Present: Knisley, McFarland, Briggs, Thompson, McMahon, Davidson, Meade, Allen, Reid

Guests and Consultants: Seitz, Caum, Fuller

Absent: Wolf, K. Smith, Whalon, Monroe, Spence

The Chair distributed expense reimbursement forms. Seitz asked about racism training, and the Chair replied that we must certify that we had taken it in some form or another, and that work-related training was sufficient. Each of us needs to provide him with the date of our last training.

The Chair will also collect electronic copies of the handouts we've received over the course of our meetings, including Cimafonte's document on the selection process for RedDot.

This led us to a discussion as to how to react to the RedDot decision, which we felt should be reviewed by a qualified external evaluator (i.e. not Rick Lamb). Reid will make a list of three suitable people and bring that list to the Commission to recommend to Dean Werner. We want to move on this while there is still willingness among the ECC technology staff to review the system.

We reflected in particular on Lamb's presentation from the previous evening and felt that it was largely content-free and concerned us deeply, since he appears to be creating the overall technology design and plan for the ECC. Specifically, we're concerned that he doesn't understand proper software and system design methodology, and that he might continue to do his technology development work without going about it properly, leading to more and more poor technology decisions and problematic development efforts.

Another concern we face is the inability to put out all the fires. We as this Commission need to make sure that we change the technology culture and adopt a solid, reliable paradigm for how we 'choose and useÓ technology. McFarland warned us, however, that we must also make changes in the short term to 'stop the bleeding'. We noted that Dean Werner is a strong ally here, someone who is able and willing to listen to our advice and even follow it.

Reid talked to us about the distinction between unique services and commodities that are centrally available (and should be) and global, non-unique, common services and commodities that we might be tempted to centralize (and bring under the aegis of ECC, for example), but should not be. The Secretary took the specific threat of the plans to centralize the ECC data center as an example of how a broken culture can perpetuate poor decision making, and how this developing plan points very clearly to the opportunity for us change the culture with respect to technology.

Seitz noted the passage of time, like sands through the hourglass (so are the days of our lives), and suggested we move immediately to the process of determining out next steps and planning for the upcoming year's activities.

We took a five-minute recess at 9:55 and then reconvened at 10:00.

The Chair reminded the Commission of its canonical charge. The Vice-Chair then asked that we draft a slate of items to begin working items, divided into two major categories: long-term tasks, short-term tasks (fires).

Long-term tasks:

• Blue book resolutions, first drafts by March 1st.

• Ad Campaign statement and funding: Thompson, Meade, Briggs

• Translation costs (budgeted/position or discretionary spending or combination?): Whalon, K. Smith, McMahon

• Support for the Anglican Communion Office/Lambeth Portal: McMahon, Knisely

• Technology implementation/IT strategy, do we need a CTO, etc.: Reid, Briggs, Seitz

• Data privacy, sharing, and other concerns: Briggs,

• Communication coordination strategy: Meade, Davidson, Allen, Thompson

• White paper for Dean Werner and/or next presiding bishop regarding how to conduct communication in the ECC and in the Church writ large. We believe that we can only address the highest-level concerns and suggest a methodology or process for guiding communication and communications-related technology. It should also address how it can to avoid cultivating systemic illness that impairs the use of communication to the Church's benefit. This should be sure to address communications strategy for things like the Ad Project. Deadline for a final version of this document should be GC2006. However, because communication is so essential to the job of the PB, we will need to share bits of this document as they become available with trusted folks in the wider church, such as Dean Werner, for example.

Short-term tasks

• Website report by 1 Jan 2005, focusing on the need for a new methodology for making technology decisions, including specific solutions for problems with the current website (10 pages or fewer), draft by 1 December: Reid, McFarland, Briggs

• Conversation with ECC about the search for a new Director of Communications, including job description and potentially even participation in the search process.

We agreed to notify the bishops and our other missing members of how we will be breaking out into task groups and permit them to subscribe as they find themselves called. We also agreed to continue use of the public email list for our communication to the group as a whole.

The Commission adjourned at 10:56am EDT after prayer.

To the Minutes for 21 September
To the Minutes for 22 September
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