Interplay between Study Groups and TSAG

1
Interplay betweenStudy Groups and TSAG

• John Visser
• TSAG Chairman
• Tel [phone]
• Mob 1 613 276 6096
• Email jvisser_at_nortel.com

Geneva, 15-16 December 2008
2
TSAG Aim

• TSAGs aim is to help make ITU-T the most
  attractive place to come to do standards work
• TSAG is an advisory body to the SGs, the
  membership, the TSB Director and staff
• TSAG is covered in the Constitution and
  Convention
• CS/Article 17 108A Article 19 116
• CV/Article 14A 197A-197I Article 15 205A

3
Outline

• Where TSAG Fits into ITU
• TSAG Overview
• Resolutions 1 and 22
• TSAG as Ambassador for T Sector
• TSAG and SG Chairmen
• SG Chairmen input to TSAG meetings
• TSAG and SG Chairmen Teleconferences and
  Face-to-face meetings

4
Where TSAG Fits into ITU

• RAG
• TSAG
• TDAG

5
Duties of TSAG - Resolution 1

• Resolution 1 4.3
• TSAG will identify changing requirements and
  provide advice on appropriate changes to be made
  to the priority of work in ITU-T study groups,
  planning, and allocation of work between study
  groups (and the coordination of that work with
  other Sectors), giving due regard to the cost and
  availability of resources within TSB and the
  study groups.
• TSAG shall monitor the activities of any joint
  coordination activities and may also recommend
  the establishment of such activities, if
  appropriate.
• TSAG may also advise on further improvements to
  ITU-T working methods.
• continued ...

6
Duties of TSAG - Resolution 1

• Resolution 1 4.3
• ... continued
• TSAG shall monitor the activities of the lead
  study groups and advise on progress reports as
  presented to TSAG
• TSAG shall endeavour to ensure that the
  programmes of work across the study groups are
  successfully completed.
• Act on items identified by WTSA (see WTSA-08
  Res.22)

7
WTSA-2008 Resolution 22

• Resolution 22 assigns to TSAG many of the powers
  of a WTSA and enables it to act on matters that
  would otherwise have to await the next WTSA
• An essential element of ITU-T responsiveness to
  the rapidly changing and evolving ICT environment
• Per Resolution 22 - TSAG is to
• Maintain up-to-date, efficient and flexible
  working guidelines
• Assume responsibility, including development and
  submission for approval under appropriate
  procedures, for the ITU-T A series
  Recommendations (Organization of the work of
  ITU-T)
• continued ...

8
WTSA-2008 Resolution 22

• Highlights from Resolution 22 - TSAG is to
• ... continued (2/4)
• Restructure and establish ITU-T study groups and
  assign chairmen and vice chairmen to act until
  the next WTSA in response to changes in the
  telecommunication marketplace
• Issue advice on study group schedules to meet
  standardization priorities
• Create, terminate or maintain other groups,
  including focus groups, appoint their chairmen
  and vice-chairmen, and establish their terms of
  reference with a defined duration,
• Enhance and improve the effectiveness of ITU-T's
  work as well as promoting flexibility in
  responding rapidly to high-priority issues
• continued ...

9
WTSA-2008 Resolution 22

• Highlights from Resolution 22 - TSAG is to
• ... continued (3/4)
• Review reports of and consider appropriate
  proposals made by coordination groups and other
  groups, and implement those that are agreed
• Establish the appropriate mechanism and encourage
  the utilization, for example, of coordination
  groups or other groups, to address key topics of
  work which span several study groups, with a view
  to ensuring effective coordination of
  standardization topics in order to achieve
  suitable global solutions
• Advise the Director of TSB on financial and other
  matters
• continued ...

10
WTSA-2008 Resolution 22

• Highlights from Resolution 22 - TSAG is to
• ... continued (4/4)
• Approve the programme of work arising from the
  review of existing and new Questions and
  determine the priority, urgency, estimated
  financial implications and time-scale for the
  completion of their study
• Group, as far as practicable, Questions of
  interest to developing countries, in order to
  facilitate their participation in these studies
• Other specific matters within the competence of
  WTSA, subject to the approval of Member States,
  using the approval procedure contained in WTSA
  Resolution 1 9

11
Joint Coordination Activities

• We have eight JCAs
• JCA on Accessibility and Human factors (JCA-AHF)
• JCA on Conformance and Interoperability Testing
  (JCA-CIT)
• JCA on Home Networking (JCA-HN)
• JCA on IdM
• JCA on IPTV
• JCA on Management
• JCA on network aspects of Identification Systems
  (including RFID) (JCA-NID)
• JCA on NGN
• All of these need to be reviewed by TSAG Apr 2009
• ToRs may need to be adjusted
• JCAs may be terminated or new JCAs may be needed

12
TSAG as Ambassador for T-Sector

• Just as TSAG is the Advisory Group for the
  T-Sector, there are Advisory Groups for the R-
  and D-Sectors
• RAG chaired by Kouakou Jean-Baptiste Yao, Côte
  d'Ivoire
• TDAG chaired by Vladimir Minkin, Russian
  Federation
• RAG and TDAG meet annually
• TDAG 28-30 Jan 2009
• RAG 4-6 Feb 2009
• TSAG meets on same cycle as SGs (8 months)
• TSAG, RAG, TDAG Chairmen attend Council in order
  to be well-informed on policy and related
  decisions
• Council is like a Board of Directors between
  Plenipots
• Advisory Group Chairmen were invited to a meeting
  with the 2008 Council Chairman to review issues,
  etc.

