[NA-Discuss] [Summit-wg] Summit Plans

[Dharma Dailey]

On Sep 25, 2008, at 9:43 AM, Danny Younger wrote:
A few questions:

  The Summit Questionnaire revealed that 28 ALSs would like to be a  
part of the team planning and running the Summit.  Who has been  
assigned to reaching out to these ALSs to formally invite them into  
the process?

I believe the best way to do this is to have each RALO get one or two  
individuals who are willing to connect with the At-Larges in their  
region.  Summit planning should be an excuse for interaction within  
regions as  well as across them.   It would be good to connect with  
each At-Large Org, understand why or why not they are participating as  
well as get some more info on their individual goals for the conference.

I see from the meeting notes that people have taken that on some of  
this.  Not clear from the notes, if that just entails pushing the  
questionnaire around again or that plus some more probing.   I am  
willing to do this for NARALO,  let me know!

When reaching out, it's always good to have a list of tasks that  
people can sign on to.   Perhaps we can draw up a list of tasks that  
are appropriate for the next three months that ALSs who've signed up  
for planning can opt in to.  These could be suggestions.    We should  
also ask them up front what they feel is the best contribution that  
they could make to pre-Summit, during the Summit, and for Summit wrap- 
up.

  I have some very specific ideas of ways that we could do some  
outreach, education, and planning work pre-summit  to making the  
Summit event more effective which I will share in a separate email.   
We should be able to get every ALS involved whether they attend the  
Summit or not.

  The Summit Questionnaire revealed that attendees support the idea of  
a Keynote Speaker.  Who is on the team that will select the Keynote  
speaker?  When does this group meet?  What selection criteria will be  
used?

This is putting the cart before the horse.  We should be paying most  
attention first to the outcomes that people want out of the  
conference, then accommodating the format to tailor to the outcomes  
that participants are looking for.     According to the questionnaires  
compiled so far, the top two priorities that Summit participants are  
focused on 1) work with other ALSs on current ICANN issues  and 2)  
education on specific topics.    Questionaire respondents top two  
choices for format were both participatory in nature, 1) “combination  
of panel discussion and audience participation” and 2)  “audience  
participation roundtables.”  I’m not sure what “audience participation  
formats” means.   Because of the way the question is worded, it’s not  
clear if people were voting for "audience participation formats"  and/ 
or "panel discussions."   It is clear that respondents strongly  
favored the first choice over “lecture hall presentations” -- 1.694  
vs. 3.178 respectively.    Based on the results of the other  
questions, it looks like people will put up with a keynote if they  
have to, but it will be taking time away from their stated goals (get  
something done, learn something) and their preferred ways of  
accomplishing those ends.

  The Summit Questionnaire revealed that most favor panel discussions  
that allow for audience participation.  What are the specific topics  
that will be covered by these panels?  What's the process by which the  
panelists will be selected?

   The “Outcomes” questions somewhat clarify and somewhat muddle what  
people are hoping for from the Summit.   The number one Outcome listed  
was “a plan for future work.”  Number 2 was a “Declaration of Internet  
Users Rights as they relate to ICANN mission.”   This suggests to me  
that people are expecting to do some “big picture” work at the Summit-  
(number 2) as well as create some get informed and move forward on  
current work  (as indicated in the first set of questions.)

We have two choices to mine the topics that people want to  work on  
and be educated about (Summit goals 1 and 2).  First, the RALOs can go  
back as I am suggesting, to the ALSs and do some additional probing.   
Second, we could adopt an open space model for the Summit, which would  
allow people to “vote with their feet” to work on and/or be educated  
about the topics that are most pressing to their ALSs come March.

I would like to see a combination of these tactics.  We can  try to  
anticipate a bit what individual participants see as their most  
pressing work and information needs then we can reach out to specific  
experts to be on hand for possible work and/or discussion on those  
topics.  At the same time, we won’t be corralled into sitting through  
hours and hours of meetings that will be  designed to accommodate  
everyone’s needs, thereby accommodating no one’s needs.

I’ve been to several such “open space” events.  I have found that they  
can be extremely effective.   Particularly in situations like the one  
that confronts At-Large: we are all experts at something to do with  
internet governance or internet users, but none of us are experts at  
all of it.

   I propose to the working group and staff we adopt an open space  
model for the summit; that staff allocates money to hire a qualified  
and proven facilitator to lead the process; and that we put out an  
open call to contract such a facilitator.  The right person will come  
with recommendations from happy participants of comparable events.

This format would also accommodate the fact that different regions may  
have different priorities for the Summit.   When the additional  
surveys are compiled (this time hopefully including mine)-- I would  
like to see the results compiled collectively and per region.     
Ideally, we will strike upon a form for the summit that allows the At- 
Large org.s and regions to meet their own goals for the Summit,  
without straightjacketing anyone else.  I believe it’s possible to do  
so.


4.  Are Summit WG members prepared to discuss this stuff on-line by  
email, or will discussion only happen at a teleconference?

I am having terrible luck with syncing up for ICANN related phone  
calls.    In particular, I am traveling non-stop through the month of  
October.   I encourage people to talk when they can, but hope that we  
can also find accommodate those who can’t.