This strategy still emphasies working before applying for F2F event funding by researching suitable contacts, maintaining a events calendar, having conference calls with suitable contacts as per the first draft of text.
You are mistaken that the draft LACRALO Strategy text was approved on the call, it was only presented for initial comments. There are several members from LACRALO on the Outreach and Engagement SC (
https://community.icann.org/x/cqfbAQ) and the text was shared and commented on by the LACRALO members in the Outreach and Engagement SC before it was presented on the Outreach and Engagement SC call of September 9 2015. Given there is a September 30 2015 deadline to meet for the strategy to be filed with ICANN, the Outreach and Engagement SC is looking at Monday September 14 2015 for
having these strategies approved by At-Large before sending to regional Global Stakeholder Engagement.
Your input (and anyone else in LACRALO) is welcomed and the Outreach and Engagement SC will try to incorporate any suggestions.
One note about the idea of having funding for F2F events. The current mechanism of obtaining funding for At-Large Budget requests typically requires At-Large Budget requests to be filed early in the calendar year.Also such Budget Requests are for use for the next fiscal year (typically mid year to next year). ICANN Finance will then approve or disapprove the budget requests around mid year.
So its a challenge to seek funding for F2F events based on research into suitable persons that can be in At-Large and then have a long gap for several months or even a year before the F2F meeting can be implemented.
It is also a challenge for At-large to fully anticipate needs up to 16 months in advance that would require budget support.
One of the At-Large Summit II recommendations, Recommendation 40 attempts to address this challenge.
Recommendation 40 (
https://community.icann.org/display/als2/ATLAS+II+Recommendation+40) says
"ICANN should offer a process similar to the Community Regional Outreach
Pilot Program (CROPP), but applicable to short lead-time budget requests
not related to travel."
On the ATLAS II Implementation Taskforce call (
https://community.icann.org/x/vopYAw) yesterday (in which Alberto was also present), I mentioned that if this Recommendation was implemented, it would make applying for shorter term budget requests such as F2F events easier. I also noted that during the ICANN53 meeting with the ICANN Board and the ALAC, the ICANN CEO expressed support for the concept of having contingency funds available to At-Large to deal with sudden, last minute budget requests, which no one appeared to disagree. So I'm hopeful that Recommendation 40 can be implemented and supported by ICANN.
I'll investigate further whether any funding is possible from the LAC Strategy with the LAC Strategy Steering Committee meetings happening next week.
Also, Alberto, you and anyone in LACRALO are welcome to join the Outreach and Engagement SC by emailing
staff@atlarge.icann.org
Kind Regards,
Dev Anand Teelucksingh
At-Large Outreach and Engagement SC chair