection and confirmation process are private.
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The nominating committee and confirming body members will be
exposed to confidential information as a result of their
deliberations, their interactions with those they consult, and from
nominees who provide requested supporting information. All members
and all other participants are expected to handle this information
in a manner consistent with its sensitivity.
(8) Unless otherwise specified, the advise and consent model is used
throughout the process. This model is characterized as follows.
a. The IETF Executive Director advises the nominating committee of the
IESG and IAB positions to be refilled.
b. The nominating committee selects candidates and advises the
confirming bodies of them.
c. The sitting IAB members review the IESG candidates, consenting to
some, all, or none.
If all of the candidates are confirmed, the job of the nominating
committee with respect to filling the open IESG positions is
considered complete. If some or none of the candidates are
confirmed, the nominating committee must reconvene to select
alternate candidates for the rejected candidates. Any additional
time required by the nominating committee should not exceed its
maximum time allotment.
d. The Internet Society Board of Trustees reviews the IAB candidates,
consenting to some, all, or none.
If all of the candidates are confirmed, the job of the nominating
committee with respect to filling the open IAB positions is
considered complete. If some or none of the candidates are
confirmed, the nominating committee must reconvene to select
alternate candidates for the rejected candidates. Any additional
time required by the nominating committee should not exceed its
maximum time allotment.
e. The confirming bodies decide their consent according to a mechanism
of their own choosing, which must ensure that at least one-half of
the sitting members agree with the decision.
At least one-half of the sitting members of the confirming bodies
must agree to either confirm or reject each individual nominee.
The agreement must be decided within a reasonable timeframe. The
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agreement may be decided by conducting a formal vote, by asserting
consensus based on informal exchanges (email), or by whatever
mechanism is used to conduct the normal business of the confirming
body.
3. Nominating Committee Selection
The following set of rules apply to the creation of the nominating
committee and the selection of its members.
(1) The committee is comprised of at least a non-voting Chair, 10
voting volunteers, and 2 non-voting liaisons.
(2) The Internet Society President appoints the non-voting Chair, who
must meet the usual requirements for membership in the nominating
committee.
The nominating committee Chair must agree to invest the time
necessary to complete the duties of the nominating committee and to
perform in the best interests of the IETF community during the
performance of those duties.
(3) The Chair obtains the list of IESG and IAB positions to be refilled
and publishes it along with a solicitation for names of volunteers
from the IETF community willing to serve on the nominating
committee.
The list of open positions is published with the solicitation to
facilitate community members choosing between volunteering for an
open position and volunteering for the nominating committee.
The list and solicitation must be publicized using at least the
same mechanism used by the IETF secretariat for its announcements.
(4) Members of the IETF community must have attended at least 2 of the
last 3 IETF meetings in order to volunteer.
(5) Internet Society Board of Trustees, sitting members of the IAB, and
sitting members of the IESG may not volunteer.
(6) The Chair randomly selects the 10 voting volunteers from the pool
of names of volunteers.
(7) The sitting IAB and IESG members each appoint a non-voting liaison
to the nominating committee from their current membership who are
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not sitting in an open position.
(8) The Chair may solicit additional non-voting liaisons from other
organizations, who must meet the usual requirements for membership
in the nominating committee.
4. Nominating Committee Operation
The following rules apply to the operation of the nominating committee.
If necessary, a paragraph discussing the interpretation of each rule is
included.
The rules are organized approximately in the order in which they would
be invoked.
The term nominee refers to an individual under consideration by the
nominating committee. The term candidate refers to a nominee that has
been selected by the nominating committee to be considered for
confirmation by a confirming body. A confirmed candidate is a candidate
that has been reviewed and approved by a confirming body.
(1) All rules not otherwise specified are at the discretion of the
Chair.
Exceptional circumstances will occasionally arise during the normal
operation of the nominating committee. This rule is intended to
foster the continued forward progress of the committee. All
members of the committee should consider whether the exception is
worthy of mention in the next revision of this document and
followup accordingly.
(2) The Chair must establish and publicize milestones, which must
include at least a call for nominations.
There is a defined time period during which the selection and
confirmation process must be completed. The Chair must establish a
set of milestones which, if met in a timely fashion, will result in
the completion of the process on time. The Chair should allow time
for iterating the activities of the committee if one or more
candidates is not confirmed.
The milestones must be publicized using at least the same mechanism
used by the IETF secretariat for its announcements.
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(3) The Chair must establish a voting mechanism.
The committee must be able to objectively determine when a decision
has been made during its deliberations. The criteria for
determining closure must be established and known to all members of
the nominating committee.
(4) At least 7 voting members are required to be present for a quorum.
(5) The Chair may establish a process by which a member of the
nominating committee may be recalled.
