[ripe-list] RIPE Accountability Task Force: Updated Draft Scope and Presentation at RIPE 74

Colleagues,

Below I make three concrete proposals for the charter.

More than 25 years of experience with RIPE and similar organisations
suggests to me that this charter still needs work.  This still is a
charter for a 'formalisation working group' rather than a 'task force'.
A 'working group' because the definition of the tasks is very broad and
there is no end-date.  'Formalisation' because the whole arrangement and
context suggests formalisation as an inevitable outcome.  We should make
it very very clear that we are not starting an endless process that will
inevitably lead to more process and formalisation.

Process and formalisation is not automatically and universally a good thing.
Formalisation does have drawbacks and risks.  Formalisation is not a
prerequisite for fairness, openness and transparency . Formalisation is
often opposed to pragmatism and bottom-up consensus driven community work.

Since 'nothing has happened' if it is not on the mailing list,
please comment here on these three specific proposals. Thank you!

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Proposal 1

Ideally a task force charter states a rather narrowly defined task and
also lists expected results, such as specific documents.  In order to
avoid spending more time and energy arguing over this I suggest, as a
compromise, to add the following language:

"The task force will publish and maintain a work plan.
For each document under development the work plan will show when drafts
will be published and how and when community consensus will be achieved
on the final result."

This allows the task force to organise its work and at the same time it
helps to conduct the work transparently and with track-able goals.

----
Proposal 2

Ideally a task force charter contains when and how the task force will
finish.  In order to avoid spending more time and energy arguing over
this I suggest, by way of compromise, to add the following sentence:

"This charter will be reviewed by the community
no later than the second RIPE meeting in 2018."

This avoids setting up an endless task force and provides the
opportunity to modify or add tasks based on the work already completed.

----
Proposal 3

In order to clarify that there is definitely no intent to propose new
procedures and formalisms right away, I propose to add the following
sentence after "Publish recommendations for the RIPE community."

"The task force will not propose or recommend
specific new procedures or formalisms."

This makes the charter explicitly reflect the intention of the task
force as stated by Filiz earlier in this discussion.
Such tasks very well be added later once we have considered all
alternatives and have established community consensus to develop
specific procedures or formalisms.


Since 'nothing has happened' if it is not on the mailing list,
please comment here on these specific proposals. Thank you!


Daniel (Supporting the RIPE Community since 1989)


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