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Re: AdminRest: IASA BCP: Finances and Accounting - principles

2004-11-26 16:42:45
Bert,

_Far_ too much detail. See earlier note about the bank account material. I suspect that I speak for many members of the community when I say that I want to get this "admin" stuff fixed, and fixed as quickly and efficiently as possible, after which I Do Not want to have to revisit it at regular intervals, through Last Calls or otherwise.

Please, as you are working on and editing the BCP, remember that this is not a "snapshot of current thinking as of November/ December 2004" document, but the details of how we intend to run this mechanism and structure. If you can look at a section and reasonably say "this is likely to be too much detail in two or three years" --whether because things will have evolved within reasonable limits or because the transition will have ended-- then, please, let's try to put that information somewhere besides in the BCP.

If it goes in the BCP, then any change requires that we reopen this whole time-consuming and expensive process. Or, to avoid that, we encourage the IAOC to simply ignore the written rules on the theory that they don't really apply. I think the second is worse than the first, but I have trouble being enthused about either.

   john


--On Friday, November 26, 2004 5:54 PM +0100 "Wijnen, Bert (Bert)" <bwijnen(_at_)lucent(_dot_)com> wrote:

OK, besides the details of implementation (e.g. a specific
IASA bank account or not), we MUST (if I understoodd the
discussion on the list) specify the principles that we
(IETF and ISOC) find important w.r.t. the finances and
accounting of this IASA-IETF-ISOC relationship.

So how about inserting a section 5.1 (shifting the others
by 1) with text as follows (first draft):

  5.1 Principles

  The following sections on specific funding sources, expenses
  and reserve funds are based on these IETF and ISOC agreed to
  principles:

  1. The goal is to achieve and maintain a viable IETF
administrative       support activity (IASA) based on meeting
fees and designated      donations.

  2. All income and expenses will be budgeted on a yearly
basis and      agreed to by IASA, IAOC and ISOC. In addition,
each year a       provisional 3-year budget will be created so
as to minimize      future surprizes.

  3. Until the goal in point 1 is achieved, ISOC will support
the       IASA from generic ISOC funds, based on a yearly
budget, agreed      to by IASA, IAOC and ISOC.

  4. Once established, over a period of 3 years, IASA should
build      an operating reserve for its activities sufficient
to cover      6-months of non-meeting operational expenses,
plus twice the      recent average for meeting contract
guarantees.

  5. All of the IETF-related budgeting, funding and expenses
have      to be fully and transparently accounted for.

  6. At any time, the books (balance sheets) should be clear
on how      much assets and liabilities the IASA has on IETF's
behalf.

  7. The IAD (or another designated member of the IAOC in case
of      the disability or unavailability of the IAD) has an
ability to       commit funds to budgeted expenses.

In my view, that would also mean that the budget for the first
3 years includes the building of the reserve fund, and so
potentially  that means that also ISOC generic funding will
help to build that reserve fund. That reserve fund will be
dedicated for IASA to draw on when needed.

Bert

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