13
RAG

• Per ITU CS (84A) and CV (160A-160H), RAG
• reviews the priorities and strategies adopted in
  the Sector
• monitors progress of the work of the Study Groups
• provides guidance for the work of the Study
  Groups
• recommends measures to foster cooperation and
  coordination with other organizations and with
  the other ITU Sectors
• RAG provides advice on above to the Director BR
• Radiocommunication Assemblies may refer specific
  matters to RAG Resolution ITU-R 52
• Further details are available here.

14
TDAG

• TDAG meets between WTDCs to advise the Director
  of the BDT on the implementation of the WTDC
  Action Plan, including issues relating to the
  budget and the operational plan of the ITU-D
• TDAG has Working Groups on
• Private Sector issues (WGPS)
• Key Performance Indicators (WGKPI)
• Human Resources Development (WGHRD)
• Further details are available here.

15
TSAG and SG Management Teams

• TSAG is under (mostly) new management
• Expect to see some changes, but also expect to
  see some things continue
• With a significant proportion of new leadership
  across the SGs, anticipate some issues will arise
  despite everyones best efforts supporting each
  other is part of being a team
• TSAG needs to know the issues the SG Management
  Teams are facing in order to effectively address
  them
• TSAG Management Team has been discussing how to
  structure and manage TSAG to optimize support to
  the SGs along with handling TSAGs other tasks
• Your inputs on what is needed (and what is not
  needed!) from TSAG are essential

16
SG Chairmen Input to TSAG

• TSAG needs to know what is going on within SGs
• Intent is to use max. 1 TSAG session (90 minutes)
  early in a TSAG meeting to set stage for TSAG
  discussions
• SG Chairmen are requested to provide a summary
  presentation of current activities, milestones,
  progress, issues as input to each TSAG meeting
  (max. 9 min/SG!)
• Aim is to assist TSAG in allocating time to
  topics that will be of maximum benefit to
  progressing work in SGs
• Focus on high profile activities, how they are
  progressing, when they are expected to complete,
  how relationships with other SGs and external to
  ITU-T are working, etc.
• Avoid excess detail (work plan, other tools can
  provide)
• Be sure to include issues where TSAG help is
  needed
• Not all bad news - want to know what is working
  well, too!

17
TSAG and SG Chairmen

• TSAG and SG Chairmen came together regularly via
  teleconference and face-to-face 2005-2008
• Teleconference approx. every 2 months, TSB
  participates
• Face-to-face just prior to each TSAG meeting, TSB
  Director chairs
• SG Chairmen expected to nominate a representative
  from their management teams if they cannot
  participate in person
• TSAG Vice-Chairmen also participated part-time
• Useful to identify and address topics, help
  ensure consistency in handling issues, etc.
• Rotating chairmanship
• Chairman responsible for agenda (ask for input a
  week before) and minutes (TSB may assist
  available quickly)

18
TSAG and SG Chairmen

• Propose these be continued
• Suggested dates (mid-week to avoid plenaries)
• Teleconference 21 Jan 2009 at 1300 UTC
• Teleconference 18 Mar 2009 at 1300 UTC (watch out
  for DST!)
• Face-to-face 23-24 Apr 2009
• Convert time at http//timeanddate.com/ esp. for
  DST!
• TSAG Chairman offers to handle first
  teleconference
• Then can be in numerical order of SGs 2, 3, 5, 9,
  11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 (or any other algorithm
  that balances the load!)

19
Some Topics to Think About

• KPIs
• Which indicators would be useful to your SG to
  help identify problem areas as well as highlight
  successes?
• Which indicators might be useful across the SGs?
• Seminars and workshops
• There are many workshops and seminars every year
• Increasingly, these involve other sectors,
  especially ITU-D
• How can we both best manage our own and leverage
  them to best help the other sectors?
• Cross-sector issues
• E.g., ITU-T SG 5 and ITU-R both work on EM and RF
  exposure how can we optimize the synergies?
• Other topics?

20
Summary

• TSAG has many tasks assigned to it
• TSAGs role includes advice to and support of the
  work of the SGs
• Its a two way street TSAG needs to know where
  help is needed so SG Management Teams must raise
  issues and concerns
• TSAG and SG Leadership teleconferences and
  face-to-face meetings provide a means for regular
  interaction
• The TSAG Chairman may be contacted on any issues
  that arise - will either provide or get the
  answers you need
• Teamwork!