[AfriNIC-rpd] Proposal for Policy Development Process in the AfriNIC service region

[sm+afrinic at elandsys.com]

Hello,

I am proposing a policy for Policy Development Process in the AfriNIC 
service region.

Regards,
S. Moonesamy

Author: S. Moonesamy
Policy Affected: AFPUB-2008-GEN-001
Date: 9 December, 2009

Proposal: Policy Development Process in the AfriNIC service region

1. Introduction

This document describes the AfriNIC Policy Development Process (PDP).

The policies are documented community decisions that directly 
determine the rules by which AfriNIC manages and administers Internet 
number resources.

2. Scope

Internet number resource policies are distinctly separate from 
AfriNIC general business practices and procedures. General business 
practices and procedures are not within the purview of the Policy 
Development Process.

3. Policy Development Principles

All policies are developed by the Internet community following three 
principles: openness, transparency and fairness.  The community 
initiates and discusses the proposals.  Once the draft policy has the 
consensus of the community, it is recommended to the AfriNIC Board of 
Directors for adoption as a policy.

3.1 Openness

All policies are developed in an open forum in which anyone may 
participate. There are no qualifications for participation.

3.2 Transparency

All aspects of the Policy Development Process are documented and 
publicly available via the AfriNIC website. The discussions are 
publicly archived.  All procedures that are developed to implement 
the policy are documented by AfriNIC and are publicly available.

3.3 Fairness

The policies are to ensure fair distribution of resources and 
facilitating the operation of the Internet.

Actions are taken within a reasonable period of time.

4. Policy Development Working Group

The Policy Development Working Group (PDWG) discusses about the 
proposals.   Anyone may participate via the Internet or in 
person.   The work is carried out through the Policy Development 
Process mailing list (PDPML) and the Public Policy Meeting (PPM).

The Policy Development Working Group may have two or more Chairs to 
perform the administrative functions of the group.  The Working Group 
Chairs will be chosen by the community during the Public Policy 
Meeting for a two-year term.  The term ends during the first Public 
Policy Meeting meeting corresponding to the end of the term for which 
they were appointed.   At the time this policy is adopted, one of the 
Working Group Chairs will be appointed for a one-year term.

If the Working Group Chair is unable to serve his or her full term, 
the AfriNIC Board of Directors may, at its discretion, immediately 
select a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.  If the 
Working Group Chairs are unable to attend the Public Policy Meeting, 
the Working Group shall nominate a Chair for the session.

5. Policy Development Process

Policy proposals can be submitted to the Policy Development Working 
Group Chair or the Policy Development Process mailing list.  AfriNIC 
will provide administrative support and assist the author(s) in 
drafting the proposal, if requested.  AfriNIC shall also provide 
relevant facts and statistics.

5.1 Draft Policy

During the development of a policy, draft versions of the document 
are made available for review and comment by publishing them on the 
AfriNIC website.  The document shall include the information 
mentioned in Appendix A.  Each draft policy is assigned a unique 
identifier by AfriNIC.  The website shall also contain the version 
history and the status of all proposals.

The draft policy shall be available for review for at least four 
weeks.  The author(s) shall make the necessary changes to the draft 
policy according to the feedback received from the community.  The 
Working Group Chair(s) may request AfriNIC to provide an analysis, 
technical, financial, legal or other, of the impact of the draft policy.

5.2 Public Policy Meeting

The draft policy is placed on the agenda of the next Public Policy 
Meeting.  The agenda of the meeting shall be announced on the Policy 
Development Process mailing list at least two weeks prior to the 
meeting.  No change can be made to a draft policy within one week of 
the meeting.  This is so that a stable version of the draft policy 
can be considered at the meeting.  The Chair(s) determines whether 
rough consensus has been achieved.  The draft policy may be sent back 
to the Policy Development Process mailing list for discussion if 
there are  objections to the proposal.

The Chair(s) shall publish the minutes of proceedings of the Public 
Policy Meeting not later than three weeks after the meeting.

5.3 Last Call

A final review of the draft policy is initiated by the Working Group 
Chair(s) by sending an announcement to the Policy Development Process 
mailing list.  The Last Call period shall be at least two weeks.  The 
Working Group Chair(s) shall evaluate the feedback received during 
the Public Policy Meeting and during this period and decide whether 
consensus has been achieved.

5.4 Approval

The Working Group Chair(s) shall recommend the draft policy to the 
AfriNIC Board of Directors for approval if it has the consensus of 
the Policy Development Working Group.  The recommendation shall 
include a report of the discussions during the Public Policy Meeting 
and the Last Call.  The AfriNIC Board of Directors may not disapprove 
a draft  policy, but if it has concerns about a draft policy, it may 
refer it back to the Policy Development Working Group, together with 
an explanation, for further work.

5.5 Implementation

The adoption and implementation date of the policy is announced on 
the Policy Development Process mailing list.

6. Conflict Resolution

A person who disagrees with the actions taken by Chair(s) shall 
discuss the matter with the Working Group Chair(s) or with the 
Working Group.  If the disagreement cannot be resolved in this way, 
the person may file an appeal with the AfriNIC Board of 
Directors.  The appeal must be submitted within two weeks of the 
public knowledge of the decision.  The AfriNIC Board of Directors 
shall issue a report on its review of the complaint to the Working 
Group.  The AfriNIC Board of Directors may direct that the Chair(s) 
decision be annulled if the Policy Development Process has not been followed.

Anyone who has attended at least two of the last ten AfriNIC meetings 
may request the recall of a Working Group Chair at any time, upon 
written request with justification to the AfriNIC Board of 
Directors.  The Board shall appoint a Recall Committee comprising 
five persons from the Working Group, excluding the person requesting 
the recall and the Working Group Chairs, using a random selection 
process.  The Recall Committee shall investigate the circumstances of 
the justification for the recall and determine the outcome.

7. Varying the Process

The process outlined in this document may vary in the case of an 
emergency.  Variance may be requested by the AfriNIC Board of 
Directors and is for use when a one-time waving of some provision of 
this document is required.  There must be an explanation about why 
the variance is needed.  The review period, including the Last Call, 
shall not be less than four weeks.  If the AfriNIC Board of Directors 
adopts the policy, it must be presented at the next Public Policy 
Meeting for reconsideration.

Appendix A: Draft Policy Template

The Draft Policy shall include:

  1. Unique identifier (assigned by AfriNIC)

  2. Draft Policy Name

  3. Author(s)
     (a) Name
     (b) Email address

  4. Draft Policy Version
  5. Submission Date
  6. Changes to existing policies (updates, obsoletes)
  7. Summary of proposal
  8. Proposal