Accountability Task Force Recommendations

In 2019, the RIPE Accountability Task Force published its final report, following its review of the RIPE community. In the report were 15 recommendations, highlighting things that the RIPE community might want to examine and consider whether further action was needed.

This page is intended to document the RIPE community's work as it considers these recommendations and record any actions or decisions that are taken as a result. It is important to note that the task force viewed these recommendations as things for the community to look at in more detail - it did not necessarily expect that all of them would result in action.

Recommendation/Outcome	Status
Recommendation 1. Consider whether any formalised commitments are needed from the RIPE NCC (that it will implement policy, follow relevant community directions, etc). Outcome The RIPE community, together with the RIPE NCC published a consensus document describing the relationship between the RIPE NCC and the RIPE community.	Completed
Recommendation 2. Consider whether the RIPE Chair should be asked to disclose financial details associated with performing RIPE Chair duties and who covers these. Outcome The RIPE Chair provided this information (slide 11) during the RIPE Community Plenary session at RIPE 79.	Completed
Recommendation 3. Consider reviewing whether current informal safeguards are enough to prevent bad actors from passing a policy proposal without the wider community having an opportunity to comment (not a great risk in the task force’s view). Outcome Updated PDP strengthens the preparation phase for any policy. In addition, the appeals process has been tested and further specified.	Completed
Recommendation 4. Consider including an explanation at the top of obsoleted RIPE Documents when there is no replacement document that it refers to. Possibly create a new “Archived” status for documents that are no longer current, but not exactly obsolete. Outcome The RIPE Chair is working with the RIPE NCC to make sure all documents have the status "published" or "obsoleted". Obsoleted documents contain a link to an updated version of the document.	Work in Progress
Recommendation 5. The community should consider whether more can be done to distinguish between the different types of RIPE Documents and whether consistency can be applied to the metadata for these documents moving forward. Outcome Additional categories such as BCP and RIPE Governance have been added. A template for RIPE documents has been developed to ensure consistent meta data going forward.	Completed
Recommendation 6. The task force believes that the community needs to make progress on finalising the RIPE Chair replacement procedure. Outcome A new RIPE Document describes the replacement procedure and consensus on this was announced in August 2019.	Completed
Recommendation 7. Consider whether the RIPE Chair should report back to the community after representing RIPE in other forums. Outcome The RIPE Chair and the RIPE Vice Chair are giving regular updates to the community via the ripe-list and RIPE Labs.	Completed
Recommendation 8. Consider aligning the process for selecting working group chairs across the community.	Pending
Recommendation 9. Consider having more of a standardised process for informing new WG Chairs about relevant RIPE Documents and their responsibilities. Outcome A guide for new RIPE Working Group Chairs provides this information.	Completed
Recommendation 10. Consider developing a “crash course” for new chairs that covers things like how to effectively chair a session or determine consensus. Outcome An online course for Working Group Chairs has been developed and is available in the RIPE NCC Academy.	Completed
Recommendation 11. Consider developing general information for newcomers to explain how to participate in working groups, task forces and BoFs and how the community functions more generally (the RIPE NCC could be tasked to produce this content) Outcome: A guide for newcomers is providing this information.	Completed
Recommendation 12. Consider providing an overview of what the Working Group Chair Collective does and what it is responsible for. Outcome: This information was published in a new RIPE Document ("RIPE WG Chair Collective - Definition and Tasks").	Completed
Recommendation 13. The RIPE Document that defines task forces is obsolete, and the working description on ripe.net no longer seems fit for purpose. Consider updating this with the description provided in ripe-464, which has been accepted by the RIPE community. Outcome: A new RIPE Document RIPE Task Forces: Definition and Guidelines has been published.	Completed
Recommendation 14. Develop documentation around the plenary and what its powers are. Also consider doing more to record closing plenary decisions which are not minuted currently. Outcome Information about the RIPE community plenary and minutes from the last RIPE meetings are available.	Completed
Recommendation 15. Consider putting in place some kind of semi-regular review of the RIPE community’s accountability. Outcome The RIPE community published a series of governance documents that provide a solid framework and will be reviewed on a regular basis.	Completed