Ballot Proposition: [Draft 0.95] Operating Procedures for IEEE 754R Standards Working Group
0. Preface In today's technological environment, standards play a critical role in product development and market share. Responsibility for how a standard evolves begins in the working group. Every input, behavior, and action has both a contributory and a potential legal consequence. These procedures help protect working group members and the IEEE by establishing the necessary framework for a sound standardization process. 1. Amendments to these procedures These operating procedures outline the orderly transaction of business by the working group. The working group may amend these procedures with the approval of its Sponsor. The Sponsor may amend these procedures. Amending in this context means that material in these procedures may be modified as long as that clause is not indicated as one that cannot be changed. (See also clause 9.) 2. Hierarchy The latest version of several documents takes precedence over these procedures in the following order: New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law IEEE Certificate of Incorporation IEEE Constitution IEEE Bylaws IEEE Policies IEEE Board of Directors Resolutions IEEE Standards Association Operations Manual IEEE-SA Board of Governors Resolutions IEEE-SA Standards Board Bylaws IEEE-SA Standards Board Operations Manual IEEE CS MSC Policies and Procedures MSC Approved Working Group Procedures Robert's Rules of Order (Revised) will be followed for parliamentary matters not discussed in this document or in superior documents. 3. Fundamental Principles of Operation For the development of standards, openness and due process must apply, which means that any person with a direct and material interest who meets the requirements of these procedures has a right to participate by: 1) Attending meetings 2) Joining the committee 3) Committee leadership opportunity 4) Expressing a position and its basis, 5) Having that position considered, 6) Participate in the voting of the committee 7) And Appealing if adversely affected. Due process allows for equity and fair play. In addition to openness, due process requires balance, i.e., the standards development process should have a balance of interests and should not be dominated by any single interest category. IEEE due process also requires a consensus of those parties interested in the project. Consensus is defined as at least a majority agreement, but not necessarily unanimity. 4. Legal Accountability The working group shall a) Abide by all intellectual property policies of the IEEE, including those for patents, trademarks, and copyright b) Conduct a call for patents at the start of each meeting c) Avoid discussions that could result in an antitrust action. If health, safety and/or environmental issues are raised in the standards document developed by the working group, the chair will inform IEEE Standards staff to ensure that the appropriate review of these clauses is fulfilled. Working group participants should consider the IEEE Code of Ethics when taking action. 4.1 Copyright release All participants in IEEE Standards working groups are required to sign and submit the Copyright Release Form (when available) prior to active participation in and/or voting in any working group meeting. Without this release, the Chair shall not recognize, and restrict where known, participation by that person in working group activities. 4.2 Indemnification IEEE Bylaw I-300.3 discusses the IEEE rules for indemnification. Participants must complete and submit a Project Registration Form to be recognized as a duly authorized participant in IEEE standards development activities. 5. Working Group Responsibilities The working group shall a) Complete the project from Project Authorization Request (PAR) approval to IEEE-SA Standards Board approval within the allotted time as specified by the IEEE Standards Board through NesCom (normally 48 months). b) Submit to the Sponsor any required documentation; for example, a project schedule and Sponsor requested status reports c) Schedule meetings (in person or electronic) as appropriate, based on an agenda distributed sufficiently early to allow preparation for prior to the meeting preferably 30 days before face-to-face meetings. Planning for 1 to 3 years in advance is encouraged for regularly scheduled meeting. d) Obtain funding to cover dedicated support from the IEEE Standards Department, when desired, to expedite the standards development process e) Use the developed IEEE Standards document templates format to expedite development and publication f) Notify the Sponsor of the draft development milestones g) Notify the Sponsor when the draft is ready to begin IEEE Standards Sponsor ballot 6. Officers There shall be a Chair, a Secretary and a Vice-Chair. If significant funds are involved in the operation of the working group and/or its subcommittees, there should be a Treasurer. The chair shall be an IEEE member of any grade and individual IEEE-SA member. 6.1 Election of Officers If there are no other elections procedures for the working group, then the Chair shall appoint an impartial elections officer, whose function is to conduct an election. Nominees shall be eligible to hold the office for which they are elected. A member shall not run for more than one office at a time. Notification of the election shall be included in the distributed agenda for the meeting in which the elections will be held. If no nomination is received for an office, a temporary appointment shall be made in accordance with 6.2. The elections officer shall conduct the election by letter, electronic ballot, or in- meeting election by secret ballot. Balloting for teleconference meetings working groups shall be by email ballot. The Sponsor shall confirm the election of the Chair and Vice-Chair. 