ICANN | Call for Expressions of Interest for Nom Com Assessment Provider

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number (ICANN) seeks an organization capable of interviewing and helping to initially assess candidates for ICANN leadership positions. Such work will help inform the overall selection process undertaken by ICANN's Nominating Committee.

The search for candidates for ICANN leadership positions will be conducted on a worldwide basis. Assessments will need to be made on a continuing basis as statements of interest from potential candidates are received, commencing 2 December 2008 and concluding no later than 15 April 2009. Assessments should be made by telephone and all interviews must be conducted in fluent English.

Background

ICANN is a not-for-profit public benefit California corporation having responsibility for the security and stability of the Internet through the management of the Internet's assigned names and numbers. Under contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce, ICANN includes the IANA function that since the inception of the Internet has managed the Internet's naming and numbering functions.

According to the ICANN Bylaws, each year a number of leadership positions are filled by an independent Nominating Committee (see http://nomcom.icann.org for more information) consisting of 23 volunteers, hereinafter referred to as the "Nom Com", charged with identifying and selecting a majority of the members of ICANN's Board of Directors, as well as representatives for several organizations internal to ICANN. Each year the Nom Com searches for and identifies suitable volunteer candidates for such positions through broad outreach throughout the ICANN and related communities as well as the general community. The Nom Com then evaluates the candidates in terms of the needs of the various constituencies for which it recruits and the stated background, qualifications and capabilities of candidates.

In the past, the size of the applicant pool has been approximately 80-100 applicants and the candidates have come from up to 50 countries in all regions of the world.

The nomination/selection process is necessarily as transparent as possible, consistent with both ICANN Bylaws and the open culture in which a diverse group of professionals and volunteers operate. However, the identities of the candidates are held in strict confidence throughout the process.

Due to the substantial and growing amount of work involved in the selection process, the 2009 Nom Com will be obtaining outside assistance for an initial, globally harmonized candidate assessment phase based on the following criteria of the assessment organization: skill and sensitivity as interviewers, capability to handle the assessments within the designated timeframe and fees/costs for performing the assessment.

Qualifications/Experience

Expressions of Interest are requested from organizations having the following qualifications/experience:

Experience in assessing professional candidates for leadership positions in not-for-profit and for-profit organizations based on pre-defined criteria.
Experience in performing confidential, detailed background screenings of potential candidates based on pre-defined criteria.
Experience in conducting telephone interviews. All interviewers should have experience in dealing with non-native English speakers and have the ability to provide accurate assessments of such candidates.
Ability to collate and present all assessment data in a comprehensive report format and to provide guidance regarding applications that fail to meet any initial screening requirements
Ability to respond promptly to a stream of assessment requests and provide prompt updates for the Nom Com's deliberations.
Ability to ensure strict confidentiality of all of its work for the Nom Com.

Tasks to be undertaken

Establish a management regime that can respond rapidly to statements of interest received from countries in all regions of the world.
For each candidate passing the initial assessment round conducted by the Nom Com [normally in the range of half the total number of applicants], contact the candidate by telephone (unless otherwise instructed by the Nom Com) and perform an assessment of the candidate's qualifications vis-à-vis both an established set of written requirements, as provided by the Nom Com, for each of the positions applied for and an assessment of the candidate's relative maturity, experience and passion for the positions.
Perform detailed and highly confidential background screenings of potential candidates.
Provide to the Nom Com a summary of objective findings formed from each candidate interview.
Ensure strict confidentiality of the entire process.

Please note that contact with the candidates should be structured on the basis that the candidates will often be senior level professionals and should be accorded the courtesies and considerations appropriate for their stature. Such contacts should leave the applicant with a positive view of both ICANN and the assessment experience

Expressions of Interest

Expressions of interest should be sent to Maria Farrell, at maria.farrell@icann.org before 24 December 2008 23:59 UTC. The Nom Com expects to choose an organization very shortly thereafter.

Expressions of Interest should respond directly to the above qualifications and to the organization's ability to successfully undertake the above tasks. Reference to similar assignments is desirable.

A cost estimate should be provided, assuming that there will be approximately 100 candidates who will generally apply for 1 position each, and that applications will tend to cluster both the beginning and at the very end of the application period of 2 December 2008-15 April 2009.

The ICANN Nominating Committee reserves the right to make a choice using its own unstated criteria, not necessarily limited to cost, and it reserves the right to make no choice at all.