[Chapter-delegates] On more effective engagement (was Re: 2024 ISOC Board of Trustees Elections Results)

[Flávio Rech Wagner]

Dear Andrew

Thanks for your request to better explain my comment. It is in fact a 
mix of the possibilities you suggested.

There is, indeed, a feeling, which we believe is also shared with at 
least a few other chapter leaders, that there isn't enough space to 
contribute to ISOC plans and positions from the very beginning. Chapter 
inputs are seen more as a consultation to check if the ideas previously 
formulated are okay. We would be first in line to recognize that the 
staff and the Board are very open to the suggestions we present, but 
this usually happens through direct conversations, rather than through a 
structured dialogue process between the org and the community. We do 
know that involving such a large number of chapters and groups from 
scratch is difficult and many will not properly seize this opportunity, 
but we also dedicate a lot of our time as volunteers to this work and 
believe that we would be able to achieve more impactful results with 
more participation in defining principles and goals, not restricted to 
few options that were already narrowed down from a much larger universe 
of possibilities.

If the staff and the Board think that this level of deeper involvement 
would be viable and fruitful, but would like to think together (with the 
chapters and groups) on how to get there, we would be happy to actively 
participate in any consultations with the wider ISOC community on the 
subject.

Best,

Flávio


> Hi,
>
> On Tue, Apr 09, 2024 at 10:13:09AM -0300, Flávio Rech Wagner via 
> Chapter-delegates wrote:
>
>> And I hope you can help increase opportunities for chapters to engage 
>> more effectively with the Board and with the senior staff in relevant 
>> issues, such as the definition of ISOC´s priorities, strategies, and 
>> positions on policy issues.
>
> The above suggests to me one (or more) of the following possibilities:
>
> • that there is some feeling that the consultations that happened over 
> the course of 2023 that were part of the development of the 
> soon-to-be-published 2030 strategic plan were not adequate or effective;
>
> • that there is some feeling that the policy development process we 
> have in place does not adequately engage the chapters;
>
> • that the engagement on either of the above is sufficient in quantity 
> but somehow ineffective;
>
> • something else.
>
> It would be extremely helpful to know which of these you're thinking 
> and any suggestions you might have to make things different.  At the 
> moment, I understand there is a complaint but I don't know what it is 
> or what kind of action anyone might take to try to address it.
>
> Best regards,
>
> A
>
-- 
Prof. Flávio Rech Wagner		

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Instituto de Informática
Porto Alegre, Brasil

Presidente da Internet Society Brasil
flavio at inf.ufrgs.br, info at isoc.org.br
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