Re: [Debconf-team] DebConf discussion: Venue bid process
Here is a new draft bid process with minor modifications based on
comments in this thread. While this is now a suggestion rather than
mere description, it's not intended to be a rigid set of rules.
Please read it and make suggestions for improvements!
This bid process presupposes a couple of new stages separate from the
bid process itself, which I would also like to hear comments on:
Before the venue bid process
- DPL delegates DebConf Committee Chairs to lead the DebConf organising process
- Committee Chairs recruit additional committee members from those
with a long-term interest in helping organise DebConf: for example,
one or two organisers from each year's DebConf local team should be
invited to join the committee after that DebConf is finished.
DebConf venue bid process (draft proposal)
Modifications to this process should be agreed with the competing bid teams.
If bid teams miss announced deadlines, this should not immediately
disqualify them, but bid teams' apparent organisational skills,
ability to work together effectively, and redundancy in case of
absence, should all be taken into account during the decision process.
- Bid teams are invited to describe their proposals at DebConfN-2.
This is not a hard requirement, but is helpful to everyone working on
DebConf. Bid teams themselves can benefit from this as a milestone to
encourage progress, and as an opportunity to gather comments and
suggestions before their proposals become too firm.
- Bid teams submit proposals before the end of that year. Teams are
free to submit additional materials, but the core of a bid is a set of
responses to the location checklist
(http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/LocationCheckList). Bids should be
posted to the DebConf wiki, and announced on the DebConf mailing list.
- Once a bid has been posted, everyone is encouraged to read the
checklist responses, and to ask questions about them on the
debconf-team list. Bid teams should give any additional information
requested (perhaps updating their bid pages in the wiki). Bid teams
remain free to change aspects of their bids in response to questions
and suggestions, but at this stage details should be researched
immediately for any new proposals, so that it remains possible to see
full and accurate bid information, including costs.
- Dates and times for the venue decision meetings are arranged by the
DebConf Committee, in consultation with the bid teams. The date,
time, and procedure should be announced well in advance of the
meeting, along with a list of the current members of the DebConf
Committee.
- Before venue decision meeting 1: Bid teams send a status update to
the mailing list, including again pointers to their materials (their
completed checklist, any other team website, etc.).
- Venue decision meeting 1:
* Questions to teams, if there are still unanswered issues.
* Questions from teams about the process, and about what others
suggest they try to do on any uncertain aspects or potential problems.
- After venue decision meeting 1: Bid teams answer questions on the
mailing list, where they weren't already answered during the meeting.
(E.g. more specific cost details that had been missing.) Others raise
any new questions or ask for clarifications as necessary.
- After venue decision meeting 1: If any DebConf Committee members
feel that none of the bids are ready, they should explain on the
debconf-team list what problems they see and how they could be
addressed. If there is a widespread feeling among Committee members
that none of the bids are ready, the second decision meeting should be
delayed.
- Before venue decision meeting 2: Bid teams again send status
updates, with pointers to any additional materials since the first
meeting.
- Before venue decision meeting 2: Bid teams prepare:
* A description of how their bid meets each of the points on the
priority list (http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/PriorityList).
* A description of the weak points in their own bids.
* A description of the strong points in other bids.
Bid teams may opt to keep these materials private until the second
decision meeting.
- Venue decision meeting 2:
* Quick introduction from each team, and quick questions to each team
-- ideally by now everyone should already be clear on the bid
statuses.
* Bid teams post links to the materials they have prepared describing
how their bid meets points on the the priority list, the weak points
in their own bids, and the strong points in other bids.
* Then we work through the priority list, considering areas where
bids are stronger than each other. This stage is intended to ensure
that no important topic is missed, but even if there is agreement on
each bid's advantages, coming to a decision isn't simply a
mathematical calculation: some aspects are more important than others.
There should be an agreed time limit for discussion of each point.
* There is a period of chaired discussion of the competing bids'
merits, with opportunity for anyone present to speak, during which the
meeting chairs seek consensus on a decision. The DebConf Committee
members should participate in this discussion. There should be an
agreed time limit on the discussion.
* The DebConf Committee members are asked to vote to decide which bid
to take forward. If there is already clear consensus, this may simply
mean voicing their assent to the apparent decision. If there are
still more than two bids in contention, a formal vote (using Debian's
normal voting methods) may have to be run after the meeting, but the
vote should be held and the result announced as soon as possible.
Committee members who are part of a bid team should announce this on
the debconf-team mailing list in advance of the meeting, and abstain
from voting.
- We thank all the bids for their hard work, and begin a new phase of
hard work with the winning bid.
- The winning team participate in organising DebConfN-1, before we all
turn our attention to DebConfN itself.
--
Moray
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