Many thanks Kristy and Sam,

Very much appreciate your note below that ICANN will explore additional data sources to see if we can add additional example indicators at the subnational level from globally available and verifiable data sets – thank you.

With the understanding that this will be undertaken, just one small comment from me at this stage on the updated text – could the word ‘global’ please be added ahead of the term ‘geographical distribution’ in footnote 17, simply for accuracy to reflect the context in which the GAC put forward the June 2023 advice.

Thank you very much for all of your hard work.

Best wishes,

Roz

From: Kristy Buckley <kristy.buckley@icann.org>
Date: Friday, 2 February 2024 at 20:04
To: Sophie Hey <sophie.hey@comlaude.com>, Kennybirch, Rosalind (DSIT) <rosalind.kennybirch@dsit.gov.uk>, SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org <SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org>
Subject: Re: ASP Handbook: updated bracketed texts

Greetings ASP IRT members,

Firstly, many thanks Rosalind and Sophie for your thoughtful comments and suggestions. ICANN org did made some proposed edits to footnote 17 on p. 26 based upon that input. We would note that the indicator option c) under Micro or Small Business only pertains to applicants that do not meet indicator a) lesser-developed economy as classified by the UN or indicator b) operating in or owned by indigenous/tribal. So, indicator-- c) to submit a narrative pointing to other indicators--is only relevant to micro or small businesses located in a lesser developed area within a developed country context (e.g., the Bronx, US--mentioned on the ASP IRT meetings as an example). Since indicator c) pertains to economic or development circumstances at a subnational level, existing resources from the DNS industry that point to regional or national level data may not be relevant for the applicant to reference. ICANN org will explore additional data sources to see if we can add additional example indicators at the subnational level from globally available and verifiable data sets. Thanks again to you both for raising these points and for sharing your suggestions on both language and potential resources.

Secondly, org has made a few additional proposed edits to update bracketed text and respond to ASP IRT suggestions. For your convenience, links to those changes are below. Since the ASP IRT will not have a chance to fully review and respond to these suggested edits prior to the full IRT receiving the draft ASP Handbook, we will keep those in suggestion mode and retain the related comments so the full IRT can see those sections are still under review. If you can kindly let us know if you have any concerns or objections to the below proposed edits by 2000 UTC on Monday, 5 February, that would be great.

Officers Definition Update: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFOAuI2E [docs.google.com]
Updated footnote re subnational indicators: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFOAuI2U [docs.google.com]
Updated language on restricting the number of gTLD applications for supported applicants: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFOAuI30 [docs.google.com]
Updated language on code of conduct/conflict of interest for the SARP: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABEU7ZLa8 [docs.google.com]

We will soon send out the link to the draft ASP Handbook to the full IRT on-list and our colleagues will post this to the wiki on Monday. For the IRT meeting #26b, we kindly ask IRT members to bring their questions or comments and we welcome our ASP IRT colleagues chiming in to help respond as you see fit.

Thanks again and best wishes for the weekend,

Kristy, on behalf of the ASP Project Team

From: Sophie Hey <sophie.hey@comlaude.com>
Sent: Friday, February 2, 2024 8:45:58 AM
To: Kennybirch, Rosalind (DSIT); Kristy Buckley; SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org
Subject: [Ext] RE: ASP Handbook: updated bracketed texts

Thanks, Roz. I think your suggestions make sense and am comfortable adopting them.

Specifically, I think that referencing the studies you mentioned could help encourage organisations located in these regions to apply – especially if we mark them as useful resources to applicants. I agree that the perpetuation of registrars in a specific country is a useful metric for underserved. Another metric could be internet penetration – the DNS Africa Study uses Internet World Stats (https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm [internetworldstats.com]), but a quick Google suggests that there are lots of organizations that publish these statistics at a country, regional and global level.

Sophie Hey
she/her
Policy Advisor
Com Laude
T +44 (0) 20 7421 8250
Ext 252

Follow us on Linkedin [t-uk.xink.io] and YouTube [t-uk.xink.io]

From: Subpro-irt-asp <subpro-irt-asp-bounces@icann.org> On Behalf Of Kennybirch, Rosalind (DSIT) via Subpro-irt-asp
Sent: Friday, February 2, 2024 4:32 PM
To: Kristy Buckley <kristy.buckley@icann.org>; SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org
Subject: Re: [Subpro-irt-asp] ASP Handbook: updated bracketed texts

You don't often get email from subpro-irt-asp@icann.org. Learn why this is important [aka.ms]

Hello Kristy and team,

A big thanks goes to all of you for the work and commitment you’ve undertaken to ensure the ASP is a success – it is greatly appreciated.

