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Checking references for intended status: Best Current Practice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (See RFCs 3967 and 4897 for information about using normative references to lower-maturity documents in RFCs) No issues found here. Summary: 0 errors (**), 0 flaws (~~), 1 warning (==), 1 comment (--). Run idnits with the --verbose option for more detailed information about the items above. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 shmoo M. Duke 3 Internet-Draft F5 Networks, Inc. 4 Intended status: Best Current Practice 17 May 2021 5 Expires: 18 November 2021 7 Considerations for Cancellation of IETF Meetings 8 draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meeting-03 10 Abstract 12 The IETF holds three in-person meetings per year to discuss and 13 understand issues. However, various emergencies can make a planned 14 in-person meeting infeasible. This document provides criteria for 15 making this judgment. 17 Status of This Memo 19 This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the 20 provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79. 22 Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering 23 Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute 24 working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet- 25 Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/. 27 Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months 28 and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any 29 time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference 30 material or to cite them other than as "work in progress." 32 This Internet-Draft will expire on 18 November 2021. 34 Copyright Notice 36 Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the 37 document authors. All rights reserved. 39 This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal 40 Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (https://trustee.ietf.org/ 41 license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. 42 Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights 43 and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components 44 extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text 45 as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are 46 provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License. 48 Table of Contents 50 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 51 2. Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 52 3. Decision Criteria and Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 53 3.1. IETF LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 54 3.2. IESG and IRTF Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 55 4. Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 56 4.1. Relocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 57 4.2. Virtualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 58 4.3. Postponement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 59 4.4. Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 60 5. Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 61 6. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 62 7. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 63 8. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 64 Appendix A. Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 65 Appendix B. Change Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 66 B.1. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-02 . . . . . . . . 8 67 B.2. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-01 . . . . . . . . 8 68 B.3. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-00 . . . . . . . . 8 69 B.4. Since draft-duke-shmoo-cancel-meetings-01 . . . . . . . . 8 70 B.5. Since draft-duke-shmoo-cancel-meetings-00 . . . . . . . . 8 71 B.6. Since draft-duke-remote-meetings-00 . . . . . . . . . . . 8 72 Author's Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 74 1. Introduction 76 One highlight of the IETF calendar is in-person general meetings, 77 which happen three times a year at various locations around the 78 world. 80 Various major events may affect the suitability of a scheduled in- 81 person IETF meeting, though for some this may not be immediately 82 obvious. For example: 84 * The meeting venue itself may unexpectedly close or otherwise be 85 unable to meet IETF meeting requirements due to a health issue, 86 legal violation, or other localized problem. 88 * A natural disaster could degrade the travel and event 89 infrastructure in a planned location and make it unethical to 90 further burden that infrastructure with a meeting. 92 * War, civil unrest, or public health crisis could make a meeting 93 unsafe and/or result in widespread national or corporate travel 94 bans. 96 * An economic crisis could sharply reduce resources available for 97 travel. 99 * Changes in visa policy or other unexpected governmental 100 restrictions might make the venue inaccessible to numerous 101 attendees. 103 This document provides procedures for the IETF to decide to postpone, 104 move, or cancel an in-person IETF meeting. 