People can apply to join the Code of Conduct Team at any time, using the following application form that will be linked from the relevant pages on ripe.net and the RIPE Meeting websites. People can indicate on the form whether this is a self-nomination or if they are nominating someone else. They are also required to provide a brief motivation with their application.
The RIPE Document on recruitment and responsibilities requires at least one supporting statement before a nomination can be considered. When nominating someone else, the motivation field provides this supporting statement. For self-nominations, the candidate will need to ask someone else to endorse them by filling out the form. Only a limited number of RIPE NCC staff and the RIPE Chair Team will have access to the nominations once they are received.
When the form is submitted, it generates a mail to nominations [at] ripe.net. This is the same mailbox used NRO NC nominations, which is monitored by the RIPE NCC. If a supporting statement is not received soon after a self-nomination, the RIPE NCC will contact the person to remind them of this requirement. When a form is submitted that nominates someone else, the RIPE NCC will contact the nominee and ask them to confirm that they wish to volunteer.
The RIPE NCC will also let candidates know how the process works once their application is completed. If it is likely they will not see an outcome for an extended period, it will be important to set expectations and make it clear that they haven’t been forgotten.
The RIPE Chair only reviews candidates if they are supported by someone else. She reads their motivation/supporting statements and makes a determination about whether they would be suitable to serve on the Code of Conduct Team. This includes contacting the incumbent RIPE Code of Conduct Team to check if there are any cases involving the candidate. She might also contact the candidates as part of this process.
If approved, the candidate’s name is published on a page of “Confirmed Volunteers”. Otherwise they are respectfully informed that they will not be asked to serve on the Code of Conduct Team. As the Code of Conduct Task Force noted in its document, here the RIPE Chair’s decision is final and no justification is required.
The goal of this process is to have an adequate pool of suitable confirmed volunteers to draw from when Code of Conduct Team members’ terms end, especially given the goal of having some diversity on the team. This will avoid the team being under-staffed if members quit before their term ends or if the Code of Conduct Team needs to grow due to the availability or workload of existing team members.
The RIPE Chair appoints people from the pool of confirmed volunteers to the Code of Conduct Team as needed. Once an appointment is made, that person is added to the relevant Code of Conduct Team page and removed from the list of volunteers.
The composition of the Code of Conduct Team is announced ahead of each RIPE Meeting, specifying those who will be on-site for the meeting. This helps to advertise that we have a Code of Conduct Team and remind people that they can volunteer.