This workspace has been created for use by the At-Large Duties and Metrics Drafting Team (DMDT) to prepare draft text on the revision of the ALAC Rules of Procedure. The expectation is that from this drafting a new set of Rules of Procedure (RoPs) or Operating Principals (OPs) for ALAC will be created, adopted/endorsed and in use from end 2012.

The purpose of this workspace is to offer a space where the revised rules are worked on in pre-consensus mode during and between formal meetings of the Drafting Team.

Current draft in WORD FORMAT and PDF. 

Current draft showing changes in WORD FORMAT and PDF.

These formats include better formatting and specific sections highlighted.

Section B: Responsibilities

1.      ALAC Member Requirements and Responsibilities:

1.1.       Agree to abide by these Rules of Procedure and other requirements as may be agreed to by the ALAC from time to time.

1.2.       Serve on behalf of the ALAC and the At-Large Community by acting for the good of the entire Community.

1.3.       Submit a Statement of Interest (SoI) in a format agreed to by the ALAC, and to keep that SoI up to date. Certain positions and responsibilities may require additional information to that included in the standard ALAC SoI.

1.4.       Attend all formal ALAC meetings, and to the extent that such participation from time to time may not be possible, provide advance notice of the planned absence where practical.

1.5.       Prepare for and actively participate in all ALAC discussions, including face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, e-mail lists, wikis and other means of interaction as agreed to by the ALAC.

1.6.       Take part in all ALAC consensus decisions and votes except for those which require attendance at a meeting where the Member is not present.

1.7.       Play a leadership role in representing the interests of Internet users within ICANN.

1.8.       Actively participate in ALAC WGs, and preferably in WGs sponsored by other ICANN bodies as well. Unless otherwise specified, such participation is as an individual and not formally representing the ALAC. Preferably, the ALAC member will also take a leadership position within one or more of the WGs in which they participate.

1.9.       Should a situation arise where a person can no longer reasonably (currently and ongoing) carry out the obligations of a role, that person is obliged to either resign or otherwise ensure that the ALAC and At-Large is well-served.

1.10.   Responsibilities of ALAC Members are more fully discussed in the Position Description for ALAC Members, Liaisons and Appointees. <<Note: current title: Position Description for ALAC Members and ALAC Liaisons.>>

2.      ALAC Chair Requirements and Responsibilities

2.1.       The Chair must be an ALAC member.

2.2.       A person nominated to be Chair does not need to be in the ALAC at the time of nomination but must have an expectation of being in the ALAC after the next AGM.

2.3.       Should the person elected Chair not be an ALAC member after the AGM, a new election will be conducted.

2.4.       A chair is elected for one year term automatically extended to two each time the person remains to be an ALAC member for the second year. The first priority for the ALAC is to select the best person to be Chair.

2.5.       All actions attributed to the Chair in these RoP may be delegated by the Chair to any other ALAC Member.

2.6.       It is expected that a Chair will delegate specific responsibilities (sometimes referred to as “portfolios”) to other ALAC Leadership Team Members (ALTM), other ALAC Members and/or Liaisons based on skills, interests and workload.

2.7.       All such delegations are subject to the agreement of the delegate and should be a matter of public record.

2.8.       The duties of Chair include:

2.8.1.         Presides over ALAC meetings.

2.8.2.          Has the authority to determine the procedures to be followed where standard operating procedures do not cover a specific situation,

2.8.3.         Verifies the respect of the RoP, Bylaws and other norms applicable to the ALAC.

2.8.4.         Determines meeting agendas in advance in conjunction with the ALTM and Staff.

2.8.5.         Be the prime liaison with Staff.

2.8.6.         Represents the ALAC and At-Large in meetings and in written communication where there is no specific appointment. This responsibility notwithstanding, the Chair is obliged to consult with the ALAC Members, the ALT and the ALAC and/or other segments of At-Large as appropriate.

2.8.7.         Ensures that timelines and deadlines for the work of the Committee are set and met.

2.8.8.         Facilitates and encourages participation of all ALAC members in At-Large Community activities and taking appropriate actions when the participation and contributions of ALAC Members and appointees do not meet.

