IAOC Communications Plan


  1. Introduction


    The IAOC recognizes its responsibility to oversee IASA on behalf of the IETF community in a transparent manner and to that end publishes this Communications Plan. This Communications Plan identifies the information to be communicated to the community, the desired frequency and the preferred channel for those communications.


  2. Requirements and Implementation


    2.1 Transparency


    RFC 4071 provides general and specific guidance to the IAOC and IAD regarding their responsibility to ensure transparency in the operation of the IASA. This Plan implements the requirements of RFC 4071 and provides additional reports to the community to enhance its visibility into the operation of the IASA.


      1. Plan Matrix


        The IAOC Communications Plan Matrix provides the details of what, when and where of the reports to the community, as well as specifying the applicable RFC 4071 reference.


      2. Communications Channels


        The IAOC will employ several communications channels to communication with the community, including its website, meeting Plenaries and the IETF Journal. Section D identifies these communications channels.


      3. Reports


    Section E defines the reports and provides the applicable RFC 4071 reference.w.


  3. Definitions


    1. Confidential Information


      Confidential information will not be posted publicly.


    2. IASA Confidential


      This confidential information consists of contract negotiations; memoranda, staff evaluations, or other records prepared by or for the IAOC or IAD for the evaluation

      and negotiation of proposals; work papers; unaudited financial statements, and IASA salary information.


    3. Vendor Confidential


      Confidential information consists of contract negotiations; confidential proprietary records voluntarily provided by private business pursuant to a promise of confidentiality; confidential financial statements, balance sheets, trade secrets, and revenue and cost projections; proprietary data; bids; and proposals.


  4. Communication Channels


    1. IASA Website


      The IAOC provides the content for the IASA website at iaoc.ietf.org. This website is the IAOC’s primary communications channel for the IETF community. Confidential material shall be posted and maintained on the IAOC private website.


    2. Mail Lists


      The IAOC shall utilize appropriate IETF lists, including ietf-announce@ietf.org and ietf@ietf.org where appropriate, to notify the community of IAOC pending actions where community input is desired, actions adopted, contractual opportunities, contracts entered into, information, and the availability of updated reports.


    3. IETF Journal


      Periodically the IAOC shall provide reports in the IETF Journal. Reports in the Journal shall also be posted on the IAOC website.


    4. Office Hours


      The IAOC and IAD shall maintain office hours at all IETF meetings to enable the community to meet and discuss matters of interest directly. The IAD shall work with the IETF and IAB Chairs to announce the dates, times and meeting room location for all “IAOC Office Hours” held during IETF meetings to the community via the IASA website, on ietf@ietf.org, the Meeting List and the Meeting wiki no less than 1 week before the start of each IETF meeting.


    5. IETF Meeting Plenary


      The IAOC shall report to the community on the financial and operational status of IASA’s responsibilities.


  5. Reports


    The following financial and operational reports will be published in accordance with the attached matrix and, unless otherwise indicated below, will be produced by the IAD and publicly published on the IASA website.


      1. Financial Reports


        Financial reports are intended to reflect the financial health of the IASA operations. The IASA fiscal year begins on January 1st.


        1. Budget


          The Budget reflects the revenues and expenses needed to provide administrative support to the IETF. It is expected the annual Budget will be published in November or December following its adoption by the IAOC and the Internet Society for the following year. [RFC 4071, §3.1]


        2. Unaudited Financial Report


          The Unaudited Financial Report will provide an unaudited review of the financial performance of IASA against the previous year’s Budget in March or April of the following year. The unaudited report will not be available publicly, but will serve to inform the IAOC in anticipation of the audited financial report. The report is prepared by the Internet Society. [RFC 4071, §6, 7]


        3. Audited Financial Report


          The Audited Financial Report will provide an audited review of the financial performance of IASA against the Budget. The audited report will be available from the Internet Society by June of each year. [RFC 4071, §6, 7]


