Re: Appointment of a Transport Area Director

[Scott Brim <[e-mail]>]

I see three different factors being discussed together.

  - whether an AD needs technical expertise across the area

  - whether an AD's work hours can be decreased

  - what is TSV's problem anyway

The size of the job is mostly orthogonal from the level of technical
expertise required.  Most of the work is done by a directorate.  However,
even if that's true, it would be a mistake to have an AD overseeing a
directorate without understanding the issues the directorate deliberates.
I really disagree with some who believe the job should be reduced to
something more administrative and less technical, as a way to make it more
"appealing".  Someone has to set priorities, expedite, and make decisions
(lots of them - do not depend on directorates for your decisions).  That
requires technical competence.  Not deep knowledge of every protocol
field, but certainly an understanding of the issues each WG is grappling
with, and enough to ask difficult questions and understand the answers.

Is that too much for one AD?  Is the area too complex?  Then split the
area.  We must have leaders, and we must have them comprehend what they
are leading, so size the work for that while also keeping up the quality
of the leadership.

Scott