NomCom Part 3

So it’s mostly done; we’ve read all the applications, conducted all the interviews and ranked all of the applicants. I am not here to tell you what I think is wrong with entire process I am here to enlighten you on how this works. Maybe later if you are really good you can have my advice and my thoughts about process.

Definitions

Qualified

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualified this is what qualified means.
a: fitted (as by training or experience) for a given purpose :competent
b : having complied with the specific requirements or precedent conditions (as for an office or employment) : eligible

According to PASS the qualifications/requirements for being on the BoD are:

• Current PASS member
• Previous PASS volunteer experience beyond speaking
• Works in some capacity with SQL Server

We are even instructed that this is broad and should be considered loosely. <mytone> Really, can you get any more vague than that? </mytone>

ERC

Election Review Committee. The last ERC was put together in 2011 to review the election process. They made recommendations and new procedures were produced.

Ranking Sheet

This is my definition and not that of anyone related to NomCom, BoD or PASS. Ranking sheet is merely a tool to help NomCom committee members “score” applicants in order to produce a final ranking. There are multiple versions of this form currently with different ratings, KPI and weights. Some of them score 1-4 others score on a 1-10. None of them when we started allowed for decimal places they were all TINYINT. One ranking grid is T/F where the 1/0 are reversed, if that doesn’t break your brain as a SQL Server Professional I don’t know what would. Scores are not given out or made public only the rank.

Rank

The official order that the candidates are placed on the ballot. Most(qualified) – Least(qualified).

Applicant

Again this is my definition as there isn’t one really provided but I feel this term is important. Applicant is anyone who submits an application to run for the BoD. They don’t have to be qualified to apply. They remain an applicant even after the NomCom has provided a ranking because applicants have the opportunity to withdraw and the current BoD has the option to tell the NomCom no go do this again.

Candidate

This year after the BoD has accepted the ballot and the applicants have all committed to running a ballot will be made public. At this time the applicants who were confirmed by the BoD and committed to running will be officially on the ballot and considered a candidate. However no-one but the NomCom, and BoD know that they are real candidates until the official announcement. It goes without saying that if you are given your ranking and you are in the 1-?(choose a number you feel comfortable with) then you as the applicant might feel certain that they are a candidate.

Slate | Ballot

These terms are used interchangeably. Basically the slate (applicant list in ranked order) is given to the BoD to ratify. Once the slate is ratified the ballot is created and sent out. I might guess that slate is just the list and ballot has the actual function of being able to vote from.

Process

What we found is a lack of documentation telling us what forms/grids/ranking sheets were for what purpose, what process should happen in what order and at the end of the day what all of this would mean. Now don’t get worried with 5 qualified data professionals on a committee do you think there was any monkey business? We addressed each new discovery with open minds and ears and came to a consensus on how we would handle each one. So roughly stated the process was this:

1. Announcement / opening of the acceptance of applications for the board.
2. NomCom meets to discuss questions/timelines/and generally get our act together.
3. Deadline for applications and all the aps rush in at the last minute.
4. In a independent activity we read/rate/rank the applications and applicants on one form or another. Again this is just to determine who is qualified.
5. Meetings to discuss
   1. Is everyone Qualified?
   2. Does everyone get an interview?
   3. Back ground checks if necessary.
6. Applicants are notified and interviews are scheduled.
7. Interviews
   1. Follow up conversations happen after each interview.
   2. NomCom is permitted to ask questions after the interview with any communications means to the applicants, references and folks mentioned in interviews if they feel there is a need to clarify something.
   3. NomCom is also permitted to listen to the interview recordings. These recordings are for the sole purpose of allowing NomCom to review if needed or listen if they couldn’t make the call.
8. Rankings for the interview are done individually on some form or another and we tried to turn them in following the last interview.
9. Meeting to combine and discuss rankings, final ranking due 2 days after the last interview.
10. Emails are sent to the applicants letting them know the ranking order and giving them 1 week to withdraw. But this is still subject to board approval.
11. Board ratifies the ballot (you do know that means they can say no and send it back for us to “fix”, but they’d need to provide guidance on what they want done).
12. The rest of the world is notified the ballot is ready and the candidates are placed in rank order but no scores are given.
13. Election events, this year PASS is sponsoring 2 separate events for members to come ask questions and get to know the candidates before voting.
14. Voting (oddly most of the votes happen on the first and last day)

So I have explained what the terms being used are and an overview of the process. In my next post of this series I try to discuss some more of the details on the how and move on from there. With the elections rapidly approaching I want my readers to 1)feel confident that people were using their heads when making decisions 2) that the rankings are fair 3) that I truly do care about this process and hope that we will leave it in a better state than before we got here.