publish which list of nominees?

[Harald Alvestrand <harald@alvestrand.no>]

[apologies for forking this thread....]

--On fredag, mars 29, 2002 12:56:27 -0500 James M Galvin 
<galvin+ietf-nomcom@eListX.com> wrote:

> SPEAKING AS EDITOR:
>
> Of the 6 people who I believe expressed a specific opinion about whether
> or not to publish the list of nominees there were 4 in favor and 2
> against.

Agree that when 300 people in the Minneapolis think that some list should 
be published no matter what, and 500 people think the topic warrants 
further discussion, thinking that the topic is exhausted after 6 speakers 
is not a Good Idea. But that's water under the bridge.

> From this summary I would propose the following:
>
>     PROPOSED CONSENSUS: We should publish the list of nominees and
>     continue to update the list throughout the NOMCOM process.
>
> If you disagree with this proposal please reply to the list.

Satisfying the formality: Disagree.

Reason for disagreeing is not that the conclusion is wrong (it might be 
right), but that it is impossible to tell what the conclusion is.

------------ Beginning of analytical section -------------

Let's create a theoretical model of a nomcom's consideration of candidates 
for a position.

In THEORY, it goes like this:

- The nomcom has an "active" list, which starts out with the current 
incumbent, and a "rejected" list, which starts out empty.
The purpose of the nomcom process is to get a single name on the "active" 
list.

1 - Nominations from outside get added to the "active" list - primarily 
early in the game, but it can occur at later times.
2 - Nominations from inside the nomcom get added to the "active" list
3 - Nominations move from the "active" to the "rejected" list by several 
ways:
 a - The candidate refuses to be considered
 b - The nomcom finds the candidate unsuitable
     Reasons may include being considered for another position...
4 - At the end, the nomcom picks a single candidate off the "active" list
 and moves the rest to the "rejected" list.

Consider the various lists that can be published:

A - All that comes in from (1)
B - All that comes in from (1) and (2)
C - All that comes in from (1) and (2), minus (3a)
 (also C2 - all nominees that have explicitly said they are willing)
D - All that comes in from (1) and (2), minus (3a) and (3b)

Also, the list can be published:

- Once, relatively early in the process
- Once, relatively late in the process
- Multiple times during the process

Advantages of publication:
- The community knows which candidates are nominated, and can provide 
relevant feedback or nominate additional candidates.

Disadvantages mentioned WILL vary according to the scheme chosen:

List A, as well as any "once, early" publication means that the nomcom may 
"surprise" the community by choosing someone not on the list.

"once, late" publication of any list will give the community a very short 
time in which to give feedback, and will thus add little value to the 
process.

List A or B will have lots of irrelevant names on them, including names 
that do not want to be considered. This gives irrelevant feedback to 
Nomcom, as well as creating "noise" for people who do not want to 
participate.

List C is an excellent basis for a "beauty contest" or "campaigning".

List D will give a clear indication of what the nomcom is thinking.

If published multiple times, the community will definitely read not only 
the list itself, but the way in which it changes.

List A and B are growing lists. They reveal something about the community, 
but little about the evaluation process of the nomcom.

List C (non-refused nominations) is a list that may both expand and 
contract.
It reveals something more - if people appear, disappear and then reappear, 
it is clear that someone is twisting arms. If people pop up late, it is 
probable that they are "headhunted" by nomcom, which tells you something 
about nomcom's evaluation of the other candidates.

List C2 (accepted nominations) is also a list that may expand and contract. 
But it grows later than list C2 - and the result of nomcom "headhunting" 
will be even easier to detect here.

List D essentially is a running view of the thought processes of nomcom. I 
think it would reveal a lot about the opinions the people on nomcom have of 
the candidates - both the chosen ones and the not-chosen ones.

----------- End of analysis section, start of opinion -----------------

I think that publishing once is not a service to the community that is 
worth the consequences. At best, it is of limited value; at worst, it is 
misleading. So I think any publication process needs to be relatively 
continuous (on the order of once a week or so).

I think that publishing list D is breaking confidentiality entirely too 
much, and we should discard that option.

I think that alternatives C and C2 are superficially attractive (this is 
how most other organizations with a nomination/acceptance/choice process 
run themselves). But in the particular context of finding a management team 
for the IETF, I think there is still too much information that comes out 
about how the nomcom or the candidates change their minds during the 
process.

I don't think publishing list B (all candidates that have been suggested) 
is very harmful to the community. It tells you something about the INPUT to 
the nomcom, not the process by which the nomcom arrived at a decision.

And it does answer the quite solidly voiced opinion of the Minneapolis 
crowd that they wanted more information about the nomcom process.

                      Harald