6.2 Temporary Appointments to Vacancies If an office becomes vacant due to resignation, removal, lack of nomination at an election or for another reason, a temporary appointment shall be made for a period of up to six months. In the case of Chair or Vice-Chair, the Sponsor shall make the temporary appointment, with input from the working group where possible. In the case of Secretary, the Chair shall make the temporary appointment. An appointment or election for the vacated office shall be conducted at the earliest practical time. 6.3 Removal of officers An officer may be removed by approval of two-thirds of the voting members of the working group. Removal of the Chair and Vice-Chair requires confirmation by the Sponsor. Grounds for removal shall be included in any motion to remove an officer of the working group. The Sponsor may remove, and replace, an officer of a working group for reason. 6.4 Responsibilities of Working Group Officers 6.4.1 Chair The Chair shall 1) Conduct a "Call for Patents" at each meeting 2) Solicit "letters of assurance" from potential essential patent holders 3) Ensure coordination with other IEEE Standards Sponsors as appropriate 4) Regularly attend working group meetings (including face-to-face, teleconference, or other electronic means) 5) Notify Sponsor when document is ready for balloting 6) Participate as needed in meetings of the Sponsor to represent the working group The Chair also shall a) Be objective b) Entertain motions, but not make motions c) Not bias discussions d) Delegate necessary functions e) Ensure that all parties have the opportunity to express their views f) Set goals and deadlines g) Be knowledgeable in IEEE standards processes and parliamentary procedures and ensure that the processes and procedures are followed h) Study training materials available through IEEE Standards Development Online i) Seek consensus of the working group as a means of resolving all issues j) Recuse him- or herself to speak for or against an agenda item 6.4.2 Vice-Chair The Vice-Chair shall a) Carry out the Chair's duties if the Chair is temporarily unable to do so or chooses to recuse himself or herself (i.e., to give a technical opinion) b) Study training materials available through IEEE Standards Development Online 6.4.3 Secretary The Secretary shall a) Distribute agendas prior to the next meeting with sufficient time to allow preparation, if needed, before a meeting b) Record and have published minutes of each meeting within 60 calendar days of the end of the meeting and prior to the next meeting c) Create and maintain the membership roster and submit to the IEEE Standards Department at least annually d) Schedule meetings in coordination with the Chair on a regular scheduled basis to provide planned notice. Meetings other than those planned on a long term schedule, one to three years, shall be notified sufficiently in advance to allow proper meeting planning, with the approval of the working group. e) Be responsible for the management and distribution of working group documentation f) Maintain lists of unresolved issues, action items, and assignments g) Study training material available through IEEE Standards Development Online 6.4.4 Treasurer If needed, a Treasurer shall a) Maintain a budget b) Control all funds into and out of the working group's bank account c) Follow IEEE policies concerning standards meetings and finances d) Study training material available through IEEE Standards Development Online e) Study the IEEE Financial Operations Manual 7. Working Group 7.1 Overview Working group membership is by individual. No one person can represent the interests of more than one member of the working group except for a temporary proxy vote. The members within a working group should have a material knowledge of the project scope. Non-members may also participate in working group activities, following the principle of openness. Non-members shall not vote in working group actions. Each member represents themselves at all times. 7.2 Working group membership status Voting Membership shall be granted automatically to those persons who attended the meeting at which these rules are adopted or are deemed by the chair to have established membership from prior participation working group meetings and upon their request provided they fulfill the requirements of clause 4. Thereafter, membership shall be granted after the person has attended two consecutive meetings of the working group and also requests membership status. Each member is expected to attend meetings as required by these procedures. The Secretary records attendance for members who attend. Attendance at a meeting via teleconferencing and/or electronic means, e.g., Internet conferencing, shall count towards the attendance requirements. Membership status is maintained through consistent participation at meetings and through working group votes. If a working group member misses two consecutive meetings, his, or her, membership status shall be revoked. The Chair shall notify, in writing, a member who fails to attend two consecutive meetings and that has therefore lost his or her membership. A member who has lost his or her voting privileges shall have his or her voting privileges reinstated by attendance at two consecutive meetings of the working group and upon request for member status. All voting privileges and rights shall be restored upon attending the second consecutive meeting. If, for reasons of personal hardship, a member cannot attend two consecutive meetings (but that member continues to vote in ballots taken between meetings), the working group will be consulted on the status of the member. 