Why Is the ARIN Advisory Council So Important? [Archived]

By Jennifer Bly

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Maybe you have heard that nominations are open for candidates in ARIN’s upcoming elections, but you don’t know much about the elections, the positions up for grabs, or even why they even matter. Sit back and let us explain.

Recently ARIN issued an open call for General Members in good standing to nominate candidates for five seats on the ARIN Advisory Council. The ARIN Advisory Council (AC), composed of 15 elected volunteers, has a key role in the ARIN Policy Development Process (PDP). The PDP is the procedure by which Internet number resource policy is developed in the ARIN region. The PDP tasks the AC to make four important decisions about changes to number resource policy:

The AC must decide what to do with incoming proposals from the community. Should the proposal be kept and worked on by the AC?
The AC must work on proposals that it keeps. And, having worked on a proposal, does the AC find the resulting text to be clear, technically sound and useful number policy? If yes, the AC promotes it to draft policy status, and it is discussed on the Public Policy Mailing List and at an ARIN Public Policy Meeting.
After the draft policy has been put to the community for comment, the AC must evaluate consensus. Does the AC find sufficient support on the list and at the meeting to send a draft policy to last call?
The AC makes its final decision after last call. Does the AC recommend the draft policy be adopted by the ARIN Board?

Most of these decisions are made at monthly AC meetings. AC meetings are often teleconferences, though they do meet in person at several points during each year as well. All of these meetings are conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, i.e., motions are made, votes are tallied, and minutes are taken, and published on the ARIN website.

There is even more than this to being an AC member. You can read the full requirements and responsibilities of being on the AC. ARIN couldn’t do its job without the time and dedication of this corps of volunteers. Make sure to check out your current Advisory Council.

Each fall, ARIN members elect five members to the Advisory Council. The term on the council is three years. AC members do not have to be ARIN members; however, the ARIN membership nominates and votes for AC members.

If you think you know someone who is up to the job, nominate yourself or any other individual to become a member of the Advisory Council at ARIN Election Headquarters Nominations close on Wednesday, 24 August 2011. More information about the qualifications for the positions and the election process are at the Election Headquarters too.