This page is to collect ideas for developing possible engagement strategies for At-Large.
Some first ideas to generate discussion:
- What would be the criterion for deciding if an ALS is not engaged in your RALO/At-Large?
- Do RALOs have a list of non-engaged ALSes?
- What are possible approaches to deal with non-engaged ALSes?
- Decide to pick some ALSes to focus and mentor with? What criteria do we use to pick which ones and why?
- Do we survey those non-engaged ALSes to find out why they are not engaged? (A challenge is that they may not respond to a survey)
- How can ALSes, especially newer ALSes be more engaged when they join At-Large?
Perhaps by having the sort of material, not necessarily a beginner's guide, but some form of infographcs and short videos are needed.
Maybe we need to look at ICANN Learn, or Glenn's ebook idea to see how to convey these concepts on how ALSes can be involved.
The At-Large website redesign is also looking at these concepts of how we reach persons to get involved.
13 Comments
Maureen Hilyard
Jacqueline Morris
I also think that the webinar needs to be absolutely clear about the time committment and the expectations. The original requirements are very few. As the RALOs have grown, so have the requirements. We need to make sure that new applicants are clear, and also get existing ones to sign on to our new requirements since it's changing from what they originally signed up for. We can also ask ALSes to provide more than 2 names, to make sure that they have a few people who can participate.
Do we have a minimum size for an ALS?
Dev Anand Teelucksingh
Well I admit, I don't think no one is ever fully prepared until they begin to dip their toes and start to wade deeper and deeper into the At-Large waters.
I think a orientation webinar would be good and goes towards making any new ALS reps, including new represenatives at ALS understand what's what in At-Large.
I'm not too sure about having prospective ALSes complete a skills survey in order to have ALAC and RALO advice on whether they should be accredited. Do we want to make it hard for persons to get involved in At-Large? Make it too intimidating?
Maureen Hilyard
We could ask in a non-intimidating way We recently surveyed current ALSes about what occupational backgrounds, skills and knowledge they brought to their RALOs - why can't we ask them before the enter the fold, and save ourselves the survey time?
We don't want to scare them away, but we aren't doing ourselves any favours by enabling them to join, and then they don't even attend RALO meetings because they don't know from the outset that that is an expectation and that their attendance at such events is measured!
Jacqueline Morris
I agree with the intro webinar, and maybe a call to make it more personal. But more forms to fill out might make it too much for some applicants.
Juan Manuel Rojas
I like Maureen's idea. Maybe an ICANN introduction and how can them join to work already done is an excellent approach. I just want to add that maybe we could create some pre-WG to every ALS candidate could be know how it works inside At-Large and ICANN itself.
Maybe not only a Webinar but instead as a pre-requisite for each new ALS candidate could be to take an online course from ICANN E-learning courses, previously stablished. I also believe that members from a new ALS have some habilities that At-Large and RALOs in general must benefit.
It is important, also, note for them difference between ICANN meeting and online WG meeting, because as we know remote participation could be used as an approach for ICANN but F2F meetings are another thing. We may search (or create) some "adoption" mechanism to introduce potentially new ALS to ICANN world.
Maureen Hilyard
I agree Juan Manuel... perhaps as part of their e-Learning Introductory Course, they could take part in an meeting about ICANN on Adobe Connect to check that they can connect and participate.
What we are asking for is something similar to the (Leadership) Academy, but for ICANN Learners.
Alan Greenberg
This is an excellent effort. I'm not sure we really want a "test" to be allowed to apply, but more information to properly set expectations would be good. And I like the idea of perhaps one-on-on intro to methodologies such as adobe connect.
Glenn McKnight
Hi All
Attached is the 2014, 2015 and the identification of low attendance ALS
The spreadsheet needs some work since a few are decertified and need to be removed from the list generated by staff.
The low attendance of the first half of 2015 are either ZERO, a single or two meetings
All lthe RALO's need a strategy to engage the 'wayward' ALS's to bring them back into the fold
Glenn
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Jacqueline Morris
Asking non-participating ALSes why they no longer participate is a great idea. I'd sugest that we not do an impersonal survey via email, but a proper survey with phone interviews or something like that will make it more personal and easier to get good responses.
Maureen Hilyard
The introduction of the regional calendar has had a very positive response from our community as Siranush reported. ALSes are quite excited about being able to share what they are doing in their part of the region and that we value their participation and attachment to ICANN. The more interactive ideas that we can come up with the better.
I agree with Alan that we don't want an eLearning activity introducing potential ALS candidates to ICANN to seem like a test. An interactive online learning approach where learners can choose options and actually be engaged in the learning process (rather than just reading lots of text) would be a great way to introduce prospective ALS members to the more hands on expectation of our ALS members and their involvement in our working groups.
Dev Anand Teelucksingh
Some other ideas after having a call with Daniel Khauka Nanghaka :
To solve engagement, have ALSes to care about and be involved in DNS related issues at
If ALSes don't care about DNS related issues at the local level, they are unlikely to care about global DNS related issues.
So to get ALSes, engaged, have to
To raise ICANN issues for ALSes to respond to, have to get ALSes to understand the impact of the ICANN issue to them, and create compelling content for them to see the impact of the ICANN issue to them.
Other engagement challenges:
- getting connected to At-Large calls ; persons can't be reached on their phones, persons don't have sufficient net connectivity
Another suggestion to foster engagement in WGs:
Maureen Hilyard
These are very good points, Daniel and Dev.
Capacity building webinars have been trying to address the gaps in knowledge and understanding about what ICANN's core business is about. Somehow we are still not disseminating that message of understanding and the need for wider ALS participation.
CANN Learn and the CB and any other webinars should complement each other - but they are all siloed approaches which need to be better coordinated. Resources need to be created that are more generic so that it is less confusing for newbies who just want to know what ICANN is about and how they can participate in ICANN business.