[sig-policy] Version 3 of proposal to revise SIG guidelines
A new version of the proposal to modify the APNIC SIG Guidelines has been
submitted for consideration at APNIC 43 in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
Discussions and calls for consensus will take place in each SIG session.
You are invited to comment on the SIG Mailing Lists before the conference.
Remote participation facilities will also be available during each SIG session.
More background to this proposal is available at:
https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/chair-elections
Regards
Adam
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Revising eligible voters of Chair election and Chair's term
ver.3.0
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Proposer: Izumi Okutani
izumi at nic dot ad dot jp
1. Problem statement
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It has been over ten years since the SIG Guidelines document was
developed. The environment has changed since then, and it is now time
for the document to be reviewed and updated, to adapt to the changing
environment in the APNIC community, as the up-to-date document.
- Regardless of the changes in the environment, what is to remain
consistent is that, the SIG accommodates its members discussions
and consensus, based on bottom-up inclusive spirit.
- With increasing new participants in the community, which is a
welcoming change, unwritten agreed principles among long time
participants must be clearly described to help new participants
who join the community.
- More official support from APNIC for Chair/Co-Chair(s)
position, such as described in the guidelines for
Travel Support since May 2016[*], provides more opportunities for
community members to serve as the Chair/Co-Chair.
At the same time, it is important to set clear expectations for
the new Chairs and Co-Chairs on what roles and responsibilities
they have for the position to meet the community's expectations,
and to maintain accountability of the APNIC community as a whole,
visible both within and from the outside.
[*] https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/sig-guidelines/sig-chair-travel-policy
Below are the key issues the proposal seeks to address.
- Adjusting parts of the document which are no consistent with the
practice
- The current SIG Guidelines mostly describe administrative
procedures for the SIG, without description about how the
Chair/Co-Chair serve the SIG members, and accommodate discussions
by its participants
On eligible voters in SIG Chair/Co-Chair election, whether to allow
remote participants to vote, which was one of the proposed points in
version 1.0, there was no clear consensus at APNIC42.
Therefore, this element of the proposal is not included in ver. 2.0.
The author suggests to have a separate discussions, not in a form of
the proposal, to first see what direction can be supported by the
community.
Base on these discussions, a follow up proposal about voting by
remote participants on SIG Chair/Co-Chair election may be considered,
if the need for the proposal is supported by the community.
2. Objective of policy change
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To maintaining SIG Guidelines to be up to date, adjusting to the
current environment of the APNIC, to be more useful for
the community members.
Although there were constructive discussions at APNIC42, there was no
consensus on the proposal as a whole, and it was agreed to have
continued discussions. The updated proposal seeks to continue this
work of revising the SIG Guidelines, to clearly describes essential
elements about the SIG.
3. Situation in other regions
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Please refer following page made by Adam Gosling
Comparison of RIR SIG/WG Chair Election Processes
https://www.apnic.net/sig-guidelines/chair-elections/other-rirs
4. Proposed policy solution
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1. SIG Chair/Co-Chair's term of service
Add the following point to SIG Chair/Co-Chair's term of service:
- If a current Chair/Co-Chair resigned or was removed before the
end of the term, the successor takes over the remaining term
of the position, and not the regular term (Currently two
years).
Rationale:
- To maintain the election of the Chair and the Co-Chair to be
staggered as currently described, for smooth transition and
continuity of the SIG, even if the Chair/Co-Chair resigns or
is removed before the end of the regular term.
The following points about SIG Chair/Co-Chair's term of service,
in the current guidelines remain unchanged:
- Elections occur yearly. Chair elections and Co-Chair elections
occur in alternate years
- If Chair election and Co-Chair election takes place in the
same year, Co-Chair's term of service is one year
2. Clarify Chair/Co-Chair's role/responsibilities
Add the following description as Chair/Co-Chair's
role/responsibilities:
- Chair/Co-Chair is responsible in facilitating discussions at
the SIG, with respect to bottom up and inclusive spirit, so
that SIG participants are comfortable to express their
opinions.
The Chair/Co-Chair is to accommodate all newly expressed
opinions, relevant to the discussions topic at the SIG to be
heard.
- Before making consensus decision at the SIG, SIG Chairs and/or
Co-Chairs must explain to the participants, what the question
is or decision is to be made, then open up the floor for the
participants to express their opinions.
- SIG Chairs and Co-Chairs have to consider all opinions
expressed in a balanced manner, before making the consensus
decision.
- The consensus decision by the Chairs and Co-Chairs must be
shared with the SIG participants. When reporting the AGM about
consensus decision at the SIG, it must be consistent with what
was shared with the SIG participants.
- In the description "If SIG members do not think that the
Chair or Co-Chair is sufficiently performing their duties"
in "Section 2.6.1. Removing a Chair or Co-Chair", refer to
specific examples of what is meant by their duties, such as the
following sections in the document.
2.3. SIG Chair and Co-Chair roles
2.4. Chair responsibilities
2.5. Co-Chair responsibilities
Rationale:
To clearly describe expected role/responsibilities of
Chair/Co-Chair and examples of the conditions of removal.
Regarding role/responsibilities of Chair/Co-Chair, the current
description in the document focuses only on administrative
procedures to be followed by Chair/Co-Chair. They do not cover
how Chair/Co-Chair is to respect to bottom up and inclusive
spirit, accommodate discussions in the community, and take
adequate steps towards consensus decision and reporting.
The current condition of removal remains very much open to the
subject to interpretation on what is meant by "If SIG members do
not think that the Chair or Co-Chair is sufficiently performing
their duties" in "Section 2.6.1. Removing a Chair or Co-Chair".
These ambiguities are not helpful to new participants to the SIG
and new Chair/Co-Chair.
3. Allow the SIG members to be able to open up the second Co-Chair
position, based on consensus
In addition to the Chair's discretion as currently described in
Section 2.6 of the SIG guidelines document, add an option for the
SIG participants to to make a decision whether to open up a
second Co-Chair's position, based on consensus at the SIG.
When a second Co-Chair position is added, the second Co-Chair is
to be chosen by the election process as described in 2.6.
Electing a Chair or Co-Chair; regardless of whether addition of
the position is decided by Chair's discretion (as current
condition described in the document) or by consensus decision of
the SIG participants to add the second Co-Chair position.
Rationale:
Under the current SIG Guidelines, it is only by the discretion of
the Chair, to decide whether to open up a position of a
second Co-Chair, and whether to hold its election.
There may be a situation where a substantial number of SIG
participants see the need for a second Co-Chair position to be
added, to facilitate the SIG discussions more effectively. This
is to be added as an "or" condition, and the Chair remains to be
able to make a decision whether to add a second Co-Chair
position, as described in the current document.
5. Advantages / Disadvantages
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Advantages:
Clarify ambiguous part about the SIG guidelines, especially for the
new participants/new Chair/Co-Chair.
Disadvantages:
None observed.
6. Impact on resource holders
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No direct impact
7. References
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Chair Election Procedure Review by Adam Gosling
https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/chair-elections
Comparison of RIR SIG/WG Chair Election Processes
https://www.apnic.net/sig-guidelines/chair-elections/other-rirs
APNIC SIG Guidelines
https://www.apnic.net/community/participate/sigs/sig-guidelin
_______________________________________________________
Adam Gosling
Senior Internet Policy Analyst, APNIC
e: adam at apnic dot net
p: +61 7 3858 3142
m: +61 421 456 243
www.apnic.net
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Join the conversation: https://blog.apnic.net/
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