Re: draft-sullivan-nomcom-chair-select-00

['Andrew Sullivan' <[e-mail]>]

Hi,

On Mon, Feb 14, 2022 at 03:38:22PM -0000, Adrian Farrel wrote:

>the RFCs, listen to the experience and advice of past chairs, and could do a
>passable job. (Let me suggest, without sucking-up, that it wouldn't be
>beyond your own capabilities.)

One bit of experience I bring to this is the year I was the IAB
liaison to the NomCom.  What was interesting to me there was how
surprised I was by several of the process things that touched us with
which I was unfamiliar.  I thought I had a pretty good handle on all
the IETF processes, but this area is pretty arcane.  Worse, because
8713 (and its predecessors) leave so many things open for each NomCom
to choose for themselves, all you have to go on are the notes from
prior Chairs and whatever observations the then-current Past Chair
might have.  (In some cases, you're on your own, because nobody
remembers how a given issue was sorted last time, and anyway all the
past records are sealed.)  This issue of hyper-secrecy tends to
discourage wide sharing, so I tend to feel that the experience in some
way of at least one NomCom is pretty important.  Finally, when Barbara
agreed a couple years ago to do this work (thank you Barbara!) despite
never having been in a NomCom in any capacity, she did so in part
relying on the idea that she could ask for certain advisors -- an idea
I supported strongly.  But someone in the community objected and the
procedures meant that the objection carried.  I felt terrible about
this, because I felt that I'd put Barbara in a position where she
thought she would have some resources that I was then unable to
provide.

To be fair, on the other hand, you're likely right that a hard
requirement is too strong (and it's not one I've always used myself).
It also really pinches the candidate pool.  So perhaps this should be
adjusted to "strongly encouraged" or something like that.  Thanks.

>This is great, but it doesn't say that nomination of others is also
>encouraged (or discouraged). I hope it is your intention to allow one person
>to suggest the name of another person.

Yes, of course.  Thanks.

>I wonder whether a little more job description would go some way to
>encouraging (self-)nominations.

I think I could say what _I_ think the job is.  What would thrill me
more is if past Chairs had a wiki page or something about things that
are common issues that crop up for them.

Thanks for the comments!

Best regards,

A

-- 
Andrew Sullivan
President & CEO, Internet Society
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