2.9.       As a member of the ALAC Leadership Team (ALT), the Chair is subject to the same obligations as all ALT Members.

2.10.   Should the Chair be incapable of carrying out the duties and obligations of the office, including that of delegating responsibilities to another ALAC Member, another ALAC member will be deemed to be the Chair until such time as the original Chair can resume their duties or the ALAC can select a replacement. The replacement chair will be, in order of precedence:

2.10.1.     The Vice Chair, if there is only one.

2.10.2.     One of the Vice-Chairs, by mutual agreement of the Vice-Chairs, or barring such agreement, by random selection with the random selection carried out by Staff

2.10.3.     Any other ALT Member by mutual agreement of the ALT Members, or barring such agreement, by random selection with the random selection carried out by Staff

3.      ALAC Leadership Team Requirements and Responsibilities

3.1.       The ALAC Leadership Team (ALT) supports and collaborates with the Chair in the overall administration and management of the ALAC.

3.2.       All ALT Members must be ALAC Members.

3.3.       A person nominated to for an ALT position does not need to be in the ALAC at the time of nomination but must have an expectation of being in the ALAC after the next AGM.

3.4.       Should a person selected as an ALT Member is not an ALAC member after the AGM, a new selection will be conducted.

3.5.       ALT Members are expected to participate in all ALT meetings, both face-to-face and teleconferences, and to the extent that such participation from time to time may not be possible, provide advance notice of the planned absence where practical.

3.6.       ALT Members agree to be available to meet the time commitments associated with their position as agreed to be the ALAC. <<Capture for adjunct document – Chair: 20-25 hours per week. More in a bad week, perhaps 1/2 in very good week. on call, available and able to attend meetings 24/7. often to do 7-9 hours straight, per day.>>

3.7.       ALAC Members occupying the role of Vice-Chair agree to take on a heavier workload then the untitled ALT Members.

4.      ALAC Liaison Requirements and Responsibilities

4.1.       The ALAC may from time to time appoint Liaisons to formally represent the ALAC to various bodies within or outside of ALAC from now on named the Target Group (TG).

4.2.       Liaisons need not be ALAC members but they will normally be current or past ALAC members, or otherwise familiar with ALAC/At-Large and the TG to whom they will Liaison.

4.3.       Liaisons are responsible for communicating ALAC positions to the TG, and for reporting on TG activities, meetings and actions that may be of interest to the ALAC, to the extent that confidentiality rules of the TG allow.

4.4.       Liaisons shall generally have the same responsibilities as ALAC Members, with the following exceptions

4.4.1.         Liaisons do not participate in ALAC consensus decisions or votes unless they are ALAC members.

4.4.2.         Liaisons may be relieved of the responsibility to attend all ALAC meetings by decision of the ALAC.

4.4.3.         Liaisons have no requirements to participate in ALAC and other WGs other than those related to the TG unless they are ALAC members. That notwithstanding, Liaisons are encouraged and expected to be active participants in the activities of the TG.

4.5.       Liaisons have an obligation to ensure that it is clear whether they are speaking on behalf of themselves, the org that sent them (if any) or the ALAC. Moreover, Liaisons must, to the best of their ability, fairly represent positions of the ALAC where they exist.

4.6.       When representing the ALAC, Liaisons have an obligation to solicit ALAC and At-Large views on the matter where practical and possible. Liaisons should be picked knowing that in many instances such consultation may not be possible or practical and thus the ALAC needs to select people who understand the philosophies of ALA and At-Large.

4.7.       Liaisons shall accept, while acting in their capacity on behalf of the ALAC, to put the collective views of the ALAC in front of their own, to the extent that such views are known.

4.7.1.         When the personal views are in conflict with ALAC views, the Liaison must make clear which position is which.

4.7.2.         To the extent that such ALAC views are not known, personal views should not be misrepresented as ALAC views.

4.8.       Liaisons may serve in this capacity to only one TG at a time.

4.9.       Liaisons appointments are from the period of the end of one AGM to the end of the following AGM unless otherwise specified by the ALAC at the time of the appointment.

