in060032

From: Deutsch, Donald
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 7:41 PM
To: Michael, David
Cc: Garner, Jennifer; Gellinas, Gabrielle; Barra, Lynn
Subject: Criteria for US National Body Acquisition and Relinquishment of Secretariats
Dave,

If it's not too late, please add this note to SPB agenda item 3.4, Criteria for US National Body Acquisition and Relinquishment of Secretariats. 

Contribution in050308 from Farance Inc provides criteria for evaluating the importance to the US and efficacy of holding JTC 1 and JTC 1 Subcommittee Secretariats.  While we may implicitly consider criteria such as those outlined therein when voting to hold a secretariat, a process that required explicit consideration of key factors would be desirable. 

Even with such a process, however, two important aspects of INCITS's secretariat sponsorship decision making should be addresses as well:

• The table in contribution in050126 does not make clear which secretariats are funded by INCITS versus those for which we've found outside sponsorship.  As FBC chair I believe a significant aspect of the decision to hold a secretariat is financial, and therefore should be made within the context of and using the mechanisms in place to manage the INCITS budget. 
• While we have voted in recent years to take on new secretariats, I don't recall ever being asked to vote on continuing our secretariat commitments - or for that matter, to weigh continuing current ones versus taking on a new secretariats.  In light of the tight current financial situation, we should institute an annual review and reaffirmation of all INCITS held secretariats, and require explicit identification of funding for any new secretariat commitments; this may require that we view secretariat decisions as a zero-sum game - i.e., in order to take on new ones we have to relinquish others (or find other resources).