5. STAFF ROLES

Research Groups require considerable care and feeding. In addition to general participation, successful Research Groups benefit from the efforts of participants filling specific functional roles.

5.1. IRTF Chair

The IRTF Chair is responsible for ensuring that Research Groups produce coherent, coordinated, architecturally consistent and timely output as a contribution to the overall evolution of the Internet architecture. In addition to the detailed tasks related to Research Groups outlined below, the IRTF Chair may also from time to time arrange for topical workshops attended by the IRSG and perhaps other experts in the field.

Planning

The IRTF Chair monitors the range of activities. This may include encouraging the formation of Research Groups directly, rather than waiting for proposals from IRTF participants.

Coordination of Research Groups

The IRTF Chair coordinates the work done by the various Research Groups.

Reporting

The IRTF Chair reports on IRTF progress to the to the IAB and the wider Internet community (including via the IMR).

Progress tracking

The IRTF Chair tracks and manages the progress of the various Research Groups with the aid of a regular status report on documents and accomplishments from the Research Group Chairs. The resulting reports are made available to the community at large at regular intervals.

5.2. IRSG Member

Members of the IRSG are responsible for advising the IRTF Chair on the chartering of new Research Groups and other matters relating to the smooth operation of the IRTF. In addition, most IRSG members are also Research Group chairs.

5.3. Research Group Chair

The Research Group Chair is concerned with making forward progress in the areas under investigation, and has wide discretion in the conduct of Research Group business. The Chair must ensure that a number of tasks are performed, either directly or by others assigned to the tasks. This encompasses at the very least the following:

Ensuring the Research Group process and content management

The Chair has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that a Research Group achieves forward progress. For some Research Groups, this can be accomplished by having the Chair perform all management- related activities. In other Research Groups -- particularly those with large or divisive participation -- it is helpful to allocate process and/or secretarial functions to other participants. Process management pertains strictly to the style of Research Group interaction and not to its content. The secretarial function encompasses preparation of minutes, and possibly editing of group-authored documents.

Moderate the Research Group email list

The Chair should attempt to ensure that the discussions on this list are relevant and that not devolve to "flame" attacks or rat- hole into technical trivia. The Chair should make sure that discussions on the list are summarized and that the outcome is well documented (to avoid repetition).

Organize, prepare and chair face-to-face and on-line formal meetings

The Chair should plan and announce meetings well in advance. (See section on Meeting Planning for procedures.)

Communicate results of meetings

The Chair and/or Secretary must ensure that minutes of a meeting are taken.

Distribute the work

It is expected that all Research Group participants will actively contribute to the work of the group. Research Group membership is expected to be a long term commitment by a set of motivated members of the research community. Of course, at any given time more of the work is likely to be done by a few participants with particular interests, set of skills and ideas. It is the task of the Chair to motivate enough experts to allow for a fair distribution of the workload.

Document development

Research Groups produce documents and documents need authors. However, authorship of papers related to the work of a Research Group is one of the primary reasons that researchers become members, so finding motivated authors should not be a problem.

It is up to the Research Group to decide the authorship of papers resulting from Research Group activities. In particular, authorship by the entire group is not required.

Document publication

The Chair and/or Secretary will work with the RFC Editor to ensure documents to be published as RFCs conform with RFC publication requirements and to coordinate any editorial changes suggested by the RFC Editor.

5.4. Research Group Editor/Secretary

Taking minutes and editing jointly-authored Research Group documents often is performed by a specifically-designated participant or set of participants.