ICANN budget discussion
Please note that there will be a telephone conference briefing on next year's ICANN budget at 0500 UTC tomorrow. That translates to 10 PM Pacific time tonight and later for most of you. You are welcome, indeed encouraged to participate. (See the APRALO page for details - https://st.icann.org/asiapac/index.cgi?28_april_2009) The Power Point presentation will be made available later for those who would like to get some sleep tonight! Regards, Gareth
Dear All, Following up on Gareth's e-mail, please see the following page for the agenda, PDF of the presentation by Kevin Wilson, ICANN Chief Financial Officer, and participation details of the Budget/Operations call that will take place at 05:00 UTC April 30: https://st.icann.org/alac/index.cgi?budget_ops_meeting_30_april_2009 Kind regards, Heidi -----Original Message----- From: na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Gareth Shearman Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 2:17 PM To: NA Discuss Subject: [NA-Discuss] ICANN budget discussion Please note that there will be a telephone conference briefing on next year's ICANN budget at 0500 UTC tomorrow. That translates to 10 PM Pacific time tonight and later for most of you. You are welcome, indeed encouraged to participate. (See the APRALO page for details - https://st.icann.org/asiapac/index.cgi?28_april_2009) The Power Point presentation will be made available later for those who would like to get some sleep tonight! Regards, Gareth ------ NA-Discuss mailing list NA-Discuss@atlarge-lists.icann.org http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists.ica... Visit the NARALO online at http://www.naralo.org ------
We are of course happy to arrange a further teleconference at a more 'western hemisphere-friendly' time if there's interest Gareth Shearman wrote:
Please note that there will be a telephone conference briefing on next year's ICANN budget at 0500 UTC tomorrow. That translates to 10 PM Pacific time tonight and later for most of you. You are welcome, indeed encouraged to participate. (See the APRALO page for details - https://st.icann.org/asiapac/index.cgi?28_april_2009)
The Power Point presentation will be made available later for those who would like to get some sleep tonight!
Regards, Gareth
------ NA-Discuss mailing list NA-Discuss@atlarge-lists.icann.org http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists.ica...
Visit the NARALO online at http://www.naralo.org ------
-- -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director for At-Large Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Tel: +33 (450) 42 81 83 USA Tel: +1 (310) 301-8637 Fax: : +41 (22) 594-85-44 Mobile: (Switzerland): +41 79 595 5468 email: nick.ashton-hart@icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart
I would be interested. Darlene A. Thompson Community Access Program Administrator Nunavut Dept. of Education / N-CAP P.O. Box 1000, Station 910 Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 Phone: (867) 975-5631 Fax: (867) 975-5610 E-mail: dthompson@gov.nu.ca -----Original Message----- From: na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:na-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Nick Ashton-Hart Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:34 AM To: Gareth Shearman Cc: NA Discuss Subject: Re: [NA-Discuss] ICANN budget discussion We are of course happy to arrange a further teleconference at a more 'western hemisphere-friendly' time if there's interest Gareth Shearman wrote:
Please note that there will be a telephone conference briefing on next
year's ICANN budget at 0500 UTC tomorrow. That translates to 10 PM Pacific time tonight and later for most of you. You are welcome, indeed encouraged to participate. (See the APRALO page for details - https://st.icann.org/asiapac/index.cgi?28_april_2009)
The Power Point presentation will be made available later for those who would like to get some sleep tonight!
Regards, Gareth
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http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists .icann.org
Visit the NARALO online at http://www.naralo.org ------
-- -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director for At-Large Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Tel: +33 (450) 42 81 83 USA Tel: +1 (310) 301-8637 Fax: : +41 (22) 594-85-44 Mobile: (Switzerland): +41 79 595 5468 email: nick.ashton-hart@icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart ------ NA-Discuss mailing list NA-Discuss@atlarge-lists.icann.org http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists .icann.org Visit the NARALO online at http://www.naralo.org ------
To Nick's offer of:
We are of course happy to arrange a further teleconference at a more 'western hemisphere-friendly' time if there's interest
Darlene replied:
I would be interested.
