[council] RAA amendment process

[Avri Doria]

Hi,


On 13 Jan 2009, at 08:39, Gomes, Chuck wrote:

> I just which someone on
> the Council could explain to me why we would not have been better off
> approving the current RAA amendments as they are rather than delaying
> them along with other possible future changes.  I haven't heard  
> anything
> yet that makes sense to me from a practical point of view.  Are there
> any of the proposed changes that would not be at least as good as  
> those
> in the existing RAA?  I understand other frustrations but in my  
> opinion
> they don't justify delaying some improvements any further than we have
> to.


I too voted for the RAA amendment and to some extent have similar  
views - something was better then nothing.

But,some very good reasons given by those who abstained or voted no.   
One important reason given was that they found the process flawed.   
Without agreeing that it necessarily was flawed, it is something that  
you and I probably should have realized much earlier - that without  
great advance work they possibly would at least appear flawed - and we  
all know what is said about appearances and reality.

There is also another reason often given by people against accepting  
the incomplete and imperfect  as at least some improvement, and that  
it that in the long run we will satisfy ourselves with the incomplete  
- there is often nothing so permanent as a temporay solution.  And  
this can hold despite the fact that we had a follow-up motion  
indicating we should continue the work.  This is one reason I have  
started sometimes putting the 'continue to work motions'  before  
policy decision vote.

Another reason some may have taken for voting against, was the very  
nature of the implementation.  Again we all should have understood  
that this was an issue of amending contracts at renewal time and not a  
consensus policy within the picket fence, much earlier in the process.  
Though I am sure that some on the council did understand. As chair and  
v-chair together with the policy staff, we should have realized there  
was a gap or difference in understanding the implications of a  
contract amendment and should have brought it into the light earlier.

At this point, the question does become:  What do we, as a council,  
wish to do next about the RAA?  Are we at the point where we need an  
issues report to try and take us back to ground 0.  Can we put  
together a PDP that will recommend consensus policy changes where that  
is the legitimate course and that recommends contract changes in place  
outside the range of consensus policy.  Can an issues report be  
written that makes these categories and which issues belong in which  
category clear to the council and community?

Another thing we obviously need to know is the implication for the  
amendments given the council not having approved them by a  
supermajoriy.  E.g. are some registrars likely to adopt them anyway?   
Can they do so if they wish - assuming the RrC believes they are good  
amendments?  What recourse does the board have at this point?

thanks
a.