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[legalxml-sc] Request for a final vote on Steering CommitteeMembership!

From: Donald Bergeron
To: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 13:41:00 -0000

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Subject: [legalxml-sc] Request for a final vote on Steering CommitteeMembership!

From: "Bergeron, Donald L. (LNG)" <[email protected]>
To: "'[email protected]'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 13:38:05 -0400

 <<OASISLegalXMLRoP-20020718a.doc>>  <<LegalXMLSteerProp20020718a.doc>>  
<<LegalXMLSteerProp20020718a.txt>>  <<OASISLegalXMLRoP-20020718a.txt>> 
I am willing to further engage on Dan's ideas if it is the sense of the
group. However, we need to close this soon.

Please send your  vote by EOD Tuesday 8/20/2002.

Note: John, your comment should be reflected in this version.

Regards,

Don

Attachment: OASISLegalXMLRoP-20020718a.doc
Description: MS-Word document

Attachment: LegalXMLSteerProp20020718a.doc
Description: MS-Word document

LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee

Proposal to OASIS Board of Directors on:
LegalXML Steering Committee
Membership & Structure

July 18, 2002

Back Ground on Role of Steering Committee (SC)
The role of the steering committee is to coordinate the interaction between Technical Committees (TC) and OASIS Management and Board of Directors. It also will coordinate the allocation of Member Section (MS) resources and expenditures across the TCs. The committee will review and act on all TC charters identified with LegalXML and safeguard the openness of LegalXML standards. They further participate in the outreach efforts of the TCs and OASIS Management from both a participation and sponsorship perspective. In many ways the SC is analogous to the LegalXML Inc. Board of Directors.

The committee meets every three weeks at this time and will be moving to monthly later in the year. They receive periodic revenue and expense statements from OASIS Management.

Motivation for Change to the Current Membership Model of Steering Committee (SC)
At this time a subset of the LegalXML Board is the SC. We need to move on from this to a more sustainable model. Defining the SC membership to the TC chairs is a more appropriate model since it would put overall control of LegalXML (and its funding) in the hands of those leading the TCs developing LegalXML standards.

Steering Committee Membership Proposal
Replace 1.b. as follows in the Rules of Procedure.
b. As anticipated by OASIS LegalXML, once the Steering Committee was established at OASIS the member section Rules of Procedure, with OASIS Board of Directors approval have been modified and put in place. The rules are:
a. These rules shall go into effect within sixty days of the first official meeting of the fourth OASIS LegalXML TC. This is to allow for critical mass for the steering committee and for an appropriate time of transition.
b. Steering Committee membership shall be at its base the Chairs of TCs, which have the management of requirements and lifecycle management of the standards created in their charters, placing overall control of LegalXML (funding, expenditures) in the hands of those leading the TCs developing OASIS LegalXML standards.
c. There is a limit of two co-chairs per TC to sit on the Steering Committee avoiding the undue influence effect of having a large number of co-chairs from a single workgroup. The TC shall choose the sitting members based on the process of their choice.
d. Further, the Steering Committee may at its option vote on to the Steering Committee up to three additional up to three "at large" members. These members will augment the Steering Committee for fundraising, "marketing" and outreach efforts.
e. "At Large" rotating members shall serve one-year terms and be voted in by a unanimous vote of the Steering Committee active at that time. As a matter of principle, the SC shall attempt to keep the mix of the Steering Committee members representative of the core constituencies within the legal community it supports. The Steering Committee shall look at its profile of membership coming from the chairs of the TCs and add "at large" members in keeping with this principle. Some core constituencies to be especially considered would be the Bar, Educational/Research, "Not For Profit", Public Sector or Private Sector constituencies if they are not represented in the Steering Committee profile.
f. Members of the LegalXML Steering Committee must be selected from current OASIS members.

Proposed Effectivity of the Change
This proposal shall go into effect upon the adoption by the current OASIS/LegalXML Steering Committee adoption and within sixty days of the first formal meeting of the forth LegalXML TC. This is to allow for critical mass for the steering committee and for an appropriate time of transition.

Proposal Considerations
The Steering Committee membership shall be at its base the TC chairs, as it would put overall control of LegalXML (and its funding) in the hands of those leading the TCs developing LegalXML standards.

However, there is some risk in structuring the SC this way because the TC chairs may be overtaxed for time if the TCs are as active as we believe they will be. This may affect the SC's fundraising, "marketing" and outreach efforts. Too this end, we believe that the TC Chairs vote on to the Steering Committee up to three "at large" members.

All SC members shall be members of OASIS. "At Large" rotating members shall serve one-year terms and voted on by the SC active at that time. Wherever practical the SC shall attempt to keep the mix of the steering committee members representative of the core constituencies within legal community it supports.

TC Chairs shall be defined as the chairs of Long-Lived TCs and include the Chair or up to two Co-Chairs from each Technical Committee. The model of most OASIS TCs is that TCs are basically short lived. In contrast most LegalXML TCs will be long-lived with short-lived sub-committees. The primary reason for this is that OASIS TCs are tend to focus on purely the creation of a standard while LegalXML recognizes the need for longer term management of requirements and lifecycle maintenance of its standards. LegalXML will be using both types of TCs in the future. We suggest the only the chairs of long-lived LegalXML TCs (those that have management of requirements and lifecycle maintenance in their charters) be automatically placed on the SC.