I’ve had a look at the less-developed economy update below. Reading this update, I have a few suggestions. While I appreciate the need to retain some flexibility to accommodate different contexts and encourage more people to apply to the program, I think that as currently drafted these indicators could be used to make a case pretty much everywhere – including in global regions already dominant in the global gTLD space. This wouldn’t serve the purpose of the ASP’s aim to facilitate further global geographic diversification in the new gTLD program.

Could I propose a compromise where a statement is added to footnote 18 stating that “the applicant should provide localized data that demonstrates disadvantage in line with the goal for the new round of gTLDs to open up the top level of the Internet’s namespace to foster diversity, encourage competition, and enhance the utility of the DNS” (quoted from the Survey of Globally Recognized Procedures for Financial Assistance Programs)? The GAC’s language from the ICANN77 Communique could also usefully be referenced in a footnote here so that people can see the link between the indicators and the ethos of the mission – so including a line which states that “ICANN’s Government Advisory Committee reaffirmed the importance of increasing the number and geographical distribution of applications from underserved regions in future rounds of New gTLDs through the Applicant Support Program in its June 2023 Communique”. I think these references would be helpful not only to applicants, but also to evaluators of the new gTLD program, so that they keep the bigger picture of global geographic diversification in mind when reviewing applications.

In addition, as mentioned in the Zoom chatbar yesterday, I would suggest including indicators from the study ICANN commissioned on Africa’s Domain Name Industry (ICANN also conducted two similar DNS studies: the Latin American and Caribbean Region and the Middle East and Adjoining Countries Region which could be pointed to). Directly referencing these studies could help encourage organisations located in these regions to apply. To reference indicators in the Handbook, we could identify a couple of metrics discussed in these reports, and applicants could use these metrics to directly provide data demonstrating that they are underserved. Citing indicators such as the perpetuation of registrars in a specific country could be one such metric used.

These suggestions are aimed at helping to ensure that we center the ASP around its intended recipients – mitigating against gaming itself, and moreover, the potential for scarce resources to be consumed to evaluate applications that are intended to game the program. Additionally, we want to ensure that underserved countries absorb communications and outreach – it would not be in the intended spirit of the program if developed economies absorb an significant portion of these resources.

Welcome colleagues feedback on this – it’s been great working with you all. I simply make these suggestions to direct more focus onto the Global South/underserved regions outside of developed countries as a whole, and think these points of clarification will help both applicants and evaluators of the program understand the broader purpose of the ASP.

Kind regards,

Roz

From: Subpro-irt-asp <subpro-irt-asp-bounces@icann.org> on behalf of Kristy Buckley <kristy.buckley@icann.org>
Date: Friday, 2 February 2024 at 01:43
To: SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org <SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org>
Subject: [Subpro-irt-asp] ASP Handbook: updated bracketed texts

Dear ASP-IRT members,

Many thanks for those of you who could join the full IRT session today. We're preparing the ASP Handbook to share with the full IRT on-list and on the wiki tomorrow/Friday, 2 February.

In the meantime, we'd like to draw your attention to additional suggested changes in the ASP Handbook. These changes were made to update language in bracketed/placeholder text or in response to ASP IRT comments received.

For your convenience, we've included direct links to the comments with updated language:

Link to political engagement update: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABEsAEmJA [docs.google.com]Link to tribal organization update: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABEU7ZLd4 [docs.google.com]Link to less-developed economy update:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABEU7ZLoc [docs.google.com]Fin stability update: ICANN has proposed updating the financial stability indicator to reduce the risk that ICANN Org will require deposits from ASP applicants before they qualify for support, which would then may require processing many refunds. Instead, the deposit would only be due after the applicant qualifies for support and would be a condition for them to receive that support. This also helps reduce the risk that supported applicants utilize resources but do not ultimately intend to submit a gTLD application. See: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABEU7ZLYU [docs.google.com]Deposit mention #1 (section 3): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFvzWdyU [docs.google.com]Deposit mention #2 (Timeline table):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFvzWdyc [docs.google.com]Deposit mention #3 (section 7.4) (note I added words “to be paid” per Erika’s suggestion bc it sounded like we had 90 days to give them instructions): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3_kYNYcEjXin5D1O9x4hxcpYJr7JqlY/edit?disco=AAABFvzWd7E [docs.google.com]

We kindly request your review of these proposed changes and to let us know if you have any concerns or objections by 20:00 UTC on Friday, 2 February.

Many thanks in advance,

Kristy, on behalf of the ASP Project Team

From: Subpro-irt-asp <subpro-irt-asp-bounces@icann.org> on behalf of Kristy Buckley <kristy.buckley@icann.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 7:00:09 PM
To: SubPro-IRT-asp@icann.org
Subject: [Subpro-irt-asp] ASP Handbook: remaining sections & today's changes

Dear ASP-IRT members,

We appreciate you all taking the time to join today's session and for your thoughtful comments. We have worked to clean up the ASP Handbook [docs.google.com] as much as possible and have color-coded the bracketed sections that are still in development.

