Re: Notes from one member of the IAB on the current draft

[Michael StJohns <mstjohns@mindspring.com>]

>  As can I, but I stress that its not the Nomcom's choice to summarily 
> reverse a previous confirmation.  See my previous comments on how to 
> equitably handle this issue.  It shouldn't take more than a day for the 
> Nomcom to ASK the confirmee if they're willing to be moved once they've 
> been confirmed.
>
>
> [Phil Roberts] It might be the case though that the nomcom trying to 
> balance between difficult choices would like to have back one of the
> candidates the confirming body confirmed if another is candidate is 
> rejected.  One might be in a situation for example where there is a large
> turnover and the nomcom has determined that such a large turnover could be 
> enough of a disruption to the community, that the nomcom, on
> the community's behalf, is unwilling to change a large number and by being 
> constrained with the already confirmed candidates has to make one change 
> more than it is otherwise willing to do.  This would hardly be a summary 
> reversal, but something quite considered.  The process would
> be helped by allowing such an interaction.


Let me try and follow this.  I think what you're saying is that for example 
you've got 6 positions to fill.  Of the 6 you nominate 3 incumbents and 3 
new folks.  The confirming body confirms the three new folks, 2 of the 
incumbents, and rejects 1 incumbent.  You would then want to withdraw one 
of the newly confirmed new folk, and replace them with the incumbent and 
the same time you're sending another new person to replace the rejected 
incumbent because otherwise you'd have "too many changes".

Umm...this is wrong is so many ways that I don't even know how to begin.


The guideline of "try not to make too many changes" is exactly that, a 
guideline and is helpful for selecting between otherwise relatively equally 
qualified candidates.  Its not a suicide pact.  If you had six failing 
incumbents you would be derelict in your duty if you failed to replace them 
all.  Period.  If the nomcom at first pass decided that a new person was 
better qualified than the incumbent, and the confirming body agreed, there 
literally is no fair and equitable way of invalidating that confirmation 
without involving the confirmee.

The nomcom should do the best it can and select the best candidates it can 
and not worry overly much about secondary considerations after the first pass.