[Chapter-delegates] Issues facing Chapters

[Evan Leibovitch]

Hello all.

A few comments, not in any particular order:

   1. ISOC Global, whether it is aware or not, has a tremendous pool of
   untapped knowledge and presence that could be of immense value to chapters.
   To take just one example, ISOC has a presence at just about every major
   Internet Governance event (ITU, ICANN, IGF, etc etc). As a participant it
   is aware of who is at these meetings representing governments, businesses
   and civil society. Such intelligence can be easily assembled into a
   database that is usable by chapters at the local level so they know, at
   very least, who is supposedly representing their local community's
   interests at the international level. At very least ISOC can provide such
   local intelligence to each chapter; ideally, they could be helping to
   introduce their chapters to their representatives.


   2. A similar form of intelligence can be useful for sponsorships. While
   ISOC has relationships with many multinationals as organizational members,
   it is in the interests of both these members and the chapters to have
   positive relationships between chapters and these orgs' local offices. Even
   in (maybe especially in!) countries that don't have a specific presence by
   the multinational, a relationship with local chapters can be mutually
   beneficial. It is in the common interest of ISOC Global and its chapters to
   develop a strategy to engage organizational members (and to extend this
   into a corporate outreach strategy that may appeal to potential
   organizational members who need more convincing.)

   Now that ISOC Global is no longer competing with chapters for funding,
   we have some really good opportunities to create "sponsorship pools" into
   which multinationals can contribute, that is distributed to chapters and
   split based on a formula TBD. Such initiative suggests both innovation, and
   reflects the kind of corporate cultural evolution that ISOC needs to show
   the world.


   3. Far, far, FAR more needs to be done on the policy side, notably in
   explaining complex Internet issues in simple terms in multiple languages. I
   would go as far as to say that, in my personal bias, public policy
   education is the one area in which ISOC is most badly needed by the world,
   and where it is doing the least. Making Internet technology issues
   understandable and localized is IMO one of the primary tasks of a chapter.
   ISOC Global cannot possibly do this alone. But also the Chapters need the
   support of Global policy staff, as well as a more full commitment to
   bottom-up policy development as the issues are better understood at the
   bottom.

   There is much to be learned (and inspired) from the Deploy 360 approach
   which I consider one of ISOC's successes; but that program is not targeted
   at the public and cannot simply be tuned in that direction.


   4. I believe that the annual grant to chapters should not necessarily be
   earmarked for events, and should be allowed to be used for general
   outreach, education and operational costs. I would also tie the annual
   amount to ISOC general revenue, increasing if it rises and falling if it
   drops. Share the benefit, share the pain. Common interest.

   Having said that, I do not believe that ISOC Global has an obligation to
   fund chapter staff; nevertheless, there are innovative approaches (such as
   the "sponsor pool" mentioned above) that ISOC can implement to increase
   Chapters' ability to attract extra revenues (as well as its own).


   5. Regarding media engagement: as ISOC staff know, this is a personal
   passion of mine as well as my traditional career bent. I have made some
   proposals on this subject, including one that constituted an unsuccessful
   community grant application last year. I am continuing to engage staff on
   this issue and have given it substantial ongoing analysis. ISOC ought to be
   viewed as the definitive authority on end-user interests in the Internet in
   every locality in which it has a presence either directly or through a
   Chapter; IMO a successful media strategy demands that as an objective. I
   would add that this is not a rich-country/poor-country issue; ISOC's
   presence in the IT mainstream *everywhere* is far from optimal.

   As one hint: I am an enthusiastic backer of the "Internet Strong"
   campaign theme and believe that both ISOC Global and ISOC Chapters can and
   should do far more to leverage this into a global, decentralized media
   strategy. As a start, I suggest a Working Group that includes media-minded
   Chapter members and ISOC's own media staff.


-- 
Evan Leibovitch
Toronto Canada

Em: evan at telly dot org
Sk: evanleibovitch
Tw: el56
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