http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-09jun11-en.htm
Public Comment: The GNSO Council is Requesting Your Input on the New GNSO Policy Development Process
9 June 2011
As part of the GNSO Improvements Process, which has as its objective to improve the structure and operations of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), the Policy Development Process Work Team (PDP-WT) has now submitted to the GNSO Council its Final Report that outlines the proposed new GNSO Policy Development Process in the form of forty-seven (47) recommendations, an outline of the proposed new Annex A – GNSO Policy Development Process for the ICANN Bylaws as well as a supporting document that is envisioned to be included in the GNSO Council Operating Procedures as the PDP Manual (see http://gnso.icann.org/issues/pdp-wt-final-report-final-31may11-en.pdf [PDF, 1.39 MB]. Prior to considering this Final Report, the GNSO Council is seeking your input. Comments on the PDP-WT Final Report, including the recommendations, the outline of the proposed Annex A and the PDP Manual can be submitted until 9 July 2011 (see details on how to submit comments below). Following the public comment period, the GNSO Council will review the comments received and determine whether additional modifications need to be made to the report or whether the new GNSO Policy Development Process is ready for adoption following which it will be submitted to the ICANN Board for its consideration.
On 26 June 2008 the ICANN Board approved a set of recommendations designed to improve the effectiveness of the GNSO, including its policy activities, structure, operations, and communications. The following pertains to the PDP-WT's mission:
Revising the PDP: The Policy Development Process (PDP) needs to be revised to make it more effective and responsive to ICANN's needs. It should be brought in-line with the time and effort actually required to develop policy and made consistent with ICANN's existing contracts (including, but not limited to, clarifying the appropriate scope of GNSO “consensus policy” development). While the procedure for developing "consensus policies" will need to continue to be established by the Bylaws as long as required by ICANN's contracts, the GNSO Council and Staff should propose new PDP rules for the Board's consideration and approval that contain more flexibility. The new rules should emphasize the importance of the preparation that must be done before launch of a working group or other activity, such as public discussion, fact-finding, and expert research in order to properly define the scope, objective, and schedule for a specific policy development goal and the development of metrics for measuring success. The revised PDP, after review and approval by the GNSO Council and ICANN Board, would replace the current PDP defined in Annex A of the ICANN bylaws.
Staff Responsible: Marika Konings
Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org
http://gnso.icann.org