[NCUC-DISCUSS] NCUC Survey Results Analysis - Part II

[Timothe Litt]

On 29-Apr-15 18:35, Walid AL-SAQAF wrote:
>
> In this second part, I analysed the level of engagement of members in
> ICANN and NCUC meetings and tried to see if representing an
> organization made any difference compared to representing just
> yourself as an individual.
>
Walid,

It's great that you're trying to make sense of the survey.  Some
observations:

I'd be careful about reading too much into some of the data, as the
survey questions lent themselves to varying interpretations.

"Are you paid to represent your organization?" For most salaried people,
the response is likely "no", meaning "it's part of my job, or at least
acknowledged as valuable by my management".  It's really unusual to
represent an organization without being compensated, though the
compensation may not be explicit.  Of course, if you're an unaffiliated
volunteer, you may not be salaried.  But ordinarily unaffiliated
volunteers aren't entrusted with representing an organization, at least
to any entity that's "important".  If it's a small organization with no
paid staff, things may be different.

A more illuminating question might have been: "If you attended an ICANN
meeting in person, did your organization (or anyone else) pay/reimburse
all or part of your expenses?" Or, "Are you employed by the organization
that you represent?"  Or, "What, if any, benefit does your employer
derive from the organization that you represent?"  Or, "Does your
employer permit you to use work time for ICANN/NCUC business?"

The nature of "representing an organization" is also slippery as a
discriminant.  Yes, we have the formal letters from an organization
appointing a representative.  However, some members don't represent an
organization, but derive their income from ICANN issues.  E.g.
researchers, attorneys who practice in this space, students.    There's
nothing wrong with that.  Many are passionate about the issues and bring
valuable perspectives.  But they're a different kind of "individual
member" from an individual domain name registrant.  For the former, the
costs of participation can be budgeted as an income-producing expense,
whether the funds are personal or from some other source.  For the
latter, they are a discretionary personal expense that produces no income.

For those of us unaffiliated with any organization, who truly represent
only ourselves, a more interesting question would be whether expense
limits participation.  For myself, it's great that we have some funds to
support travel from "undeveloped" countries.  I wouldn't think of
applying for them, as I live in the US.  On paper, I could afford to
attend.  On the other hand, would I spend $thousands of personal funds
and several days of travel to attend an ICANN meeting?  No.  Would I
have spent corporate funds to attend?  Sometimes - but then I would have
represented the corporation.  If one were within commuting distance,
would I attend?  If the agenda was of interest.  Does remote monitoring
of a meeting work as an alternative?  Yes, to some extent.  Does remote
participation work?  No.  Does that leave me unrepresented?  Yes.

In my experience with professional meetings, remote participation only
works after enough in-person meetings have happened to form personal
relationships.  The most useful interactions happen in small groups, not
in formal settings.  So your result that remote participation is higher
among those who have attended in-person is not surprising. 

"Networking" can be interpreted as either a technical or a social skill.

There is probably some difference between the skills people have, and
those that they admit to in this context.   The former informs
perspective.  The latter is what they might volunteer to do for ncuc.  

Some of these observations may be worth a follow-up survey.  But in any
case, you should consider them as you attempt to interpret the data. 
Since the questions weren't asked, you may make some skewed inferences
from the data that you do have.

Timothe Litt
ACM Distinguished Engineer
--------------------------
This communication may not represent the ACM or my employer's views,
if any, on the matters discussed. 



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