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EXTENDED: Proposed Schedule and Process/Operational Improvements for AoC and Organization Reviews

2 July 2015

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The Public Comment period for the Proposed Schedule and Process/Operational Improvements for AoC and Organizational Reviews has been extended. In view of the interest displayed by the community at ICANN53 in Buenos Aires, and in view of the impact that this has on the workload of the community, the comment period has been extended to 8 July 2015.

The purpose of this Public Comment posting is to request community feedback on a proposed schedule and process, including operational improvements, for Reviews mandated by the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC Reviews) and the ICANN Bylaws (Organizational Reviews). The request for the community is based on both appreciating the community's workload and the timing of several Reviews in FY2016. Based on the terms of the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) and ICANN Bylaws, seven Reviews are scheduled to take place in FY20161, in addition to the finalization of the GNSO Review. Under the AoC, these Reviews would be: Security, Stability and Resiliency Review (SSR2); WHOIS Policy Review (WHOIS2); and Competition, Consumer Choice & Consumer Trust (CCT). Under bylaw mandated Organizational Reviews, these would be: At Large2, NomCom2, SSAC2, and RSSAC2.

Specifically, three AoC Reviews and initial work on the At-Large Review are proposed for FY2016, and three Organizational Reviews would be deferred until FY2017. Timing for the Competition, Consumer Choice & Consumer Trust Review is not impacted by this proposal – this Review will commence as scheduled, with a call for volunteers in September 2015. In addition to suggesting an approach to adjusting the schedule to accommodate the workload for the community, several improvements are proposed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Reviews, per community suggestions.

Of note for this consultation is recognizing that the CCWG Accountability process is considering recommendations to include the AoC Reviews into the ICANN Bylaws, which may adjust the timing if needed.

ICANN is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the AoC and Bylaws, and stands ready to implement the mandated Review schedule, unless a suitable alternative is agreed upon with the Community. This public consultation and the proposed alternative schedule presented for consideration arises in large part after stakeholder requests for relief from the unplanned confluence of Reviews, as the large number of simultaneous Reviews will have significant impact on ICANN stakeholders' capacity as well as ICANN resources. While it is important to meet ICANN's commitments to fulfill accountability obligations, it is also important to be responsive to community's workload concerns.

The proposed timeline and process/operating improvements are more fully outlined in the Public Comment announcement and the public session in Buenos Aires including a summary of comments received during the session.