IAB Processes for Management of IETF Liaison Relationships
RFC 4052

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Network Working Group                                     L. Daigle, Ed.
Request for Comments: 4052                   Internet Architecture Board
BCP: 102                                                      April 2005
Category: Best Current Practice

       IAB Processes for Management of IETF Liaison Relationships

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the
   Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2005).

Abstract

   This document discusses the procedures used by the IAB to establish
   and maintain liaison relationships between the IETF and other
   Standards Development Organizations (SDOs), consortia and industry
   fora.  This document also discusses the appointment and
   responsibilities of IETF liaison managers and representatives, and
   the expectations of the IAB for organizations with whom liaison
   relationships are established.

Table of Contents

   1. Liaison Relationships and Personnel .............................2
   2. Aspects of Liaisons and Liaison Management ......................3
      2.1. Liaison Relationships ......................................3
      2.2. Liaison Manager ............................................3
      2.3. Liaison Representatives ....................................4
      2.4. Liaison Communications .....................................4
   3. Summary of IETF Liaison Manager Responsibilities ................5
   4. Approval and Transmission of Liaison Statements .................6
   5. Security Considerations .........................................6
   6. Acknowledgements ................................................7
   7. References ......................................................8
      7.1. Normative References .......................................8
      7.2. Informative References .....................................8

Daigle & IAB             Best Current Practice                  [Page 1]
RFC 4052                 IAB Liaison Management               April 2005

1.  Liaison Relationships and Personnel

   The IETF, as an organization, has the need to engage in direct
   communication or joint endeavors with various other formal
   organizations.  For example, the IETF is one of several Standards
   Development Organizations, or SDOs, and all SDOs including the IETF
   find it increasingly necessary to communicate and coordinate their
   activities involving Internet-related technologies.  This is useful
   in order to avoid overlap in work efforts and to manage interactions
   between their groups.  In cases where the mutual effort to
   communicate and coordinate activities is formalized, these
   relationships are generically referred to as "liaison relationships".

   In such cases, a person from the IETF is designated to manage a given
   liaison relationship; that person is generally called the "IETF
   liaison manager" to the other organization.  When the liaison
   relationship is expected to encompass a complex or broad range of
   activities, more people may be designated to undertake some portions
   of the communications, coordinated by the liaison manager.  Often,
   the other organization will similarly designate their own liaison
   manager to the IETF.

   This document is chiefly concerned with:

   o  the establishment and maintenance of liaison relationships, and

   o  the appointment and responsibilities of IETF liaison managers and
      representatives.

   The management of other organizations' liaison managers to the IETF,
   whether or not in the context of a liaison relationship, is outside
   the scope of this document.

   The IETF has chartered the Internet Architecture Board to manage
   liaison relationships.  Consistent with its charter [2], the IAB acts
   as representative of the interests of the IETF and the Internet
   Society in technical liaison relationships with other organizations
   concerned with standards and other technical and organizational
   issues relevant to the worldwide Internet.  Liaison relationships are
   kept as informal as possible and must be of demonstrable value to the
   IETF's technical mandate.  Individual participants of the IETF are
   appointed as liaison managers or representatives to other
   organizations by the IAB.

Daigle & IAB             Best Current Practice                  [Page 2]
RFC 4052                 IAB Liaison Management               April 2005

   In general, a liaison relationship is most valuable when there are
   areas of technical development of mutual interest.  For the most
   part, SDOs would rather leverage existing work done by other
   organizations than recreate it themselves (and would like the same
   done with respect to their own work).  Establishing a liaison
   relationship can provide the framework for ongoing communications to