[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [Elist Home]
Subject: Possible interim process fix
What follows is a possible interim procedure for creating new OASIS
technical committees and for recertifying existing OASIS TCs by
formally appointing their voting membership.
See the accompanying message "The TRAC reconsidered" for my motivation
in suggesting this strategy. Basically it's to minimize the work of
moving the interim structure to our long-term structure.
Note that this is a possible *interim* fix intended to sanction
technical committees under what appear to be our current rules.
The forms below are intended mostly as a demonstration of the concept.
I don't think that this bears much discussion until we've decided
whether this is the direction in which we want to go; see the
questions at the bottom of "The TRAC reconsidered."
Jon
========================================================================
1. We assume in every case the formation or prior existence of
an OASIS mailing list created at the direction of the board,
including a notification to the membership that a list has
been formed. I think that we are safe in assuming that this
has already occurred in the case of our existing committees.
2. The list or committee chair draws up
a. A charter that describes the work of the committee (an
abstract, not in detail).
b. A description of the committee's intended deliverables.
c. A description of the committee's anticipated meeting and
phone conference schedule for the calendar year 2000.
3. The list or committee chair asks the mail list for
nominations to voting membership. Prospective voting members
are asked to certify their intention to participate at the
level described.
a. In the case of new committees, the list chair waits a
week or so after the mail list has been formed and whatever
informal correspondence needed to set the expectations of
the group has taken place and then posts the notice below.
===========================================================
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS TO VOTING MEMBERSHIP: OASIS [name goes
here] TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
The OASIS [name goes here] Technical Committee is being
formed to [purpose of committee goes here].
[name(s)] have/has agreed to serve as chair(s) of the
proposed committee.
The proposed deliverables of the TC are as follows:
[description of deliverables goes here]
In calendar year 2000, the TC is expected to meet at [host,
location, date; host, location, date; ... or other language
describing meeting plans].
[OPTIONAL] The TC also intends to meet regularly by phone,
[name of sponsoring company or other agency] having agreed
to provide phone conference services for calendar year
2000.
Upon startup, the TC will consist in effect of a set of
voting members and a set of non-voting observers. The
voting members will be those who have been appointed by the
OASIS Board of Directors from among persons nominating
themselves in response to this call. Note that voting
members must be able to promise attendance at meetings in
order to meet quorum requirements. Therefore, OASIS
members wishing to track and comment upon the work of the
TC in the mailing list but not to attend its meetings
regularly should *not* apply for voting membership.
Members of this list willing to commit to voting
participation in the OASIS [name goes here] Technical
Committee are hereby requested to respond to this list no
later than [date] with the following statement:
I understand that OASIS committees regularly meet in
person or by phone as determined by the committee or by
the OASIS Board of Directors and that participation in
the [name goes here] TC will require me to attend most
of its meetings. Based on the estimated meeting
schedule given above, I certify that I have the means
and the interest to attend such meetings and that I
intend to do so.
I understand that the TC cannot transact business in the
absence of a quorum or take action by mail ballot
without the active participation of its members and that
therefore failure to attend meetings and vote in mail
ballots 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.
[member signature block goes here]
===========================================================
b. In the case of existing committees, the chair posts a
notice with an explanatory preface like the one shown here.
===========================================================
To members of the [name goes here] committee:
The OASIS Board of Directors recently appointed a Process
Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the board regarding
procedures to be followed in OASIS technical committees
under the current OASIS bylaws and to develop suggestions
for changes to the bylaws that will enhance the scalability
of the OASIS process.
According to PAC analysis so far, our current bylaws, if
strictly applied, require the voting membership of
committees to be approved by the Board of Directors.
However, the appointment of specific members has the
procedural implication that a majority of those voting
members have to be present in meetings and phone
conferences for the committee to conduct formal business,
and it takes a majority of the voting membership in email
to officially decide anything. So it's necessary to
distinguish the members of this list who can actually
commit to attending meetings and phone conferences from
members who wish only to track the progress of the
committee and participate in mail dicussions.
The board is therefore requesting all current OASIS
technical committees to formally nominate voting members
who can commit to attending committee meetings and respond
to votes put to them by the chair. It also wants to use
this occasion to get our estimated deliverables and meeting
schedule for the coming year.
[chairs of existing technical committees are permitted at
this point to insert a paragraph expressing their opinion
that this is all a lot of silly nonsense, but what can one
do, &c.]
I've prepared a description of our committee and a formal
call for nominations to voting membership below. Please
review the charter and meeting information and then decide
whether you want to nominate yourself to serve as a voting
member of the committee.
Please note that the current composition of this mail list
will not change on approval of voting members. The primary
difference is that a subset of the list will now be able to
pass formal resolutions on behalf of the group in
accordance with current OASIS bylaws.
