ITUT Study Group Restructuring

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ITU-T Study Group Restructuring

• J. MacFie
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email jmacfie_at_nortelnetworks.com

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Outline

• Why look at the ITU-T SG structure?
• Developing an ITU-T SG structure proposal
• start from generic elements of a prototypical
  network
• consolidation considerations
• positioning ITU-T for the future
• fold like areas together
• horizontal vs. vertical activities
• participation levels critical mass maximum size
• need to take a macro view, show flexibility
• Hierarchy, Roles, Meetings
• no need for change
• Conclusions
• Next Steps

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Why look at the ITU-T SG structure?

• Diffusion of work across multiple SGs impacts
  effectiveness
• difficult for members to optimally allocate
  resources, participants may need to attend
  multiple SGs to cover a topic
• declining participation levels with industry
  downturn
• difficult for new participants to determine where
  to go
• difficult for external bodies to identify with
  whom to interact
• high volume of Liaisons between SGs may delay
  progress, consumes resources
• Need to position ITU-T as forward looking,
  efficient
• a well-thought-out SG structure will help address
  perception issues, improve efficiency and
  effectiveness
• need to stimulate a resurgence of interest in
  ITU make it attractive to move under the ITU-T
  umbrella
• within TSAGs mandate and role confirmed at PP-02

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In developing a proposal, what should be the
starting point?

• Performance
• Applications and Services incl. TV, Sound, MM
• Service Signalling
• Transport
• Telecommunication management operations
• Tools and Methods
• Mobility of Applications and Terminals
• Security
• Disaster Relief
• Regulatory Aspects
• TSAG

These are the generic elements of a prototypical
telecommunications network.
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Consolidation Considerations I

• Fold like areas together
• competing interests keep together to manage as a
  package
• fold general software aspects into application
  architecture
• combine architecture for lower layers with
  optical and other transport networks
• Some activities are horizontal, others
  vertical
• keep like together, dont mix and match
• vertical (focus is on one area)
• Applications and services
• Service signalling
• Transport
• Mobile Telecommunications
• horizontal (cut across multiple areas)
• Performance
• Tools and methods
• Telecommunication management and operations
• Security
• Disaster relief

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Consolidation Considerations II

• Need to clearly position ITU for the future
• include study on next generation in each
  category
• need right structure as basis for promotion as
  future-oriented
• cannot afford redundant or divergent activities
• Participation levels
• over time, some SGs have grown large, others have
  become small
• need to achieve a better balance of participation
  levels
• Regulatory matters (SG 3) no changes proposed
• MSs may wish to make changes within a new SG
  structure
• TSAG provides a valuable and useful function
• no changes are proposed

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Consolidation Considerations III

• SGs need critical mass to be a going concern
• need at least 150 participants for
• adequate diversity of interests and a
  challenging, interesting, cross-fertilized and
  sizeable work program
• an adequate talent pool for leaders Rapporteurs,
  WP Chairmen
• legitimacy in representing the ITU-T to external
  organizations
• SGs need to avoid becoming large and unwieldy
• maximum of about 350-400 participants
• Macro view, flexibility
• keep a macro view look after the forest, not
  just the trees
• be reasonably flexible in groupings activities
  that are not closely related can still run
  independently within one SG
• hosting of a sub-group outside Geneva remains
  manageable and should be encouraged
• consolidation may reduce TSB overhead of
  Collective Letters, Liaisons, etc. some
  economies of scale may be possible

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SGs, WPs, RGs Hierarchy, Roles, Meetings

• Are the current hierarchy and responsibilities
  appropriate?
• Study Groups
• high level management
• formal (official) meetings
• Working Parties
• manage the technical work
• formal (official) meetings
• Rapporteur Groups
• do the technical work
• informal meetings

• Is meeting frequency appropriate?
• Type Level Frequency Duration (months) (days)
• Face-to-face SG 8 1-2
• Face-to-face WP 4-8 1-2
• Face-to-face RG as reqd 2-5 (/-)or electronic
• WPs meet when SG meets.
• Rapporteur Groups meet when WPs meet.
• Rapporteur Groups may hold additional meetings as
  required.

• Current three level hierarchy and roles fit the
  needs
• Meeting frequency and duration are appropriate
• No need seen for lengthy debate on these matters

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Conclusions

• Need to look at ITU-T SG structure to
• address negative impacts of diffusion of work
• position ITU-T as forward looking, efficient
• Structure of ITU-T SGs
• should be firmly based on generic elements of a
  prototypical telecommunications network
• should contribute strongly to positioning ITU-T
  as forward looking on converged technologies and
  networks
• distinct from maintenance of legacy and
  historical aspects
• clear domains for various facets of NGN work
• should pass multiple reasonableness and
  consistency tests
• critical mass, reasonable maximum size
• obviate need to designate lead SGs, reduce
  coord effort
• Leave further details to SG leadership
• i.e., WPs, Rapporteur Groups, etc., just as in
  the past

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Next Steps

• TSAG Feb 2003 agreed on need, establish
  principles, mandate a group to progress the topic
• Correspondence Group (Mar - Nov 2003)
• Face to face meeting (October 2003)
• TSAG Nov 2003 agree target SG structure for next
  Study Period
• current SGs apply in development of new/revised
  Questions
• TSAG Jun 2004 finalize SG structure and
  Questions for WTSA-2004
• Sep 2004 WTSA-2004 endorsement