|
ANNOTATED TERMS OF REFERENCE
Focus Group on evolution of the international accounting and settlement
rates systems
Author’s Note
This document provides a commentary on the terms of reference for the Focus Group established by the
World Telecommunication Policy Forum 1998 (WTPF98). The
terms of references, which are contained in Opinion C of the
WTPF98, are shown in boxed text. The commentary has been prepared by the ITU Secretariat
and has no official status. The Chairman’s
report is the sole output document of the WTPF and which incorporates the Opinions.
"invites the Director of TSB, in consultation with the Chairman
of Study Group 3
to establish a focus group (WTSC-96 Resolution 23) under the lead responsibility of ITU-T
Study Group 3 with the following terms of reference:" |
The invitation to convene the Focus Group is addressed to the Director of the TSB, Mr
Theodor Irmer, in consultation with the Chairman of ITU-T Study Group 3, Mr T.
Matsudaira. Both were present at the World Telecommunication Policy Forum when Opinion C
was discussed and accepted their responsibilities. The concept of establishing a
"Focus Group" was a response to a strongly expressed wish among ITU Membership
to accelerate the work of Study Group 3 on reform of the accounting and settlements rates
system, making full use of the more flexible working arrangements which are spelled out in
WTSC-96 Resolution 23.
That Resolution advises the creation of Focus Groups for dealing with topics which:
- "are identified by the membership to be of high market driven priority and
require short-term resolution;
- – need to be handled on a project team basis;
- – need to involve expertise and participation from outside of the ITU-T
membership;"
The Resolution also sets out seven "Guiding Principles" for the conduct of
Focus Groups:
"I.1 A Focus Group is established to help accelerate the work of ITU-T
Study Groups.
I.2 The proposal, including terms of reference, to set up a Focus Group on a
specific topic can come from, e.g. Study Groups (initiated by ITU-T membership) or from
TSAG.
I.3 The specific topic for a particular Focus Group is to be well defined (prior to
approval) and must include a plan of action with a clear indication of the expected
deliverables and the time schedules for completion.
I.4 A Lead Study Group may be identified.
I.5 A Focus Group will complete its work in a short period of time typically nine
to twelve months.
I.6 Any participant may submit a technical contribution directly to the Focus
Group.
I.7 Electronic document handling methods should be used as much as possible to
advance the work rapidly."
| a) Membership The focus group will be open to all participants in
the work of Study Group 3, including the chairs and members of the Regional Tariff Groups,
together with all interested members of the ITU. |
In line with the guiding principles for creation of the Focus Group, the Membership is
open to all participants in Study Group 3, without exception, though the terms of
reference specifically mention also the chairs and members of the Regional Tariff Groups. WTSC-96 Resolution
23 goes further than this and specifically states that the Focus Group should "involve
expertise and participation from outside of the ITU-T membership". The invitation
(TSB Circular 109,
dated 7th April 1998) ) has been sent to all ITU Member States and Sector
Members. The list of Focus Group Members will also be posted in an informal FTP area.
| b) Working methods The focus group should, as applicable, follow
the working methods and procedures for focus groups adopted by TSAG (TSAG 1997, Report
R2).
Recognizing firstly the need for urgency and secondly the already existing demands on
experts in the field of international accounting, the focus group should, to the extent
possible, work by electronic means and through the organization of Plenary Meetings
allowing optimum participation. Interpretation facilities should, as far as possible, be
provided for the Plenary Meetings of the group. The TSB should establish an E-mail
reflector for the use of the group. Contributions may also be made directly in
correspondence to the Chairman of the group.
The progress and output of the focus group should be available via an appropriate
Website. Where resources are
earmarked for collection of cost information in a given tariff region, and if the tariff
group of this region is in the process of gathering that information, these resources
would be used to support the actions of the tariff group. |
TSAG 1997
report R2 sets out the working methods and procedures for focus groups.
