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Network Working Group                                  L. Andersson, Ed.Request for Comments: 4691                                           IABCategory: Informational                                     October 2006Guidelines for Acting as an IETF Liaison to Another OrganizationStatus of This Memo   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this   memo is unlimited.Copyright Notice   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).Abstract   Whenever the IETF decides to enter into a liaison relationship with   another organization, such as a Standards Development Organization   (SDO), a consortium, or an industrial forum, a liaison manager is   appointed.  The procedures used by the IAB to establish and maintain   liaison relationships between the IETF and other organizations are   described inRFC 4052.  This document expands on the role of liaison   managers and liaison representatives, giving guidelines on their   mandate and the expectations, tasks, and responsibilities placed on   them.Table of Contents1. Introduction ....................................................22. IETF Liaison Relationships ......................................32.1. Related Documents ..........................................32.2. Liaison Managers and Liaison Representatives ...............32.3. Written Communications .....................................42.4. Terminology and Conventions ................................53. Guidelines for Liaison Managers and Representatives .............53.1. Mandate ....................................................63.1.1. Speaking for the IETF ...............................63.2. Expectations ...............................................63.3. Responsibilities ...........................................83.4. Tasks ......................................................93.5. Relationship Management ...................................103.5.1. IETF Consensus Process on Liaison Statements .......103.5.2. Incoming Liaison Statements ........................103.5.3. Ambiguous Incoming Liaison Statements ..............113.5.4. Liaison Managers Representing Peer Organizations ...11Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 1]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 20064. Security Considerations ........................................125. IANA Considerations ............................................126. Acknowledgements ...............................................127. References .....................................................137.1. Normative References ......................................137.2. Informative References ....................................131.  Introduction   In the course of developing Internet standards, the IETF needs to   communicate extensively with various other peer organizations,   including the following:   o  Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) such as the      Telecommunication Standardization Sector of the International      Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) or standardization working groups      of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (e.g.,      IEEE 802)   o  Consortia such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)   o  Industrial forums such as the Global Grid Forum (GGF)   These organizations are usually concerned with developing related   standards and technical specifications, so that from time to time   issues of coordination and mutual interest may arise.  To facilitate   communications, the IETF, through the Internet Architecture Board   (IAB), establishes permanent liaison relationships with appropriate   parts of these organizations according to the processes described inRFC 4052 [RFC4052].   Whenever the IETF decides to enter into a liaison relationship, a   liaison manager and possibly some liaison representatives are   appointed by the IAB to act as a channel between the IETF and the   peer organization, typically in tandem with counterparts appointed by   the peer organization.   Sections2.2,2.3, and3 ofRFC 4052 briefly set out the basic   functions of the tasks of liaison managers and representatives.  Over   time, the number and importance of liaisons have grown, and the   importance of the personal role of IETF liaison managers and   representatives in maintaining effective relationships with peer   organizations has grown concomitantly.  This document supplements   [RFC4052] by providing guidelines for liaison managers and liaison   representatives in maintaining communications to peer organizations.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 2]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 20062.  IETF Liaison Relationships   A major goal of the IETF is to develop standards for the Internet,   enabling the development of interoperable implementations.  In order   to develop Internet standards, it is frequently necessary for the   IETF to communicate with other organizations that develop standards   for other types of networks, for Internet applications, or for   technologies that the Internet uses.   In some cases, the IETF and peer organizations consider it mutually   beneficial to have a permanent formal relationship with certain rules   governing the relationship.  The organizations then enter into a   "liaison relationship".  