[ripe-chair-discuss] The RIPE Chair Selection Process - v0.4

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Reid <jim at rfc1035.com>
> Sent: Wednesday 20 March 2019 12:00
> 
> > On 20 Mar 2019, at 10:27, Brian Nisbet <brian.nisbet at heanet.ie> wrote:
> >
> >> It might also be an idea to insert some text after the bit about the
> >> WGCC appointing an interim Chairman, say that stuckee’s term only
> >> lasts long enough for the selection procedure to run and appoint a
> repalcement.
> >
> > However here you have a procedural issue. If we've said that the Chair and
> Vice-Chair terms must be linked, either the stuckee is in place until the
> existing term ends, or the Vice-Chair term is truncated.
> >
> > I would suggest that maybe this decision can be made by consultation
> > between the Chair, Vice-Chair and WGCC
> 
> I don’t like that at all Brian. It smells too much of secret deals in smoke-filled
> rooms.

I continue to think you're in different rooms to me! 😊 But more seriously, ok.

> > but we need to have something in place or we may end up with non co-
> terminating terms, which would be unnecessary complication?
> 
> My intention was to ensure there was a clear (and prompt) cut-off to the
> term of whoever got appointed on an interim basis. And a fairly quick
> invocation of the appointment procedure to install their “permanent”
> replacement. ie The interim appointee doesn’t get to stick around for more
> than a year or so.
> 
> Strawman suggestion: If the next scheduled run of the appointment process
> is (say) 4 years away, we run it immediately. Whoever replaces the WGCC
> stuckee then serves for 4 years to keep things in sync and the interim
> appointee serves until the appointment process finds their successor. If an
> interim appointment gets made (say) 2 years before the next scheduled run,
> they could stay in post until then.
> 
> We should be careful not to end up with a process which could mean the
> WGCC decides (in secret?) and appoints RIPE Chairmen who could essentially
> serve indefinitely. FWIW I could live with an interim appointment lasting until
> the next scheduled run of the process provided that short-term stuckee was
> not available for selection at that point.

Well, none of this should be in secret. 

I'm genuinely trying to avoid unnecessary/additional process here, but I'm also trying to avoid out of sync terms.

I'd be ok with the above. I'd even be ok with saying that if the appointment is going to be for longer than 1 year it requires approval of the plenary and any period equal to or longer than 3 years it counts as one term? (That 3 can be 2, or 0, depending on what people think.)

I agree with what the reasons behind the quick appointment and, well, all of this, and I'm wary of engineering for edge cases, it just seems like one of the more possible ones as life has a nasty habit of not respecting arbitrary terms for volunteer positions.

Thanks,

Brian

Brian Nisbet 
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