[ec-tf] gov't attendees at meetings

In message 
<f65fb55e0711080533k2feef508qfe9ad27758a8b1e6 at mail.gmail.com>, at 
16:33:57 local time, on Thu, 8 Nov 2007, McTim <dogwallah at gmail.com> 
remarked:
>Had a hunch that the Regional Meetings and other NCC outreach efforts
>would have
>increased gov'ts attendance at RIPE meetings, so I made a spreadsheet
>(attached) of the number of Civil Society (defined as non-profit
>organisations, but really all "Internet Community orgs) attendees vs.
>gov't  vs private sector/biz attendees comparing a pre-outreach/2002
>mtg (RIPE 42) vs post-outreach/2007 mtg (RIPE 55).
>
>I was surprised to find fewer government folk at 2007 mtg, even though
>the number of attendees (n) was larger.
>
>In any case, no statistical analysis done, just raw counts n percentages.
>
>RIPE 42                                                             RIPE 55
>CS         GOV      biz        n                            CS           GOV           biz                 n
>142        15        133       290                        162            7               162                331
>0.48966        0.052   0.459   %                            0.48943     0.02115   0.489426     %
>
>I had hoped this might be helpful, but perhaps it requires analysis of
>all meetings, (including Regional) and
>
>Feedback welcome.

First of all, when I look at the spreadsheet the count of 15 "Govt" 
people is apparently from the list for RIPE55, and the 7 from RIPE 42. 
So on that basis alone, your conclusion is incorrect.

But you've only got a total of 290 people at RIPE55 (which I thought had 
around 450 and was the "largest ever") and 331 for RIPE 42. I know the 
columns are broadly correct (on the left are people who were in 
Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, on the right back in 2002) just from 
eyeballing the names and affiliations.

There were also at least four people from the EU Commission at RIPE55, 
who for some reason didn't make your list.

So I think we need some better input data.

>there are difficulties determinig about whois biz vs. gov vs CS.

Yes. There aren't really enough different categories. I see you've put 
RIR colleagues into "CS", for example.

As for "Govt" attendees, these also traditionally include people working 
in "Civil service" roles within academic networks and cctld operators, 
as well as other research and CERT-type activities.

The target audience for government outreach is quite different - broadly 
the same constituency as GAC membership (ie the senior officials in the 
telecoms or foreign affairs ministries, plus telecoms regulators).

RIPE55 was also a bit odd in that it was only a month after the most 
recent Roundtable, where people in our target audience who wanted to 
learn the latest news and ask us questions had already had their chance 
(and in private which much better suits their culture).

And it was the week immediately before an ICANN meeting in the northern 
hemisphere, where the GAC members would get their traditional NRO 
presentation and be able to circulate with *all* the RIRs in the 
corridors (which we did, and very successfully).

And so soon before Rio, when we all get the chance to meet yet again!

It was always a bit much to expect attendance at all of those by the 
"usual suspects", but I was encouraged by the number of new Govt faces 
at RIPE55, and the amount of very useful business done at all these 
meetings so far. And now off to Rio... my taxi for the airport arrives 
in half an hour.
-- 
Roland Perry
Public Affairs Officer, RIPE NCC