At a high level, both sides agree to   undertake certain responsibilities with respect to each other.  The   most basic liaison responsibility is to communicate information as   necessary, and to respond to requests from peer organizations to   which liaisons are maintained.   Decisions on IETF liaison relationships are the responsibility of the   IAB.  This includes whether or not the IETF should have a liaison   relationship with a particular organization.2.1.  Related Documents   The IETF liaison process is specified in several documents.RFC 4052   [RFC4052] specifies how the IAB manages the IETF liaison   relationship;RFC 4053 [RFC4053] specifies how liaison statements   should be treated.  Organization-specific agreements and documents   may also be generated in some cases, e.g.,RFC 3356 [RFC3356]   describes the collaboration between the IETF and ITU-T,RFC 3113   [RFC3113] describes the relationship with the 3rd Generation   Partnership Project (3GPP), andRFC 3131 [RFC3131] describes the one   with the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2).2.2.  Liaison Managers and Liaison Representatives   Whenever the IETF enters into a liaison relationship with another   organization, a liaison manager (often referred to as "the IETF   liaison") is appointed by the IAB.  This document expands on the   mandate of and the expectations, tasks, and responsibilities placed   on the liaison manager bySection 2.2 of RFC 4052.   In some cases, it may be necessary to have more than one person   handling the liaison relationship with a given organization.  For   example, the time commitment required may be too substantial, or the   technical scope of the liaison relationship may be too broad to be   handled by a single individual.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 3]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   In such cases, the IAB may appoint one or more liaison   representatives to supplement the work of the liaison manager by   managing different aspects of the liaison relationship between the   IETF and the other organization.   The value of personal relationships between the IETF liaison manager   and representatives and members of the peer organization is central   to the roles.  The IAB will be looking for people who have both a   good technical understanding of the work being carried out and   effective personal relationships within the peer organization.   Ongoing face-to-face interactions between the IETF liaisons and   members of the peer organization are seen as critical to the   effective functioning of the role.  These interactions should allow   the liaisons to keep the IETF abreast, and preferably ahead, of   matters of mutual interest or potential conflict.  When the liaison   is working effectively, it should facilitate the IETF and the peer   organization working synergistically and reduce the chance of   overlapping or conflicting standards being created.2.3.  Written Communications   Aside from the personal contacts between liaisons and the peer   organization, extensive communication may occur between the IETF and   the peer organizations through written materials.  Much of this   communication is through liaison statements that typically contain   plans, new developments, and time schedules of which one party   believes that the other party should be aware.   The liaison manager should be aware of these written communications   and assist both parties to see that appropriate action is taken in   relation to liaison statements passing in both directions.   For example, when a liaison organization, such as ITU-T, needs to   reference material that is under development in the IETF: the final   reference in the peer organization's document needs the permanent   identifier (RFC number) that will be assigned to the Internet Draft   when it is approved and published.  To meet the publication schedule   of the peer organization, a liaison statement is often sent to the   IETF requesting that an RFC number be assigned within the required   timeframe.  In response, the IETF can provide the RFC number or   explain why it is not possible to provide this within the timeframe   requested.   An alternative situation that involves more specific action by the   liaison manager also involves requests for this kind of expedited   action on RFCs.  For example, 3GPP/3GPP2 and the Open Mobile Alliance   (OMA) provide the IETF with an updated list of dependencies between   their documents and IETF documents on a monthly basis, indicatingAndersson                    Informational                      [Page 4]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   what documents are needed and the required timeframe.  In this case,   the liaison manager tracks the dependency list and, when necessary,   conveys the request for expedited assignment to the appropriate IETF   Area Director (AD).2.4.  Terminology and Conventions   Terminology relating to IETF liaison procedures is found in   [RFC4052].  Terms defined below are valid for this document only.   Liaison manager   A person appointed to manage an IETF liaison relationship with   another organization.   Liaison representative   A person appointed to manage a certain (sub-)aspect of an IETF   liaison relationship with another organization.  Since it is only the   scale of the responsibilities, mandate, and tasks that is different,   the rest of this document only explicitly mentions liaison managers.   