The process, if established, must be agreed to by a 3/4 majority of
the members of the nominating committee, including the non-voting
members since they would be subject to the same process.
(6) All members of the nominating committee may participate in all
deliberations.
The emphasis of this rule is that no member, whether voting or
non-voting, can be explicitly excluded from any deliberation.
However, a member may individually choose not to participate in a
deliberation.
(7) The Chair announces the open positions to be filled and the call
for nominees.
The announcements must be publicized using at least the same
mechanism used by the IETF secretariat for its announcements.
(8) Any member of the IETF community may nominate any member of the
IETF community for any open position.
A self-nomination is permitted.
(9) Nominating committee members must not be nominees.
To be a nominee is to enter the process of being selected as a
candidate and confirmed. Nominating committee members are not
eligible to be considered for filling any open position.
(10) Members of the IETF community who were recalled from any IESG or
IAB position during the previous two years must not be nominees.
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(11) The nominating committee selects candidates based on its
understanding of the IETF community's consensus of the
qualifications required to fill the open positions.
(12) Nominees should be advised that they are being considered and must
consent to their nomination prior to being confirmed.
The nominating committee should help nominees provide justification
to their employers.
A nominee's consent must be written (including email) and include a
commitment to provide the resources necessary to fill the open
position and an assurance that the nominee will perform the duties
of the position for which they are being considered in the best
interests of the IETF community.
(13) The nominating committee advises the confirming bodies of their
candidates, specifying a single candidate for each open position
and a testament as to how each candidate meets the qualifications
of an open position.
The testament may include a brief resume of the candidate and a
summary of the deliberations of the nominating committee.
(14) With respect to any action to be taken in the context of notifying
and announcing confirmed candidates, and notifying rejected
nominees and candidates, the action must be valid according to all
of the rules specified below prior to its execution.
a. Up until a candidate is confirmed, the identity of the candidate
must be kept strictly confidential.
b. The identity of all nominees must be kept strictly confidential
(except that the nominee may publicize their intentions).
c. Rejected nominees may be notified as soon as they are rejected.
d. Rejected candidates may be notified as soon as they are rejected.
e. Rejected nominees and candidates must be notified prior to
announcing confirmed candidates.
f. Confirmed candidates may be notified and announced as soon as they
are confirmed.
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It is consistent with these rules for a nominee to never know if
they were a candidate or not.
It is consistent with these rules for a nominating committee to
reject some nominees early in the process and to keep some nominees
as alternates in case a candidate is rejected by a confirming body.
In the matter of whether a confirmed candidate was a first choice
or an alternate, that information need not ever be disclosed and,
in fact, probably never should be.
It is consistent with these rules for confirmed candidates to be
notified and announced as quickly as possible instead of requiring
all confirmed candidates to wait until all open positions have been
refilled.
The announcements must be publicized using at least the same
mechanism used by the IETF secretariat for its announcements.
5. Member Recall
The following rules apply to the recall process. If necessary, a
paragraph discussing the interpretation of each rule is included.
(1) Anyone may request the recall of any sitting IAB or IESG member, at
any time, upon written (including email) request with justification
to the Internet Society President.
(2) Internet Society President shall appoint a Recall Committee Chair.
The Internet Society President must not evaluate the recall
request. It is explicitly the responsibility of the IETF community
to evaluate the behavior of its leaders.
(3) The recall committee is created according to the same rules as is
the nominating committee with the qualifications that the person
being investigated and the person requesting the recall must not be
a member of the recall committee in any capacity.
(4) The recall committee operates according to the same rules as the
nominating committee with the qualification that there is no
confirmation process.
(5) The recall committee investigates the circumstances of the
justification for the recall and votes on its findings.
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The investigation must include at least both an opportunity for the
member being recalled to present a written statement and
consultation with third parties.
(6) A 3/4 majority of the members who vote on the question is required
for a recall.
If a sitting member is recalled the open position is to be filled
according to the mid-term vacancy rules.
6. Security Considerations
Any selection, confirmation, or recall process necessarily involves
investigation into the qualifications and activities of prospective
candidates. The investigation may reveal confidential or otherwise
private information about candidates to those participating in the
process. Each person who participates in any aspect of the process has
a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of any and all
information not explicitly identified as suitable for public
dissemination.
7. Editor's Address
James M. Galvin
VeriFone/EIT
P.O. Box 220
Glenwood, MD 21738
Email: galvin@eit.com
Phone: +1 410.795.6882
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Table of Contents
Status of this Memo .............................................. 1
Abstract ......................................................... 1
1 Introduction .................................................... 1
2 General ......................................................... 3
3 Nominating Committee Selection .................................. 6
4 Nominating Committee Operation .................................. 7
5 Member Recall ................................................... 10
6 Security Considerations ......................................... 11
7 Editor's Address ................................................ 11
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