[Community-Discuss] Questions about transparency

Fri Jul 14 09:32:53 UTC 2017

Hi Andrew,

I believe a lot can be learned from statistics and trend.
The end results might be that there are no patterns, trend and no
"factions" as a conclusion.

But anyone who knows me knows I love digging in archives, there is so
much things to learn from past documents and historical conversations
archived forever.
So from a personal point of view, count me in.

I really can only justify participating in my free time, but I surely
can contribute a few hours here and there.

PM me the details for any further info on this.

Cheers,
David Hilario

On 14 July 2017 at 12:08, Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com> wrote:
> This is a personal project, that's others may or may not choose to
> contribute to.  It is my belief that understanding the factionalism is key
> to solving it - and I feel this is beneficial, so I shall proceed.
>
> I hope to have others join with me in the effort, but barring that I will
> still proceed in a solo effort, it will just take longer
>
> Andrew
>
> Get Outlook for iOS
> ________________________________
> From: Badru Ntege <badru.ntege at nftconsult.com>
> Sent: Friday, July 14, 2017 11:25:41 AM
> To: Andrew Alston
> Cc: Owen DeLong; community-discuss at afrinic.net
>
> Subject: Re: [Community-Discuss] Questions about transparency
>
> So I'm curious how this will contribute to the achievement of AfriNICs
> mission statement. Or even the internet community in general.
>
> I would rather prefer to see your energys directed in an additive activity
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 14 Jul 2017, at 10:22, Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com>
> wrote:
>
> Having read all of this,
>
>
>
> I would like to start a bit of a research project in my spare (albeit
> limited) time – so here is what I plan to do.
>
>
>
> I want to analyse every single email across the various lists going back 6
> years – in an attempt to identify the factions that exists (as has been
> stated at all 3 of the last 3 meetings, there is a definite sense of
> factionalism within the AfriNIC community, and that observation has been
> made at the microphone by multiple people)
>
> Then, let us identify
>
>
>
> When these factions arose and why
> Who are the people who are leading these factions
>
>
>
> Then – once that information has been gathered in as objective fashion as
> possible, through looking at the emails and the responses, the
> substantiation behind those responses, looking at the videos of the PDP
> meeting and the questions at the microphone and the responses to follow-ups
> etc, we can then look at potentially finding a way to resolve the divides,
> potentially even by putting the leaders of said factions in the same room
> and getting them to work out the issues, so that we can get back to a point
> where we are discussing based on policy, based on content, and based on
> issues that are substantive, rather than from a geographic, linguistic or
> other perspective.
>
>
>
> Now – such a complete research project if it is to be done properly, is
> immensely time consuming due to the volume of material to go through, and
> so, I’d like to invite volunteers who would like to assist in this project.
> This also helps to mitigate the risk that the report that comes out of this
> will be in any way biased, since those working on it are volunteers from
> across the continent.
>
>
>
> Please email me off list if you’d be willing to assist.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Badru Ntege [mailto:badru.ntege at nftconsult.com]
> Sent: 14 July 2017 10:15
> To: Owen DeLong <owen at delong.com>
> Cc: community-discuss at afrinic.net
> Subject: Re: [Community-Discuss] Questions about transparency
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 13 Jul 2017, at 08:10, Owen DeLong <owen at delong.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> However, I am certain you are unlikely to share my perspective as you are
> almost certainly allied with this group of ill-behaved malcontents.
>
>
>
> ???
>
> I'm allied with the Afrinic community whichever name one might choose to
> give the community and membership works well with me.
>
>
>
>
>
> Owen
>
>
>
> On Jun 5, 2017, at 19:13 , Badru Ntege <badru.ntege at nftconsult.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Ali
>
>
>
> Thanks for highlighting the issues bellow.  Some board members have claimed
> championing transparency but I think we all need to have the same definition
> of the word.
>
>
>
> The issue of publishing the minutes was a community mandate to the board not
> a board initiative.  I also like the issue on declaring interest.
>
>
>
> However the community is not blind and eventually the truth comes out as we
> saw in Nairobi where the community spoke resoundingly in both ASO and board
> elections.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 5 Jun 2017, at 12:39, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
>
> Mark and all
>
>
>
> Let's raise the bar on transparency and proper reporting is super critical.
>
>
>
> For example a quick perusal of the Afrinic Website tells me that:-
>
>
>
> 1. The last minutes posted were in February this year. I see there was
> another Board meeting in April which has no minutes posted yet. Can we try
> and ensure that board minutes are available for circulation online within 2
> weeks of the meeting being held?
>
>
>
> 2. It is common best practice for Board members to declare their interests
> (if any) before any board meeting and these to be duly recorded in the
> minutes. This will go a long way in enhancing the transparency conversation.
>
>
>
> 3.  I also note that in the February Board minutes that agenda Item No. 5 on
> Committees there are no committee reports for Audit and Remuneration. Also
> no other board committee reports have been presented.
>
> Question:- why are there no reports on the Audit and Remuneration reports
> committees? Is this an oversight or were they simply not ready? Can the
> Board consider making the other committee reports available to the
> community?
>
>
>
> 4. It is now also standard for organizations to publish a Sustainability
> Report. Most public for profit companies in Kenya now publish a
> sustainability report. This is even more critical in an Organisation like
