Subject: IETF Process Evolution

From: IETF Chair <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 11:21:18 -0400

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 [email-masked],
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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