An IT Proposal

August 22, 2008

Dear Friends;

I would like to make a proposal to be considered in the course of the upcoming EC conference call Monday evening.

I would like to create, for the EC, an advisory body that initially would be a temporary body, but which could provide the basis of an IT committee.  The purpose of the committee would be to advise the EC with regard to IT issues related to technology and business systems.  The committee would be a go-between operating as a liaison between an IT consultant who may be overseeing related subcontractors/staff, and the Executive Committee.       

I would like to contact the following individuals to see if they would be interested in participating.  These individuals are suggested because of their experience in IT/business systems as well as their expressed interest in helping the Fellowship with IT issues:

Michael Challis

Al Lockett

Emilio Coppola

Tim Hobbs

Susan Cook

Cece Forrester

Robert Burns

Michelle Klimesh

Alan Goodman

Members of the EC could be adjuncts who would have access to any correspondence amongst these folks but who would not be free to engage in group conversation apart from participating in meetings called specifically to address questions or concerns EC members might have. 

I would begin by providing these folks with sufficient background information to familiarize them with the history of our IT effort, its present status, and the issues currently in front of the Executive Committee.  This group might then meet for a day.  On the second day the group could be joined by interested EC members for orientation to suggested courses of action followed by a third day, perhaps just with EC members, to formulate a course of action to implement approved recommendations developed in the first two days of work. 

Thus we would proceed like this:

I would first provide background and orientation for this group.  This group would then consider and develop a suggested approach to further IT development for the Fellowship.  These recommendations would then formally be made to the EC.  The EC would then need to approve or modify these recommendations.  This would be followed by an EC development of explicit means by which these recommendations would be implemented and managed. 

Does this sound like a reasonable and productive manner in which to proceed? 

David