As promised, this note is intended to summarize remaining sections we did not have time to cover today and proposed changes based upon today's ASP IRT feedback. See below outline of those sections and changes.

Remaining ASP Handbook sections we did not have time to cover-- please let us know if there are any concerns or objections to those by 1800 UTC Thursday, 1 February.

Section 6: ASP Application Process:

Updated Figure 3 to show numbered steps
Updated narrative steps to correspond to Figure 3.
Org is working on language re: ASP Application System confidentiality and will share on-list via the Handbook once available.
6.1 Changes to ASP Applications: updated the text to address comment [docs.google.com]; still working to confirm bracketed text re: application change requests]; added text on no resubmission. Added placeholder for withdrawals language once available. Note that withdrawal and fresh application would constitute a resubmission and we are working on this language to update the bracketed placeholder. Added in bracketed text that "timely manner" needs to be defined; resolved related comment.
Added bracketed text that "material changes" needs to be defined and to articulate what changes can/cannot be made once an application is submitted; resolved related comment.
Accepted formatting edits and resolved addressed comments where placeholder text has been added to the Handbook.
Added text to 3. Submit Application on p. 29 that ASP applicants are advised not to submit information about their intended string. This language is repeated elsewhere in the Handbook and is added to the Process Steps as a reminder to the applicants.
Accepted suggested edits ASP IRT participants proposed on 22 January ASP IRT meeting.

Section 7: org is working on updated language re: ASP system security, vendor COIs, and confidentiality, and will share once available, hopefully before end of this week.

Section 7.2: accepted suggested subheader name change to "Assessment"
Section 7.3: added bracketed language re: application change requests here to match section 6.1. Org will provide updated proposed language as soon as possible.
Section 7.5: updated subheader to "Support Allocation" per IRT feedback; the full portfolio of support has been re-ordered chronologically per IRT feedback.

Please see remaining comment from Tijani [docs.google.com]
Retained remaining suggested edits to this section from 22 Jan meeting.

Minimum and maximum fee reductions still has bracketed text re: how ICANN Org would handle ASP applications in the "pipeline" and how support will be allocated. Org working on language for this and will share once available.

Section 9: Added 2012 AGB Eligibility Criteria (Section 1.2.1) as an additional resource, per the IRT's guidance. This language will be updated to reflect the Next Round AGB once available.

Noted that the ASP Funding Plan will be appended to the Handbook once available.

Proposed changes based on today’s ASP IRT feedback-- please let us know if there are any concerns or objections to those by 1800 UTC Thursday, 1 February.

org has added color coding to the ASP Handbook on the top of p.2 to help readers understand the remaining bracketed text.
Added bracketed text to p.9 to indicate every effort will be made to complete ASP application evaluations prior to the gTLD application submission period and that ASP applicants that qualify for support post-gTLD application submission may qualify for a refund. This language was based upon the ASP-IRT's suggestion and ICANN org is working to confirm final proposed language here based upon IRT input.
Section 5.5.5:

Added brackets and highlights for micro or small sized business from a less-developed economy to reflect ASP IRT meeting #13 discussion and noted that ICANN org will propose indicator language for ASP IRT consideration.
Per ASP IRT discussion and agreement, updated principal place of business definition to where a "supermajority (80%+) of the corporations top executives" and noted org will propose a definition for "top executives"
Responded to a previous comment from Rubens re: executives place of birth. Org's response: "Note that the indicator does not require executives to be born in the country, just that the executives are also located in the principal place of business." Resolved this comment.
Cleaned up comments on Section 5.5.5 and translated into bracketed text to be developed by ICANN org and proposed to the ASP IRT once available.

Section 5.6: added bracketed text that ICANN org will develop language to clarify whether it would allow supported applicants to apply for more than one gTLD string in the gTLD Program. Resolved related comment.

Accepted previously proposed suggested edits from the 22 Jan 2024 ASP IRT meeting (e.g., "allocatable TLD variants" ; "using the RZ-LGR tool (added link)"; and adding an example for traditional vs. simplified Chinese; and the added footnote placeholder)

As noted during the meeting, we’ll try to get you additional proposed updates by the end of this week.

For tomorrow's full IRT session, ICANN org will present a slide deck overview of the ASP Handbook, rather than go into the Handbook itself. We kindly invite ASP IRT members to join in as you see fit to help brief the full IRT on this collective effort.

Many thanks for the hours you have all spent with us on this Handbook. It's been a pleasure to work with you all. And, we still have more work ahead of us (!) so we will be in touch about future ASP IRT meetings as well.

Kind regards,
Kristy, on behalf of the ASP Project Team

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