[discuss] shifts in IANA/accountability discussion: your thoughts?

Sat Jun 21 19:47:48 UTC 2014

It is too easy to speak in terms of contract renewal/non-renewal.

Yes that is very important. Capital punishment is very important but
rarely applies in practice outside of Texas and other dysfunctional
states.

What is more difficult is listing what would be a breach under a
contract, what would be the process of identifying a breach, how do
you know when it has been remedied (who can say ok, the problem is
over), and what process occurs when a breach is not remedied.

We can just state the broad function of IANA but I think it begs more
detail.

For example, a failure to staff.

It is not uncommon in an organization to see one or more key people
leave and their function taken up by either unqualified people (a
general manager trying to help), or even purposely someone not
accountable in the process as a "temporary" measure which becomes not
very temporary.

What is a good faith effort to staff? Which positions are key? Who may
have access to review qualifications when new staff is being vetted?

Closely related might be budget.

There are allocated budgets and there are dispensed budgets, actuals.

A common cause of dysfunction is to have an adequate budget on paper
but no reasonable access to that budget perhaps because a key position
is unfilled, there is confusion over direction, someone is trying to
run a surplus, or as a way to control behavior without making explicit
policy.

Performance reviews, external reviews of performance reviews, some
outlet for whistle-blowing.

Undue influence is a concern when warranted.

For example a key staff person is found to be consulting for an
interested party without proper disclosure. Or other influences.

Perceived lack of cooperation in investigating any of the above.

Few of these would warrant outright cancelling the contract except
perhaps in the most extreme cases. Some issues might be unfounded,
others may just require a single staff change or agreement for better
transparency (reporting.)

But for example being unable to achieve transparency and resolution on
budget actuals, staffing issues, etc should have investigative and
remediation processes both for record-keeping and resolution also with
reasonable transparency for the process.

It's the vast middle which is difficult.

I am sure if the DNS root goes dark or rogue a concern will be raised
and some decisive cure found.

-- 
        -Barry Shein

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