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Re: Explosive bolts [Re: Options for IETF administrativerestructuring]

2004-09-08 10:46:38
On 9/8/04 at 9:23 AM +0200, Brian E Carpenter wrote:

scott bradner wrote:
In his scenario, not only the Administrative Czar would need explosive bolts, but also the RFC Editor and Secretariat, etc.

that depends on the contracts with those suppliers - if the contract is signed by the IETF chair or the admin czar for the IETF (rather than for the ISOC)...

This is the most utterly confusing thing I've heard on this topic and I really hope Scott can clarify:

1. As far as I can tell, there is no scenario in which the IETF chair is signing anything. First and foremost, the IETF chair can't make a contract without exposing him/herself to *personal* liability because the IETF chair (as such) is not an employee of any corporation which empowers such a thing. If I were IETF chair, I wouldn't sign any contract which came within 10 miles of me.

2. The admin czar (at least in scenarios A&B) would be an employee of ISOC. I don't see how that person could possibly sign a contract on behalf of the IETF: Like the IETF chair, there's no legal relationship there that I understand. The admin czar could sign a contract on behalf of ISOC, or under scenario C&D sign on behalf of the "IETF Foundation" (as Carl's report calls it).

So I have no idea what you could mean by "sign for the IETF". And this is the core of my concern.

I would not expect that any supplier-specific bolts would be required

If all contracts (including the RFC Editor and the Secretariat) went through the admin entity (which would be under the ISOC in A&B), I agree that no separate bolts are required.

And it would be pretty simple for ISOC (our incorporated entity designed for this purpose in 1992) to give formal signature rights to the IETF chair if we really needed that. I think a Board resolution would suffice.

But that would entail giving the IETF chair signature rights *to sign for ISOC*. That would be sufficient for these purposes, but is completely undesirable in that we were trying to get IAB/IESG members *out* of the business of administrative tasks.

pr
--
Pete Resnick <http://www.qualcomm.com/~presnick/>
QUALCOMM Incorporated - Direct phone: (858)651-4478, Fax: (858)651-1102

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