(B.28) The RSE, strategy, and the power of the purse

[john+rfc@…]

(B.28) The RSE, strategy, and the power of the purse

The fourth paragraph of Section 4.2 says, in part,

"If product needs change, the RSE is responsible for working
with the Production Center to determine what the correct
response should be. If they agree that a budgetary change
is needed, that needs to be taken to the IAD and the IAOC."

Let's remember that, in recent history, the most common
"product need" change has been a larger-than-expected volume of
documents entering the production process from the streams.
While the most immediate and obvious effect of such an increase
is on the Production Center, an increased number of RFCs or RFC
pages affects the Publisher function as well. So the RSE
should be responsible for analyzing the change in "product
needs" and work with whomever he or she needs to work with
(possibly actually including one or more Streams), not just
with the Production Center, to determine a correct response,

In addition, the "correct response" to some types of changes in
product needs (I'm thinking especially of the list in the
second "vision" paragraph in 2.1.4) may be to rethink how
things are done rather than, e.g., simply adding staff or
budget on an automatic "more of the same" model. The RSOC
should be integrally involved in helping the RSE sort out
whether a particular change in presumed product needs is merely
the type of financial/contractual issue that appears to be
contemplated by this section or whether it is actually a more
strategic matter.

Textual suggestion: change "...for working with the Production
Center..." to "...for working with the Production
Center and, where appropriate, other RFC Editor component
institutions, relevant Streams, and/or the RSOC...".

[jmh@…]

Repaired in working draft.