I am forwarding the following message from Philip Sheppard, OSC Chair, regarding the status of the OSC and PPSC. Chuck -----Original Message----- From: Philip Sheppard [mailto:philip.sheppard@aim.be] Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:35 AM To: Gomes, Chuck Cc: J. Scott Evans YAHOO Subject: Motion to extend PPSC and OSC charters Chuck, I note there is discussion on Council about the role of the OSC and PPSC. As Chair of the OSC may I ask you to forward this to Council? Philip ---------------------------- Council members, when the OSC and PPSC structures were first developed and I was on Council, I spoke against the three tier approach: 1. work team (WT) 2. steering committee review (SC) 3. Council adoption. I feared duplication and interference. Now I am off Council and have worked in the middle layer I see merit in it. There is no duplication and there is burden sharing of the work. The community-based work teams do the real work and thrash out proposals. The SC's then provide a second community-based oversight which is intended to ensure the WT proposals: - met the objective / terms of reference of the group - are fit for purpose - are practical without being overly burdensome. This oversight has often resulted in referring back proposals to the WTs for refinement before they get sent to Council. This is intended to allow volunteer Council members to get on with managing policy. The third step - Council adoption - should not be a rubber stamp but insightful review of the procedures by Council with a view to practicality. Of course with some new procedures we don't know how they will work (efficient or burdensome) until they are tested. At that point the current system is Council alerts the SCs "unfit for purpose because of xxx and yyy" and the SCs review and improve. That seems a good system to me. I urge therefore an extension of the mandates of both SCs to allow these community members to improve the processes of Council while Council focuses on managing policy. Philip Sheppard Chair OSC ---------------------------