<div dir="ltr">John, and Milton too:<div><br></div><div>so we are not that far:</div><div><br></div><div>1. Boards must be expected to exert discretion - the least often the better, the better done the better. (Plus: the reasons Boards and other collective decison-making bodies exist is that given the impossibility of fully objective decisions, a vector sum of subjectivities is the least-bad alternative.)</div>
<div><br></div><div>2. In a single-purpose, relatively homogeneous organization like an RIR, things may be simpler.</div><div><br></div><div>Where we may differ is whether ICANN becoming a membership organization is the way to go. Structuring the membership so as to achieve reasonable balance, and checks-and-balances mechanisms, between disparate entities is likely to land very close to where ICANN is now, or a foreseeable step of evolution. Reducing the extortion power of non-committed entities may require quite elaborate rules, tons of work, and very little ROI for the effort as well - in that you may not end up very far from where we are now.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I don't think anyone is fundamentally opposed to see an exploration of these redesign options but only few are actually going to give it a go.�</div><div><br></div><div>In the meantime a non-membership organization is what we have and in many ways it has far more features than bugs.�</div>
<div><br></div><div>The only value I see in having continued this discussion on the 1Net list is that it may yield usable lessons learned for work further afield, if anyone, in 20 years, reads this again. By then the other what is it, 140 Internet-governance issues will have been solved elsewhere. We should continue to let people do their work on other issues in other venues - they are safe.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Yours,</div><div><br></div><div>Alejandro Pisanty</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 6:48 AM, John Curran <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jcurran@istaff.org" target="_blank">jcurran@istaff.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">On Feb 27, 2014, at 1:34 AM, Alejandro Pisanty <<a href="mailto:apisanty@gmail.com" target="_blank">apisanty@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">John,<div><br></div><div>thanks. That seems to be a Board which also finds itself occasionally in controversy about its actions, in particular whether it complies with policy and strictly limits itself to its prescribed role:�<a href="http://lists.arin.net/pipermail/arin-ppml/2014-January/027601.html" target="_blank">http://lists.arin.net/pipermail/arin-ppml/2014-January/027601.html</a></div>
</div></blockquote><br></div><div>Alejandro -�</div><div>�</div><div>� � You apparently have missed the point - it is not possible to prevent controversy in</div><div>� � �these institutions, but is it possible to lay out clear expectations regarding normal</div>
<div>� � �roles in the policy development processes, and thus make for better interactions</div><div>� � �among the various bodies during policy development.�</div><div>��</div><div>� � The example you point out above is actually ideal; it highlights that the Board does</div>
<div>� � �have to ultimately take responsibility for the mission of the organization, and that</div><div>� � �may indeed mean taking action in a "top-down" rather than "bottom-up" manner,</div><div>� � �but such events should be quite rare and happen for understandable reasons.</div>
<div><br></div><div>� � �In the particular case above, the member-elected ARIN Board used a specific</div><div>� � �process in ARIN's policy process to temporarily suspend policy that was shown�</div><div>� � �to be serious risk to the mission and referred the matter to the community to�</div>
<div>� � �consider a permanent solution (the suspension was necessary before public</div><div>� � �consideration because raising the matter with the community without first doing�</div><div>� � �so would have highlighted the loophole and resulted in severe risk.) �The ARIN</div>
<div>� � �Board constrained its actions by following the documented process for such a�</div><div>� � �suspension and referral, while in theory it could have just resolved the issue�</div><div>� � �issue itself. � Again, the point is not whether the Board has ultimate authority</div>
<div>� � �or not, but whether it is willing to constrain its use of authority along processes</div><div>� � �which provide maximal opportunity for community consideration and feedback.</div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type="cite">
Next issue please...</blockquote><br></div><div>� � �Sure - note also that in the case above, the ARIN Board is an _elected_ body�</div><div>� � �wherein each trustee is subject to potential removal by the community, thus providing�</div>
<div>� � �for clear accountability for actions. � In addition to providing for a clear process and�</div><div>� � �criteria for ICANN Board ratification of policy, it might be very helpful towards�</div><div>� � �accountability if the ICANN Board were similarly elected by a defined community</div>
<div>� � �and subject to removal by vote. �The present ICANN Bylaws make individual</div><div>� � �directors removable only by the other ICANN directors, which doesn't exactly�</div><div>� � �provide for any counterbalance if the ICANN Board should act in a manner which</div>
<div>� � �surprises the community that it supposed to be serving.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks!</div><div>/John</div><div><br></div><div>Disclaimer: �My views alone.</div><div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all">
<div><br></div>-- <br>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br>� � �Dr. Alejandro Pisanty<br>Facultad de Qu�mica UNAM<br>Av. Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico DF Mexico<br>+52-1-5541444475 FROM ABROAD<br>+525541444475 DESDE M�XICO SMS +525541444475<br>
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