Nominating Committee Process: Earlier Announcement of Open Positions and Solicitation of Volunteers
RFC 5633

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• 04

Network Working Group                                    S. Dawkins, Ed.
Request for Comments: 5633                                  Huawei (USA)
BCP: 10                                                      August 2009
Updates: 3777
Category: Best Current Practice

                     Nominating Committee Process:
 Earlier Announcement of Open Positions and Solicitation of Volunteers

Abstract
   This document updates RFC 3777, Section 4, Bullet 13 to allow
   announcement of open positions and solicitation of volunteers to be
   issued before a Nominating and Recall Committee Chair has been named
   by the Internet Society President.

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
   Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2009 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents in effect on the date of
   publication of this document (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info).
   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
   and restrictions with respect to this document.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................2
   2. Background ......................................................2
   3. Discussion ......................................................3
   4. Updated Text from RFC 3777 ......................................4
   5. Possible Topics for Later Discussion ............................4
   6. Security Considerations .........................................5
   7. Acknowledgements ................................................5
   8. References ......................................................5
      8.1. Normative References .......................................5
      8.2. Informative References .....................................5

Dawkins                  Best Current Practice                  [Page 1]
RFC 5633                     NomCom Issues                   August 2009

1.  Introduction

   The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), the Internet
   Architecture Board (IAB), and the at-large IETF representatives to
   the IETF Administrative Oversight Committee (IAOC) are selected by a
   "Nominating and Recall Committee" (universally abbreviated as
   "NomCom").  [RFC3777] defines how the NomCom is selected and the
   processes it follows as it selects candidates for these positions.

   This document describes an issue with [RFC3777] that causes an
   avoidable delay in the NomCom process and specifies a normative
   update to resolve the issue.

2.  Background

   [RFC3777] is the latest in a series of revisions to the NomCom
   process.  [RFC3777] has been updated once since 2004, but the update
   ([RFC5078]) did not change normative text (it replaced a sample
   timeline).

   [RFC5078] identifies a serial delay in the process described in
   [RFC3777], in Section 4 ("Nominating Committee Selection"), Bullet
   13, which states:

      The Chair obtains the list of IESG and IAB positions to be
      reviewed and announces it along with a solicitation for names of
      volunteers from the IETF community willing to serve on the
      nominating committee.

      The solicitation must permit the community at least 30 days during
      which they may choose to volunteer to be selected for 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 result is that the Incoming NomCom Chair is the only person who
   can announce the list of open positions and solicitation for names of
   volunteers, a process that requires 30 days for public solicitation.

   Since this is the first step in organizing the NomCom, delays in
   selecting the Incoming NomCom Chair translate directly into delays in
   issuing the solicitation and organizing the NomCom.

   This proved problematic in practice in 2008-2009, when Joel Halpern
   was named NomCom Chair less than 30 days prior to the second IETF
   meeting of the year.  If the 30-day solicitation had already taken

Dawkins                  Best Current Practice                  [Page 2]
RFC 5633                     NomCom Issues                   August 2009

   place, the NomCom could have conducted face-to-face interviews at the
   second IETF meeting, but since the required 30-day solicitation
   didn't start until Joel was named, Joel was unable to assemble his
   NomCom before the second IETF meeting, and the NomCom had to carry
   out these interviews using email and conference calls.

   It is desirable to allow the solicitation and announcement to take