[NCUC-EC] CIVICRM Costs/Request

[Renata Aquino Ribeiro]

Hi Michael and all

This is news to me now as well so I will ask more information from ICANN staff.

NCUC EC had its call today and I will repeat my thoughts on this issue.

This feels too much like a "shotgun wedding".

NCSG Chair wants our response by the end of the week.

However, I think we should discuss with our members if want to commit
half of our (newfound) budget on a database we have no access to and
know the issues of (I have accompanied a few meetings at NCSG Chair's
invite but I think I saw only the tip of the iceberg).

There is no guarantee that building a relationship with this company
will end the issues being faced now on membership approval front.

Our choices in tech should align with our values, we have no
references of practices of the company regarding ideas of diversity
hiring practices, data protection etc.

At a minimum we should send out an inquiry to our members who used
CivicRM and has providers they can trust.

Maybe even question altogether whether CivicRM is a good choice and if
it is time to move to another system.

I`d also wish we adopt Open Contracting practices.

Anyhow, this should be a collective EC decisiion but I hope at least
we can have more info about accompanying this process from NCSG.

I will remind you all that I've asked observer status to Constituency
Chairs to the database and request was denied.

So I would like to hear more from NCSG how the SG plans to keep
Constituencies informed of how half of their budget is being spent and
the results achieved.

Thanks

Renata


On Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 5:10 PM, Michael Karanicolas
<mkaranicolas at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Thanks for your email. Sounds like an important issue to address. You
> mention that "ICANN has set aside an annual budget for NPOC/NCUC/NCSG
> for membership management system. It went unused by NCUC last year."
>
> What is the amount of this budget? Presumably we lost last year's,
> having not spent it?
>
> Renata or Farzi, can you confirm?
>
> Best,
>
> Michael
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 4:52 PM, farzaneh badii
> <farzaneh.badii at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Joan and Renata, NCUC and NPOC EC,
>>
>> For the betterment of NCSG, NCUC and NPOC's membership management system and
>> elections, we need 4000 USD from each constituency from their ICANN budget
>> on membership management to enhance CIVICRM  and troubleshoot CIVICRM
>> problems. ICANN has set aside an annual budget for NPOC/NCUC/NCSG for
>> membership management system. It went unused by NCUC last year.
>>
>> I would be grateful if we could take a  swift action on this preferably no
>> later than this week otherwise we will be facing more problems with the
>> system. At the moment the system has many glitches and has no support. We
>> don't want to lose data.
>>
>> Please kindly discuss and get back to me as soon as possible. I have sent
>> the cost estimate off list to the chairs and NCSG EC, since the company did
>> not want it to be public. I can go through what is needed with you if would
>> like and if needed have a meeting with you this week. We can also invite
>> Tapani since he was involved with the system last year and understands the
>> technical needs better than me.
>>
>> P.S. I first made the cost estimates and the expenses into phases but at
>> this stage and considering the status of budget I think it is better for us
>> to just set aside some budget for making the system better.
>>
>> I will send  both constituencies all the receipts and the expenses made and
>> submit the improvements over the course of coming months.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Farzaneh
>>
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