Call for Volunteers: ccNSO Strategic and Operational Planning Committee (SOPC) The ccNSO launches a call for volunteers for the ccNSO Strategic and Operational Planning Committee (SOPC). The call for volunteers will be open for a limited period, closing on Wednesday, 3 December 2025 (23:59 UTC). SOPC seeks active contributors, to help prepare among others the SOPC comment to the upcoming proposed ICANN Fiscal Year 27 Operating Plan and Budget. Work is expected to intensify around the mid-December to mid-February timeframe. OBJECTIVE | The SOPC supports ccTLD managers’ involvement in ICANN’s strategic, operational, and budget planning. Under its charter, it may offer its own positions and submit input to ICANN processes. The views in this submission represent the SOPC alone, not the ccNSO, its members, the broader ccTLD community, or individual ccTLD managers. In fulfilling its objective, the Committee should focus on topics relevant from a ccTLD and/or ccNSO perspective, as well as those issues that are of high importance to the ICANN community. The Committee is mandated to submit a Rejection Action Petition, when appropriate, against the ICANN and IANA budgets, as well as their strategic and operating plans in accordance with: * The procedures in the ICANN Bylaws, Annex D, section 2.1: (f) ICANN budgets, (g) IANA budgets, (h) operating plans and (i) strategic plans, and * Guideline – ccNSO Rejection Action Procedure (February 2017, or later version) MEMBERSHIP | Membership is open to all representatives of ccTLD managers (members and non-members of the ccNSO) who have ongoing commitment to actively participate in the activities of the working group. The activities of SOPC are focused on the requests for comments around ICANN Strategic Plan and Operating Plan. Members of the working group will be appointed by the ccNSO Council, considering the background of the applicants to reflect the diversity of the ccTLD community. Regional Organizations may nominate a representative as an observer. WORKING METHODS AND TIME COMMITMENTS | SOPC relies on active contributions of its members. To prepare the SOPC comment to the upcoming proposed ICANN Fiscal Year 27 Operating Plan and Budget, the SOPC members will be distributed over smaller teams, that each focus on a specific area of the proposals that will be published for public comments. Further information about the process for drafting SOPC comments, and a tentative timeline, is available here (slide 68 to 70)<https://static.sched.com/hosted_files/icann84/71/Strategic%20and%20Operation...>. TERM | Every year, to be determined by the SOPC, the members of the Committee will be asked whether they want to continue to serve thereon. If considered necessary for the continuity of the work of the Committee, the Chair of the Committee may invite the ccNSO Council to request that the Secretariat publish a call for volunteers. The ccNSO Council will then appoint the proposed new members. HOW TO APPLY | If you are interested in joining the working group, please submit your application by 3 December 2025 (23:59 UTC). To apply, complete the form here https://forms.gle/ZNkcqAiFk1EvuWqX6 You will be asked to provide your full name and contact details, your ccTLD affiliation, and a brief statement outlining your qualifications and motivation for joining the group. To facilitate your participation in the ccNSO representing your ccTLD, we will require an ICANN Account<https://account.icann.org/help>, which is the ccNSO's and ICANN's platform to manage participation. If you already have an ICANN Account (e.g. for registering at ICANN meetings), please login<https://account.icann.org/login> to your ICANN Account using the email address that you use for your ccNSO work and verify that your profile is up to date. If you do not have an ICANN Account or are unsure, please create an ICANN Account<https://account.icann.org/> at your earliest convenience. NEXT STEPS | Members shall be appointed by the ccNSO Council after closure of the call for volunteers. Additionally, all members and participants to this working group will have to complete a Statement of Interest (SOI). Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/79Jw4wSnNhn5W4Z46 If you have questions, please contact us at ccnsosecretariat@icann.org<mailto:ccnsosecretariat@icann.org> BACKGROUND * Find the SOPC charter and further information here: https://ccnso.icann.org/en/workinggroups/sopiwg.htm * At ICANN84, the SOPC met with ICANN’s Finance and Planning team to provide input into ICANN and PTI’s strategic, operational, and budgetary processes from a ccTLD perspective. Consult the session slides and zoom recording here: https://sched.co/29QKF Further information about the process for drafting SOPC comments, and a tentative timeline for the December-February timeframe, is available here (slide 68 to 70)<https://static.sched.com/hosted_files/icann84/71/Strategic%20and%20Operation...>. Joke Braeken joke.braeken@icann.org<mailto:joke.braeken@icann.org>