> Afrinic. To give us a sample of what this may look like please see
> Safaricom's 2016 Sustainability Report below:-
>
>
>
> https://www.safaricom.co.ke/images/Downloads/Resources_Downloads/sustainabilityreport_2016.pdf
>
>
>
> Ali Hussein
>
> Principal
>
> Hussein & Associates
>
> +254 0713 601113
>
>
>
> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>
> Skype: abu-jomo
>
> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>
>
>
> "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a
> habit."  ~ Aristotle
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>
> On 5 Jun 2017, at 11:37 AM, Mark Elkins <mje at posix.co.za> wrote:
>
> I agree with you Ali. When Andrew first campaigned to be a Board member, one
> of his goals was increased transparency. I believe that he has helped, with
> the rest of the Board, achieve this. Transparency though is an ongoing
> process and its a pity that Andrew was not re-elected to continue assisting
> in that process.
>
> Regarding Andrews points:
>
> a) Travel in Africa is not cheap. Rather than just a single line for travel,
> I'd like to see it a bit more broken up though, categorised something like;
>      i) Training sessions 10, people 20, cost $10,000
>      ii) Meetings 2, people 40, cost $20,000
>      iii) Board Travel 8, trips 32, cost $20,000
>
> (or something like that)
>
> b - d) Again, I'd like to see a bit more break down, especially in the case
> of unaudited organisations. On d), the ASO/NRO fees are proportionally paid
> by RIRs. AfriNIC does pay the lowest proportion.
>
> e) I think the moratorium on Business class travel should be maintained, but
> have the option to upgrade their flights at their expense. When flying for
> AfriNIC, I was given a Priority Pass card. That privilege should stay to
> give people access to lounges.  I'm happy the CEO flies business (at his
> discretion). If it was a long flight (ARIN, USA) and overnight and that
> Board member is the only AfriNIC representative and was presenting the
> "AfriNIC" slides, let them fly business. I did that once (but travelled
> economy).
>
>
>
> On 05/06/2017 08:21, Ali Hussein wrote:
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
> You raise pertinent and important issues.
>
>
>
> The rule of thumb for any public organization is that Transparency trumps
> (no pun intended) everything else.
>
>
>
> If I were asked and was a member of the Board, I'd advocate for FULL
> disclosure on financial and operational matters. How money was spent, how
> much, what was the impact, who received it etc. That in my humble opinion is
> the best policy. Let us err on the side of too much information as opposed
> to too little information.
>
> Ali Hussein
>
> Principal
>
> Hussein & Associates
>
> +254 0713 601113
>
>
>
> Twitter: @AliHKassim
>
> Skype: abu-jomo
>
> LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim
>
>
>
> "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a
> habit."  ~ Aristotle
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>
> On 5 Jun 2017, at 8:42 AM, Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com>
> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> So – I want to open a bit of a discussion about transparency, specifically,
> financial transparency.
>
>
>
> In order to get this started – let me ask a few questions of all of you –
>
>
>
> While we talk about transparency and how it is required – can we analyze for
> a moment as to the level of transparency we want.   So, to kick this
> discussion off, let me start by asking some basic questions that we can use
> as the starting point for this discussion.
>
>
>
> a.)     How much detail should the board and AfriNIC be supplying us as
> regards how the money we pay towards IP resources is spent.  Is it
> sufficient to show an aggregated line item that refers to travel expenses
> for example, or do we want to see some kind of a breakdown on what that
> money is being spent on (considering that travel makes up 10% of the total
> revenue)
>
> b.)    How much detail should the board and AfriNIC be supplying us as
> members as regards other large scale line items – specifically – we spend
> hundreds of thousands each year on meeting expenses – should we be asking
> for a breakdown on what those meeting expenses are – or are we happy with
> the organization spending that kind of money under a single large line item.
>
> c.)     When AfriNIC is giving money to other organizations for sponsorship
> – what level of transparency and accountability should be required from
> those organizations.  Is it acceptable that AFRINIC makes a decision to give
> money to organizations that have no formal incorporation, no audited
> financial statements and no board of their own, or should AFRINIC be
> scrutinizing those that they give money to far more closely, and asking for
> the same level of transparency from those that they give money to that we
> require from them.
>
> d.)    When AFRINIC is funding organizations such as the ASO/NRO – how much
> transparency should be supplied back to the members about how that money is
> being spent and what that funding is actually being used for.
>
> e.)    When AFRINIC is funding board travel to meetings around the world –
> should board members be able to attend these conferences without ever
> supplying reports about what was accomplished at said meetings and what the
> purpose of the expenditure was, or are we prepared to accept that these
> meetings must be useful without further questions.
>
>
>
> Remember, every cent spent by AfriNIC can have an impact on our fees, and
> impacts the bottom line of the company.  Over the last 3 years, we have come
> a long way to stabilizing the company and its financial position, but in
> order to maintain that, we probably need to discuss openly as a community
> about the level of transparency we want into those finances and then once we
> as a community come to consensus, we can request the board supply the
> transparency we agree is necessary.  But let us have an open and cordial
> discussion so that we get to the right point.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Andrew
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> --
>
> Mark James ELKINS  -  Posix Systems - (South) Africa
>
> mje at posix.co.za       Tel: +27.128070590  Cell: +27.826010496
>
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