7.3 Subgroups of the Working Group The working group may, from time to time, form subgroups for the conduct of its business and determine the eligibility of working group members and observers to vote on questions within such subgroups. At the time of formation, the working group shall determine the scope and duties delegated to the subgroup. Any changes to its scope and duties will require the approval of the working group. Any resolution of a subgroup shall be subject to confirmation by the working group. The Chair of the working group shall appoint the chair of the subgroup. 8. Working Group Voting Roster A working group membership roster is a vital aspect of standards development. It serves as a record of voting members in the working group and is an initial tool if an issue of indemnification arises during the process of standards development. The Secretary shall maintain a current and accurate roster of voting members in the working group and shall distribute it to the members upon request. All changes to the roster shall be forwarded to the Chair immediately. The roster shall include the following at a minimum: 1) Title of the Sponsor and its designation 2) Title of the working group and its designation 3) Officers--Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer 4) Members (including names and email addresses at a minimum) All working group members are required to check the roster on a regular basis and verify the accuracy of their membership status. All working group members are required to sign off against the roster at each face to face meeting they attend, ensuring they are maintaining current membership, expressing their awareness of IEEE Standards policies, and verifying the accuracy of their membership listing. All members participating by teleconference shall be included in the list of members present at the beginning of the meeting, or by roll call if required. The list of those individuals attending a meeting, including an indication of those requesting membership status, will be published in the minutes of the meeting. A copy of the working group roster shall be supplied to the IEEE Standards Department at least annually by the Secretary. 9. Voting Approval of an action requires an approval vote from a majority of those votes cast from those entitled to vote at the time of a vote (either at a meeting or by letter or electronic ballot), provided a quorum is present. Notification of the potential for action shall be included on any distributed agendas for meetings. These actions include 1) Adoption of working group procedures or revisions thereof 2) Formation of a subgroup, including its procedures, scope and duties 3) Disbandment of subgroups 4) Approval of minutes 5) Approval of working group officers 9.1 Actions Requiring Approval by Two-Thirds of the Voting Working Group Membership The following actions require an electronic ballot or an equivalent formal recorded vote with approval by at least two-thirds of the voting members of the working group, (provided that notification of the action has been included on the distributed agenda for the meeting): 1) Approval of change of the working group scope 2) Approval of termination of the working group 3) Establishment of fees 4) Removal of a working group officer (see clause 6.3) 5) Approval to move the draft standards project to the Sponsor for IEEE Standards Sponsor ballot These actions are subject to confirmation by the Sponsor. 9.2 Proxy Voting Members of the working group may employ proxy voting only when other methods of participation have been exhausted. The working group chair must be informed of all proxies prior to the start of the meeting in which the proxies are to be in effect. Each appointment of a proxy shall be sent to the working group chair and the member serving as the proxy via fax or written communication that contains the signature of the member appointing the proxy. A proxy shall not be valid without written acknowledgment from the working group chair and the member serving as proxy of receipt of the appointment. Any one member of the working group may hold no more than two proxy votes in addition to his or her vote. Proxy voting shall be allowed only for those members who cannot attend the entire meeting; proxies may not be appointed for parts of meetings. A member may appoint a proxy for no more than two meetings of the working group within an established six-meeting period. Proxy voting shall not count towards maintenance of membership by the member who appoints a proxy. The chair shall announce all proxy voting to the working group at the start of the meeting in which the proxies are to be in effect. Members serving as proxies may only vote on agenda items announced through the distributed agenda prior to the meeting. If announced agenda items are amended or otherwise developed through the meeting process whereby the action being proposed is significantly different in meaning from the original motion, the chair may determine that proxy votes shall no longer be allowed for that agenda item. The proxy voter himself or herself may also choose to abstain prior to any formal decision of the chair. A person appointed as proxy may not appoint another person to act in his or her stead. 