[rpd] Accountability assessment - PDP review?

[Alan Barrett]

> On 1 Nov 2016, at 05:47, Dr Paulos Nyirenda <paulos at sdnp.org.mw> wrote:
> For example, when I was a Co-chair, there was not set rule on how or whether the
> co-chair is funded by AFRINIC to attend the Policy Meeting or any other AFRINIC meeting.
> The co-chairs have to make a request on a case by case basis, even then, there is no
> rule on how the co-chair makes the request, to whom and for what they qualify.

It’s true that there is no written policy, but the usual practice is that AFRINIC funds the PDWG co-chairs’ travel to AFRINIC meetings.  The same applies to NRO NC/ASO AC representatives, and Board members.  To the best of my knowledge and belief, this has been the practice for as long as AFRINIC has been operating.  In my personal experience, as a Board member from 2004 to 2009, and as an NRO NC/ASO AC representative fron 2004 to 2014, AFRINIC always paid my travel expenses.

I know of only one instance where funding of travel for PDWG co-chairs was an issue.  In that one instance, at Abidjan in 2013, a PDWG co-chair wanted to travel from some place other than their usual country of residence, and AFRINIC asked them to pay the difference in airfare, but they were not willing or able to do so, with the result that they did not travel.  (I know about it because I asked AFRINIC staff at the time.)

> It seems very weird that the co-chair has to apply for a fellowship.
> 
> I am aware that this issue persisted to co-chairs that succeeded me and my co-chair
> colleagues.
> 
> Can AFRINIC clarify if this unfortunate arrangement has now improved?

I don’t know what part of this arrangement you see as “unfortunate”, but if it’s simply the absence of a published guideline, then that can easily be fixed.

Alan Barrett