Prior to each plenary meeting, the IESG and IAB convenes to discuss and decide which BOFs should be approved. These meetings are called the "BoF Coordination Meetings".
- Community Consensus Guidance
- Section 2.4 of RFC2418/IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures
- Considerations for Having a Successful Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) Session/RFC5434
- Other Key Concepts
- (from RFC2418) Only two BoFs per topic are permitted
- A BoF can convene as a virtual interim meeting
- One purpose of a BoF is to provide decision support on whether starting the chartering a WG is appropriate. A BoF is NOT required to start a WG
- A BoF can be convened to discuss a topic whose ultimate conclusion would not be forming a WG
- BoFs are designated as either “non-WG forming” or “WG forming” as an IESG management technique to focus the discussion and set community expectations for the BoF. This designation is not documented in a community-consensus document or in the Datatracker. However, it is part of the BoF proposal intake form.
- A “non-WG forming” BoF is intended for topics in the early stages of discussion where it is premature to discuss matters at the level of specificity of a charter. This designation is also appropriate for BoF topics whose intent is not to charter a WG.
- A “WG forming” BoF is intended for more mature topics where discussion of a specific charter is appropriate. A tangible charter is required for such a designation.
- Decide on whether to convene the BoF
- Do not hold the BoF during the coordination meeting
- Decisions are made over the course of two BOF coordination meetings – refinement of the BoF proposal between meeting 1 and 2 is possible
Purpose: Preliminary review of each BOF request; guide and improve proposals
Attendees: IESG + IAB
Outcomes for a proposal:
- Provisional Approval, scheduled for upcoming plenary meeting
- Maybe
- Defer
- Delete as spam
Proposals are often grouped into two categories – proposed WGs already in the chartering process and those topics that are seeking a BOF. The former are typically approved to allow defensive scheduling should the topic either need another BOF (assuming it hasn’t had two meetings already) or so that it could convene as a WG at the upcoming plenary meeting.
For those designated approved or maybe, a responsible AD is assigned
Some changes between WG forming vs. non-WG forming BOF occur. It is not uncommon to debate whether a BOF is ready to be WG forming.
Purpose: Final decision for the BOFs at IETF 122
Attendees: IESG
Outcomes for a proposal:
- Final Approved, scheduled for upcoming plenary meeting
- Defer