Re: WG management

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Henning,

Henning Schulzrinne wrote:
I suspect each regular IETF participant knows WGs that are well-led and others that could stand improvement. WG chairs are crucial in ensuring progress, but there doesn't seem to be any real, transparent evaluation of their efforts. Some possibilities:

(1) It is hard to "fire" WG chairs - they are often friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, many stay on when their job responsibilities have changed and they can no longer dedicate the necessary time.

Solution: Institute WG chair term limits of (say) one or two years. That way, there is an expectation of change and the possibility for more people to prove themselves. With two chairs, staggering terms ensures continuity.

I hope you don't mean a term limit. Making chair appointments annually
renewable might work - but limiting the pool of talent by imposing
term limits would be self-inflicted damage, IMHO.


(2) Some chairs are primarily active during the 3-week period prior to the IETF meeting and moderate the meeting. They should consider themselves project/product managers, not primarily as meeting moderators. WG chair training needs to involve basic project management training or WG selection should favor individuals that have demonstrated their ability to deliver projects and products and to manage people in doing so. If necessary, those with mostly technical interests can serve on directorates.

Yes. But don't forget we need on the order of 200 WG (co)chairs at any
time and we cannot afford to deplete the pool.


(3) All WGs should have a WG secretary as a "junior chair", keeping track of deadlines, LC comments and the like. WG secretaries need to be listed on the WG web page. The expectation is that a good WG secretary will be promoted to chair, thus providing an incentive. Some WGs do this today, but it seems rare. (I don't think any are listed on WG pages.)

Very often this is done by one of the co-chairs; it's a WG choice whether
they do it that way or appoint a secretary.

   Brian


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