The limit of two co-chairs is to avoid the undue influence effect of having a large number of co-chairs within a single workgroup.

LegalXML Inc.'s Board of Directors had a formal set of required representatives from the core constituencies within the legal community. The Steering Committee shall endeavor to keep the principle behind this in operation. The steering committee should look at its membership coming from the chairs of the TCs and add "at large" members in keeping with this principle. Some core constituencies to be especially considered would be the Bar, educational and research communities and the public or private sector if they are not represented in the TC chairs.

1. Governance
a. The LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee will be formed from existing OASIS members who have indicated their intent to participate significantly in LegalXML Member Section activities. Initially, the LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee will be comprised of members from the current LegalXML, Inc. Board of Directors. All LegalXML Steering Committee members must be current OASIS members.
b. As anticipated by OASIS LegalXML, once the Steering Committee was established at OASIS the member section Rules of Procedure, with OASIS Board of Directors approval have been modified and put in place. The rules are:
a. These rules shall go into effect within sixty days of the first official meeting of the fourth LegalXML TC. This is to allow for critical mass for the steering committee and for an appropriate time of transition.
b. Steering Committee membership shall be at its base the Chairs of TCs, which have the management of requirements and lifecycle management of the standards created in their charters, placing overall control of LegalXML (funding, expenditures) in the hands of those leading the TCs developing OASIS LegalXML standards.
c. There is a limit of two co-chairs per TC to sit on the Steering Committee avoiding the undue influence effect of having a large number of co-chairs from a single workgroup. The TC shall choose the sitting members based on the process of their choice.
d. Further, the Steering Committee should, at its option, vote on to the Steering Committee up to three additional up to three "at large" members. These members will augment the Steering Committee for fundraising, "marketing" and outreach efforts.
e. "At Large" rotating members shall serve one-year terms and be voted in by a unanimous vote of the Steering Committee active at that time. As a matter of principle, the SC shall attempt to keep the mix of the Steering Committee members representative of the core constituencies within the legal community it supports. The Steering Committee shall look at its profile of membership coming from the chairs of the TCs and add "at large" members in keeping with this principle. Some core constituencies to be especially considered would be the Bar, Educational/Research, "Not For Profit", Public Sector or Private Sector constituencies if they are not represented in the Steering Committee profile.
f. Members of the LegalXML Steering Committee must be selected from current OASIS members.
c. The LegalXML Member Section will operate under the OASIS Bylaws and Technical Committee Process.

2. Technical Process, Management, Reporting
a. OASIS Technical Committees, including those associated with the LegalXML Member Section, will be formed and will operate according to the OASIS Technical Committee Process. "LegalXML" Technical Committees will be referred to as such only because of their topic and association with the LegalXML member section, but are actually OASIS Technical Committees.
b. Technical work submitted to OASIS Technical Committees will be in accordance with the OASIS Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy.
c. Technical work products created and approved by LegalXML Member Section Technical Committees will be referred to as "LegalXML Technical Committee Specifications". Only work products approved by a vote of the OASIS general membership will be referred to as "OASIS Standards."

3. Other Activities
a. The LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee may pursue other revenue generating and business activities independent of their Technical Committee work, such as events, grants, donations, etc.
b. These other activities must comply with OASIS business budgeting and reporting practices, and are subject to approval of OASIS management.
c. These other activities should be consistent with the Charter of OASIS and the LegalXML Member Section and compliant with the OASIS Bylaws.
d. Expenses related to and disposition of revenue from these other activities will be approved by OASIS management and determined by OASIS Management and the LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee. OASIS Management has final decision-making authority on spending.
e. The LegalXML Member Section may not engage in any activity, which might jeopardize OASIS' status as a tax-exempt organization.

4. Administration and Support
a. All administration activity, technical and membership services support to this member section will be provided and conducted as normal business processes and under the regular business schedules of the OASIS organization without preference or prejudice.
b. OASIS will establish and track a discretionary fund designed to support the activities of LegalXML Member Section Technical Committees. A portion of membership revenues will constitute this fund. The amount of this portion will be 40% of the dues from members who indicate intent to participate significantly in LegalXML Member Section activities and work. The amount of this portion can be adjusted as part of the annual fiscal budgeting process. OASIS Management will work with the LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee in evaluating and setting the portion to be placed into this discretionary fund during the annual fiscal budgeting process. In the event that a consensus of OASIS Management and the LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee cannot be achieved on an adjustment to the percentage of the membership dues that constitute this portion to be placed in the discretionary fund, this percentage will be set or remain at 40%. Adjustments to this percentage can be made at any time with full agreement of OASIS Management and the LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee.
c. The LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee chair will serve as the point of contact with OASIS Management and manage reporting and communication on behalf of the member section and will submit funding and payment requests to OASIS Management for approval and execution.
d. The LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee will provide business reports, communications, and budget and activity forecasts as required by OASIS management as part of the normal course of business.
e. The LegalXML Member Section Steering Committee will prepare a budget as part of the annual OASIS fiscal planning process and track expenses against this budget, as well as work with OASIS management to establish and track necessary discretionary funding to support these activities. OASIS Management has final decision-making authority on establishing budgets for the OASIS organization, subject to approval of the OASIS Board of Directors.
EXHIBIT A
Rules of Procedure
LegalXML Member Section
(1/29/2002)

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