So would I. However, wanting to have a briefing that would be convenient to NARALO (and, I would assume, also LACRALO) does not reduce my complete disgust with the budget discussion process to date as it relates to At-Large. As many of you know, I keep -- interesting -- hours, and a 22:00PST time is not generally a problem. My concern is more with the timing than the time. Consider: - The announcement of the briefing on the At-Large mailing list offered less than 48 hours notice to a global audience of ALS volunteers (most of whom, by definition, have other non-ICANN volunteer tasks to balance) - The briefing is to be given on the very last day of the first public comment period on the budget. (In fact, the actual deadline may pass while the call is going on). Any later briefing for the convenience of NARALO (and, I would assume, also LACRALO) would take place after the deadline is passed. Is this a fair way to solicit public comment that is informed and engaging? A last-day, past-the-deadline briefing suggests that the information will be all one-way and that we, again, will have next to no valuable input on the matter. I note that EURALO has been most active on this, having made a statement posted by Wolf Ludwig to the ALAC list on March 27. Its main point was that it's impossible to engage in an appropriate discussion of how much ICANN spends -- or should spend -- on At-Large because nobody outside staff really know exactly what At-Large costs. If there is to be any real form of active engagement over the efficient use of At-Large resources (explicitly including staff dedicated to our service), then we must be given an accurate and transparent accounting of what's currently being spent. At the present time we have absolutely no way to justify the "value" ICANN gets from At-Large because we have no good idea what it spends on us. And how do we ask for outreach funds when we don't know what might already be spent on outreach? To the cynical amongst us (and I've heard this from more than one person), this obfuscation is a primary tool of staff control over At-Large (and I don't mean at Nick's level). If we don't know what's being spent on us, we can't have any meaningful part in a discussion of the proper resource allocation. Questions such as "can volunteers do certain tasks more efficiently than staff if given the appropriate framework" cannot even be asked, because we have no frames of reference. ALAC's budget WG is basically toothless because it has next to nothing to work with. There were some glimmers of a more-transparent process with the Summit, but I emphasize "glimmers" -- we were still never told why or how its arbitrary ceiling of $500K was determined. Having said all that, I would certainly like a briefing at a time more convenient to the Americas -- especially one that gives more than two days' notice. But I would also ask that briefing be prepared to answer questions related to why the budget process, as it affects At-Large, is so utterly opaque. - Evan
Dear Evan and NARALO Members: It may be useful in connection with this to acquaint you with a few recent events. At the ALAC meeting, the issues you raise were also discussed. It was decided that ALAC would make a statement on the budget framework which would be compiled based upon all the recent Advisories and community statements, including RALO statements, which would have a financial impact. I offered to compile this together, and I've just sent it along to Gareth and the alac working list. Gareth offered to take on the finalisation of the text. Separately, I've asked Kevin if there's any problem if the statement comes in a bit after the formal end of the public comment period. I haven't heard back yet, but I'm sure this won't be a problem. Finally, one of the things that Kevin discussed on the two briefings held for At-Large so far (one earlier this week, one today) is that your request for a more complete picture of overall spending on At-Large (and other bodies / processes of ICANN) would actually be included in the budget when it is posted for public comment on or before May 17th. We will shortly publicise the availability of the recording, both audio and Adobe Connect, of this morning's briefing, for those of you who wish to have a look/listen. Finally - it may be useful to know that there will be a consultation on the actual budget - from May 17th for 30 days - and a briefing at that time (two of them, one convenient to the Western Hemisphere, and another to the Eastern) will be arranged. Evan Leibovitch wrote:
To Nick's offer of:
We are of course happy to arrange a further teleconference at a more 'western hemisphere-friendly' time if there's interest
Darlene replied:
I would be interested.
So would I.
However, wanting to have a briefing that would be convenient to NARALO (and, I would assume, also LACRALO) does not reduce my complete disgust with the budget discussion process to date as it relates to At-Large.
As many of you know, I keep -- interesting -- hours, and a 22:00PST time is not generally a problem. My concern is more with the timing than the time. Consider:
- The announcement of the briefing on the At-Large mailing list offered less than 48 hours notice to a global audience of ALS volunteers (most of whom, by definition, have other non-ICANN volunteer tasks to balance)
- The briefing is to be given on the very last day of the first public comment period on the budget. (In fact, the actual deadline may pass while the call is going on). Any later briefing for the convenience of NARALO (and, I would assume, also LACRALO) would take place after the deadline is passed.
Is this a fair way to solicit public comment that is informed and engaging? A last-day, past-the-deadline briefing suggests that the information will be all one-way and that we, again, will have next to no valuable input on the matter.
I note that EURALO has been most active on this, having made a statement posted by Wolf Ludwig to the ALAC list on March 27. Its main point was that it's impossible to engage in an appropriate discussion of how much ICANN spends -- or should spend -- on At-Large because nobody outside staff really know exactly what At-Large costs.
If there is to be any real form of active engagement over the efficient use of At-Large resources (explicitly including staff dedicated to our service), then we must be given an accurate and transparent accounting of what's currently being spent. At the present time we have absolutely no way to justify the "value" ICANN gets from At-Large because we have no good idea what it spends on us. And how do we ask for outreach funds when we don't know what might already be spent on outreach?
To the cynical amongst us (and I've heard this from more than one person), this obfuscation is a primary tool of staff control over At-Large (and I don't mean at Nick's level). If we don't know what's being spent on us, we can't have any meaningful part in a discussion of the proper resource allocation. Questions such as "can volunteers do certain tasks more efficiently than staff if given the appropriate framework" cannot even be asked, because we have no frames of reference. ALAC's budget WG is basically toothless because it has next to nothing to work with. There were some glimmers of a more-transparent process with the Summit, but I emphasize "glimmers" -- we were still never told why or how its arbitrary ceiling of $500K was determined.
Having said all that, I would certainly like a briefing at a time more convenient to the Americas -- especially one that gives more than two days' notice. But I would also ask that briefing be prepared to answer questions related to why the budget process, as it affects At-Large, is so utterly opaque.
- Evan
-- -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director for At-Large Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Tel: +33 (450) 42 81 83 USA Tel: +1 (310) 301-8637 Fax: : +41 (22) 594-85-44 Mobile: (Switzerland): +41 79 595 5468 email: nick.ashton-hart@icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart
participants (5)
-
Evan Leibovitch -
Gareth Shearman -
Heidi Ullrich -
Nick Ashton-Hart -
Thompson, Darlene