[Community-Discuss] Questions about transparency

[Andrew Alston]

Hi SM,

Comments inline:

>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.

I believe that the NRO actually already publishes a report - I don't know how detailed it is - but what I personally would like to see from AFRINIC is to say "We funded our ASO/NRO representatives to the tune of X, of which Y was travel based, Z was whatever based etc."  This way the community can also look at the numbers and tell if they are happy with them.  I point out that at one point, ARIN asked their members about half a million dollars being spent on something (can't remember what), and the members were fine with it - but the members were given the choice. 

Basically - I just want to know how the money is being spent.

>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.
>

In this regard - I refer specifically to AFRINIC board members travelling to and attending meetings like RIPE conferences, ARIN conferences, APNIC conferences, ICANN meetings, IGF meetings etc.  I would like to see that if board members are travelling there on AFRINIC dime, that they produce a report as to what happened at the meeting, how they contributed, what they learnt etc.  This helps to justify the amount of money it costs to have board members at these meetings and at the same time enhances the communities understanding of what is happening in the wider scope of things globally.  AFRINIC and its community is part of a much larger system, and I personally welcome any information I can get about everything going on in the rest of the world, and I just feel that if board members are going to be travelling there using member fees to pay for it - there is no harm in requesting that said board members produce a report to the community at large that we can all benefit from.  There is nothing confidential that needs to be reported - just information that may be useful in enhancing the members knowledge of what is going on out there in the world.

Andrew