The RIPE Chair

Scope

We describe the role of the RIPE chair as it has evolved from 1989 until the present time. We document current practice specifically for the sake of those who have not witnessed its evolution and to record RIPE community consensus about the role. This document will be revised as the role of the RIPE chair evolves

Function of the RIPE Chair

The RIPE chair ensures that the RIPE community functions well.

This one sentence fully describes the role, function and task of the RIPE chair. All current practices described below directly follow from this.

Current Practices of the RIPE Chair

This is not intended to fully describe the activities of the RIPE chair nor to constrain the actions of the RIPE chair in any way. Examples are purely for illustration and the ordering is not intended to convey any meaning.

The RIPE chair sets the agenda for the RIPE meetings and chairs the meetings.

The RIPE chair determines the location of the RIPE meetings.

The RIPE chair ensures that RIPE establishes consensus about how RIPE operates, particularly about formal procedures.

The RIPE chair ensures that useful WGs and task forces are properly created, chartered and disbanded.

The RIPE chair ensures that WG chairs are properly selected.

The RIPE chair chairs and supports the WG chair collective as necessary.

The RIPE chair monitors the work of RIPE and intervenes where necessary.

The RIPE chair ensures that the results of RIPE work are communicated to other parties, such as the RIPE NCC, other organisations and government bodies.

Note: RIPE is not formally represented in other organisations. Therefore the RIPE chair does not formally represent RIPE anywhere.

The RIPE chair reports their actions to the community as appropriate.

The RIPE chair delegates their duties when appropriate to an appropriate person or entity such as the RIPE NCC, a working group chair or a committee, such as the RIPE programme committee.

Note: In the 1990s the RIPE chair used to delegate some of his duties to deputy chairs selected by the community.

Acknowledgements

This document is based on ground work by Mirjam Kühne. Hans Petter Holen and Jim Reid have contributed significantly.

Genesis

This author is one of the RIPE founders and a continuous participant. He drafted this document in July 2018 based on prior text edited by Mirjam Kühne. Initial drafts were informally reviewed by the RIPE chair and the working group chairs. From October 2018 the draft was discussed through several revisions both on ripe-chair-discuss@ripe.net and at RIPE 77. The RIPE chair made a last call for comments both at the RIPE 77 closing plenary and on the list.