Network Working Group                                         S. Dawkins
Internet-Draft                                              Huawei (USA)
Expires: November 22, 2007                                  May 21, 2007


 IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall Process:  Revision of
             the Nominating and Recall Committees Timeline
                 draft-dawkins-nomcom-start-earlier-00

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The IETF Trust (2007).














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Abstract

   RFC 3777 defines the Nominations and Recall Committee's operation,
   and includes a sample timeline for major steps in the NomCom process
   that meets the minimum normative requirements for the process.
   Recent NomComs have been scheduling based on the sample timeline, and
   the chairs of the last three NomComs, Danny McPherson (2004-2005),
   Ralph Droms (2005-2006), and Andrew Lange (2006-2007) have all
   reported that this timeline is very aggressive and have all suggested
   starting earlier.  This document restructures the sample timeline,
   but makes no normative process changes.


Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
   2.  The Problem  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
   3.  Interaction with IETF Face-to-face Meeting Schedule  . . . . .  5
   4.  Proposed Solution  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
   5.  Sample Timeline for 2007-2008 NomCom Schedule  . . . . . . . .  7
   6.  Out-of-scope Suggestions Requiring Normative Text Changes  . . 10
   7.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
   8.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   9.  Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   10. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
   Intellectual Property and Copyright Statements . . . . . . . . . . 16
























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1.  Introduction

   RFC 3777 ([RFC3777]) is a complete specification of the process by
   which members of the IAB and IESG are selected, confirmed, and
   recalled as of the date of its approval.  [RFC3777] includes
   normative requirements for timing allowed for the various steps, and
   also includes an informative appendix, Appendix B, that contains a
   timeline based on the normative text.

   The normative time requirements in [RFC3777] are end-of-task, so
   adjusting the informative timeline to get an earlier start does not
   require changes to the normative text in [RFC3777].

   In IETF 68, IETF 65, and IETF 62 plenary reports, NomCom chairs
   suggested starting the NomCom cycle earlier.  This document describes
   a timeline that meets this need, replacing RFC 3777 Appendix B, and
   makes no other changes to [RFC3777].


































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2.  The Problem

   There are several reasons that have been cited for the schedule
   pressures reported by recent NomComs.

   1.  A few common practices are not accounted for in the Appendix B
       timeline [RFC3777].  For example, it is common to allow a week
       for notifying unsuccessful nominees before the formal
       announcement is made.  This is not included in the timeline.

   2.  Some tasks just seem to take longer than the minimum interval.
       For example, a public "call for volunteers" must be open for 30
       days, but the list of voting NomCom participants probably isn't
       announced on at midnight on the 30th day.  Anecdotal evidence is
       that allowing about 6 weeks is more consistent with recent
       experience.

   3.  The NomCom, and the community it serves, tends to celebrate a
       variety of holidays between the Third IETF and the First IETF of
       the next year, so people may be out of the office, may wait to
       respond, etc.

   4.  The Appendix B timeline does not provide flexibility in case of
       problems.  For example, the NomCom chair "reset" the random
       selection of volunteers for the 2006-2007 NomCom, requiring
       another seven-day delay for the announcement of the date of
       random slection.

   All of these reasons can be accommodated by simply starting earlier
   than is absolutely required.





















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3.  Interaction with IETF Face-to-face Meeting Schedule

   In addition to these reasons for schedule pressure, it's worth noting
   that the NomCom schedule and the IETF face-to-face meeting cycle
   don't complement each other.

   1.  When the NomCom volunteers are selected after the Second IETF,
       they don't have an opportunity to meet face-to-face and "get
       organized" until the Third IETF, when they should be winding up
       their deliberations.  This missed oppotunity forces them to use
       teleconferences and other less efficient means of communications
       to get organized.

   2.  The NomCom volunteers don't have a chance to conduct interviews
       with the community, or with nominees, until the third IETF,
       during the height of the NomCom effort.  If the NomCom effort
       took place before the Third IETF, the NomCom could work on
       difficult nominations, and to meet with nominees under
       consideration, face to face.

   3.  If the NomCom is able to start interviews during the Second IETF
       meeting, starting earlier than is absolutely required may also
       help NomCom be more effective.




























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4.  Proposed Solution

   The high-level description of the proposal is, of course, "start
   earlier", but more precision would be helpful.

   A sample timeline that meets these guidelines is shown in Section 5.
   Please note that, like Appendix B in [RFC3777], this timeline is not
   normative, but it meets the normative requirements stated in
   [RFC3777].

   Other timelines are certainly possible, including timelines that
   allow the NomCom to report its results more than one month before the
   First IETF where the slate of nominees is announced.  Finishing early
   may be a good thing.

   1.  One week is allowed for the NomCom chair to publish milestones.

   2.  Six weeks are allowed for solicitation of NomCom participants.

   3.  One week is allowed for confirmation of the selection of voting
       members, to allow at least some time for resolution if there is a
       problem.

   4.  The recommended time for Nomcom self-organization is increased to
       six weeks.

   5.  One week is allowed for NomCom establishing milestones.

   6.  In this case, an additional four weeks is allowed for the
       Nominating bodies to select candidates.

   7.  The timeline is adjusted to allow one week at the end of the
       process for notification of unsuccessful candidates.

