Dear Khaled, Thank you for your reply on behalf of the Board OEC to our request for support in the appointment of an external facilitator to enable the re-start of SSR2-RT. In this message, while ICANN61 is underway, we hope to answer the questions you have raised to make tangible progress during this meeting and immediately provide the RT members and the broader community with much-needed action and clarity. In short, to the extent that a procure process is necessary, we ask that it commence immediately. The appointment of the facilitator and all new members (already in progress within the SO/ACs) will signal the formal "un-pause" or "re-start" of the SSR2-RT. Our overarching aim is to empower the RT members to come together as a group and progress their work. To that end, it is absolutely imperative that the RT members be involved in this discussion. Our responses here should be interpreted as guidance from the community rather than a top-down mandate. We therefore have included the RT members in this reply, and ask that going forward our communications include them, and that they contribute to these recommendations. To guide the procurement process (specific details for which are set out below) we wish to explain in more detail the intended role of the facilitator. Our email of 15 February stated: "The primary aim of the external facilitator would be to facilitate this transition process, with a view to winding facilitation down when RT members and leaders consider that issues are satisfactorily resolved to continue their work." We consider the role of the facilitator to be a) onboarding new members who have joined since the "pause" and agreeing on leadership from within the current membership; b) helping the group to work through concerns around membership and scope as identified in a confidential survey conducted by the SO/AC Chairs shortly after the pause; and c) helping the RT to identify ways to reach consensus. Specifically in response to the procurement practice: - Skill set requirements: To most effectively fulfil a), b) and c) above, the facilitator should be external to ICANN, with expertise in group dynamics and empowering group members with divergent views and experience to coalesce around a common goal. The SO/AC Chairs will provide the confidential responses received to the survey conducted following ICANN60 which sought RT member input on issues relating to membership and scope, and which generated quite divergent responses. The facilitator must therefore establish a safe space in which the broad range of views on membership and scope can be discussed and common positions identified, with agreement on moving forward in an agreed statement of scope and list of members. - Experience requirements: As appropriate to meet skill set requirements above - Scope of work: a) helping the group to coalesce around leadership and onboarding new members who have joined since the "pause"; b) helping the group to work through concerns around membership and scope as identified in a confidential survey conducted by the SO/AC Chairs shortly after the pause; c) helping the RT to identify ways to reach consensus. - Timing and duration: Facilitation ends when all expected deliverables (below) are completed. - Expected deliverables: a) confirmation of membership list of RT going forward, with chair/s identified; b) an agreed statement of scope; and c) if considered necessary by the RT members, a request from the RT for additional or different resources (ie, more members with particular skills, refinements to staff support), with a clear statement as to how any such request is necessary to and directly supportive of the RT's work. We appreciate your positive response to our initial request, and are prepared to respond promptly to any further questions this week, in order that the procurement process can commence immediately. We ask further that this be prioritised by the OEC so that the facilitator's appointment - and thus the re-start of SSR2-RT - can take place as soon as possible, and *no later than 1 May* for scheduling to take full advantage of face to face time at ICANN62. Kind regards, on behalf of, SO/AC Chairs