9.3 Voting between meetings The working group shall be allowed to conduct business between meetings at the discretion of the Chair by use of a letter or electronic ballot. 9.3.1 Electronic votes between meetings Electronic votes taken between meetings as part of the IEEE standards development process shall follow the provisions of IEEE Bylaw I-300.4(4). If the working group so desires, it may establish subgroup(s) of interested persons who shall participate in an electronic vote related to specific subject matter. Such establishment shall be made through an announcement inviting participation in the vote in question; those who respond to the announcement indicating their interest shall be part of the voting group for that question. These groups shall exist only for as long as it shall take to conclude the vote in question; each group shall not apply to multiple votes unless the subjects of those votes are included in one particular announcement. 10. Quorum A working group quorum must be identified before the initiation of working group business. Unless otherwise approved by the Sponsor, a quorum shall be defined as a simple majority of the voting membership of the working group. If a quorum is not present, actions may be taken subsequent to confirmation by a letter or electronic ballot, as detailed in 9.3. Once a quorum is established, it will be presumed to be in effect unless a quorum call is initiated. 11. Meetings Working Group meetings shall be held, as decided by the working group, the Chair, or by petition of 15% or more of the members, to conduct business, such as making assignments, receiving reports of work, considering draft standards, and considering views and objections from any source. A working group meeting shall be announced 21 calendar days in advance to all members and observers for non-scheduled meetings. An agenda shall be distributed in sufficient time to allow for normal preparation in advance of a meeting. The working group is encouraged to establish a meeting schedule for 1 to 3 years in advance. The working group may charge a meeting fee to cover services needed for the conduct of the meeting. The fee shall not be used to restrict participation by any interested parties. While having a balance of all interested parties is not an official requirement for a working group, it is a desirable goal. As such, the officers of the working group should consider issues of balance and dominance that may arise and discuss them with the Sponsor. A balanced body is required for IEEE Standards Sponsor ballot. Members may be asked to announce their affiliation at a working group meeting. If the member is a consultant, that member may be asked to declare if he or she represents the interests of an organization other than himself or herself at the meeting. 11.1 Conduct It is expected that participants in the working group behave in a professional manner at all times. Participants shall demonstrate respect and courtesy towards officers and each other, while allowing participants a fair and equal opportunity to contribute to the meeting, in accordance with the IEEE Code of Ethics. 12. Appeals The working group recognizes the right of appeal. If technical or procedural appeals are referred back to the working group, every effort should be made to ensure that impartial handling of complaints regarding any action or inaction on the part of the committee is performed in an identifiable manner. If the working group must conduct an appeal, it shall model its appeals process based on the appeals processes of the IEEE-SA Standards Board. 13. Communications Inquiries relating to the working group should be directed to the Chair. All replies to such inquiries shall be made through the Chair. These informal communications shall not imply that they are a formal position of the working group or of the IEEE Standards Association.
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:54:36 -0800 From: r754 AT nonabelian.com Subject: January minutes, voting roster, PnP vote... To: stds-754 AT IEEE.ORG You can find the voting roster for this month in http://nonabelian.com/754/roster0601 Those in the first group have the right (nay, duty) to vote on the PnP issue this month. But there are 9 people who gave inconsistent answers to the question of 754 membership between December & January. Those people are listed in the second group. All have been contacted to ask that they clarify their intentions to become permanant members or not. Only one has replied. Those that do not reply before the next meeting will be removed from the voting list & the quorum will be reduced. The final proposed text for Policies and Procedures (PnP) may be found in http://754r.ucbtest.org/pnp-0.95.html Those persons qualified to vote should email 754r AT ucbtest.org with their votes with Subject: pnp-0.95 YES or Subject: pnp-0.95 NO followed by a rationale (if any) in the body of the email. Vote emails will be appended to that URL as received. Voting may begin immediately and continues until 24 hours before the next meeting (Wednesday 2/15 at 1:00 PT). If a quorum of qualified voters respond and a simple majority of the responders approve, the rules are adopted as of the next meeting.