Subject: [Sip] Chair Rambling: Thoughts on Conflicting Pressures in SIP Work Planning

From: "Dean Willis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 10:55:04 -0600

Over the last week, I've had several fascinating conversations with people
about the way that SIP work gets planned and done. This has led me to a
realization of an underlying conflict that needs to be carefully managed.

Observation 1: Over time, the set of actively contributing people has
declined. New people find it hard to penetrate the "Inner Circle", and take
their energy, enthusiasm, and talent elsewhere -- or even worse, nowhere.

Observation 2: We have a lot of diffferent topics under consideration --
more than the set of actively contributing people can execute, or even
assimilate. It was noted several times in the SIP meeting that "This is a
great idea, and very interesting, but we just don't have the bandwidth to do
it."

The traditional way to deal with #1 is to open up to new ideas.

The traditional way to deal with #2 is to focus narrowly on priorities
(usually meaning "stuff we're already doing") and refuse to consider any new
topics. Another approach is to invest effort in getting more people actively
involved and contributing, which can be difficult "late in the game".

What we've been trying to do is steer a happy medium between the two --
giving consideration to new ideas that MIGHT become priority items,
encouraging new participation, and managing to priorities. SIPPING, for
example, is a mechanism for helping SIP evaluate and set incoming
priorities, while also entertaining newer ideas. It has certainly helped.
But there is always room for improvement.

As you relax and bask in that happy post-meeting glow (which I hope lasts no
more than about 72 hours, we have WORK to do!), I invite you all to consider
this matter, and share any insights either with the list as a whole or one
or all of the chairs as you feel is most appropriate.

Thanks, and I wish all of you who were at IETF 58 a safe trip home.

--
Dean

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---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 22:39:12 -0500

Hi Dean, all, 

Nice summary of conflicting pressures. 

However, another serious pressure which has severely affected most all of 
us, especially over the past 2 - 3 years, is overlooked -- economics. 
These have been nasty economic times, to say the least.   And IETF is 
basically a volunteer organization.   It is certainly difficult to 
contribute to the greater good when the short term bottom line threatens 
basic personal security.  Therefore another contributing factor to the 
difficulty to progress the movement / mayhem we call SIP has been good ol' 
fashioned economic reality. 

With these points in mind I think it is paramount to make sure any new 
direction is forced to show a connection to the real world.   What is the 
value to the end user?  What is the value to those that would deploy it? 
What is the business case that will make this sustainable?  Therefore, 
what is in it for me, the would-be contributor of my precious personal 
time? 

Don't get me wrong!!!  While I have not been able to spend the time 
recently, I still want to do so.  And I still believe strongly in the 
cause.  However, any sort of process that would allow proof of the value 
to me and my employer would be a huge help in being able to commit the 
time required to really do the job.  While I actually think SIP/SIPPING 
does a pretty good job of showing value, and of driving related 
requirements, an explicit and visible evaluation process does seem to be 
lacking. 

Of course, I have NO IDEA how to put such a process in place.  I just 
think it would be highly valuable, both to gaining willing / committed 
contributors to the process, and to focusing efforts on overall success. 

My $0.01, 
Peter Blatherwick 

"Dean Willis" <[email-masked]>
Sent by: [email-masked]
14.11.03 11:55

        To:     <[email-masked]>
        cc:     <[email-masked]>, "'Gonzalo Camarillo'" 
<[email-masked]>
        Subject:        [Sip] Chair Rambling: Thoughts on Conflicting Pressures in SIP Work 
Planning

Observation 1: Over time, the set of actively contributing people has
declined. New people find it hard to penetrate the "Inner Circle", and 
take
their energy, enthusiasm, and talent elsewhere -- or even worse, nowhere.

Observation 2: We have a lot of diffferent topics under consideration --
more than the set of actively contributing people can execute, or even
assimilate. It was noted several times in the SIP meeting that "This is a
great idea, and very interesting, but we just don't have the bandwidth to 
do
it."

The traditional way to deal with #2 is to focus narrowly on priorities
(usually meaning "stuff we're already doing") and refuse to consider any 
new
topics. Another approach is to invest effort in getting more people 
actively
involved and contributing, which can be difficult "late in the game".

As you relax and bask in that happy post-meeting glow (which I hope lasts 
no
more than about 72 hours, we have WORK to do!), I invite you all to 
consider
this matter, and share any insights either with the list as a whole or one
or all of the chairs as you feel is most appropriate.

--
Dean