This comment is submitted purely in my personal capacity. Alan Greenberg ========================== I was somewhat taken aback at the multiple references to the confusion between the RZERC and several other bodies. I was the leader of the sub-group in the ICANN IANA Stewardship Transition Working Group that was responsible to addressing how to replace the NTIA role overseeing IANA. As such, I essentially was the architect of the RZERC, although I have no claim to having given it its name. The US Department of Commerce, through the NTIA, was involved in any and all changes to how IANA functions, what tools it used and what procedures it followed. The sub-group recommended that for a wide range of low-level issues, no such oversight was required, other than normal management functions within IANA. However, for substantial changes (examples were the implementation of DNSSEC, radical changes in workflow and major new software tools), there should still be some oversight, and that should be carried out by a group of knowledgeable individuals representing the full range of groups that interact with IANA or should have input into such changes (SSAC, RSSAC, ASO, IETF, GTLD and cc Registries and the Root Zone Maintainer), with that group advising the ICANN Board who would grant the formal approval previously granted by the NTIA. The name chosen for the group, the Root Zone Evolution Review Committee unfortunately implies that it has a responsibility covering the overall root zone operation and not just the IANA-related aspects - up to and including the publication of the zone file something that was never even contemplated. However, the Charter (<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/revised-rzerc-charter-08aug16-en.pdf>https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/revised-rzerc-charter-08aug16-en.pdf) does make its scope clear: "The Committee is expected to review proposed architectural changes to the content of the DNS root zone, the systems including both hardware and software components used in executing changes to the DNS root zone, and the mechanisms used for distribution of the DNS root zone. The Committee shall, as determined necessary by its membership, make recommendations related to those changes for consideration by the ICANN Board." In my mind, this group might also be a valuable one to involve if indeed major changes were planned to the Root Zone itself, but that was not the reason it was created nor does it have formal oversight responsibilities past the content, creation and publication of the zone file.