Policy-Discussion

[Ian G <iang AT systemics.com>]

Stephen J Saletta wrote:
> I hate to bring up an old email post to the list, but: 
>
> Fri Mar 30 16:02:28 CEST 2007
> Ian G wrote
> Formally, Audit status:  the audit is frozen currently until two major issues 
> are sorted out:  management (get your membership of the Association sorted 
> out if you want to help here!) and NL systems migration.
> --
>
>
> I’m wondering if anyone has more details on specifically what the management 
> issue concerns. Is it a matter of not having enough people to fill the board? 
> Insufficient individuals to manage key tasks? Insufficient/inadequate policy 
> to ensure effective management?


There are (of course) many ways of looking at this issue. 
All have some part of the truth, a little of falseness. 
Management isn't a binary issue, it's a soft social science.

Technically, the problem right now is that there are not 
enough directors on the board to hold a meeting.  There is a 
bit of a bug in the rules, in that this can happen, and it 
more or less happened when Duane resigned a month back. 
This was accidental.  Hence, we had to get the Members of 
the Association to call a Special General Meeting (25th may) 
in order to create a new board.  (BTW, this is on advice of 
the regulator, the OFT.)

More managerially, the issue is that the old management 
assumed a small corporate model, where one person (Duane) 
took all the responsibility.  But since the early days, 
CAcert has got too big for a small management profile, and 
has for a long time needed a wider management.  That is, 
more people carving up the tasks and also the responsibilities.

So, unfortunately, this problem unless sorted out becomes a 
sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.  Nobody was stepping up to 
help, because it was too much, so it just got too much.  Now 
we need to rebuild.

What is relevant is what we are doing now:  the SGM.

Now, the members of the association have to put together a 
new board.  That's for the members to decide, but apparently 
they have some people lined up to do that.

For this purpose, an SGM has been called for by the members. 
 Next step: members need to announce the SGM (this week).

(Yes, I'm being pushy.  Members need to do this!)


> Just trying to get a better idea of the process and concerns.


Excellent, please do.  Probe and ask.  Be as aggressive as 
you can, take no prisoners in the search for the future of 
CAcert :)

Specifically, join the association, and attend the SGM.  The 
planned date is 25th of May.  I don't think it is announced 
as yet, so that may change, but that has to happen this week.

iang