News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2018-07-02-en
[icann.org]
Expressions of Interest Sought for Chair of GNSO EPDP on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data
2 July 2018
LOS ANGELES – 2 July 2018 – The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is looking for expressions of interest to chair its Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) team on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data. The EPDP team is
being formed following the adoption of the Temporary Specification by the ICANN Board, which went into effect on 25 May 2018. The EPDP team is required to complete its work before the expiration of the Temporary Specification on 24 May 2019.
The GNSO Council is looking to appoint a neutral Chair to the EPDP team. While the EPDP Chair may be a member of a group already represented on the EPDP team, the EPDP Chair shall not act in a manner which favors such group. With such an important issue
under consideration, significant responsibility comes with the role to ensure the success of deliberations.
The EPDP team is expected to have weekly calls, although it may be necessary to hold multiple calls per week. Additionally, the EPDP team may have multiple face-to-face meetings in order to meet the required milestones of the EPDP. An illustrative timeline
has been included in Annex B; the bulk of the EPDP team work is expected to take place between now and February 2019.
There will be no compensation associated with the role of the EPDP Team Chair; however, travel associated with any face-to-face meetings may be supported.
To express interest in this role, please submit an Expression of Interest that answers the following questions:
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What is your interest in this position?
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What particular skills and attributes do you have that will assist you in chairing the EPDP?
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What is your knowledge of the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data and associated requirements particularly as it relates to the EPDP?
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What is your experience in and knowledge of the GNSO Policy Development Process and domain name registration process as it relates to ICANN?
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Are you able to commit the time required and necessary work needed to chair the EPDP?
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Conflict of Interest Statement – do you have any affiliation with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter of this EPDP?
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Please also include:
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A link to an up-to-date Statement of Interest (SOI) -
https://community.icann.org/x/c4Lg [community.icann.org]
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A statement confirming your commitment and ability to act neutrally.
Expressions of Interest are to be submitted to
EOI-EPDPTeam-Chair@icann.org by 13 July 2018 at 14:00 UTC.
Application materials will be reviewed by the Council leadership and/or a designated committee and will not be shared publicly. Names of applicants, including the recommended candidate, will be shared with the GNSO Council for its consideration. The Council
leadership and/or designated committee is expected to provide its recommendation to the GNSO Council in time for the GNSO Council meeting scheduled for 19 July 2018. The EPDP team is expected to convene for its first meeting shortly thereafter and is expected
to be asked to appoint two vice-chairs to support the EPDP Team Chair.
Additional questions and inquiries can be sent to
EOI-EPDPTeam-Chair@icann.org.
For more information on the Temporary Specification, please see
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/gtld-registration-data-specs-en [icann.org]. Additional information about the EPDP is located in Annex-A1 of the ICANN Bylaws
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/governance/bylaws-en/#annexA1 [icann.org] and the EPDP Manual
https://gnso.icann.org/en/council/annex-4-epdp-manual-30jan18-en.pdf [gnso.icann.org].
ANNEX A – CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS
As outlined in the GNSO Working Group Guidelines (WGG), the purpose of a Chair is to call meetings, preside over working group deliberations, manage the process so that all participants have the opportunity to contribute, and report the results of the Working
Group to the Chartering Organization. These tasks require a dedicated time commitment as each week calls have to be prepared, the agenda concretized, and relevant material has to be reviewed. The Chair shall be neutral. While the Chair may be a member of any
group which also has representation on the EPDP Team, the Chair shall not act in a manner which favors such group. The Chair shall not be a member of the PDP Team for purposes of consensus calls.
In addition, it is required – that interested candidates have considerable experience in Chairing working groups, and direct experience with at least one GNSO Policy Development Process throughout its lifecycle would be an advantage. Familiarity with the functioning
of a Working Group is important to understand the various leadership skills that are necessary to employ during a WG’s lifecycle. For example, a chair has to ensure that debates are conducted in an open and transparent matter and that all interests are equally
represented within the Group’s discussions. During the later stages of a WG when recommendations are drafted, a Chair will benefit from understanding the viewpoints of various members to ensure that an acceptable and effective outcome – ideally in form of
consensus – can be achieved.
In short, the EPDP Team Chair is expected to:
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Attend all WG meetings to assure continuity and familiarity with the subject matter and the on-going discussions;
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Prepare meetings by reading all circulated materials;
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Be familiar with the subject matter, including but not limited to GDPR and trademark law, and actively encourage participation during the calls
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Be active on the WG mailing list and invite WG participants to share their viewpoints;
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Drive forward the WG and assure that discussions remain on point;
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Work actively towards achieving policy recommendations that ideally receive full consensus;
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Ensure that particular outreach efforts are made when community reviews are done of the group's output;
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Underscore the importance of achieving overall representational balance on any sub-teams that are formed;
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Encourage and, where necessary, enforce the ICANN Standards of Behavior.
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Co-ordinate with ICANN staff and assure that the WG is supported as effectively as possible
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Conduct consistent timely reporting to the GNSO Council on the progress of the ePDP.
Finally, as also pointed out the in GNSO Working Group Guidelines, ‘appointing a co-chair(s) or vice-chair(s) may facilitate the work of the Chair by ensuring continuity in case of absence, sharing of workload, and allowing the Chair to become engaged in
a particular debate.’ As a result, similar tasks and skills are expected from vice chairs, although the overall workload may be reduced as a result of being able to share this with the chair.