4.10.   Any appointment where the TG has internal participation qualifications is conditional on acceptance by the TG.

4.11.   To the extent possible and practical, the TG should make their requirements known ahead of time.

5.      ALAC Non-Liaison Appointee Requirements and Responsibilities

5.1.       The ALAC may from time to time appoint individuals to represent the ALAC or to act on behalf of the ALAC to various bodies within or outside of ICANN.

5.2.       Non-Liaison Appointees do not need to be ALAC members but must have sufficient knowledge of ALAC/At-Large and other the group or subject related to their appointment so as to be able to properly represent the ALAC/At-Large.

5.3.       Except as agreed to by the ALAC, the responsibilities and obligations of Non-Liaison Appointees are the generally same as those of Liaisons.

6.      Terms

6.1.       All appointments except the ALAC Chair begin at the conclusion of one AGM and continue until the conclusion of the following AGM, unless the ALAC specifically identifies a different time-frame.

6.2.       The term of the Chair starts at the conclusion of an AGM and runs for one or two consecutive ICANN years conditional on the Chair being an ALAC member during the second year.

6.3.       Should the Chair not be an ALAC member during the second year of the term, the ALAC will use its normal Chair election procedure to select a new Chair as per the normal Chair selection process.

6.4.       If any person leaves an appointed position prior to the normal end of their term, the person appointed as a replacement will serve only for the remainder of the incumbent’s term.

7.      Performance and Metrics

7.1.       The ALAC can function effectively only if all ALAC Members and appointees meet the obligations of their positions.

7.2.       The ability of the ALAC to represent the interest of Internet users depends on strong participation from all ICANN regions.

7.3.       The ALAC and At-Large receive very significant funding from ICANN, both for travel and other activities, and the ALAC’s ability to justify such expense is conditional on all ALAC Members making regular and significant contributions to the ALAC, At-Large and ICANN.

7.4.       Satisfactory performance is a complex concept including both objective and subjective issues.

7.5.       A variety of metrics will be maintained related to quantifiable performance aspects to ensure that all ALAC Members and appointees are aware of their performance, and to support the Chair in the responsibility of monitoring such performance. Such metrics will include, but are not limited to:

7.5.1.         Meeting attendance including sending prior notice if attendance not possible.

7.5.2.         Attendance will be based on individual ALAC sessions for those present at ICANN meetings.

7.5.3.         Participation in the decisions and votes of the ALAC

7.5.4.         Participation and roles played on ALAC working groups as well as those of other bodies within ICANN.

7.6.       The metrics for all Members and appointees will be publicly available.

7.7.       The ALAC may set thresholds which the Chair or RALOs could use to monitor performance.

7.8.       The ALAC has the right to withdraw the appointment of ALAC appointees. <<Recall presumably to be covered by ESADT.>>

7.9.       The Chair is empowered to take action as agreed to by the ALAC. Any such actions must be done with due consideration to cultural differences throughout At-Large and to the extent possible in a discreet and sensitive manner.

7.10.   Such actions shall include but not be limited to:

7.10.1.     Discussion of issue with the ALAC Member or appointee.

7.10.2.     Use of the ICANN Ombudsman for mediation.

7.10.3.     Discussion with the RALO leadership if the ALAC Member is a RALO appointee

7.10.4.     Withdrawal of travel funding, in conjunction with the appropriate ICANN budget manager(s).

7.10.5.     Although resignations are far preferable to the ALAC taking formal action, should the situation warrant it, the ALAC may vote to remove an ALAC Member.

7.10.5.1.           The Member must be given an opportunity to explain to the ALAC why they should not be removed.

7.10.5.2.           Should such a vote be necessary, it will be carried out with a secret ballot of all ALAC members except the one in question.

7.10.5.3.           For a vote of removal to be successful, at least 2/3 of the ALAC Members eligible to vote must vote for removal.

7.11.   Actions taken do not need to be done in sequence and none of those listed above are mandatory unless specified as so by the ALAC.

7.12.     All actions of the ALAC, ALAC Members, or the ALAC Chair are always subject to referral to the ICANN ombudsman.