106 2. Conventions 108 The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", 109 "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this 110 document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [RFC2119]. 112 In this document, the term "venue" refers to both the facility that 113 houses the sessions and the official meeting hotel(s). 115 3. Decision Criteria and Roles 117 The IETF Administration LLC (LLC) assesses whether or not an in- 118 person meeting is logistically and financially viable in light of 119 events, and assembles information about various travel restrictions 120 that might impact attendance. The Internet Engineering Steering 121 Group (IESG) and IRTF chair assess if the projected attendance is 122 sufficient for a viable in-person meeting. 124 3.1. IETF LLC 126 The LLC is responsible for assessing the suitability of a venue for 127 an IETF meeting and is responsible for any reassessment in response 128 to a major event that leaves the prior conclusion in doubt. Where 129 such an event occurs more that twelve weeks before the start of the 130 scheduled meeting, it is deemed a non- emergency situation. Later 131 events, up to and including the week of the meeting itself, are 132 deemed an emergency situation. 134 In non-emergency situations, if the LLC determines the scheduled 135 meeting clearly cannot proceed (e.g., the venue has permanently 136 closed), then it MUST consult with the community on the reason(s) and 137 its proposed remedy. In less clear cases, the LLC SHOULD conduct a 138 formal reassessment process that includes: 140 * Consulting with the community on the process timetable. 142 * Consulting with the community on criteria to assess the impact of 143 new developments. 145 * Consulting with the community on the form of the assessment 146 report. 148 * Publishing an assessment report and recommended remedy. 150 * Seeking approval of the IESG for the recommendation. 152 In emergency situations, which lack the time for a consultation 153 process, this document provides an IETF consensus on criteria the LLC 154 MUST apply in its assessment. 156 The LLC will collect information about the likely impact to in-person 157 attendance of national travel advisories, national and corporate 158 travel bans, quarantine requirements, etc. and report the results to 159 the IESG. 161 The criteria in Section 3.1 of [RFC8718] apply to venues that are re- 162 evaluated due to an emergency. Specifically: 164 * Local safety guidelines allow the venue and hotels to host a 165 meeting with the expected number of participants and staff. 167 * It MUST be possible to provision Internet Access to the Facility 168 and IETF Hotels that allows those attending in person to utilize 169 the Internet for all their IETF, business, and day-to-day needs; 170 in addition, there must be sufficient bandwidth and access for 171 remote attendees. Provisions include, but are not limited to, 172 native and unmodified IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity, and global 173 reachability; there may be no additional limitation that would 174 materially impact their Internet use. To ensure availability, it 175 MUST be possible to provision redundant paths to the Internet. 177 * A reasonable number of food and drink establishments are open and 178 available within walking distance to provide for the expected 179 number of participants and staff. 181 * Local health and public safety infrastructure should expect to 182 have adequate capacity to support an influx of visitors during the 183 meeting week. 185 Finally, the LLC MUST assess the impact on its own operations, 186 including: 188 * The number of critical support staff and contractors who can be at 189 the venue. 191 * The financial impact of continuing the meeting, or implementing 192 any of the possible remedies. 194 The LLC SHOULD cancel the meeting if it judges the meeting to be 195 logistically impossible or inconsistent with its fiduciary 196 responsibilities. 198 In the event of considerations this document does not foresee, the 199 LLC should protect the health and safety of attendees and staff, as 200 well as the fiscal health of the organization, with approval from the 201 IESG and a plan to seek a later update of this document. 203 3.2. IESG and IRTF Chair 205 If the LLC assesses there are no fundamental logistical or financial 206 obstacles to holding the meeting, the IESG and IRTF chair assess if 207 projected attendance is high enough to capture the benefit of an in- 208 person meeting. 210 The IESG is discouraged from relying on a simple head count of 211 expected event attendance. Even dramatically smaller events with 212 large remote participation may be successful. In addition to the 213 LLC's estimate, the IESG might consider: 215 * Are many working groups and research groups largely unaffected by 216 the restrictions, so that they can operate effectively? 218 * Is there a critical mass of key personnel at most working group 219 meetings to leverage the advantages of in-person meetings, even if 220 many participants are remote? 222 4. Remedies 224 If the event cannot be held at the scheduled time and place, the IETF 225 has several options. The remedies below should be consdered in light 226 of these principles, presented in no particular order: 228 * Hold the scheduled sessions of the meeting in some format. 