        4. Financial Statement


          The IASA monthly Financial Statement reflects the month's revenues and expenses compared with the budget, a year-to-date comparison to the budget, and a year-end- forecast. The month’s financial statement will be posted within 30 days of the end of the month. The report is prepared by the Internet Society. [RFC 4071, §3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 6]

        5. Detailed Financial Statement


          The Detailed Financial Statement is the month's detailed expenses and compares it to year-to-date expected budget performance for IETF, IAB, and IASA Support, and Other Meetings expenses. The IETF and IAB reports are intended for the IETF and IAB chairs respectively; the IASA report for the IAOC chair; and Other Meeting Expenses for the IAD. These reports will be available within 30 days of the end of the month. The report is prepared by the Internet Society. These reports will not be published on the IASA website. [RFC 4071, §7]


        6. Financial Forecast


          A financial forecast will be prepared quarterly and for ISOC Board of Trustee meetings as required. [RFC 4071, §6]


        7. Budget Revision


          A Budget Revision will reflect the original Budget, the Revision, the variance to the budget and a summary of the reasons for the revisions. Revisions will be published within 30 days of occurrence. [RFC 4071, §6]


        8. Meeting Financial Statement


    Meeting Financial Statements reflect the revenues and expenses associated with each Meeting. A final statement will be published within 90 days of the meeting.


      1. Operational Reports


        The Operational Reports are intended to reflect the services being performed in support of the IETF, such as those services provided for the publication of RFCs, the assignment of numbers, and the support for the processing of technical standards.


        1. IASA Founding Documents (RFCs)


          RFC 4071, RFC 4371, and such other documents as adopted, identify the services to be performed by IASA.


        2. IAOC Operational Guidelines


          The IAOC Operational Guidelines provides information concerning the IAOC’s decision-making rules, including rules for quorum, conflict of interest, and the breaking of tie votes. [RFC 4071, §3.4, 3.5]

        3. Minutes


          Minutes of IAOC meetings shall be published following their adoption by the IAOC, and in any event not later than 30 days after the meeting. Minutes are prepared by the IAOC scribe and adopted by the IAOC. [RFC 4071, §3.4]


        4. Annual IASA Goals


          The IAOC shall adopt annual goals for the IASA and the IAD by December of each year for the succeeding year.


        5. IAOC Chair Report


          The IAOC Chair may periodically prepare a report for the IETF Journal.


        6. IASA Annual Review


          In March of each year the IAOC shall publish an IASA Annual Review reporting on the financial and operational health of the organization, as well as its success in meeting its goals for the year.


        7. Operations Report


          The IAD shall provide an Operations Report to the IAOC monthly, and to the ISOC Board as required; all such reports shall be published online. The report shall provide an update on the Budget, the performance of all contractors, and other relevant information as shall be decided. Confidential information shall not be posted on the IASA website. [RFC 4071, §3.1, 3.2]


        8. IETF Meeting Plenary Reports


          The IAOC shall publish an IAOC, financial, and vendor performance report online one week before the IETF Meeting.


        9. Contracts, SLAs, MoUs, SoWs


          Non-confidential agreements shall be posted upon execution. Public agreements include ICANN/IANA MoUs and SLAs. The entire agreement with confidential matters therein shall be posted to the IAOC private website. [RFC 4071, §3, 7]


        10. Contract Summaries


          When a contract contains confidential information, that information shall be summarized if possible to protect its confidentiality, or if not, extracted. The balance of the contract shall be published on the IASA website within 14 days of execution. The entire agreement shall be published on the private IAOC website. Summaries

          shall include the SoW and performance standards of each agreement. Agreements with confidential information include the Secretariat, RFC Editor, Copy Editors, Legal, NOC, and hotels. [RFC 4071, §7]


        11. RFPs and RFIs


          RFPs and RFIs shall be published upon announcement.


