Call for Volunteers: GNSO Review Working Group

 

In Brief

 

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council adopted the Charter of the GNSO Review Working Group during its meeting on 21 July 2016. This Working Group is tasked to develop an implementation plan for the GNSO Review recommendations which were recently adopted by the ICANN Board. This is the Call for Volunteers to join this Working Group. Anyone interested in the GNSO Review and contributing to the development of the implementation plan and subsequent implementation is encouraged to volunteer.

 

What This Working Group Will Do

 

Per the GNSO Review Working Group Charter the GNSO Review Working Group will be responsible for developing an implementation plan, containing a realistic timeline for the implementation, definition of desired outcomes and a way to measure current state as well as progress toward the desired outcome for the GNSO Review recommendations adopted by the ICANN Board (thirty-four (34) recommendations of the Final Report of the Independent Examiner (i.e. all recommendations excluding recommendations 23 and 32). This implementation plan is to be submitted for approval to the GNSO Council, followed by consideration by the ICANN Board. Following the approval of the implementation plan, the Working Group is also expected to execute and oversee the implementation of the GNSO Review recommendations unless specified differently in the implementation plan.

 

The GNSO Review Working Group will also be responsible for considering any new requests^[1] by the GNSO Council concerning issues related to the GNSO Council processes and procedures and to Working Group guidelines that have been identified either by the GNSO Council, or a group chartered by the GNSO Council, as needing discussion. However, the first priority of the Working Group will be the development of an implementation plan and the subsequent implementation of the GNSO Review recommendations. 

 

Timeline and Deliverables

 

The GNSO Review Working Group is expected to deliver the implementation plan to the GNSO Council for consideration at the GNSO Council meeting at ICANN57 at the latest in order to meet the Board set objective of ‘an implementation plan, containing a realistic timeline for the implementation, definition of desired outcomes and a way to measure current state as well as progress toward the desired outcome, shall be submitted to the Board as soon as possible, but no later than six (6) months after the adoption of this resolution’^[2] i.e., December 2016. 

 

How to Join

 

Each GNSO Stakeholder Group and/or Constituency will identify one primary and one alternate member to serve on the GNSO Review Working Group. In addition to these appointed members, anyone interested will be able to join this working group as a participant or observer.  Please note that participants are expected to attend conference calls and to actively participate in online discussions.  They also must submit a Statement of Interest per Section 5.0 of the GNSO Operating Procedures.  Observers can follow the group's work on the mailing list but can neither send to the mailing list nor participate actively in the calls.

 

Interested participants and observers are requested to complete the sign-up sheet by Friday, 19 August 2016. 

 

Next steps

 

It is anticipated that the GNSO Review Working Group will convene online for the first time in the last week of August 2016. Following that, regular online meetings will be scheduled in accordance with the Working Group’s work plan, which it is expected to develop as one of its first tasks.

 

Further information and preparation

 

For those interested in volunteering for this effort, you are encouraged to review the following materials:

1.     GNSO Review Recommendations

2.     Independent Examiner Final Report

3.     Frequently Asked Questions

 

Background

 

The second independent review of the GNSO commenced in 2014.  The Final Report of the independent examiner was published on 15 September 2015 (see https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/gnso-review-final-15sep15-en.pdf) and contained 36 recommendations in the areas of: participation & representation, continuous development, transparency and alignment with ICANN's future.  The GNSO Council adopted the GNSO Review Recommendations Feasibility and Prioritization analysis (see:http://gnso.icann.org/en/drafts/review-feasibility-prioritization-25feb16-en.pdf) on 14 April 2016 with the modification of Recommendation 21, that the council recommends staff working with the GNSO to institute methods of information sharing of highly relevant research related to gTLDs to help the GNSO community members increase their knowledge base (low priority).

 

On 25 June, the ICANN Board accepted the Final Report from the independent examiner, taking into account the GNSO Working Party's Feasibility and Prioritization Analysis of the GNSO Review Recommendations, adopted with modifications by the GNSO Council.  The Board adopted thirty-four (34) recommendations of the Final Report (i.e. all recommendations excluding recommendations 23 and 32).  Furthermore, the Board requested that the GNSO Council convene a group that oversees the implementation of Board-accepted recommendations.

 

Per the motion adopted on 21 July 2016, the GNSO Council adopted the Charter of the GNSO Review Working Group and directed staff to send a Call for Volunteers for the Working Group.