Evolution of the Role of the LACNIC Board of Directors
23/08/2023
LACNIC has grown exponentially over the past twenty-plus years, and this growth has required the LACNIC Board of Directors to evolve. LACNIC went from 95 members in 2002 to more than 12,500 today, a fact that has required different types of changes within the organization, including its execution capacity and, consequently, the level of competencies required of the members of the board of directors.
In line with this, the Board will be expanded in the upcoming election, adding another member to the current seven. This election will also be the first time that LACNIC’s candidate selection process will include an evaluation to ensure that all applicants have the knowledge and skills that the role demands.
This change was implemented because we identified that the directors’ competencies are very important in the road we have been following towards the construction of a better global Internet and along which we wish to continue to advance.
It should be noted that, even though our organization has a technical profile, the primary function of the LACNIC Board is not to manage or implement technical protocols but rather to manage, supervise, and administer the organization in operational, administrative, financial, and human resource matters, in accordance with the guidelines of the member community and using the transparency and accountability mechanisms established in the Bylaws.
The Board articulates its daily work through committees, periodic face-to-face and virtual meetings, as well as at the two annual events organized by LACNIC in the region. Among others, the Board’s responsibilities include supervising the financial statements, bylaws-related discussions, the review and definition of internal procedures, the ratification of policies developed by the community, and the organization of the internal operation of the board itself.
New directors with a focus on competencies
Ten years ago, the onboarding of a new member of the board of directors required only a process for introducing them to the functions and objectives, a process that took merely a couple of hours. Today, however, the level of maturity we have reached as an organization requires greater dedication and detail in the transmission of our processes.As a result, the onboarding of a new director started to demand a larger investment both in terms of time and work.
This soon became a challenge for LACNIC. It was no longer enough for aspiring directors to have participated in community events or been involved in the organization: a mechanism was needed to measure the necessary competencies.
In order to evaluate these competencies, LACNIC and the Catholic University of Uruguay have defined a basic list of topics and an objective evaluation mechanism.
While originally the formal onboarding process of a new director began after their election, in these upcoming elections it will take on a new form: each candidate must previously make sure that they have in-depth knowledge of the various topics as well as the required skills.