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Reviews are important accountability mechanisms that are required by ICANN Bylaws and critical to maintaining a healthy multistakeholder model. There are two categories of reviews: Specific Reviews address a range of specific topics such as Accountability and Transparency (ATRT), Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice (CCT), Security, Stability and Resiliency (SSR) and Registration Directory Service (RDS); Organizational Reviews assess ICANN's Supporting Organizations (SOs) and Advisory Committees (ACs), to determine how effectively they operate, how well they achieve their purpose and how accountable they are to the multistakeholder community. Reviews deliver findings and recommendations to help improve ICANN, its SOs and ACs.
Below, please find a status update for all active Specific and Organizational Reviews that are in the planning, execution, or implementation phase.
What is the Status of Currently Active Specific Reviews?
| Specific Reviews Currently Active | Status | Additional Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Accountability and Transparency (ATRT3) |
The ATRT3 Review Team shared its Terms of Reference and Work Plan with the Board and community. The team is progressing with data collection and analysis, and expects to publish a survey for community input in August 2019. |
Latest news and updates:Wiki Workspace Historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables: Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| Competition, Consumer Trust, and Consumer Choice (CCT) |
On 1 March 2019, the Board took action on each of the 35 recommendations, as specified within the scorecard titled "Final CCT Recommendations: Board Action (1 March 2019)". |
Latest news and updates: Wiki Workspace Historical milestones, outputs, and deliverables: Review Home Page on ICANN.org Review data: Fact Sheet |
| Registration Directory Service Review formerly "WHOIS" (RDS-WHOIS2) |
The review team is working on finalizing its final report. |
Latest news and updates: Wiki Workspace Historical milestones, outputs, and deliverables: Review Home Page on ICANN.org Review data: Fact Sheet
|
| Security, Stability, and Resiliency (SSR2) |
The SSR2 Review Team is continuing its assessment in the detailed scope areas of its review, and advancing the drafting of its report. The team expects to share its draft findings and recommendations with the community at ICANN66 in Montreal. |
Latest news and updates: Wiki Workspace Historical milestones, outputs, and deliverables: Review Home Page on ICANN.org Review data: Fact Sheet |
What is the Status of Currently Active Organizational Reviews?
| Organizational Reviews currently active | Status | Additional Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Address Supporting Organization (ASO2) | The NRO is currently assessing the Final Report of the independent examiner. | Find essential milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the ASO Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| At-Large (At-Large2) |
At-Large adopted a detailed implementation plan and implementation is underway. ALAC will update the OEC on the implementation process every six months via written progress reports. Anticipated completion date of implementation is December 2020. |
Find latest news and progress updates on the At-Large/ALAC Review Wiki Workspace and historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the At-Large Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO2) |
Meridian Institute, the independent examiner conducting the ccNSO2 Review, published its draft final report for public comment. The draft final report contains an assessment of the ccNSO and recommendations for improving its operations. This public comment proceeding, available until 4 August 2019, follows publication of the assessment report on 5 April 2019. The final report is expected to be published in August 2019. |
Find historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the ccNSO Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO2) | The Board accepted the GNSO's final implementation plan in January 2019. The GNSO3 review, starting June 2021, will mark the third round of organizational reviews. | Find latest news and progress updates on the GNSO Review Wiki Workspace and historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the GNSO Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| Nominating Committee (NomCom2) |
The ICANN Board accepted the final report and Feasibility Assessment and Initial Implementation Plan in March 2019. The implementation working group will now develop a detailed implementation plan, to be submitted to the Board by 14 September 2019. |
Find latest news and progress updates on the NomCom Review Wiki Workspace and historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the NomCom Review Home page on ICANN.org. |
| Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC2) |
Based on its detailed review of the final report, the RSSAC Review Work Party (RWP) has prepared its Feasibility Assessment and Initial Implementation Plan (FAIIP). The document has been submitted to the OEC. Board action on next steps, including implementation is anticipated for the first Board meeting after ICANN64. |
Find latest news and progress updates on the RSSAC Review Wiki Workspace and historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the RSSAC Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
| Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC2) |
Analysis Group, the independent examiner, published its final report on 17 December 2018. The SSAC Review Working Party will now prepare a Feasibility Assessment and Initial Implementation Plan based on the final report. |
Find latest news and progress updates on the SSAC Review Wiki Workspace and historical milestones, outputs, and final deliverables on the SSAC Review Home Page on ICANN.org. |
Tools and Resources Available to You
The Specific Reviews Page and Organizational Reviews Page each provide an introduction to Specific and Organizational Reviews and the process that each follows. From these pages, you can also find links to detailed information on the individual reviews that make up each category. Information is broken into:
Review Home Pages that provide permanent files of essential milestones, outputs, and final deliverables for each review.
Review Wiki Workspaces that provide the latest information of the work of reviews teams including opportunities to participate.
If you are new to ICANN Reviews, we recommend visiting "Getting Started with Reviews" for a step-by-step guide to learn about reviews and the best practices for getting involved.
Timing of Specific Reviews
The Review Timeline provides a snapshot of the active Specific Reviews (in blue) and Organizational Reviews (in orange). The timeline is broken down into planning and execution phases (darker shade), and the implementation phase (lighter shade) for each review. For a more detailed overview of the review phases, visit the Process Flow infographics.
Review Cycle Overview
The Review Cycle Overview provides an expanded timeline to demonstrate the past, current, and future Specific Reviews (in blue) and Organizational Reviews (in orange) over an extended timeline of 22 years.
(1) Board Resolution to defer Specific Reviews: click here.
(2) Public Comment on deferral of country code names supporting organization (ccNSO) Review: click here.
(3) ASO Memorandum of Understanding: click here. Under this agreement between ICANN and the Number Resource Organization (NRO), the NRO shall fulfill the role, responsibilities and functions of the ASO as defined within the ICANN Bylaws. With reference to the provisions of Article IV, Section 4 of the ICANN
Bylaws the NRO shall provide its own review mechanisms.
Review Timing and Triggers
ICANN Bylaws Section 4.6 mandate the triggers that cause Specific Reviews to commence:
(vi) The Accountability and Transparency Review shall be conducted no less frequently than every five years measured from the date the previous Accountability and Transparency Review Team was convened.
(v) The SSR Review shall be conducted no less frequently than every five years, measured from the date the previous SSR Review Team was convened.
(ii) After a New gTLD Round has been in operation for one year, the Board shall cause a competition, consumer trust and consumer choice review as specified in this Section 4.6(d) ("CCT Review").
(v) The Directory Service Review shall be conducted no less frequently than every five years, measured from the date the previous Directory Service Review Team was convened, except that the first Directory Service Review to be conducted after 1 October 2016 shall be deemed to be timely if the applicable Directory Service Review Team is convened on or before 31 October 2016.
ICANN Bylaws Article/Section 4.4 mandate the triggers that cause Specific Reviews to commence:
Organizational Reviews: These periodic reviews shall be conducted no less frequently than every five years, based on feasibility as determined by the Board. Each five-year cycle will be computed from the moment of the reception by the Board of the final report of the relevant review Working Group.