[council] Regarding working group membership

[Gomes, Chuck]

Bruce,

Your suggested approach seems to be on a sound track.  We need to
maintain a balance of openness and effectiveness.  In that regard, we
may want to consider some means of dealing with non-constructive
behavior both for observers and members.  I am not saying that because
of any problems I have seen in recent task forces and working groups
because I haven't.  It may be that the chairs of task forces and working
groups can successfully manage non-constructive behavior; in fact, I
would suggest that that is where it should start.  But if any such
behavior continues after requests for change, there may need to be means
of removing members or observers.  I don't think it would be too hard to
build in checks and balances so that people are not unfairly removed.

Chuck Gomes
 
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-council at gnso.icann.org 
> [mailto:owner-council at gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Bruce Tonkin
> Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 5:06 PM
> To: Council GNSO
> Subject: RE: [council] Regarding working group membership
> 
> Hello Ross,
> 
> > 
> > Until such time that the constituencies can provide the 
> diversity of 
> > input that our processes require, we should seriously consider 
> > implementing a temporary framework that would allow for greater 
> > participation in the working groups and task forces without 
> the high 
> > bar that qualifying as an expert (or creating a new constituency) 
> > requires in situations where a stakeholder has applied for 
> membership 
> > in a constituency, but does not qualify due to the narrow 
> > qualification criteria employed by a constituency.
> 
> I have had the opportunity to discuss this idea with a few 
> people in Marina Del Ray (but unfortunately didn't get time 
> for a wider discussion with the whole group).
> 
> I note that with the new gTLD committee we have supported the 
> participation of observers in the physical meetings including 
> listening
> to their views on issues.   
> 
> I therefore recommend the following:
> 
> "Observers: Observers shall not be members of or entitled to 
> vote on the working group, but otherwise shall be entitled to 
> participate on equal
> footing with members of the working group.   In particular observers
> will be able to join the mailing list, and attend 
> teleconferences or physical meetings."
> 
> To guard against some of the behaviour that can occur with 
> unregulated mailing lists, observers must provide their real 
> name, organisation (if associated with an organisation) and 
> contact details to the GNSO secretariat, and the GNSO 
> secretariat will verify at least their email
> address and phone contact information.   Observers will also be
> requested to provide a public statement of interest, as for 
> working group members.
> 
> Where a person joins an already established working group, 
> this will be on the basis that it is their responsibility to 
> read the existing documents, listen to teleconference 
> recordings, and read the mailing list discussions before 
> commenting on topics that have already been dealt with by the 
> working group.
> 
> Note that staff should still encourage participants to join 
> one of the established GNSO constituencies where the observer 
> appears to meet the criteria for membership.
> 
> Please let me know if you have any issues or changes to make 
> on this suggestion over the next 7 days, otherwise I will 
> direct staff to allow observers.  This will be fairly 
> consistent with how we have handled liaisons in the past. 
> 
>  E.g From the ICANN bylaws:
> 
> "There may also be two liaisons to the GNSO Council, one 
> appointed by each of the Governmental Advisory Committee and 
> the At-Large Advisory Committee from time to time, who shall 
> not be members of or entitled to vote on the GNSO Council, 
> but otherwise shall be entitled to participate on equal 
> footing with members of the GNSO Council. "
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Bruce Tonkin
> 
> 
> 
>