Best regards,
[name of list chair]
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS TO VOTING MEMBERSHIP: OASIS [name goes
here] TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
The OASIS [name goes here] Technical Committee is being
recertified to [clause describing the work goes here].
The chair(s) of the TC is/are [name(s) go(es) here].
The proposed deliverables of the TC are as follows:
[description of deliverables goes here]
In calendar year 2000, the TC is expected to meet at [host,
location, date; host, location, date; ... or other language
describing meeting plans].
[OPTIONAL] The TC also intends to meet regularly by phone,
[name of sponsoring company or other agency] having agreed
to provide phone conference services for calendar year
2000.
Upon recertification, the voting members of the TC will be
those who have been appointed by the OASIS Board of
Directors from among persons nominating themselves in
response to this call. Note that voting members must be
able to promise attendance at meetings in order to meet
quorum requirements. Therefore, OASIS members wishing to
track and comment upon the work of the TC in the mailing
list but not to attend its meetings regularly should *not*
apply for voting membership.
Members of this list willing to commit to voting
participation in the OASIS [name goes here] Technical
Committee are hereby requested to respond to this list no
later than [date] with the following statement:
I understand that OASIS committees regularly meet in
person or by phone as determined by the committee or by
the OASIS Board of Directors and that participation in
the [name goes here] TC will require me to attend most
of its meetings. Based on the estimated meeting
schedule given above, I certify that I have the means
and the interest to attend such meetings and that I
intend to do so.
I understand that the TC cannot transact business in the
absence of a quorum or take action by mail ballot
without the active participation of its members and that
therefore failure to attend meetings and vote in mail
ballots 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.
[member signature block goes here]
===========================================================
4. When the time specified in the call for participation is
up, the chair gathers together the names that have been
submitted and sends an appropriate message to the board.
==============================================================
FORM FOR REQUESTING THE CREATION OR RECERTIFICATION OF AN
OASIS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
To the OASIS Board of Directors, greetings.
Background
[In the case of a new committee:]
Members of the [name of mail list] have proposed to form
an OASIS technical committee chartered to [purpose of
committee goes here].
The proposed deliverables of the TC are as follows:
[description of deliverables goes here]
[In the case of an existing committee:]
Members of the [name of committee] have recently
reviewed their charter, which is to [purpose of
committee goes here].
The planned deliverables of the TC are as follows:
[description of deliverables goes here]
[Then continue:]
In calendar year 2000, the TC is expected to meet at [host,
location, date; host, location, date; ... or other language
describing meeting plans]
[OPTIONAL] The TC also intends to meet regularly by phone,
[name of sponsoring company or other agency] having agreed
to provide phone conference services for calendar year
2000.
The following OASIS members and employees of OASIS member
organizations have nominated themselves to serve as voting
members of the TC and have accepted the proposed charter,
deliverables, and meeting schedule.
[name, contact info]
[name, contact info]
[name, contact info]...[include name of chair]...
The [proposed] chair of the TC is [name of chair or
proposed chair goes here].
[If a new committee:]
As chair of the [list name goes here] list, I hereby
request that the Board of Directors create the OASIS
[name goes here] Technical Committee and empower it to
fulfill its proposed charter, including the power to
form such subcommittees as are provided by parliamentary
authority.
[signature block of list chair goes here]
[If an existing committee:]
As chair of the [name goes here] TC, I hereby request
that the Board of Directors recertify the TC and empower
it to fulfill its proposed charter, including the power
to form such subcommittees as are provided by
parliamentary authority.
[signature block of TC chair goes here]
==============================================================
5. The board then considers a resolution creating the new
committee or recertifying the existing one.
==============================================================
FORM OF RESOLUTION FOR CREATION OR RECERTIFICATION OF AN OASIS
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Resolution of the Board
[If a new committee:]
Be it resolved, that the OASIS [name of TC] be created
with [name] as its chair and that the OASIS members
listed in the message copied below be appointed its
voting members.
[If an existing committee:]
Be it resolved, that the OASIS [name of TC] be
recertified with [name] as its chair and that the OASIS
members listed in the message copied below be appointed
its voting members.
[Then continue:]
Be it further resolved, that the [name of TC] be empowered
to fulfill its charter stated below, including the power to
form such subcommittees as are provided by parliamentary
authority.
Record of Vote on the Resolution of the Board
Date: [date goes here]
Voting to approve the resolution: [names go here]
Voting against the resolution: [names go here]
Abstaining: [names go here]
Certified by [name of Secretary of OASIS] for the Board of
Directors.
[Copy of request from list or committee chair, including
background statement and list of nominees, is copied in here.]
==============================================================
[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [Elist Home]
Powered by eList eXpress LLC