[ICANN][icann.org]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.icann.org_&d=DgMFaQ&...> News Alert https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2017-01-09-en[icann.org]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_news_announcement-2D2017-2D01-2D09-2Den&d=DgMFaQ&c=FmY1u3PJp6wrcrwll3mSVzgfkbPSS6sJms7xcl4I5cM&r=mrDeztziKLa7gZqGADzxcnHA3QXmXYsnChWYBR4NElI&m=eNpXhcfS7Muf1VS3jcMEvv5nGHLqXXOmLOn1IHgX_Rw&s=8cgmTfdNcj_KLgkXVi5vsyGVKEr3bFB9s-2gNlUvbnA&e=> ________________________________ Request for Proposal: Assessment of the ICANN Office of Ombudsman 9 January 2017 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") is seeking a provider to conduct an independent assessment of the Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman[icann.org]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_ombudsman...>). The Ombudsman serves an important function; he acts as an informal dispute resolution office for the ICANN community, who may wish to lodge a complaint about ICANN staff, board or problems in supporting organizations. The purpose of the office is to ensure that the members of the ICANN community have been treated fairly. The objective of this RFP is to identify an independent assessor to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current Office of the Ombudsman charter and operations, including its unique role in the ICANN community, against relevant best practices and provide recommendations necessary to ensure that the Office of the Ombudsman has the tools, independence, and authority needed to be an effective voice for ICANN stakeholders. The Review is scheduled to take place from 1 March 2017 through 15 April 2017. For a complete overview of the RFP including the timeline, please see here[icann.org]<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_en_system...> [PDF, 589 KB]. Indications of interest are to be received by emailing OmbudsmanAssessment-RFP@icann.org<mailto:OmbudsmanAssessment-RFP@icann.org>. Proposals should be electronically submitted by 23:59 PST on 31 January 2017 using ICANN's sourcing tool, access to which may be requested via the same email address above.