Hi All,
The IESG has been considering steps we can take to improve
the effectiveness of our internal document handling procedures. We
recognize that:
- There are problems with the scalability, openness and overall
effectiveness of our current internal processes.
- We want to improve them, in a careful and responsible way.
- We can do a lot of good by making improvements in this area.
To assist us in this effort, we are forming a Process & Tools Team
(PROTO team). The PROTO team will review internal IESG procedures and
make recommendations to the IESG regarding ways to increase their
scalability and efficiency.
Background
==========
Within the IETF, organizational roles and document production
processes are defined at two levels. BCPs (e.g., RFC 2418 and RFC
2026) contain a high-level definition of the IETF roles and document
process, but with many of the lower-level implementation details left
to the discretion of the IESG and Secretariat. Over the years, the
IESG has developed detailed internal procedures for document handling,
WG formation and rechartering, BOF handling, etc. In some cases,
those procedures are assisted by tools, such as the I-D tracker. In
other cases, processes were developed and have evolved in response to
day-to-day operational experience. In some cases, these processes are
not formally documented.
The split between high-level formal process and lower-level details
has served the community well, allowing the community to guide the
structure of the IETF at a high level, without requiring the IESG to
go through a consensus process regarding every detail of its internal
procedures and tools. It also allows the IESG to adjust its internal
processes relatively easily as situations warrant.
The IESG recognizes that there are some areas in which we can improve
our internal procedures, without requiring changes to existing BCPs.
For example, we could make changes to our document handling procedures
and tools to allow WG chairs to shepherd documents through the later
document stages. To give this some concreteness, this might entail
adding new document states to the I-D tracker, just to give one
example.
The PROTO Team
==============
One identified task for the PROTO Team is to consider and recommend
updates to our internal procedures and tools that will increase the
visibility and control that WGs have with regards to the shepherding
of their documents through the later stages of document handling. For
example, ADs currently shepherd documents once the WG hands them to
the IESG. There is no inherent reason why WG chairs could not be more
involved in getting closure on issues raised during the later stages
of document processing (e.g., IETF Last Call, IESG comments,
etc.). Indeed, we believe that having WG chairs be more involved in
the later stages of document approval would have benefits and could
increase the speed at which documents become approved.
The PROTO Team will publish progress reports for community review and
feedback as appropriate. Proposed changes will be experimentally
tested with target user groups before being deployed IETF-wide. The
procedures involve the work of the entire community, but as they are
ultimately for the support of document approval, the approval of the
PROTO Team changes will be by the IESG.
The PROTO Team will include at least two IESG members, the IETF
Executive Director and several other members of the community who will
be chosen to represent a wide range of skills, backgrounds and
perspectives. The team itself will operate under the guidance and
authority of the IESG.
If you are interested in volunteering for this team, please contact:
Allison Mankin <mankin@psg.com> or Margaret Wasserman
<margaret.wasserman@nokia.com> by Wednesday, December 17th. Allison
and Margaret will lead the PROTO Team.
Comments/suggestions on this proposal can be sent to iesg@ietf.org.
