Minutes | Board Organizational Effectiveness Committee (OEC) Meeting 5 October 2020

OEC Attendees: Avri Doria – Chair, Becky Burr, Danko Jevtovic, Lito Ibarra, Mandla Msimang, Ihab Osman and Matthew Shears

Invited Board Attendees from Board Caucus on Accountability and Transparency Review 3 (ATRT3): Manal Ismail and León Sánchez

Invited Board Attendees from Board Caucus on Budgeting and Prioritization of Community Recommendations (BPCR): Maarten Botterman

BPCR Apologies: Ron da Silva and Tripti Sinha

Other Board Attendee: Göran Marby (President and CEO)

Executive and Staff Attendees: Jean-Baptiste Deroulez (Associate Project Manager, Review Operations & Accountability), Michelle Bright (Board Content Coordination Director), Jennifer Bryce (Associate Project Manager, Review Operations & Accountability), Xavier Calvez (SVP, Planning and Chief Financial Officer), Franco Carrasco (Board Operations Specialist), Steve Conte (Director, IROS Operations), Samantha Eisner (Deputy General Counsel), Negar Farzinnia (Director, Implementation Operations), Larisa Gurnick (VP, Review Operations & Accountability), John Jeffrey (General Counsel & Secretary), Vinciane Koenigsfeld (Senior Director, Board Operations), Laena Rahim (Regional Counsel, APAC), Lisa Saulino (Board Operations Specialist), Amy Stathos (Deputy General Counsel), Theresa Swinehart (SVP, Global Domains and Strategy) and Mary Wong (VP, Strategic Community Operations, Planning & Engagement)

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The following is a summary of discussions, decisions, and actions identified:

The Meeting was called to order at 20:00 UTC.

1. Agenda – The Chair established the agenda for the meeting and gave an overview of items to be discussed.

2. Discussion on Identified Issues Related to the Streamlining of Organizational and Specific Reviews – The OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group continued their ongoing dialogue on the significant dependencies and implications for the work on streamlining of reviews. The objective of the discussion is to continue to find ways to address any gaps, leading to a way forward toward improving the effectiveness and impact of reviews, with emphasis on the confluence of the OEC's work to streamline reviews, in alignment with Board action on ATRT3 recommendation on reviews.

   During the joint meeting between the OEC and the BPCR on 25 August 2020, ICANN organization briefed on issues previously identified by the Board and/or the community in relation to the streamlining of Organizational and Specific Reviews and encapsulating the work that has been done thus far to address those issues by the ATRT3, the community, the OEC and ICANN org. ICANN org elaborated on some of the problems identified (e.g. issues relating to the scope of reviews, review outputs and implementation of prior review recommendations) and the ATRT3 recommendations in relation to the Assessment of Periodic (now Specific) and Organizational Reviews and the Prioritization and Rationalization of Activities, Policies and Recommendations.

   Pursuant to ICANN org's brief recap of the discussion between the OEC and the BPCR on 25 August 2020 the OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group engaged in an in-depth discussion on this topic.

   As a way forward, and as part of the process of reviewing the ATRT3 recommendations to help inform Board consideration and action, the OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group collectively agreed that they would proceed to discuss this topic in a more structured and constructive manner. The OEC noted that it is important to start from a positive assumption that the recommendations can be accepted in full, as opposed to starting from an assumption that there might be problems inherent in accepting the recommendations.

   It is anticipated that the OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group will engage with the ATRT3 Implementation Shepherds to obtain clarification on some elements of the ATRT3 recommendations, and to address some of the questions which have been previously raised and yet remain unanswered. For instance, with regards to the proposed continuous improvement program, significant input and consultation are required from the community, and various operational elements would need to be developed and/or resolved. Implementing an effective continuous improvement program would also require dedicated resources, skills, expertise, and testing to ensure the desired outcome can be achieved. The engagement with the ATRT3 Implementation Shepherds would also assist the OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group in obtaining clarification on the ATRT3 recommendations which may require Bylaw amendments.

   The OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group concurred that the discussions on ATRT3 recommendations will have to take into account the broader work on streamlining of reviews (e.g. the timing, frequency and duration of reviews; the process and means by which the review is carried out; the effectiveness of recommendations and how they are implemented; and the prioritization of community recommendations).

   The OEC, the BPCR and the ATRT3 Board Caucus Group will engage in further discussions on this topic.

   The Chair called the meeting to a close.

Published on 3 November 2020