[gnso-wpm-dt] WPM: KB Thoughts on How to Finish by 13 April 2010!

["Ken Bour" <ken.bour@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WPM Members:

 

I have been thinking hard about the team's most recent strategic decision to
complete all of its tasks/activities and deliver its final product to the
GNSO Council by 13 April 2010 (approx. 5 weeks)!  

 

As I think about this problem tactically, if we were to start documenting
the actual deliverable, chapter by chapter, it will quickly become apparent
where we have decisions left to make or gaps/holes in the process.   We can
then move expeditiously to address them individually and document those
decisions immediately in the deliverable.   Based largely on my experience
with other teams,  if we consume another 3-4 weeks to continue discussing
methodology options and alternatives, by the time we reach drafting tasks,
it will be too late to finish on time.   

 

If you generally follow and agree with this approach, my recommendation to
the team is to move immediately to develop a document which I am envisioning
as a new section of the GNSO Operating Procedures (GOP).   To start the ball
rolling in this direction, I have begun to compile a set of procedural
material, copied/pasted from previous meeting summaries, that I propose to
become: Section 6. Work Prioritization.  [Note:  for those familiar with the
GOP, Section 5 has been tentatively reserved for SOI/DOI procedures being
developed by the GCOT.]   

 

Attached, then, is my very first DRAFT in which I outlined many (and I hope
most) of the topics/sections that should be covered in a set of GNSO Work
Prioritization procedures.   I will continue working on it as time permits;
but, since our meeting is Sunday morning (for me), I may not be able to
progress much further before that session.   

 

DISCLAIMER:  Please note that there are several sections which are extremely
rough and are not meant to be anything more (at this time) than content
placeholders.   In many cases (especially in the methodology section), I
simply dropped in raw unedited text with the intent to rewrite it later.
For starters, I just wanted to make sure that we have the major section
buckets identified so that I/we can begin filling in the material and
editing/polishing for clarity, accuracy, and completeness.  

 

In my humble view, if we work our way systematically through writing/editing
each section, one at a time, we might be able to finish it in 5 weeks' time
although we will have to proceed diligently and maybe on a rigorous
timeline.   Of course, I expect to perform the heavy lifting when it comes
to drafting content utilizing the team, primarily, to critique and edit.  

 

I welcome your thoughts.  While I am not panicking just yet, I see it as a
very ambitious goal and, once it occurred to me as a potential way out of
the thicket, I wanted to get started right away...  Perhaps we can begin
working on the overall outline and maybe even tackle one or more sections in
Nairobi.  

 

I look forward to our working session on Sunday.   I plan on being at the
remote hub location in Reston, Virginia for this and other meetings on
Sunday.    

 

Ken Bour

Attachment: Section 6-Work Prioritization (KBv1).doc
Description: MS-Word document