SSR2 Role of Observers

During the 2 March overview call an Action Item was assigned to Staff to prepare and circulate examples of how other Review Teams have defined the role of Observers in their work so that SSR2 could determine the role of its Observers.

Note that per Bylaws Section 4.6. (a) (i) Review teams will include both a limited number of members and an open number of observers.

Background

Applicants for the SSR2 Review Team who were not selected have been asked if they would like to follow the work of the Review Team as an Observer. Those who indicated they wanted to follow the work of the review team were subscribed to a separate email list other than the SSR2 review team members list.  There is an SSR2 Observers wiki page that can be found at

https://community.icann.org/display/SSR/Observers.  This wiki page contains further details, including a community email address where feedback can be sent to the Review Team: input-to-ssr2rt@icann.org. 

Examples from other Review Teams

Note that these Review Teams were formed prior to the existing bylaw adoption.

ATRT2

During the ATRT2 Review, observers were allowed to join the Review Team’s assigned Adobe Connect room during the scheduled plenary calls.  This provided an opportunity for community members to have discussions with the Review Team. 

While this seemed like a reasonable method for interaction in “real time”, it created some distraction during calls.  Community members would speak up or type notes in the chat during the call which sometimes derailed the conversation and caused the Review Team to lose focus on the scheduled agenda.

CCT

Observers of the Competition Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice (CCT) Review Team have several ways of following the Review Team’s work. They can share their input with the Review Team via a public email list (input-to-cctrt@icann.org), all emails sent to this address are archived and can be read by the community. Observers can also listen to the plenary, and sub-team meetings via a dedicated Adobe Connect room, this means that they can see the documents projected, and listen to the discussion, but they don’t see the list of review team members attending, nor their discussions in the chat. They are not allowed to raise questions at this stage. Observers have access to a public Adobe Connect room to listen to the call and view the slide presentation.  A mailing list (input-to-cctrt@icann.org) was set up to allow the community to send messages to the Review Team regarding their work. Note that six messages have been sent to the CCT mailing list between March and August 2016.

Schedule of plenary calls and information on how Observers can connect is published on the CCTRT main wiki page. 

Observers are always welcome to attend CCT face-to-face meetings, in which the Chair will make sure that the CCTRT agenda allows them time to ask questions if need be.

Items for SSR2 Observer Consideration

How does the SSSR2 Review Team want to obtain input and feedback from its Observers. 

Should they be given time on the RT agenda to speak

How do you want to consider their written input

Should there be RT sessions closed to Observers

This will be further discussed during the SSR2 face-to-face meeting in Copenhagen.  Should you have any proposals for the role of SSR2 Observers prior to the meeting, please send them to the review team email list ssr2-review@icann.org for consideration.

Thank you,

Karen Mulberry

Director, Multistakeholder Strategy and Strategic Initiatives (MSSI)

ICANN

12025 Waterfront Dr., Suite 300

Los Angeles, CA 90094

Phone: +1 424 353 9745