Re: process for workprocess cte

[Terry Allen <tallen@sonic.net>]

Jon wrote, in a message to the first part of which I responded
earlier:
| 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.

Yes.  One solution would be to modify the rules about quora, but let's
defer that till later.

| 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.)

Can't find the citation, but I believe a committee per Robert's must
have at least two members.  I am concerned that existing "committees"
(which aren't really committees because they weren't appointed 
correctly) could be decimated, with concomitant loss of moral 
authority.  And somehow we must allow people to listen in.

| 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.

I generally concur in Eduardo's comments and won't repeat them.

| 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

don't understand that typology; how about just "all OASIS members".

|    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.

to whom should these statements be sent?  presumably the discussion
leaders. 

|    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

when did nonmembers get onto the list to begin with?

|    mailing list, and additions to the committee after that time
|    will be made only by special resolution of the board.

That just won't work.  Members must be able to join a committee
without decision of the board.  The guy who was on vacation when
the list was formed should be able to check in when he gets back.
We probably need an advisory committee (thanks to Eduardo for this
lunchtime suggestion) to relieve the board of the burden of managing
these committees.

[This business of committee membership being closed except for board
action is one of the aspects of Robert's that seems to me least in
accord with the kind of activity we have in mind.  In fact, considering
that we want to be able to host discussions that originate outside
OASIS, the notion of creating committees from the OASIS membership
doesn't quite match our aims.]

Anyway at this point, it has been said that the board is going
to form a committee, and volunteers have mooted their qualifications.
Note this below.

|    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.

Here's the point below.  Why the second solicitation?  The list
subscribers have already been asked to volunteer.  And again,
why the division of members into three classes?  This is partly
explained below:

|    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]:

An institutional member has no individual corporeal being.  Do
you mean, "the institutional member's contact"?

|       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

It might not be bad to allow an itinerary of meetings to be published
before members sign up to go anywhere to meet.

|       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
                                              ^ sly!
|       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]:

I've pointed out elsewhere that this may be too big a commitment 
to ask for up front, as its timing will certainly not match 
existing budget cycles.

 ...

|       she is unable to participate under the new criteria.

And then what?  Presumably, the whole pile of messages goes to
the board with some statement by the discussion leader.

regards, Terry