Dear Councilors,

During the ICANN85 GNSO Discussion on Next Steps for SSAD Recommendations session, GNSO Support Staff presented a strawperson for the composition of the team that will develop supplemental recommendations to share with the GNSO Council for its consideration. 

Action Item for all GNSO Councilors

Action Item: Please review the below proposal and provide further feedback. If you have concerns, please articulate them to the list as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, 3 April. When articulating concerns, please provide a proposed path forward or alternative to address your concerns. We are asking for feedback by 3 April (i.e. the working day prior to the Documents deadline) to allow for a fulsome discussion during the upcoming April Council meeting.

Background

As noted during the session and afterward during the GNSO Wrap-up, the purpose of ICANN85 Session on Next Steps was to gather feedback regarding team composition from the wider community as well as the GNSO. No decisions were made regarding the composition of the team during the Next Steps session, nor were decisions made during the GNSO Wrap-up session. During the Council’s SPS, however, the Council did unanimously align on the path of Supplemental Recommendations. The Council had an initial opportunity to discuss the potential composition of the team, but did not reach agreement. However, GNSO Support Staff proposed an initial strawperson based on some of the initial feedback received, with the goal of generating discussion and seeking feedback.

Following the Next Steps session and the GNSO Council Wrap-up, GNSO Support Staff collected feedback and made some initial adjustments to the proposed strawperson based on specific suggestions. Below, please find the updated proposal for your feedback.

As a reminder, a Council Small Team (or Small Team +) operates under a set of agreed procedures which are captured here, intended to ensure that the work of the group is transparent and accountable.

Proposal

SSAD Supplemental Recommendations “Small Team Plus”

• Any interested GNSO Councilor 

plus

• Additional Members from Community, Board, and ICANN org

• Up to 2 RrSG
• Up to 2 RySG
• Up to 3 CSG (1 BC, 1 IPC, 1 ISPCP)
• Up to 3 NCSG
• Up to 1 ALAC (+ 1 Alt)
• Up to 1 GAC (+ 1 Alt)
• Up to 1 SSAC (+ 1 Alt)
  
  

• Liaisons

· 2 Board liaisons

· 2 ICANN org liaisons (focusing on implementation)

For the avoidance of doubt “additional members” are considered members outside of the GNSO Council. GNSO Councilors are not subject to the proposed seat allocations. 

Observers will be permitted to follow the work of the group, including to observe, but not participate in meetings. 

Amendments to Initial Proposal

Please note that GNSO Support Staff made the following adjustments based on the discussions at ICANN85:

• Added another board seat per request from board caucus members
• Added alternates for the non-GNSO groups (note: this proposal does not include alternates for GNSO groups, as GNSO councilors could serve as an alternate, if needed)

There was a suggestion to add additional seats for the Chair and Vice-Chair of the RDRS Standing Committee; however, for the SubPro Small Team Plus, the co-chairs were appointed by their respective groups. 

Next Steps

The strawperson seeks to strike a balance between keeping the group small and nimble while allowing for the appropriate expertise to be included in the discussions (e.g., former EPDP Phase 2 members, RDRS Standing Committee members, etc.) 

Based on the feedback received, Council Leadership will work with GNSO Support Staff to work on an updated proposal and potentially a draft small team plus assignment form to present for the Council’s consideration during the upcoming April meeting. 

Thank you.

Best regards,

Caitlin