Re: [ncc-services-wg] RIPE tasks

[Axel Pawlik <]

At 20/08/2003 17:36 +0200, Kurt Erik Lindqvist wrote:
> I don't think anyone have forgotten [the cosultation process]. Much of the 
> input from the KPMG survey centers around this and from what I understand 
> that was the sole reason for Axel to start the effort. I am sure Axel can 
> comment on this...
Axel is currently attending the APNIC meeting...

Thus I am a few hours out of synch with the discussion.
Bear with me.

All the changes that you are seeing being introduced
stem from the feedback of the 2002 survey of RIPE NCC
members and shareholders. Discussions on the now defunct
lir-wg mailing list have been valuable input, too.

These changes include, but are not confined to:
- Establishing the RIPE NCC Services WG
- re-naming and re-chartering the LIR WG
- Moving the General Meeting to the RIPE meeting
- introducing the RIPE NCC Member Update newletter
- using the Services WG for sanity checks with the community.

Feedback that we have received, and discussion we had
over the course of this year, indicate that these changes
are welcome, and that the course we are charting for
the next year are seen to improve the RIPE NCC's services
for members and community.

Thank you to all the contributors, on and off list.

I feel a few words about the intented role of the RIPE NCC
Service WG, and its interplay with the General Meeting are
warranted...

The RIPE NCC is a membership association under Dutch law.
That means, its governance has to adhere to the rules Dutch
law lays down (Joao has commented on that). As Daniele says,
these rules say that assiciation governance has to be effected
through General Meetings of the members, which need to be
attended in person. To enable voting for members who cannot
travel, a proxy system is foreseen, and is actually in use for
years. We have looked at possibilities for Electronic Voting,
unfortunately Dutch law has no provisions (yet?) for this.

We have seen very low attendance of RIPE NCC General Meetings
since 1998, in comparison with participation levels at RIPE
meetings. Also, the agenda of General Meetings is inflexible,
and proceedings might appear stiff, due to the very tight
focus of those meetings.

To alleviate the shortcomings of General Meetings, and to
further clarify the role of the RIPE working groups, we
have proposed that a RIPE NCC Services WG is set up.
My intention was that this working group should act as
a wider, more informal forum for interaction between the
RIPE NCC, and its users. This includes members, but also
the wider community. We want to use this working group for
reports about our services (surprise...) and service levels,
and for discussions about which services are needed, which
are not, and what we should be doing to be of most efficient
service to all.

It will be a walk on a tightrope, for some time to come,
to distinguish clearly between the roles of the Services
WG and the General Meeting. The General Meeting will continue
to be the formal tool for association governance, while the
Services WG will serve as a more informal tool to guide the
association's board and staff, in between the General Meetings.

Formally, the Services WG has no hold over the association.
I, and the Executive Board, would be incredible stupid, though,
were we to ignore what is discussed here.

Since I have your attention, I would like to urge the
RIPE NCC members between you to go and register for the
General Meeting on Friday, 5 September. We see an increase
in registrants as compared to previous General Meetings,
but the absolute numbers are still very disappointing.

thanks, and regards, Axel