chairs message
[Date Prev]
| [Thread Prev]
| [Thread Next]
| [Date Next]
--
[Date Index]
| [Thread Index]
| [List Home]
Subject: Re: [chairs] Draft: proposed process for comment handing
- From: robert_weir@us.ibm.com
- To: Chet Ensign <chet.ensign@oasis-open.org>
- Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 09:11:48 -0500
It would be good to clarify what a "comment"
is.
Is every post to the comment list a
"comment"? Even if the post does not relate to the draft
under review? Even if it is a response to another post that does
not itself raise an issue? Even the occasional post from a TC Admin
(https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/office-comment/201211/msg00001.html)?
What we've done with the ODF TC is transcribe
into JIRA the essence of any post to the comment list that is actually
a comment from a non-TC member on the specification. We do this for
comments received anytime, for any revision of the specification. So
if we're doing a public review for ODF 1.3 and we get a comment on ODF
1.2, we'll track that as well. But the Chair uses his discretion
to determine what is and what isn't a comment. Presumably we elect
Chairs, in part, for their judgement.
Regards,
-Rob
From:
Chet Ensign <chet.ensign@oasis-open.org>
To:
chairs@lists.oasis-open.org,
Cc:
tab@lists.oasis-open.org,
TCA <tca@oasis-open.org>
Date:
12/19/2012 07:25 PM
Subject:
[chairs] Draft:
proposed process for comment handing
Chairs,
I will circulate this to the broader membership after a review with you.
Last April, I opened a conversation about how to enable the OASIS requirements
for handling comments to be met while minimizing the procedural impact
on TCs. (The thread started here: https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/chairs/201204/msg00020.html)
The observations and insights offered were valuable. This email lays out
the next step towards implementing a consistent process.
Below is my proposal for a procedure that I think meets the consensus from
that conversation to (a) keep it simple, (b) provide options while (c )
meeting the TC Process requirements. I have attached a couple of sample
templates based on the samples offered that could be used to record comments
and their dispositions. Use of these won't be required, they will just
be provided for the convenience of the TCs that want something to use as
a starting point.
Please have a look at this over the next few weeks and share your thoughts
with me. I will ask for broader feedback in January with a goal of documenting
this, announcing it and then putting it into practice on or about February
1st. Note that the procedure will not be retroactive - it will apply to
work started from its effective date forward.
To be clear, this changes nothing about the current requirements documented
in the TC Process. This simply provides a consistent means for TCs and
TC Admin to work together to meet the requirements - something that has
been lacking to date.
1. TC Obligations With Respect to Comments
The requirements for handling comments are laid out in sections 2.2, 2.8,
3.2 and 3.4 of the OASIS TC Process. Those requirements are:
- That comments be received only through the TC's <short name>-comment@lists.oasis-open.org
mailing list.
- That comments be received by one or more members of the TC including
the chair.
- That comments be acknowledged.
- That comments be tracked and their resolutions documented:
a) During a proposed TC call for comment period;
b) During a public review of a TC work product;
c) During a public review of a Candidate OASIS Standard.
- And that at the end of the comment / review period, the TC post to its
email list an account of each of the issues raised during the public review
along with its resolution.
2. Proposed Procedure for Meeting These Obligations
Here are the proposed steps for a TC to take to meet the requirements.
a) The TC Chair, at a minimum, must subscribe to the TC's <tcname>-comment@lists.oasis-open.org
mailing list. It will likely make sense for another TC member (e.g. secretary,
editor) to be assigned to subscribe to the list and track and report comments
and issues back to the TC.
b) Someone from the TC must acknowledge that the TC has received the comment
by sending an email acknowledgement to the provider. A simple "thank
you for your comment; the TC will be consider it" message is sufficient.
c) The TC must track each comment received and how the group decides to
resolve it. Per the TC Process, a TC is not required to take any action
on the substance of the comment, but the decision not to must be recorded.
The TC can choose to track comments and resolutions however they wish:
in a word processing document, in a spread sheet, in JIRA, in the TC wiki.
The TC must at a minimum record:
+ The date the comment was received;
+ A link to the email in which a comment was received;
+ The name of the person or entity providing the comment;
+ A brief summary of the comment;
+ A statement of the TC’s decision on how to handle the comment, in as
much detail as the TC wishes to provide.
In the event that a single email provides multiple comments or issues,
each must be listed, tracked and resolved separately.
The list need not be cumulative however keeping a cumulative list is likely
to be more convenient when the time comes that you want to submit a Committee
Specification as a Candidate OASIS Standard. The TC Process states that,
before an OASIS membership ballot can be held on a COS, the TC must provide
"a pointer to an account of each of the comments/issues raised during
the public review period(s), along with its resolution." Having all
the comments and their resolutions stored in one list will make satisfying
this requirement easy.
d) Four weeks after the end of a public review will be deemed "the
end of the review period." By this point at the latest, the TC must
post to its email list a document containing, at a minimum, the pieces
of information listed above. The document can be either a word processing
document or a spread sheet but it must be a document that can be opened
and read by any interested party.
If the TC is using JIRA or some other means to track comments, a document
must be created by exporting the information from that source.
If the document is a cumulative list of comments and resolutions, it should
also contain, for each comment, identification of the draft to which it
applied.
The posting email can be created by loading the document into the TC's
document repository and using the automatically generated email to produce
the pointer or by attaching the document directly to the email.
With that email, the TC obligations will be considered fully met.
3. What TC Administration Will Do With the Comment Resolution Document
A key objective here is to ensure that comments and their resolutions can
readily be found by other who are interested in the TCs work. Here is what
TC Admin will do with the documents.
a) When the TC is ready to take another action on its work product (e.g.
request another public review, request a ballot to approve a Committee
Specification), a pointer back to this document will have to be provided
as part of the support request. TC Administration will not proceed with
a requested action until the comment resolution document is provided.
b) A link to the comment resolution document will be included in the announcements
of subsequent public reviews, document approvals, Special Majority ballots
and other communications where it will provide additional, useful information.
c) The comment resolution documents will also be stored in the OASIS Library
along with the public review drafts to which they apply. This will help
to ensure transparency and traceability between comments received during
a public review and their resolution.
Thanks very much for your feedback and help putting a process in place.
My best wishes to you all for happy holidays.
Best regards,
/chet
----------------
Chet Ensign
Director of Standards Development and TC Administration
OASIS: Advancing open standards for the information society
http://www.oasis-open.org
Primary: +1 973-996-2298
Mobile: +1 201-341-1393
[attachment "draft-comment-resolution-list.xls" deleted by Robert
Weir/Cambridge/IBM]
[attachment "draft-comment-resolution-list.odt" deleted by Robert
Weir/Cambridge/IBM] [attachment "draft-comment-resolution-list.ods"
deleted by Robert Weir/Cambridge/IBM] [attachment "draft-comment-resolution-list.doc"
deleted by Robert Weir/Cambridge/IBM]
[Date Prev]
| [Thread Prev]
| [Thread Next]
| [Date Next]
--
[Date Index]
| [Thread Index]
| [List Home]