As our secretariat, the RIPE NCC provides neutral administrative support to the PDP, including preparing an impact analysis once a proposal passes the initial Discussion Phase. A dedicated Policy Officer from the RIPE NCC is also available to offer advice and support to everyone involved, including the proposer of the policy
Getting started: Let’s suppose that you want to create a policy proposal. First, you should read the steps involved in the PDP document and understand how the process works.Your next step should be to get in touch with the chairs of the relevant WG and talk about your idea with them. It’s usually a good idea to ask the WG Chairs if a similar proposal has been submitted in the past, and look through any relevant mailing list archives.
At any point, you can also contact the RIPE NCC’s Policy Officer ([email protected]) for help. They can help to point you in the right direction and can make introductions where needed.
People often start the process with a draft proposal in hand and a clear idea of the outcome they want. However, a better approach is to first share your idea (and a clear problem statement) with the WG. This will help you get a sense of how much support there is for your idea. In the process you might also discover some aspects you had overlooked.
You will need to reach a consensus with the WG in order for your proposal to succeed. That means the more you know about the community’s opinions before you start drafting text, the better!