TSAG report 2 gives specific guidance as to how information about the creation of the
Focus Group should be communicated "via ITU Publications, and other means,
including communication with other organizations and/or experts, technical journals and
the World Wide Web". The creation of the Focus Group has already been announced
via the WTPF98
closing press release.
The appointment of the acting chair (Anthony
Hill) and acting vice-chair (Anthony S.K. Wong)
of the Focus Group was announced at the closing ceremony of the WTPF and will now need to
be endorsed by SG3 and TSAG.
The focus group should work primarily through electronic means. To this end, an e-mail
reflector has been established and potential members of the focus group have been invited
to subscribe to this reflector by sending their e-mail contact details to tsbedh@itu.int. It is proposed also to create an FTP drop
box for the group’s work. A public website has also been established for the
group’s work, ( http://www.itu.int/itudoc/itu-t/com3.html
and http://www.itu.int/intset) It is to be noted
that BT announced that it would be making a voluntary
contribution towards making computers available to facilitate participation by the LDCs in
the ITU’s work, including the Focus Group. BDT is now negotiating the implementation
of this project with the donor.
It is currently envisaged that there will be two Plenary meetings of the Focus Group,
the first in conjunction with Study Group 3’s meeting in June and the second in the
first week of September. If the work requires it, and if funding allows, there could be a
third meeting before the Group is due to report in November.
TSAG 1997 Report 2 states that any Focus Group should be self-financing. In this
respect, the voluntary contribution of around SFr 100’000, announced at the WTPF
by the government of Japan, should permit the work to go ahead.
| c) Time-scales The focus group should be established and begin
work immediately.
It is recommended that the final report should be submitted to the Director of the TSB
by 6 November 1998 with an interim report to the June 1998 Study Group 3 meeting
where the formation of the focus group will be approved. In addition, the final report is
to be submitted as a normal contribution to the December 1998 meeting of Study Group 3 for
consideration. |
The timing of the Group’s work fits with the schedule established by WTSC-96,
i.e., it is within "nine to twelve months". The choice of date of 6th
November was chosen because it is 4 weeks before the December 1998 Study Group 3 meeting,
and therefore within the limits for the report to be presented to that meeting a normal
contribution.
| d) Objectives and activities Given that, in many Member States
of the Union, the necessary infrastructure does not exist to enable the determining of
cost orientation, and pending the development of methodologies for determining the cost
orientation of settlement rates (or equivalent), the objective of the focus group will be
to facilitate the progress of Study Group 3 at its June and December meetings through a
work programme, preferably to be carried out in three steps:
i) The nine case studies presented to the Second World Telecommunication Policy Forum
together with any subsequent case studies.
ii) Existing analyses of market trends and statistical studies/data including, the
results of the Regional Tariff Groups and cost elements, the report of the 7th Regulatory
Colloquium, the schedules of reductions submitted in response to the ITU-T Questionnaire,
and other relevant reports.
iii) The development of proposals for solutions for transitional arrangements towards
cost orientation beyond 1998, including ranges of indicative target rates, taking into
account i) and ii).
The focus group should also take account of the Agenda, Report and Opinions of the
Second World Telecommunication Policy Forum, |
This paragraph sets out the proposed work programme for the Group, though it is clear
that the three activities listed will need to be carried out in parallel, not in sequence,
if the Group is to complete its work, hence the inclusion of the word
"preferably".
i) The nine case studies were
originally commissioned for the WTPF98. They are still in draft form. In addition, an
overview of the case studies has
been prepared.
ii) The work of the Regional Tariff
Groups is accessible on the website.
The report of the 7th
Regulatory Colloquium is available for sale. In addition, the Chairman’s
report and executive summary are obtainable free of charge.
Information is provided on the schedule of reduction in accounting
rates.
Other analyses of market trends and statistical
studies have been made available.
iii) The Focus Group is asked to develop "proposals for solutions for transitional
arrangements towards cost orientation beyond 1998" and in particular, to develop an
"indicative range of charges". The existing "transitional
arrangements" to the end of 1998 are described in document COM3-R8.
|
