Having a comprehensive understanding of different specialized areas and how they work together is important for the success of any major initiative. Work Track 9, Overarching Considerations, is responsible for topics that are included in the Final Report on the New Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Subsequent Procedures Policy Development Process but that are not Final Report "outputs" – affirmations, recommendations, or implementation guidance.
The scope of this work track touches on multiple topics, such as security and stability (Topic 26), name collisions (Topic 29), and the new Base Registry Agreement (Topic 36), and others that may impact the ICANN Board's consideration of the new gTLD SubPro policy recommendations. This also includes coordination with the Global Public Interest Framework and the Expedited Policy Development Process on Internationalized Domain Names. Work Track 9 is also responsible for monitoring dependencies related to advice from advisory committees and SubPro Final Report outputs, and determining how and when the Board may need to take action.
The SubPro ODP is a complex effort with many interrelated and connected components. While most of the topics and outputs for the Final Report were easily categorized into the first eight work tracks, the ODP team recognized the need for having a work track that could consider the interconnections and dynamics among the work tracks, and monitor other ongoing activities.
To execute its work, the Work Track 9 team holds a variety of cross-functional meetings with subject-matter experts, and coordinates the collaboration of various work track leads whose topics relate to overarching concepts. Work Track 9 also closely follows the interactions between the Board and different Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees, as well as updates provided by different community groups, such as the Name Collision Analysis Project Discussion Working Group.
One of the challenges of a work track that follows issues and topics that are the subject of ongoing discussion is providing the most up-to-date information and salient analysis to the Board. These include topics such as contractual changes and issues that are being explored by the community (e.g., name collision). Throughout the drafting process, the Work Track 9 team has had the responsibility of updating and reconfiguring the information presented in a way that best highlights the changes and updates as they take place.
We anticipate that the Work Track 9 team will continue to follow these topics and issues to ensure that they are accounted for and incorporated into the next round of work after the SubPro ODP has been completed. Members of Work Track 9, and all other work track members, will remain available to provide support to the Board on these topics.
You can find our previously published work track blogs and all information related to the New gTLD SubPro ODP on this dedicated webpage. If you have any questions, please email us at subpro-odp@icann.org.
