Re: process for workprocess cte

[eduardo <Eduardo.Gutentag@eng.sun.com>]

My comments enclosed in ****

Eduardo

>  X-Unix-From: bosak@boethius.eng.sun.com  Mon Nov 15 23:48:26 1999
>  Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 23:47:21 -0800 (PST)
>  From: Jon Bosak <bosak@boethius.eng.sun.com>
>  To: workprocess@lists.oasis-open.org
>  Subject: Re: process for workprocess cte
>  
>  [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.)

**** 
General comment: In what follows you seem to make a distinction between
(all individual and institutional OASIS members) on the one hand and
(all employees of OASIS member organizations) on the other, inasmuch
as only the latter are required to have a supervisor's signature. But
representatives from institutional OASIS members are as constrained,
I would think, as employees of Oasis member organizations when it comes
to travel budget, so I wonder why you place the virtual parentheses
that way instead of individuals on one side and all others on the other
side
****

>  
>  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.)

****
Agreed
****
>  
>  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.

****
When I read this the first time I assumed an implicit "yet", but I now
see that you foresee the Board entertaining a formal motion
at no time. [Double take]. Hm.
****
>  
>  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
****
Can anybody start a majordomo list using the oasis mailer? I don't
believe so. At some point the administrative machinery of Oasis must
be involved in this.
****
>  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.

****
I think the following should be added: "The anticipated lifetime of
the committee is [X] months, and a maintenance committee is/is not
foreseent at this time". I think the person submitting the proposal
should specify in the proposal the anticipated lifetime of the
committee.
****
>  
>     Once the committee has been formally constituted by the OASIS
>     Board of Directors, non-members will be removed from the
****
OK - I see here a motion to commit, but I see no process in the
rest of the outline as to how the Board gets there. Does the individual
appointed by the Board notify it of the prospective participants? Is
there some other mechanism? How long can the Board take? Can the Board
refuse to form the TC? Does the Board have to justify a negative action?
****
>     mailing list, and additions to the committee after that time
>     will be made only by special resolution of the board.

****
There is no mention of a TC chair. Is the chair elected by the members
of the TC or is it appointed by the Board? Is the chair automatically
the same person who submitted the statement of purpose?

Also: are special resolutions of the board needed for adding participants
to the committee? This could be a ponderous process. Why not let the
decision rest with the committee, either in the person of the chair
or as a committee vote?
****

>  
>     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
***
first mention of a plurality of leaders - perhaps it should be passim.
***
>  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.

***
Again: "The expected lifetime, etc."
***
>  
>     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
***
Does it have to be "at least"? Why not "on average"?
***
>        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
***
Too vague; how about "failure to attend two consecutive meetings"
***
>        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
***
Too vague; how about "failure to respond to two consecutive ballots in
a timely manner"
***
>        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.
***
Some reassurance that a change in procedures will not result in
the elimination of the committee may be needed at this point.
***
>  
>     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:
>  
***
My comments above apply equally below
***
>        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.

****
Jon, I think this is quite workable as an interim solution. My feeling
is that this is the most urgent piece of business for this group at
this point, and that once we've succeeded in ensuring the formation of
new committees we can proceed with the rest of the work.  The only
major holes/imperfections I can see in the above are, if I may repeat
myself:

a) what is the process whereby the Board commits?
b) what is the role, if any, of a chair?
c) how is the chair elected?
d) how are new participants approved?
e) who actually eliminates participants? The Board, the chair or the
group, by vote?

There is also the question of what is a committee's product, and
how does a committee terminate, but if we're confident that the whole
process will be rebooted, as it were, before any committee reaches that
stage, this should be no problem. I think.


Eduardo
****