IETF consensusRFC 2026 [RFC2026] andRFC 2418 [RFC2418] discuss the IETF consensus   process.  In this document, the term "IETF consensus" is used to   indicate either consensus of the IETF as an organization, an area   within IETF, or a working group.  There the term "IETF consensus"   needs to be interpreted in the context in which it is used.   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this   document are to be interpreted as described inRFC 2119 [RFC2119].3.  Guidelines for Liaison Managers and Representatives   Since liaison relationships are intended to be mutually beneficial,   the IETF liaison to another organization must act as a bi-directional   communication link between the IETF and the other organization.   Since the liaison manager has been appointed by the IETF, the liaison   manager needs to be responsive to the needs and aims of the IETF.RFC 4052 lists some of the tasks and expectations relating to liaison   managers and liaison representatives.  This document expands on their   mandate, provides more detailed discussion, and describes how the   role is executed.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 5]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 20063.1.  Mandate   The mandate for IETF liaison managers is strictly limited to   conveying IETF consensus to the liaised organization.  The liaison   manager MUST NOT on their own initiative send liaison statements to a   liaised organization on behalf of IETF, or any of its areas and   working groups.  Liaison statements are only sent following the   process specified in [RFC4052].  Liaison statements are only sent on   the initiative of the IETF chair, the IAB chair, IETF Area Directors,   or IETF working group chairs.   InSection 3.3 andSection 3.4, responsibilities and tasks are listed   that enable the IETF to obtain the information to correctly interact   with the liaised organizations and to develop and clearly communicate   IETF consensus.3.1.1.  Speaking for the IETF   The IETF functions based on rough consensus, which means that the   right to speak for the IETF cannot be delegated.  The liaison manager   speaks on behalf of the IETF on the subject matter of the liaison,   but only after making sure that the IETF consensus is understood.   Some guidelines for understanding IETF consensus are provided above;   however, the most important requirement is close and detailed   coordination/consultation with the IETF community.3.2.  Expectations   There are certain expectations placed on liaison managers appointed   by the IETF.  Examples of these expectations are listed below.   Competences required      The key competence needed in the liaison manager or representative      role is effective management of the liaison process according to      the rules that have been agreed upon.  The liaison acts as a      representative of the IETF and not an independent voice with      respect to topics of discussion in the liaison relationship.  The      liaison must therefore be careful to distinguish his or her own      views from documented IETF consensus in dealings with the peer      organization.      To this end, the liaison manager or representative must be able to      communicate effectively with members of the peer organization,      especially in face-to-face situations.  This is important both to      communicate the IETF's viewpoint and to gather information about      the issues in the peer organization that the IETF needs to      understand.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 6]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006      In support of the liaison process, a person appointed to act as a      liaison manager or representative on behalf of the IETF is      expected to have a good technical understanding of the key issues      in the subject area, as well as an understanding of the concerns      important to stakeholders in both organizations.      An IETF liaison needs to have knowledge of the IETF's consensus      process in general, as well as the consensus process(es) applying      to the key issues within the liaison relationship.      The liaison must also have a good understanding of the processes      used by the peer organization involved.   Perspective      Liaison relationships are designed for the mutual benefit of the      organizations participating in the liaison.  As such, swift      information flow in both directions is a firm requirement.  The      role of an IETF liaison manager is to promote the interests of the      IETF with respect to all topics within the scope of the liaison      relationship.  Since the liaison manager "wears an IETF hat", it      is NOT the task of a liaison manager to promote the interests of      the liaised organization within the IETF.   Distance      A liaison may not be able to maintain the required perspective if      he or she is closely involved in the outcome of the work in the      peer organization.  A conflict of interest might arise if the      liaison is involved in the management of the relevant part of the      peer organization, has a close technical involvement in the work      that is the subject of the liaison, or has a close interest in the      outcome of the work in the peer organization through his or her      employment.  