[council] GNSO Review: Further information

[Liz Williams <liz.williams@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Colleagues

I said in my mail last week that I would provide updated information  
about the GNSO Review as soon as I could.
Later today a press release will be issued and a posting to the ICANN  
website will announce that the London School of Economics' Public  
Policy Group has been chosen by the ICANN Board to conduct the  
Review.  The relevant Board resolutions are found below -- this is a  
copy of my email which I sent early last week.  That email also set  
out other things like public comments periods and background  
documentation.
The Review team, lead by Professor Patrick Dunleavy, have begun their  
work and will be in touch with Constituency Chairs seeking the  
assistance of constituency members in responding to the Review.  I  
would urge Council members to look at the Terms of Reference again  
and familiarise themselves with the work that needs to be conducted.
A key element of the Review will be an online survey which will be  
launched later this week.  In addition, face to face interviews and  
sessions will be conducted by the Review team at the Wellington  
meetings.
If I can answer any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.   
If you wish to get in touch with the Review team directly, you can  
email Simon Bastow (s.j.bastow@xxxxxxxxx) or Jane Tinkler  
(j.tinkler@xxxxxxxxx)
Kind regards.

Liz



I have copied here my mail from last week which set out the  
background to the Review.
...

For the benefit of Council members who have not been involved in the  
establishment of the Review, I've provided some easy to navigate  
background.  I hope this also helps other Council members with their  
preparation for the Review.
1.  The July 2005 Luxembourg Resolution initiated the Review and  
started a process of discussion between the Board, Council, and Staff  
on the establishment of the Terms of Reference. (http://www.icann.org/ 
minutes/resolutions-15jul05.htm#p4)
2.  The December 2005 Vancouver Resolution approved the Terms of  
Reference which had been developed in consultation with individual  
members of the Board, Council and Staff (http://www.icann.org/minutes/ 
resolutions-04dec05.htm.)   A 21 day public comment period about the  
draft Terms of Reference was conducted between 27 October 2005 and 17  
November 2005.   The archive of comments is at http://forum.icannorg/ 
lists/gnso-review-tor/
3.  The 14 December 2005 ICANN website posting sought requests for  
proposals from independent evaluators (http://www.icann.org/ 
announcements/announcement-14dec05.htm).
4.  The 21 Feb 2006 Board Resolution approved the appointment of an  
independent team of evaluators but is not available online as yet.
5.  Background documents on the GNSO Review can be found at http:// 
www.icann.org/gnso/review-tor-background-04nov05.htm.  These include  
the recommendations from the GNSO Council Review, the relevant ICANN  
By laws and other helpful information.
6.  The Terms of Reference can be found at http://www.icann.org/gnso/ 
review-reference-terms-27oct05.htm.
7.  Article IV Section 4 of ICANN's Bylaws (http://www.icann.org/ 
general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-08apr05.htm#IV) gives guidance about  
the conduct of the review and I've copied it here for easy  
reference.  I have added some emphasis which may provide  
clarification about the process.
1. The Board shall cause a periodic review, if feasible no less  
frequently than every three years, of the performance and operation  
of each Supporting Organization, each Supporting Organization  
Council, each Advisory Committee (other than the Governmental  
Advisory Committee), and the Nominating Committee by an entity or  
entities independent of the organization under review. The goal of  
the review, to be undertaken pursuant to such criteria and standards  
as the Board shall direct, shall be to determine (i) whether that  
organization has a continuing purpose in the ICANN structure, and  
(ii) if so, whether any change in structure or operations is  
desirable to improve its effectiveness. The results of such reviews  
shall be posted on the Website for public review and comment, and  
shall be considered by the Board no later than the second scheduled  
meeting of the Board after such results have been posted for 30 days.  
The consideration by the Board includes the ability to revise the  
structure or operation of the parts of ICANN being reviewed by a two- 
thirds vote of all members of the Board.
Finally, ICANN Bylaws Article X, Section 5 which deals with the  
GNSO's operating procedures.
.....................................................

Liz Williams
Senior Policy Counselor
ICANN - Brussels
+32 2 234 7874 tel
+32 2 234 7848 fax
+32 497 07 4243 mob