[governance] IGF 2013 Preliminary Call for Workshops Proposals

William Drake william.drake at uzh.ch
Mon Mar 11 07:08:56 EDT 2013


Hi Robert

On Mar 11, 2013, at 12:01 AM, Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org> wrote:

> 12 days notice for the international community to put together proposals for a - if not the - leading Internet Governance meeting is very, very short notice.  

Yes it's too short, and there are other concerns as well, e.g. the asymmetric treatment of applicants; initial cuts potentially being made by the outgoing MAG based only on titles rather than a full criteria-based review; the possibility that there are people around the world who actually do not closely follow the preparatory process and could be shocked to be told they failed to meet the first deadline and so cannot submit a full proposal; the realistic possibility, if history's any guide, that a rule is set out but then ends up being relaxed/undermined anyway on an ad hoc basis when problems ensue; etc.  I've raised these and other points in the MAG, a couple others (inc. Izumi) expressed concern, but there wasn't much discussion and so it just went forward.
> 
> At the recent consultation in Paris I was surprised to be the only one who raised the issue that it was too short a timeline. Utterly surprised others didn't raise the issue.

So you and Norbert were both the sole champion?  :-)  As is evident from the transcript, http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/component/content/article/121-preparatory-process/1285-igf-2013-mag-transcript- the very brief discussion of the two dates and their interrelation happened at the very end of the day, as many people were packing up, and went like this:

>>IZUMI AIZU:...And, also, maybe it is a procedural question that is it the case that if -- for the preliminary submission and the full submission, what if you miss the preliminary one but still you are entitled to send the full proposal without going into the preliminary ones?  Am I right?
>>CHAIR KUMMER: Not really, no.  I thought the whole idea was precisely asking for a preliminary declaration of interest.  If you miss that one, okay, it is one workshop less.  We have achieved our game of reducing the number of workshops.  Honestly, we have three weeks.  We ask for a few sentences on an issue you are interested in.  That is doable.  And if you are interested in the IGF, you will watch the outcome of this meeting and this is the concrete outcome.  Please spread the news to your various lists and colleagues….
Yes, Robert?
>>ROBERT GUERRA: Just a quick question, clarification.  So if the deadline is three weeks, does that mean that March 22nd is the deadline?  I think it just should be available a link put on the page soon enough so people can be directed.
>>CHAIR KUMMER: Yes, that's the idea.  Three weeks from now is March 22nd.  And the deadline for the workshop proposals is 30th of April.
Can I hand back to our Chairman to conclude the meeting?

Not a lot of opportunity for anyone else to jump in at that point, which is why we immediately took it up on the MAG list.

> 
> I sincerely hope that the MAG and IGF secretariat will revisit what is, in effect, a deadline that makes it effectively impossible for new comers to know about the call for workshop proposals and submit one in time.

Based on the previous list dialogue, I don't see this happening.  But if the 22 March deadline fails, poor response, I bet we'll then revisit and change the deadline or mandatory bit per usual, in which case the whole discussion will have been just extra cycles.

Bill
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> R. Guerra
> Phone/Cell: +1 202-905-2081
> Twitter: twitter.com/netfreedom 
> Email: rguerra at privaterra.org
> 
> On 2013-03-10, at 7:36 AM, William Drake wrote:
> 
>> It just occurred to me I've not seen this mentioned on the gov list.  Many people have just 12 days to decide if they want to organize a workshop in Bali.
>> 
>> Bill
>> 
>> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>> 
>>> From: William Drake <william.drake at uzh.ch>
>>> Subject: Re: [NCSG-Discuss] IGF 2013 Preliminary Call for Workshops Proposals
>>> Date: March 10, 2013 12:31:24 PM GMT+01:00
>>> To: Robin Gross <robin at IPJUSTICE.ORG>
>>> Cc: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>>> 
>>> Hi Robin
>>> 
>>> Thanks for circulating this.  Getting the CFP to even this level of clarity required some insistence by a couple of us civil society types on the MAG, but it may still require more reading between the lines and inference than is ideal.  So just to make sure it's clear: people who organized workshops in the past two years need to be aware that they must submit a preliminary proposal by 22 March and then be invited by the MAG in order to submit a full proposal by 30 April.  If they don't do the former, they will not be allowed to do the latter, and if the former's approved, they can't change the concept much post hoc.  These restrictions do not apply to people who've not organized events in the past two years.  Personally, I don't see how this new policy is value-adding and think it could cause confusion and/or consternation down the line, but hopefully everyone effected will get the memo and be able to decide within the next twelve days whether they might want and be able to organize a workshop in late October.  In a related vein, please recall the MAG's prior decision that a workshop organizer from the previous year must post to the IGF website a report on their event in order to qualify to organize something the following year.  
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> 
>>> Bill
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Mar 9, 2013, at 8:09 PM, Robin Gross <robin at ipjustice.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> fyi
>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Some of you may already be aware, but the IGF has issued a preliminary call for workshop proposals with a fast approaching deadline of 22 March 2013!
>>>>> 
>>>>> http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/component/content/article/121-preparatory-process/1288-2013-preliminary-call-for-workshops-proposals
>>>>> 
>>>>> 2013 Preliminary Call for Workshops Proposals			
>>>>> The Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) in its meeting on 1 March 2013 agreed to modify the procedure for the selection of workshops. 
>>>>>  
>>>>> They advised that a preliminary call for workshop proposals be issued. Workshop proponents should include a concise description of the thematic area of interest and other pertinent information in their submissions. The proposals could focus on the priority themes identified by the open consultations/MAG meetings or could also introduce other themes. (These can be found in the annex of the MAG summary report:.)
>>>>>  
>>>>> The MAG recommended that a two track process be followed:
>>>>>  
>>>>> For organizers of workshops  in 2011 or 2012 IGF meeting the submission of a preliminary proposal by 22 March 2013 is mandatory. After this deadline the MAG will go through and assess the preliminary proposals. The MAG through the Secretariat will then invite selected workshop proponents to submit full and complete workshop proposals by 30 April 2013 based on these preliminary proposals. Workshop proponents with similar proposals may be asked to work together to develop a single fully-fledged proposal. Workshop proponents cannot significantly change the topic of an approved proposal. 
>>>>>  
>>>>> In order to encourage workshop organizers, first time proposers are encouraged to but do not need to submit preliminary workshop proposals. They do however have to submit a full and complete workshop proposal by 30 April 2013. The Secretariat stands ready to assist new comers in any way.
>>>>>  
>>>>> As a result of the above MAG recommendations the IGF Secretariat is issuing a preliminary call for workshop proposals to which the deadline will be 22 March 2013.
>>>>>  
>>>>> An online form will be available on 15 March 2013 on the IGF website for submissions.
>>>>>  
>>>>> The template will be as follows:
>>>>>  
>>>>> 1.	Workshop working title:
>>>>> 2.	Concise description of broader thematic area of interest:
>>>>> 3.	Concise description of specific issues to be addressed:
>>>>> 4.	Indication of workshop format:
>>>>> a.	Panel*
>>>>> b.	Roundtable
>>>>> c.	Free discussion (with one or two moderators)
>>>>> d.	 Other (please describe)
>>>>> 5.	Name of contact person:**
>>>>> 6.	Institution:
>>>>> 7.	Contact email:
>>>>>  
>>>>>  
>>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>>> * Names of speakers are not required at this stage. 
>>>>> * *New workshop organizers are encouraged.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> IP JUSTICE
>>>> Robin Gross, Executive Director
>>>> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
>>>> p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
>>>> w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
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