[Chapter-delegates] Ways for the board to move forward if we agree the chapters should have a more active role.

[Timothy Denton]

All:
These are reasonable proposals, and would seem to be the price the 
centre should pay to call itself a bottom-up organization, and to 
connect the Board to the Chapters.

If a proposal like this has come up every few years for a decade, 
perhaps it is time to act upon it.

Timothy Denton
Chairman
Canada Chapter

On 4/9/2016 4:20 AM, Dave Burstein wrote:
> Folks
>
> Earlier today, chapters at the North America meeting stressed the 
> importance of the chapter role. Below are two suggestions of policies 
> the board should immediately adopt. To get this going, I write this 
> personally but I have listened to many. Most of us have seen the 
> comments on the mailing list.
>
> Kathy Brown came in with strong support for involving the chapters 
> more deeply and making ISOC a "bottom up, multi-stakeholder" 
> organization. She's done an excellent job getting the chapters to 
> speak up. But decision-making at ISOC is very much a top down system 
> concentrated at the top.
>
> I'm told by a former board member that proposals like this have come 
> up every two or three years for a decade. There was general agreement 
> but little action, At ISOC, the senior staff is principled and 
> dedicated to working cooperatively. That's why I think we can do much 
> better. I understand it is very hard for those running any institution 
> to yield any power. It doesn't have to be impossible.
>
> I suggest the board immediately set two simple policies:
>
>
>   First, that staff discussin depth with the relevant chapters any
>   major policy move, _before the policy is decided._ (Unless time is
>   very short.) This is the right way to run the organization. It also
>   will lead to better policy choices.
>
>   Our staff is skilled but not expert in everything. For example, a
>   top staffer made a forceful policy recommendation that would have
>   resulted in 30-50% less wireless capacity in Kenya. (LTE Carrier
>   Aggregation efficiency takes some study to understand,) Most of us
>   lack detailed knowledge of the networks in other countries. The
>   frequent result In an ITU filing, we insisted on competition as the
>   solution. The context was mostly about bringing broadband to rural
>   regions that have difficulty attracting even a single provider.
>   Competition can be great but doesn't work everywhere.
>
>   This can be as simple as the staffer involved writing a note to the
>   mailing list. It would explain what policy changes are being
>   considered and who we would be working with. A joint effort with the
>   World Wide Web Consortium is very different from a similar alliance
>   with, say, Jacob Zuma's South Africa. If people speak up, they need
>   to be treated with respect and the issues discussed in depth. Most
>   of the time we'll move forward with very little extra effort.
>   --------------------------------------
>
>   Second, the board should propose that ISOC start immediately on a
>   program to allow chapters to decide how to spend, say, 3% of the
>   ISOC budget. Jason made the sensible decision on coordinating this
>   through the new Chapters' Committee. If the principle is agreed, the
>   details can be worked out quickly.
>
>   I suggest we start modestly, making a $2,000-$10,000 allocation to
>   each active chapter. The guideline would be to spend the money as
>   ISOC is currently spending funds on chapter support: events,
>   expenses to F2F events, web sites, necessary fees for non-profit
>   status, ... These are expenses that ISOC is often covering today,
>   but with an inefficient process.
>
>   It should be accompanied by serious but easy to follow rules
>   on accountability.  For example, any amount spent above petty cash
>   must be reported on a simple web form within 30 days and posted so
>   others can see where the money is going, Someone independent should
>   check the accuracy of the bank account fairly regularly.
>
>   Sure there will be some wastage, but there's some waste in
>   everYthing we do. Modest supervision should keep it under control.
>
>   ----------------------
>   Improvements welcome.
>
>   Everyone, including the board, has been in general agreement on
>   deepening the chapter role.
>
>   Time to make it so.
>
>   Dave Burstein
>   (who is separately requesting from the chair two minutes of the time
>   set aside at this evening's open board discussion.)
>
>
>
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-- 
Timothy Denton 613 789 5397 613 222 1850 mobile
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