Re: process for workprocess cte

[Jon Bosak <bosak@boethius.eng.sun.com>]

[Terry Allen:]

| While we're vacuuming behind the sofa in cleaning up our current TC
| process (I agree with Jon we need to fix it), could we have laid
| before us the OASIS Board's document authorizing the present committee
| and appointing its members, please?

As I've said elsewhere, I don't think we get access to the board
minutes.  I know that we're authorized to create this committee
because I met with them and they told me so.

Having said that, I hasten to acknowledge that according to the
analysis that I've been belaboring you with for the past couple of
weeks, we are not properly constituted, because the board did *not*
appoint a specific set of members.  That's why I've been careful to
run this so far by general consent.

In a message I sent earlier today, I sketched the outline for a method
of bootstrapping a committee under what appears to be our existing
process (the one that's been honored in the breach).  Here's a much
more formal version that I worked up a few days ago but never got
around to sending.  Take a look and tell me what you think.  If we
think that this works, we should be the first committee to use it.

(Standard reminder: we're not trying to design process here, just to
understand and comply with what we presently have.)

Jon

======================================================================

Initializing a committee

The current OASIS committee process derives from Robert's Rules, which
means that a committee and its members are appointed by the board, and
any change to the committee must be made by an action of the board.
There are two problems here, one continuing and one immediate.

The continuing problem is that we need to specify an automatic process
whereby committees, once created, can gain or lose members without
requiring manual intervention by the board.  (Note that just allowing
anyone to sign up for a committee won't work; the committee soon loses
the ability to form a quorum.)  But we don't have to come up with a
solution for this right away.

The immediate problem is that we have committees that want to get
started but don't know quite how to do so under the existing process.
Again, I must emphasize that putting out a general call for
participation and then blessing whoever signs up on the mail list
spells instant death for the committee; the membership has to be
filtered somehow to ensure a quorum.  (We shouldn't be afraid of not
having enough people for a committee.  There is nothing illegal about
a committee with just one member as long as that member follows the
rules.  If there's a person willing to start up a committee, then if
the board agrees to it, there's a committee.)

Here's a temporary process for committee initialization that might
work until we put a continuing process in place.

1. Someone wants to form a committee and submits a statement of
purpose to the board.  The board approves the idea of forming a
committee but does not entertain a formal motion to commit.

2. The board appoints someone (presumably the same person) to form a
majordomo list and to put out a general call for people interested in
participating in an email discussion.  I believe that the board can
license the formation of a discussion group without formally
constituting a committee.  The general call for participation has the
following form:

   The membership of OASIS is hereby notified that the OASIS
   Board of Directors has authorized [name(s) of discussion
   leader(s)] to institute a mail list for the purpose of
   organizing an OASIS technical committee to be called [name of
   committee].  A statement of purpose appears at the end of this
   message.

   All individual and institutional OASIS members and all
   employees of OASIS member organizations are hereby invited to
   join the new list.  Directions for subscribing to the list are
   given following the statement of purpose.

   Discussions on the list will begin [insert date here; at least
   one week after the notice].  At that time, persons who have
   subscribed to the list will be asked to file statements of
   their ability and desire to engage in the work at a level
   consistent with the operation of an OASIS technical committee.
   At a date not less than one week following the call for
   affirmations of commitment to the work of the proposed
   committee, a list of those agreeing to the conditions of
   participation will be submitted to the board as prospective
   members of the committee.

   Once the committee has been formally constituted by the OASIS
   Board of Directors, non-members will be removed from the
   mailing list, and additions to the committee after that time
   will be made only by special resolution of the board.

   Statement of Purpose

      [insert statement of purpose here]

   Subscribing to the list

      [insert directions for subscribing to the list here]

3. After a week (or longer), the discussion leader(s) designated by
the board post the following to the list, choosing a cutoff date that
allows subscribers to the list at least a week to respond.

   CALL FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE [name goes here] COMMITTEE

   Nominations are hereby solicited for members to participate in
   the [insert name] committee.  Participants will be chosen by
   the OASIS Board of Directors from among persons responding to
   this call.  Each prospective participant must be an individual
   or institutional OASIS member or an employee of an OASIS
   member organization.

   If the prospective participant is an individual or
   institutional member, he or she must complete the following
   statement and submit it to this discussion list on or before
   [cutoff date]:

      I understand that OASIS committees meet in person at least
      four times per year as determined by the OASIS Board of
      Directors at locations that may be anywhere in the world
      and that participation in an OASIS committee will require
      me to attend most of its meetings.  I certify that I have
      the means and the interest to attend such meetings and that
      I intend to do so.  I understand that failure to attend
      meetings will result in my removal from the committee.  I
      further understand that the committee cannot transact
      business in the absence of a quorum and that it cannot take
      action by mail ballot without the active participation of
      its members.  I hereby affirm my intent to read all
      materials assigned by the chair of the committee and to
      respond to ballots in the time set for their resolution.  I
      understand that failure to respond to committee ballots in
      a timely manner will result in my removal from the
      committee.  I promise to submit a letter of resignation to
      the chair or chairs of the committee if in the future I
      find myself unable to participate actively in its work.

      I understand that the OASIS Board of Directors has
      chartered the OASIS workprocess committee to develop more
      detailed guidelines for OASIS committee participation; that
      the board intends to place amendments to the OASIS Bylaws
      before the voting membership for their approval before the
      date on which this committee is expected to complete its
      work; and that upon approval of such amendments, the
      committee will proceed under more detailed criteria for
      membership and participation.  I agree to submit a letter
      of resignation to the chair(s) of the committee if I find
      that I cannot participate under the new criteria.

   If the prospective participant is an employee of an OASIS
   member organization, a person in that organization having the
   authority to approve the prospective participant's committee
   work and travel expenses must complete and forward to this
   list the following statement on or before [cutoff date]:

      Name of supervisor:
      Name of candidate:
      Name of OASIS member organization:

      I hereby certify that I have the authority to approve the
      participation of the person named above on the [name here]
      committee as a representative of my organization.  I
      understand that OASIS committees meet in person at least
      four times per year as determined by the OASIS Board of
      Directors at locations that may be anywhere in the world
      and that participation in an OASIS committee will require
      our representative to attend most of its meetings.  I
      certify that we support this activity and will fund our
      representative to the extent necessary to participate as
      long as we maintain membership in the committee.  I
      understand that failure to attend will result in the
      removal of our representative from the committee.  I
      further understand that the committee cannot transact
      business in the absence of a quorum and that it cannot take
      action by mail ballot without the active participation of
      its members, and I hereby affirm that our representative
      named above will read all materials assigned by the chair
      of the committee and will respond to ballots in the time
      set for their resolution.  I understand that failure to
      respond to committee ballots in a timely manner will result
      in the removal of our representative from the committee.  I
      certify that our representative has read and agrees to
      these requirements that that we will submit a letter of
      resignation to the chair or chairs of the committee if our
      representative is no longer able to participate actively in
      its work.

      I understand that the OASIS Board of Directors has
      chartered the OASIS workprocess committee to develop more
      detailed guidelines for OASIS committee participation; that
      the board intends to place amendments to the OASIS Bylaws
      before the voting membership for their approval before the
      date on which this committee is expected to complete its
      work; and that upon approval of such amendments, the
      committee will proceed under more detailed criteria for
      membership and participation.  I agree on behalf of my
      organization that our representative will submit a letter
      of resignation to the chair(s) of the committee if he or
      she is unable to participate under the new criteria.