When appointing an appropriate person to manage a      liaison relationship, the IAB needs to take into account any      conflicts of interest that the individual being considered might      have.  Before a person is appointed to manage a liaison      relationship, he or she will be asked to explicitly state any      conflicts of interest.  The IAB will not appoint a person to a      liaison manager position if there is a strong conflict of      interest.  For example, an individual with an industry or      organizational leadership position in an organization would      typically not be suitable for appointment as an IETF liaison to      that organization.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 7]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   Commitment and opportunity      A liaison manager needs to be committed to addressing the issues      relevant to the liaison relationship.  To handle the job properly,      it is necessary that the liaison be able to allocate sufficient      time to the task.   Timeliness      It is expected that a liaison manger will make the IETF aware of      new developments in the subject area in a timely fashion.3.3.  Responsibilities   The liaison manager and representatives provide information to the   IETF community in order to enable the IETF to make decisions based on   the best possible information regarding the work in the peer   organization.  In turn, information communicated by the IETF liaison   to the liaised organization MUST be based on the relevant IETF   consensus.  The liaison manager works with the liaised organization   to ensure that communication is clear.  As part of this, the liaison   must clearly differentiate his or her own independent positions from   those that represent IETF consensus.   It is the responsibility of the liaison manager to ensure that the   liaised organization communicates its requirements to the IETF in a   timely fashion and that the IETF consensus is clearly understood.   This is particularly important in situations where the IETF and the   liaised organization differ substantially in their positions.  In   this situation, the liaison manager needs to facilitate prompt   communication so that the IETF and the liaised organization can stay   in close communication and avoid misunderstandings.   The liaison manager and representatives are responsible for clearly   and correctly communicating the IETF consensus position to the   liaised organization.  This includes, when specifically instructed,   carrying any messages from the IETF to the peer organization.   Generally, these communications "represent the IETF", and therefore   due care and consensus must be applied in their construction.   The liaison manager and representatives are responsible for ensuring   that relevant information originating from the liaised organization,   or other information coming to the attention of the liaison, reaches   the correct destination within the IETF, in a timely and effective   way.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 8]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 20063.4.  Tasks   Examples of tasks performed by the liaison manager are provided   below.  Depending on the nature of the liaised organization, the task   may vary in frequency and relative importance.   1.  Attend relevant meetings and participate in conference calls and       mailing lists within the liaised organization to gather       information relevant to the liaison relationship.  Note       developments of interest for onward communication to the IETF.       Communicate the point of view of the IETF consensus to the peer       organization.   2.  Communicate information relevant to the liaison relationship to       the relevant part of the IETF either by written reports or       verbally; this may involve briefings with a team of IETFers       involved in the liaised organization and other interested parties       within the IETF, e.g., working group chairs and ADs.   3.  Understand the concerns of both the IETF and the peer       organization, while ensuring that interests of the IETF are       maintained; where there appear to be problems to solve or       conflicts between approaches, work with both parties to encourage       engineers from both organizations to collaborate on solving the       problem and facilitate the development of engineering solutions       in the appropriate organization.   4.  Prepare reports giving updates on developments in the peer       organization as requested by the IAB or other interested parties       in the IETF.  The target for these updates (e.g., the IAB, an AD,       a WG) will typically be identified upon establishment of the       liaison relationship and/or the appointment of the liaison       manager.   5.  Oversee delivery of liaison statements addressed to the IETF.       This includes ensuring that liaison statements are delivered to       the appropriate destination within the IETF, as well as       shepherding the timely creation of responses by the IETF.   6.  Work with the liaised organization to ensure that the IETF's       liaison statements are appropriately directed and responded to in       a timely fashion.  To accomplish this, the liaison needs to build       a contact network.   7.  Communicate and coordinate with other IETF liaison managers where       the activities of two or more liaised organizations overlap.Andersson                    Informational                      [Page 9]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   8.  