230 * Provide benefits of in-person interactions when possible. 232 * Avoid exorbitant additional travel expenses due to last minute 233 flight changes, etc. 235 * Ensure the available time and resources allow the alternative to 236 be adequately prepared. 238 4.1. Relocation 240 For attendees, the least disruptive response is to retain the meeting 241 week but move it to a more accessible venue. To the maximum extent 242 possible, this will be geographically close to the original venue. 243 In particular, the IETF should strive to meet the criteria in 244 [RFC8718] and [RFC8719]. 246 Relocation that requires new air travel arrangements for attendees 247 SHOULD NOT occur less than one month prior to the start of the 248 meeting. 250 4.2. Virtualization 252 The second option, and one that has fewer issues with venue 253 availability, is to make the meeting fully remote. This requires 254 different IETF processes and logistical operations that are outside 255 the scope of this document. 257 4.3. Postponement 259 Although it is more disruptive to the schedules of participants, the 260 next best option is to delay the meeting until a specific date at 261 which conditions are expected to improve. The new end date of the 262 meeting must be at least 30 days before the beginning of the 263 following IETF meeting, and the meeting must begin no earlier than 1 264 month after the postponement announcement. 266 Due to scheduling constraints at the venue, this will usually not be 267 feasible. However, it is more likely to allow attendees to recover 268 at least some of their travel expenses than other options. 270 4.4. Cancellation 272 As a last resort, IETF may cancel the meeting totally. This is a 273 last resort in the event that worldwide conditions make it difficult 274 for attendees to even attend remotely. Not holding a meeting at all 275 can have wide implications for the rhythm of IETF personnel policies, 276 such as the nomination process and seating of new officers. 278 Cancellation is likely the only practical alternative when 279 emergencies occur immediately before or during the meeting, so that 280 there is no opportunity to make other arrangements. 282 5. Refunds 284 The IETF SHOULD NOT reimburse registered attendees for unrecoverable 285 travel expenses (airfare, hotel deposits, etc). 287 However, there are several cases where full or partial refund of 288 registration fees is appropriate: 290 * Cancellation SHOULD result in a full refund to all participants. 291 It MAY be prorated if some portion of the sessions completed 292 without incident. 294 * Upon postponement, the LLC SHOULD offer refunds to registered 295 attendees who claim they cannot attend at the newly scheduled 296 time. 298 * When the meeting becomes remote, the LLC SHOULD attempt to recover 299 whatever venue-related payments, past or future, it can and rebate 300 this to registered attendees, up to a maximum of their total cost 301 of registration. 303 * The LLC SHOULD offer refunds to attendees whose nation of 304 residence forbids, or has issued a safety advisory against, visits 305 to the host venue, even if the in-person meeting will continue. 306 It SHOULD NOT refund cancellations due to employer policy or 307 personal risk assessments. 309 These provisions intend to maintain trust between the IETF and its 310 participants. However, under extraordinary threats to the solvency 311 of the organization, the LLC may suspend them. 313 6. Security Considerations 315 This document introduces no new concerns for the security of internet 316 protocols. 318 7. IANA Considerations 320 There are no IANA requirements. 322 8. Informative References 324 [RFC2119] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate 325 Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, 326 DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997, 327 . 329 [RFC8718] Lear, E., Ed., "IETF Plenary Meeting Venue Selection 330 Process", BCP 226, RFC 8718, DOI 10.17487/RFC8718, 331 February 2020, . 333 [RFC8719] Krishnan, S., "High-Level Guidance for the Meeting Policy 334 of the IETF", BCP 226, RFC 8719, DOI 10.17487/RFC8719, 335 February 2020, . 337 Appendix A. Acknowledgments 339 Appendix B. Change Log 341 B.1. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-02 343 * Added IRTF to IESG responsibilities 345 * WGLC Nits 347 B.2. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-01 349 * Added refund principles for hybrid meetings 351 B.3. Since draft-ietf-shmoo-cancel-meetings-00 353 * Jay Daley's nits 355 * Distinguish the emergency and non-emergency process 357 * Eliminated USSTATE/UKFO references 359 * Clarified roles of LLC and IESG 361 B.4. Since draft-duke-shmoo-cancel-meetings-01 363 * Change to WG draft 365 B.5. Since draft-duke-shmoo-cancel-meetings-00 367 * Added mention of IRTF 369 * Discussed consensus on cancellation 371 B.6. Since draft-duke-remote-meetings-00 373 * Defined "venue" 375 * Added principles for selecting remedies and rewrote alternatives. 377 * Added local authority travel advisories 379 * Added some criteria from IETF 109 381 Author's Address 383 Martin Duke 384 F5 Networks, Inc. 386 Email: martin.h.duke@gmail.com