To answer Alan's questions:
* Just who is it in ICANN who will establish and organize these chapters, and who will carry out any formalities that are needed to allow them to exist (such as incorporation or creating Bylaws that may be required in some jurisdictions)
The chapters will be online At-Large chapters with consistent rules, criteria and process set by the ALAC and ICANN. As such, I'm not thinking these need to be registered as formal organisations in any country.
Think instead of a RALO, we have a CALO (Country At-Large Organisation) with the same online support offered by ICANN that's offered to RALOs (mailing list, wiki accounts, online voting, online conference room support)
* How do you ensure that they do not wither following the exuberance of creating them (a major problem with ISOC Chapters)?
Because ICANN staff will run the facilities of the online At-Large Chapters, ICANN and the At-Large Community (RALO and ALAC) will have metrics as to who are the persons involved in At-Large, how often they contribute to At-Large, how policy issues are discussed, etc. Online At-Large Chapters will make At-Large become more accountable and transparent. Marketing of At-Large Chapters is greatly simplifed - join At-Large online and you're assigned to the At-Large Chapter in the country.
* How do you handle disputes that may arise between different factions in a country?
The same way as disputes should be handled with different factions in a RALO.
* How do we transition from where we are now to this new model, without losing the relatively few hard workers we have in each country?
The relatively few hard workers would not be lost.
ALS representatives and members of the ALSes interested in ICANN issues from the interests of Internet end users would complete an online application form to join At-Large. If there is concern from "anyone" joining that may have conflicts of interest relating to the interests of end users, the ALAC and RALOs can do a "certified" application process, similar to how organisations become accredited At-Large Structures (RALO advice on member applications, ALAC decides whether to accept the RALO advice)
Such At-Large persons accepted would then be added to the appropriate At-Large Chapter list, their RALO list, wiki accounts created (if new) by Staff.
The At-Large chapter will be like an ALS in the
ALAC/RALO/ALS model.
The At-large chapters members can interact on policy issues, received updates from staff just as RALOs are notified, participate in WGs, just as before.
The At-Large chapter would have to select a chair to act on behalf of the At-Large Chapter. The At-Large chapter can try to work by consensus to select a member to be a chair but if there are multiple nominations within the Chapter for the chair, then online elections can be held which are done by ICANN Staff. The Chair of the At-Large Chapter can participate in the RALO affairs requiring consensus support or voting on behalf of the At-Large Chapter. The At-Large Chapter members can work by consensus or have a vote if consensus can't be reached to direct the chair as to how how the At-Large Chapter will vote in RALO affairs.
Dev Anand
Dev Anand