IAB request for clarifications in RFC2727bis

[Leslie Daigle <leslie@thinkingcat.com>]

NOMCOM WG,

Every year, in the course of performing its role of
confirming the IESG slate, the IAB reviews and applies
the directives for that role as spelled out in RFC2727.
Since that document is under revision, the IAB this year
compiled a list of knotty questions it and previous
IABs have contemplated in applying the rules to fulfill the 
community's intent.  We think it would be helpful for future 
IABs if the revised document could address these issues.

There are 2 general areas we feel are in need of clarification.

1/ An overall clarification is needed in terms of how to handle the
mid-term transition of a member from one position to another.  That is,
if a member of one body, whose term there is not finishing, accepts
nomination to an opening in the other body (or a different
position in the IESG) as part of the annual cycle, what is the 
expected practice:

  Is this an automatic resignation from the first position?

  When is that resignation effective -- at the end of the
  IETF meeting when they officially begin their new role?

  Since it is particularly difficult to gauge precise
  numbers of months left in the term at that point, is
  this then a mid-term vacancy to be filled for the rest
  of the original member's term, or for the rest of the
  original member's term plus 2 years?

  How should the nomcom fill the mid-term vacancy:  as part
  of its slate for the affected body, since it created the
  vacancy, or by running a separate consideration process
  once the affected body is made aware of the vacancy
  (by seeing the confirmed slate).

  Is it the intent of the Nomcom WG that someone could serve
  simultaneously on the IESG and as a sitting member of the IAB
  (i.e. not talking about the IETF Chair special case) ?

  This is ambiguous in the current procedures, so should be
  explicitly clarified one way or the other in the next revision.

2/ Is the IAB's role to exercise good judgement about the
qualifications of each nominee or is the IAB's role limited to
process review only?

  If it is the IAB's role to exercise good judgement, what are the
  documented criteria for an IESG candidate ?

  If it is not the IAB's role to exercise good judgement, how does
  the IAB get sufficient visibility into the Nomcom process to
  exercise a purely process-oversight role without breaching the
  confidentiality and without intruding on Nomcom's deliberations ?



Leslie,
for the IAB.

--

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"Reality:
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Leslie Daigle
leslie@thinkingcat.com
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