[governance] MAG candidates - publishing details of nominess

Jeanette Hofmann jeanette at wzb.eu
Thu Apr 24 02:54:19 EDT 2008


Hi, I support all of Peter's reservations on publishing the details of 
applications and I also did when we had the very same discussion in the 
past (in the context of the first MAG nominations?). I hope that there 
is now more sympathy on this list for protecting the identity of those 
who have not been nominated.

In any case, Peter is right about one point. Applicants should have been 
told beforehand if the nomcom intends to publish their applications. We 
should thus discuss future procedures rather than those of past 
nominations. This doesn't apply to information about the nominees. I 
think its good to put their applications on a website.

jeanette

William Drake wrote:
> Hi Ian,
> 
> Your make a good case for following the model employed in other nomcoms, and
> I'd support doing it that way if it's the expressed collective preference on
> how to proceed going forward. Might be useful to specify the procedure for
> future reference on www.igcaucus.org (I presume we don't want to get into
> revising the charter to build this in). The issue in the recent case was
> simply that it was a deviation from what had been done previously and
> there'd been no prior statement or agreement to the change, so the practice
> was out of line with expectations.  Not surprising then that some people
> would take note of the change and ask, what's up with that?   But not a big
> deal either, just slippage in communication.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> On 4/24/08 12:29 AM, "Ian Peter" <ian.peter at ianpeter.com> wrote:
> 
>> Folks,
>>
>> One matter the Nomcom needs to discuss further is whether it is appropriate
>> or useful to publish lists and/or details of candidates who were nominated
>> or who self-nominated for MAG and who were rejected. Although this was done
>> last year, I have some substantial reservations about this and in the
>> absence of an extremely clear indication from both the list in general and
>> from individual candidates in particular that this is appropriate, I think
>> our best interests are served by not publishing.
>>
>> Firstly, it would not have been clear to the majority of candidates who
>> applied this year that their names and detailed nominations might be
>> published for all to see. That's not normal practice when applying for
>> positions, and in other Nomcoms I have been associated with (ISOC and ICANN)
>> is not the practice - reporting mentions number of nominees from regions,
>> gender etc and overall stats is the preferred method, but not names of
>> candidates who have not been selected.
>>
>> I think non publication is a better course of action within IGC for several
>> reasons. As regards candidates, it's difficult to get a slate of good
>> candidates to select from for CS without self nomination. And some people
>> feel a little embarrassed for everyone to know they nominated themselves.
>> And of course, many people who nominate do so in good faith but would not
>> actually like everyone to know they were rejected if they were not selected.
>>
>>
>> And as regards Nomcom members - I think we actually make it more difficult
>> to attract Nomcom volunteers if we publish details of rejected candidates.
>> Not that I expect assassins on my doorstep, but I do not relish ongoing
>> debates on a CS list about the merits and demerits of candidates selected or
>> not selected, knowing it is totally inappropriate to be involved as a member
>> of the nomcom in such discussions and knowing that those discussions are
>> occurring in the absence of any knowledge of the detailed considerations,
>> issues, accommodation of differing viewpoints and balancing of perspectives
>> that it necessary to come to any agreement in any nomcom.
>>
>> So, I believe a CS Nomcom can do its business more effectively if it is not
>> required to publish rejected candidate names and details. I also believe
>> that, having put in place a good process for ensuring a Nomcom is selected
>> randomly and cannot be stacked in any way, CS should let them go about their
>> work and trust that they were sensible enough to take into account the range
>> of considerations that exist within CS. I don't think it is at all useful
>> for us to debate merits of individual candidates and why some were or were
>> not selected on this list, and therefore see no need for names to be known.
>>
>> A detailed report, however, is essential, covering generalities and
>> explaining considerations, criteria and methodologies adopted by the Nomcom.
>> That and any ensuing debate should be sufficient.
>>
>> I know there will be other opinions on this, and I think we should discuss
>> this as regards future policy. For this year, if individual candidates
>> indicate a preference for this information not to be published (either on
>> the list or in personal email to me if preferred) I will continue to argue
>> within Nomcom that this request for privacy should be honoured for this
>> year.
>>
>> As regards future years, if most people really think that these details
>> should be published and there is a clear consensus to do so, it must be made
>> known to candidates applying that their details will be published. I believe
>> that will reduce the number of nominations, and our effectiveness in
>> attracting a good range of candidates, and I am not sure this is balanced by
>> any particular positive arising from availability of this information
>> outside of the selected Nomcom
>>
>> I raise this now so that the general feelings of the list can be covered in
>> the report the Nomcom will present next week with ay recommendations as
>> regards future actions.
>>
> 
> 
> 
> 
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