There has been quite a bit of community discussion of IETF process
change in recent months. Obviously, process changes must obtain
rough consensus in the IETF and follow the procedures in place
(principally RFC 2026 today). However, past experience has shown
that general discussion of IETF process change on the main IETF
list, or in a normal working group, rapidly tends towards divergent
opinions with consensus being extremely hard and slow to establish.
On the other hand, we have experience that discussion of simply
formulated principles and of consistent process proposals can be
constructive and convergent.
This note describes a method of starting the next phase of IETF
IETF process change, possibly including updating the change process
itself.
As IETF Chair, I intend to lead a short term design team, to be
known as PESCI (Process Evolution Study Committee of the IETF).
I will request PESCI to
- review recent discussions on IETF process changes
- identify a concise set of goals and principles for process change
- publish these for comment and seek IETF debate and rough consensus
The target is to have a draft of goals and principles by IETF64.
The next steps will depend on the agreed goals and principles
after this debate. It is very likely that we will need
a process that will generate a consistent set of proposals
and a sequence for implementing them, with target dates. It is
also likely that the first proposal will be a new process for
process change. And it's a given that open discussion and
rough consensus, in accordance with IETF principles, will
be required.
A non-binding proposal for the next steps is appended to this
message.
Given the short time until the next IETF, the team will have to
start very soon and work quite intensively. If you would like to
volunteer for the PESCI team or nominate someone to serve on it,
please send me email immediately. I want to create the team within
a week.
Brian Carpenter
IETF Chair
N.B. The open discussion list will be pesci-discuss@ietf.org,
but it hasn't yet been created at the time of sending this message.
-----
Possible next steps after the PESCI goals and principles are agreed:
- decide whether to renew the PESCI design team (assumed below)
or use an alternative discussion forum
- consider various process change proposals from any source
- reach a team consensus on a consistent set of proposals
and a sequence for implementing them, with target dates. All
proposals must embed the principle of rough IETF consensus and
must provide an appeal mechanism.
- one of the proposals, likely the first, may be a proposal
for a new process for process change
- post the proposals as Internet-Drafts intended for publication
as BCPs
- seek IETF-wide rough consensus on these drafts
- legal considerations, IASA financial considerations, and
considerations of practicality raised by current or past
Area Directors, WG Chairs and the like will be given special
consideration. If IETF consensus appears to be for a proposal
which is legally, financially or practically unacceptable,
PESCI will need to convince the community to change its mind.
To enable this, as relevant, the ADs, IAB members and IAOC
members including the IAD will be asked to provide personal
input specifically on the feasibility of implementing the
proposed process changes as they affect their specific roles.
- forward proposals for approval as BCPs* and acceptance by
the ISOC Board. Until such time as the new process for process
change has been approved, the proposals will be submitted
directly to the General Area Director and the approval body
will be the IESG. However, the IESG members' principal chance
to comment on and influence the proposals is prior to their
forwarding for approval.
*An alternative would be to use the mechanism described in
RFC 3933, if consensus was weak. In particular, this can be
used to experiment with the practicality of ideas.
Additional conditions for PESCI's work
- a subsidiary goal is to end up with a clearly defined
and interlocked set of process documents, rather than
a patchwork of updates to existing documents
- PESCI will provide an open mailing list where discussion
with the community will be encouraged. It will
issue regular (monthly?) progress reports and generally
operate as transparently as possible. Discussion in IETF
plenary sessions is also expected.
- nothing in this proposal prevents ongoing operational
improvements within the current process.
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