Public Comment

Public Comment is a vital part of our multistakeholder model. It provides a mechanism for stakeholders to have their opinions and recommendations formally and publicly documented. It is an opportunity for the ICANN community to effect change and improve policies and operations.

Phase II of Public Comments Process Enhancements

Comment Period Important Information Links
Open Date: 31 Aug 2011
Close Date: Comments: 30 Sep 2011
Replies: 15 Oct 2011
(see note in Purpose)

Public Comment Announcement

Reply Cycle Announcement

To Submit Your Comments (Forum Closed)
Time (UTC): 23:59 View Comments Submitted

Report of Public Comments

Analysis of Public Comments

Originating Organization: ICANN Staff - Policy Development Support Department
Purpose: The purpose of this solicitation is to request community feedback concerning three of the Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) recommendations [PDF, 876 KB] (#15, 16, and 17) that affect the way ICANN publishes and manages Public Comments. These recommendations, which comprise Phase II of the Public Comments Improvement program, address:
  • Stratification: Categorize topics to assist the community understand the subject matter and inform a participation decision.
  • Prioritization: Assist community members in determining the importance or urgency of a solicitation by providing key information.
  • Comment/Reply Cycles: Structure the community's input process into an initial period for submitting new comments followed by a separate reply period during which community respondents would be able to address and rebut arguments raised in opposing parties' previous comments.

A fourth area involving Technical Forum Improvements is also incorporated into this solicitation.

Please see the following report entitled Public Comments Proposed Process Enhancements-Phase II [PDF, 148 KB].

Note: As an initial test of this concept, the comment forum on this paper will introduce a Reply Cycle. At the conclusion of the initial comment period (30 September) and assuming that on-topic submissions have been received, the comment period will be extended for an additional 15 days (15 October). During this extension, contributors are asked to address any additional submissions to previously posted comments. For each such reply, it will be helpful to everyone for the contributor to cite the original poster's name, comment date, and any particular text that is pertinent. At the conclusion of the full comment period, ICANN plans to seek feedback concerning the process and what changes or enhancements might make it more useful and productive. A consolidated report of the forum submissions will incorporate both the initial comment and subsequent reply periods.
Current Status: Phase I of the Public Comments Improvement initiative was completed effective 30 June 2011 and included completely redesigned web pages, improved navigation menus, the addition of a new Upcoming Topics page, and the development of internal Staff templates to facilitate publication and ensure presentation consistency. The Phase II improvements (Stratification, Prioritization, Comment/Reply Cycles, and Technical Forum Improvements) are targeted for implementation on or before 31 December 2011. Integral to that preparation, this Public Comment solicitation requests community feedback concerning planned enhancements in these four areas.
Next Steps: Upon completion of this Public Comment period (45 days total), Staff will evaluate the community feedback for impacts on plans and processes that are targeted for 31 December 2011 implementation.
Staff Contact: Filiz Yilmaz Email: participate@icann.org