Stephen I think you’ve read and reacted to this too quickly. The LLC goal given to it by the community, to achieve a high level of transparency, means that there is a lot being presented for comment here all in one go. If the time is too short to allow proper absorption and analysis then I’m more than happy to extend the deadline. More detailed response below: > On 4/05/2020, at 12:48 PM, Stephen Farrell <stephen.farrell@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > Hiya, > > To be clear: I fully accept Jay's bona-fides here, > and those of whomever he has already had discussions > with about this. IOW, I think this is a well > intentioned, but fundamentally misguided, ask. > > On 04/05/2020 01:19, IETF Executive Director wrote: >> This email now begins a two week consultation on this Draft Strategic >> Plan 2020, closing on Monday 18 May. > I don't think that deadline is acceptable. (*) > > I think it's a fine idea for the LLC folks to be planning > how to do things better. I'm allergic to that being done > as a "strategic" review. The LLC needs to be mostly driven > by the wishes of the community. If the community do not > have a 3-5 year strategy (and we clearly do not:-) then I > don't see how the LLC can, It’s nowhere near as simple as that. The community has taken plenty of action that is strategic and is intended for 3-5 year timescale or longer. The creation of the LLC is one of those strategic acts and in creating the LLC the community explicitly gave it some strategic objectives, which this draft tries to document as: * To secure long-term funding for the LLC/IETF/IRTF/IAB that is more than sufficient to meet their plans. * To provide the high quality planning and support services required for the IETF to hold productive meetings both in-person and online. It’s true that there is no document entitled "IETF Community 3-5 year strategy" but there are plenty of strategic groups and strategic initiatives that have been completed or are underway, such as the whole IASA2 work or the current IAB program on the RFC Editor Future Development. The lack of a single reference to the outputs of those doesn’t mean they can’t be used as strategic inputs. There may be some elements where you feel the draft goes further than anything document, in which case let’s discuss it. > without the LLC risking, or > being perceived to be risking, usurping the community's > control over the whole shebang. The first safeguard against that is to enshrine community control as a core value. This draft strategy does that with three core values just to be sure: * Trusted. The LLC will uphold the values and policies of the IETF/IRTF/IAB as if they were its own. * Responsive. The LLC will act consistently with the documented consensus of the IETF community, adapt its decisions in response to consensus-based community guidance, and engage with the community to obtain consensus-based guidance for how it operates where none exists. * Focused. The LLC will focus solely on its defined role and within its defined mandate. The second safeguard is to define the strategy process in a way that ensures community control. This draft strategy does that with two core transformations: * LLC strategy closely aligned with the strategic objectives of IESG, IRSG and IAB * Open, annual strategy process that captures community requests/suggestions in a structured process If those safeguards are insufficient or badly worded then please recommend how they could be strengthened. > > I suggest we cancel this and find another way for the > community to set 3-5 year priorities for the LLC. That > should start by asking what the community think could > be improved maybe. (But it should start with questions > and not proposals.) The end goal we are all aiming for is a strategy that is community-led and delivers community requirements. To achieve that, a balance has to be made between the time it takes to start with a blank page and the risk of leading the conversation by starting with a proposal. Given the length of time the LLC has been operating, how long it took to appoint the permanent ED and the tasks facing it, it seemed appropriate to start with a detailed proposal rather than a blank page. I should also note that much of this was already foreshadowed by the sharing of my goals [1] > As a concrete example of why this 2 week review is (IMO) > not acceptable, I fundamentally disagree with this as a > positive proposition: > > "LLC strategy closely aligned with the strategic > objectives of IESG, IRSG and IAB" > > The IESG and IAB do not have objectives in a 3-5 year time > frame as personnel rotate more often than that. The draft has multiple parts to it, only one of which is 3-5 year goals. The bulk of it is the strategic transformations that are 1-3 years and so fit well with personnel rotation cycles. > The IRSG > are the RG chairs and at-large members selected by the IRTF > chair, who is selected by the IAB. (To be open: I was on > the IESG, and am currently on the IAB and IRSG.) The people > with whom I've served on those bodies were almost all > ones with whom I'd happily work again, but neither I nor > they can IMO validly set "strategic objectives" in that > timeframe, nor could they act as entities with whom the > LLC's "strategy" could be aligned, in that timeframe. You’re missing the point. The IESG/IRSG/IAB can choose whether or not to have a strategy, that is up to them. If they choose to have one then we need to make sure that the LLC strategy aligns with their strategies and is not off in a different direction. > > No discussion of whether or not the concern I express here > is crazy or sane could be sorted out in 2 weeks. Therefore a > 2 week deadline is unacceptable. I’m more than happy to extend - can you suggest a deadline or would you like it open-ended? Jay > > Cheers, > S. > > (*) I'm only objecting to the deadline in this mail. I > plan a more substantive response where I might well object > to the entire concept of the LLC having a "strategy" > without that term being highly qualified. > <0x5AB2FAF17B172BEA.asc> [1] https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/ietf-announce/tlGE60p0HACGrP4osnQ1RAjc9Mw/ -- Jay Daley IETF Executive Director jay@xxxxxxxx