        12. IAOC Expense Reimbursement Policy


          The IAOC shall set and publish rules covering reimbursement of expenses, and such reimbursement shall generally be for exceptional cases only. [RFC 4071, §4]


        13. Audit Procedures


          The IAOC and ISOC shall agree upon and publish procedures for reporting and auditing of the IASA accounts. [RFC 4071, §5.1]


        14. IETF Administrative Support Function Location Decisions


          The IAOC shall publish an Administrative Function Location Decision and its justification when it determines that additional administrative functions are to be performed; how or where they should be performed, internally or by outside organizations, so as to maintain an optimal balance of functional performance and cost of each such function. [RFC 4071, §3]


        15. Procedural Variant Decisions


          If the IASA cannot comply with the procedures described in RFC 4071 for legal, accounting, or practical reasons, the IAOC shall report that fact to the community along with the variant procedure that the IAOC intends to follow. [RFC 4071, §3]


        16. Tao for Contracted Services


          The Tao for Contracted Services sets out the conditions under which the IASA intends to establish normal business relationships with the IETF service providers.


        17. Announcements


          IAOC Announcements on an IETF list shall also be published on the IASA website upon occurrence.


        18. IETF Meetings ION


          The IAOC shall produce and publish an IETF Meetings ION describing its venue selection criteria upon adoption.


        19. IETF Meeting Network Requirements ION


          The IAOC shall produce and publish an IETF Meeting Network Requirements ION describing the meeting’s connectivity and network requirements upon adoption.


        20. Hosts and Sponsorship Program


    The IAOC and ISOC will collaborate to produce and publish a Hosts and Sponsorship Program.


  6. Review


    The IAOC shall review this policy annually, and update it as appropriate. The IAOC will invite community review and input during the annual review cycle.


  7. Adopted


This policy is adopted July 12, 2007.


IAOC Communications Plan Matrix


June 28, 2007


Notes


RFC 4071

Reference

Other

Publication Publication ietf.org Private Location

Publication

As Upon ISOC BoT

Necessary Occurrence Monthly Quarterly IETF Meetings Annual Meetings


Expected Publication

A Financial

  1. Budget

  2. Unaudited Financial Report 3 Audited Financial Report


  1. Financial Statement

  2. Detailed Financial Statement 6 Financial Forecast

  1. Budget Revision

  2. Meeting Financial Statement (Final)


B Operations

1 Founding Documents (RFCs) 2 IAOC Operational Guidelines 3 Minutes

4 Annual IASA Goals 5 IAOC Chair Report

6 IASA Annual Review 7 Operations Report

  1. Plenary Reports

  2. Contracts, SLAs, MoUs, SoWs 10 Contract Summaries

  1. RFPs, RFIs

  2. IAOC Expense Reimbursement Policy 13 Audit Procedures

14 IETF Administrative Support Function Location Decisions 15 Procedural Variant Decisions

16 Tao for Contracted Services 17 Announcements

  1. IETF Meetings ION

  2. IETF Meeting Network Requirements ION 20 Hosts and Sponsorship Program

21 IAOC & IAD Office Hours


(1)


(2)


(3)

(4)


3.1

6, 7

6, 7

3.1, 3.2, 5.1,

6

7

6

6


3.4, 3.5

3.4


3.1, 3.2


3, 7

7


4

5.1

3

3


X

X

X


X

X

X X X


X X X X

X IETF Journal X

X X

X

X X

X X X X X X X

X Lists

X X X X


X X

X X


X X

X

X X

X X

X


X X X

X X

X X

X X X X X X

X

X X

X X X X X X X X X X


Nov/Dec Mar/Apr May/June


w/in 30 days

w/in 30 days April, July, October

w/in 30 days See Note


As Revised August 2007 When Approved December Journal Schedule March

Monthly Plenary

w/in 14 days

w/in 14 days When Announced August 2007

August 2007 When Adopted When Adopted As Revised

As Occurring September 2007

September 2007

June 2007 IETF Meetings


1

2

3


4

5

6

7

8


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21


NOTES

  1. Detailed budget breakdown for IETF, IAB, IASA, and Other Meeting Expenses; salaries confidential, other too detailed

  2. Final within 90 days of Meeting

  3. Contracts requiring confidentiality will be on private IAOC Wiki and summarized/extracted for ietf.org

  4. Summaries/Extraxcts published as necessary to respect confidentiality requirements