[security-services] updated -- SSTC "Committee Last Call" process

[Jeff Hodges <Jeff.Hodges@sun.com>]

SSTC "Committee Last Call" process:
20-Feb-2002

1. In order to issue a "Committee Last Call" on a document or specification set
(aka "doc(s)" ), there should be no open action items or issues associated with
the doc(s), or the committee has explicitly voted to enter Committee Last Call
for a document or specification set with some well understood and clearly
documented set of open issues, and the intent is to close the issues during
Committee Last Call. 

The maturity level of the doc(s) at entry to Committee Last Call is "committee
working draft".


2. A "Committee Last Call" is issued by the committee co-chairs via an email
message to the security-services list. We will leverage content from IETF and
W3C examples. The "Committee Last Call" message identifies the doc(s), lays out
the timeframe and vehicles for submitting comments, and provides some context
wrt the last call process. 

At this stage, the maturity level of the doc(s) remains "committee working
draft".


3. People review the doc(s) and submit comments (via the lists -- comments must
be
in writing and available for all to see).


4. upon the "last call cutoff date" or shortly thereafter, the chairs and doc
editors summarize the comments received to the committee. If there are issues
with the doc(s) that the committee regards as "showstopper normative technical
issues", then the doc(s) don't pass "committee last call", and the process
iterates back to (1) (since there are again open issues with the docs). Else,
go to (5). 

detailed process for step (4):  

In order to decide whether there are any "showstopper normative technical
issues", the doc editors will summarize to the committee the issues raised
during last call (e.g. via a msg to the list). The co-chairs will facilitate a
walk-through of the issues list for each doc (if any) during a formal committee
meeting. 

For each issue considered by the committee to be a normative technical issue,
the committee will follow these steps to determine the state of the issue, and
thus the effect the issue has on the doc(s) passing Committee Last Call:


4.1. If a normative technical issue has a champion, and no one challenges the
issue, then the issue is open and is a showstopper normative techical issue.


4.2. If a normative technical issue has a champion, and the issue is
challenged, a formal committee debate and vote is held. The question being
voted on will be constructed so the result of the vote will be one of..

   The issue is open and is a showstopper normative techical issue.
   
..or..

   The issue is closed (e.g. it wasn't considered to be either normatively 
   technical and/or a showstopper, and the committee doesn't intend to revisit
   it in the future)

..or.. 

   The issue is deferred (e.g. the issue may be a normative technical issue, 
   but it isn't considered a showstopper at this point, and the committee
   may revisit it in the future). 


4.3 If an issue no longer has anyone willing to champion it, it is closed or
deferred. 


If, at the completion of applying steps 4.1 thur 4.3 to each normative
technical issue, there are any "open showstopper normative techical issue(s)",
the document or specification set DO NOT pass Committee Last Call. The issue(s)
must be resolved, the doc(s) re-issued as appropriate, and Committee Last Call
must be re-done. Goto step (1).

Otherwise, if all normative technical issues are either closed or deferred, the
document or specification set pass Committee Last Call, and are now at
"Candidate Committee Specification" maturity level. Goto step (5).



5. The doc(s) have passed "committee last call" and are subject to
non-normative editing, as necessary. They remain at this step (5) and at
"candidate committee specification" maturity level until all all non-normative
editorial issues are closed. Once these non-nomative editorial issues are
closed, goto (6).


6. The committee formally votes on annointing the doc(s) with the "Committee
Specification" maturity level. If so, the doc(s) are  nominally ready for
submission to OASIS per OASIS "standards process", contingent on other
submission requirements being met (see [1] below).

                 -------------------------------

Refs: 

[1] OASIS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE POLICY
    Section 2. Standards Process
    http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/process.shtml

[2] IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures
    http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2418.txt

[3] The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3
    http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2026.txt

[4] W3C Process Document
    5.2 The W3C Recommendation Track
    http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process-20010719/tr.html#Recs

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