============================================================================== ISOC Document 94-315 Title: Report and recommendations of the Executive Director Author(s): A.M.Rutkowski Date: 1994.12.13 Body: Board of Trustees Document: 94-315 Revision: basic Supersedes: - Status: released Maintainer: A.M.Rutkowski Access: unrestricted ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. REPORT The past nine months have been marked by dramatic transitions both within the Internet environment and the Society. On the Internet side, it has become very global, visible, and poised for supporting major business use. On the Society side, it has proceeded to become a real, viable, and highly visible global organization. Effecting and managing this transition has required an enormous effort to orchestrate the following four steps: 1. Create a real, independent Internet Society organization 2. Begin providing valued services and potentially meeting critical needs with low overhead 3. Achieve significant recognition as the Internet's core global organization 4. Move toward institutional aggregation and sustainable funding. These were deliberate determined steps taken in rough sequence. Without a demonstrable functioning organization, services, and recognition, the Society would be seriously impeded from making large scale solicitations or assuming additional administrative responsibilities. In a nutshell, the Society lacked credibility. It also lacked direction. While the precise dimensions of the latter are a subject of the Board's meeting, there is now little doubt regarding the Society's credibility. A REAL, INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION The period of April - June was dedicated to creating all the basics of an international secretariat: a physical infrastructure, information systems, practices and procedures, library and archives, and permanent staff. This was done in the most effective AND low-cost manner possible - resulting in excellent staff benefits, a model facility, AND significantly reduced overhead. This effort has continued as the remaining pieces of information systems were migrated from CNRI to the International Secretariat. This has now been completed except for the membership database which will be transitioned at the end of this month. MEETING NEEDS - INCREASED VISIBILITY AND RECOGNITION The Secretariat concentrated on leveraging its available assets largely by providing timely comprehensive information about the Internet through: o on-line access to WWW, Gopher, and FTP materials o email o fax and phone o publications and FAQs o materials included in commercial products o on-site visits by individuals and delegations o conference speeches o press interviews o radio and television appearances This activity was constantly self-reinforcing. As a result, both within the Internet community and before the general public, the Society has been highly visible, and in turn has received constant inquiries for information and membership around the world. POSITIONED FOR THE FUTURE As a result of the preceding steps, the Society is positioned to assume many of the responsibilities expected of an organization for global networking, and enjoys the bona fides to obtain additional funding through increased organizational membership, grants, and self-funding of administrative activities. B. RECOMMENDATIONS Strategy. The Internet Society faces three critical sets of decisions. The most basic relate to decisions regarding the Society Strategic Plan and the approval to proceed with the organizational directions outlined. Space. For the Secretariat itself, office space poses a fundamental limitation, and it has the unique opportunity to acquire additional space almost immediately adjacent to its present suite at relatively low cost. This should be done immediately. Staff. Additional staff are badly needed. For all practical purposes, the Executive Director has operated as the single person for virtually all non-clerical activity on a 15 hour a day, 7 days a week basis for the past nine months. Additional staff are recommended as shown in the accompanying figures. In addition - given the considerable hard sustained work by all the staff - it is recommended that they be provided with appropriate salary increases. ==============================================================================