Assist with the preparation of IETF liaison statements based on       IETF consensus.   9.  From time to time, liaison managers and liaison representatives       will have to report to the IETF on the status of the liaison       relationship.  For this purpose, they will need to keep track of       outstanding issues on behalf of the IETF.  The frequency of the       reports and the recipients of the reports within the IETF will be       decided when the liaison relationship is set up and may be       changed at any time by an IAB decision.  IAB or other parties       within the IETF may probe for liaison reports as needed or at       regular intervals.3.5.  Relationship Management   Liaison managers will be involved in activities for which they are   not directly responsible, but that might greatly benefit from their   expertise.  Some of these activities are outlined below.3.5.1.  IETF Consensus Process on Liaison Statements   Liaison statements and other messages sent to a liaised organization   should be based on rough consensus within the IETF or one of its   working groups or areas.  Though the liaison manager is not   responsible for determining consensus, it is important that the   liaison manager participate in the process and makes his or her   expertise and knowledge available.   How consensus is arrived at may vary according to the circumstances.   Some issues are new, and in these cases an open discussion on a   mailing list should be undertaken.  For some issues, consensus has   already been arrived at or the liaison statement is a mere statement   of facts (e.g., to inform the liaised organization that an IETF Last   Call had started on a document it had previously expressed interest   in) and in these cases the liaison statement can be written and sent   (such as by a working group chair), possibly involving the liaison   manager.3.5.2.  Incoming Liaison Statements   When the IETF receives a liaison statement or other communication   from an organization with which it has a liaison relationship that   includes a request for a response to the communication, the IETF is   committed to providing a timely response.  This means that the IETF   will respond within the time requested and provide information as   accurately as possible.  This commitment has been one of the key   discussion points in the past, such as within the (g)mpls change   process [GMPLS].Andersson                    Informational                     [Page 10]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   This commitment does not mean that the IETF will uncritically accept   the content in the incoming liaison statement.  To the extent that   the liaison contains requirements on IETF technology or protocols,   they will be taken into consideration based on their technical merit.3.5.3.  Ambiguous Incoming Liaison Statements   Sometimes the IETF, an IETF area, or an IETF working group receives   liaison statements from a liaised organization that are sent to the   wrong destination.  At other times, the liaison statement is sent to   working groups that are not chartered to do the work that the liaison   statement addresses.  In some cases, it might be the situation that   no working group is chartered to do the work.   In such cases, the liaison manager should assist in finding the   appropriate recipient within the IETF that might respond to the   incoming liaison statement.  Sometimes this might require that the   intended response is made available for review on one of the IETF   mailing lists.3.5.4.  Liaison Managers Representing Peer Organizations   Liaised organizations may appoint a person to act as a liaison   manager for "their side" of the relationship.  This is the person   that will speak authoritatively, within the IETF, on the activities   performed by the other organization.  The other organization needs to   make this person known to the IETF.  This person might request a slot   on a working group agenda to discuss developments and plans of the   liaised organization.   Opinions expressed by a liaison mangers of other SDOs, other than   reports on work within the liaised organization, are given equal   weight with opinions expressed by other working group participants.RFC 3356 [RFC3356] describes this in the context of the relationship   between the IETF and the ITU-T; however, the same model is applicable   to all other organizations with which the IETF has a liaison   relationship.   The mandates of liaison managers from other organizations are   recognized by the IETF to the extent needed to understand the   information received from the liaison manager.  In all other respects   he or she participates in IETF activities under the same conditions   and rules as any other IETF participant.  It is important that the   IETF liaison manager understands the extent to which the peer liaison   manager is mandated or delegated to speak on behalf of the peer   organization, and to inform the relevant part of the IETF if the peer   liaison manager appears to be stepping outside the role or stance   given to him or her by the peer organization.Andersson                    Informational                     [Page 11]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006   IETF liaison managers should work to include the liaison manager from   the liaised organization within their contact network, and to   understand the positions being communicated by the peer liaison   manager.4.  