[governance] Do we need a MAG?

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Peake [mailto:ajp at glocom.ac.jp] 

> >But can you provide me with an instance of when the MAG did 
> >anything to
> >check the power of the Secretariat?
> 
> Milton, It doesn't help when your phrase questions in this way.

Apologies, I guess; Jeremy said that the MAG acted as a check on the
Secretariat and I simply asked when it had done so. If it is the word
"power" that scares you I mean it in the most mundane sense: control of
the administrative details that have a major impact on the way the Forum
functions. 

You described the way the Secretariat acts and it is clear that it has a
great deal of discretion over various things. But IGF is a small,
under-resourced and newly developing institution so this is not
surprising. Your description seems to confirm my sense that the MAG can
express objections or support for things but ultimately the decision
rests with the Secretariat or the Chair. I hope we are all mature enough
to avoid the implication that any discussion of checks and balances
implies mistrust or criticism of the specific people in the Secretariat.
It's a structural issue. 

> Have you read the MAG mailing list records and the meeting reports?

Yes.
 
> It seems the secretariat may have some influence (perhaps a lot) in 
> what names are put forward to the secretary general for MAG rotation, 
> I imagine given the need for balance and also increasing gender and 
> developing country representation someone will need to recommend 
> slates of some kind.  I doubt there's anyone in New York with 
> knowledge of the people and organizations able to make good 
> decisions.  As we seem to agree there should be an open called for 
> names, someone has to receive those names and develop a slate. I 
> don't see how the MAG can check the secretariat's powers in this, in 
> the end it's up to the community.

I have no idea what you mean by "up to the community" and you can expect
those of us with deeper and long-term knowledge of political and policy
making processes to _never_ be satisfied with such explanations. The
IETF term "hand-waving" comes to mind. ;-) 

Anyway, what is your opinion of the question in the header: do we need a
MAG? Is it worth all the fuss? Can the Secretariat set up more open
processes for creating agendas and speaker lists? 

____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance