Re: [ifwp] Re: Questions about Ira's deadline

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

On Tue, 15 Sep 1998, Dave Crocker wrote:

> >But I said "it was planned as an IFWP meeting".  It was.  I was there 
> >when we planned it.  I said "people are going there to attend an IFWP
> >meeting".  This is a description of what some people are doing.  
> 
> Jim, the meeting was cancelled. 

Dave.  I know.  I was one of the people who cancelled it.
 
> >The IFWP hasn't cancelled anything.  The steering committee cancelled
> 
> So the official announcement that came from the Steering Committee,
> canceling the meeting, didn't really cancel the meeting?

The point is simple.  The steering committee is not the same as the 
IFWP.  They are two different bodies.  The IFWP as such has not cancelled
anything.

> >The "IFWP" has made no official announcement.  The steering committee,
> >of which I am a member, cancelled the wrap-up meeting.  
> 
> You find that sort of "logic" credible?

Credible?  I am carefully and correctly distinguishing two logically
distinct things.  Yes, it is credible.

The problem is that from the beginning neither the IFWP nor the steering 
committee has had a proper constitution or mandate or charter or 
whatever you might call it.   This is largely because of the haste with
which it was organized; the Reston meeting had already been called and 
organized before the IFWP was created.  However, the poor definition of
roles has been an increasingly serious problem since June.

The steering committee has no mandate to either call or cancel meetings.
It just does.  

Participants in the IFWP process need take no notice of the steering 
committee.  In fact one of the few things that the steering committee has
agreed on is that the steering committee has no policy role, has no 
mandate to set policy.
 
> >> Perhaps the idea is that the IFWP SC can call a meeting, but can't call it
> >> off?
> >
> >That's pretty close to it.
> 
> Ahh, well, that explains it.

Yes indeed it does.
 
--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
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