   This significantly increases the amount of time available for NomCom
   to select candidates while still meeting the normative requirements
   of [RFC3777]














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5.  Sample Timeline for 2007-2008 NomCom Schedule

   The following table shows a sample timeline for the 2007-2008 NomCom
   schedule, based on the IETF dates for Second IETF (69th IETF, held
   July 22-27, 2007) and First IETF (71st IETF, held March 9-14, 2008).

   Note that the duration of each milestone step is adjusted as
   necessary for each NomCom, since the scheduled dates for IETF
   meetings vary from year to year.










































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   +-------------+-------------------+----------+-----------+----------+
   |   RFC 3777  |    What happens   |    new   |    date   |    old   |
   |  Appendix B |                   | duration |           | duration |
   |  reference  |                   |  (weeks) |           |  (weeks) |
   +-------------+-------------------+----------+-----------+----------+
   |      1      |   ISOC president  |     0    | 5/20/2007 |     0    |
   |             |  appoints NomCom  |          |           |          |
   |             |       chair       |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      2      |    NomCom chair   |     1    | 5/20/2007 |     0    |
   |             |     publishes     |          |           |          |
   |             |     milestones    |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      3      |  Solicitation of  |     6    | 5/27/2007 |  30 days |
   |             |       NomCom      |          |           |          |
   |             |    participants   |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      4      |  Announce date of |     1    |  7/8/2007 |     1    |
   |             |  random selection |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      5      |  Announce NomCom  |     1    | 7/15/2007 |     1    |
   |             |    membership,    |          |           |          |
   |             |  challenge period |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      6      |   Verify NomCom   |     0    | 7/22/2007 |     0    |
   |             | membership during |          |           |          |
   |             |  challenge period |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      7      |   Comfirm NomCom  |     1    | 7/22/2007 |     0    |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      8      |       NomCom      |     6    | 7/29/2007 |     4    |
   |             |   self-organizes  |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      9      | END organization, |     0    |  9/9/2007 |     0    |
   |             |  begin selection  |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      10     |       NomCom      |     1    |  9/9/2007 |     0    |
   |             |    establishes    |          |           |          |
   |             |     milestones    |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      11     | Nominating bodies |    16    | 9/16/2007 |    12    |
   |             | select candidates |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      12     |   END selection,  |     0    |  1/6/2008 |     0    |
   |             |       BEGIN       |          |           |          |
   |             |  confirmation of  |          |           |          |
   |             |     candidates    |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |



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   |      13     |  Present slate of |     0    |  1/6/2008 |     0    |
   |             |   candidates to   |          |           |          |
   |             |  confiming bodies |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      14     |  Confiming bodies |     4    |  1/6/2008 |     4    |
   |             |  accept or reject |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |    (added   |       Notify      |     1    |  2/3/2008 |          |
   |    step)    |    unsuccessful   |          |           |          |
   |             |      nominees     |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |      15     | Slate announced 1 |     4    | 2/10/2008 |     4    |
   |             |  month before 1st |          |           |          |
   |             |        IETF       |          |           |          |
   |             |                   |          |           |          |
   |             |      1st IETF     |          |  3/9/2008 |          |
   +-------------+-------------------+----------+-----------+----------+

           New Step 1 Date: 5/20/2007 Old Step 1 Date: 8/17/2007

                                  Table 1






























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6.  Out-of-scope Suggestions Requiring Normative Text Changes

   (This space reserved for suggested timeline revisions that canot be
   implemented without changes to normative text in [RFC3777])

   While there are very few avoidable serialized delays in [RFC3777], we
   note that the minimum 30-day delay for volunteers is serialized after
   the NomCom chair is named.  If a future normative revision to
   [RFC3777] allowed someone else - perhaps the ISOC President - to
   issue the call for volunteers, this could be issued while the NomCom
   chair is still being selected, and the new chair could begin work by
   announcing the date of random selection, instead of waiting for the
   volunteers to volunteer for 30 days.






































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7.  Security Considerations

   This document does not directly affect the security of the Internet.
















































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8.  IANA Considerations

   This document requests no action by the IANA.
















































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9.  Acknowledgements

   This draft is based on conversations with the chairs of the last
   three NomComs, Danny McPherson (2004-2005), Ralph Droms (2005-2006),
   and Andrew Lange (2006-2007), and on their corresponding plenary
   NomCom Report presentations at IETF 62, IETF 65, and IETF 68
   (respectively).

   The 2007 IESG discussed Andrew Lange's report at their face-to-face
   retreat and requested a proposal that adjusted the informative
   timeline with no normative changes.

   Thanks to Russ Housley, current General Area director, for reviewing
   an early version of this draft.

   We should also thank the editors of previous NomCom procedures for
   developing a specification that we could "speed up" without changing
   normative text.

































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10.  Normative References

   [RFC3777]  Galvin, J., "IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and
              Recall Process: Operation of the Nominating and Recall
              Committees", BCP 10, RFC 3777, June 2004.














































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Author's Address

   Spencer Dawkins
   Huawei Technologies (USA)
   1547 Rivercrest Blvd.
   Allen, TX  75002
   USA

   Phone: +1 469 229 5397
   Email: spencer@mcsr-labs.org









































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