Security Considerations   This document does not specify any protocol or "bits on the wire".   However, since interaction with other standards-making organizations   often relates to security, the liaison manager can assist with   security-related issues, resulting in improved security for Internet   protocols.5.  IANA Considerations   There are no requests to the IANA herein.  Note that the liaison   manager very often has to understand and convey questions regarding   IETF namespaces managed by IANA.6.  Acknowledgements   This document was developed as part of a conversation regarding the   requirements on IETF liaison managers and representatives.  Several   IAB members have significantly contributed to the document.  Also,   the document has been improved thanks to suggestions and review from   Allison Mankin, Dave Meyer, and Leslie Daigle.   A special thanks to Bernard Aboba, who, based on his experience as a   liaison manager, has made many useful comments on the subject matter.   Elwyn Davies and Bernard Aboba have both spent time correcting   language and grammar.   Members of the IAB at the time of approval of this document were the   following:   Bernard Aboba   Loa Andersson   Brian Carpenter   Leslie Daigle   Elwyn Davies   Kevin Fall   Olaf Kolkman   Kurtis Lindqvist   David Meyer   Dave Oran   Eric Rescorla   Dave Thaler   Lixia ZhangAndersson                    Informational                     [Page 12]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 20067.  References7.1.  Normative References   [RFC2026]  Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision              3",BCP 9,RFC 2026, October 1996.   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate              Requirement Levels",BCP 14,RFC 2119, March 1997.   [RFC2418]  Bradner, S., "IETF Working Group Guidelines and              Procedures",BCP 25,RFC 2418, September 1998.   [RFC4052]  Daigle, L. and Internet Architecture Board, "IAB Processes              for Management of IETF Liaison Relationships",BCP 102,RFC 4052, April 2005.7.2.  Informative References   [GMPLS]    Andersson, L.,"MPLS and GMPLS Change Process", Work in              Progress, December 2005.   [RFC3113]  Rosenbrock, K., Sanmugam, R., Bradner, S., and J. Klensin,              "3GPP-IETF Standardization Collaboration",RFC 3113, June              2001.   [RFC3131]  Bradner, S., Calhoun, P., Cuschieri, H., Dennett, S.,              Flynn, G., Lipford, M., and M. McPheters, "3GPP2-IETF              Standardization Collaboration",RFC 3131, June 2001.   [RFC3356]  Fishman, G. and S. Bradner, "Internet Engineering Task              Force and International Telecommunication Union -              Telecommunications Standardization Sector Collaboration              Guidelines",RFC 3356, August 2002.   [RFC4053]  Trowbridge, S., Bradner, S., and F. Baker, "Procedures for              Handling Liaison Statements to and from the IETF",BCP103,RFC 4053, April 2005.Editor's Address   Loa Andersson   IAB   EMail: loa@pi.seAndersson                    Informational                     [Page 13]

RFC 4691                   Liaison Guidelines               October 2006Full Copyright Statement   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2006).   This document is subject to the rights, licenses and restrictions   contained inBCP 78, and except as set forth therein, the authors   retain all their rights.   This document and the information contained herein are provided on an   "AS IS" basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS   OR IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET   ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,   INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE   INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED   WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.Intellectual Property   The IETF takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any   Intellectual Property Rights or other rights that might be claimed to   pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in   this document or the extent to which any license under such rights   might or might not be available; nor does it represent that it has   made any independent effort to identify any such rights.  Information   on the procedures with respect to rights in RFC documents can be   found inBCP 78 andBCP 79.   Copies of IPR disclosures made to the IETF Secretariat and any   assurances of licenses to be made available, or the result of an   attempt made to obtain a general license or permission for the use of   such proprietary rights by implementers or users of this   specification can be obtained from the IETF on-line IPR repository athttp://www.ietf.org/ipr.   The IETF invites any interested party to bring to its attention any   copyrights, patents or patent applications, or other proprietary   rights that may cover technology that may be required to implement   this standard.  Please address the information to the IETF at   ietf-ipr@ietf.org.Acknowledgement   Funding for the RFC Editor function is provided by the IETF   Administrative Support Activity (IASA).Andersson                    Informational                     [Page 14]