[council] Board review of the GNSO Council

["Bruce Tonkin" <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All,

Article IV, Section 4 of the ICANN bylaws requires the ICANN Board to
organise regular reviews of each Supporting Organisation, Council, and
Advisory Committee.  The relevant bylaw text is included at the end of
this message.

The first review is a review of the GNSO Council (rather than the whole
GNSO supporting organisation).  This is due to be completed before the
ICANN annual general meeting in Dec 04.

The review must be undertaken by an entity or entities independent of
the GNSO Council.

The goal of the review is:

(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 criteria and standards for the review are set by the Board.

I recommend that the GNSO Council carry out a "self-review" to provide a
starting document for the external review.

The recommend that the Council form a small sub-committee to establish
the process and questions to be considered for the self-review for
consideration by the whole Council.

A good starting point for such a sub-committee would be to hold a
teleconference amongst those that attended a meeting with the ICANN
staff in Kuala Lumpur to discuss ways of improving the interaction
between the Council and ICANN staff.

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin

http://www.icann.org/general/bylaws.htm#IV

Section 4. PERIODIC REVIEW OF ICANN STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

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. 

2. The first of such reviews, to be initiated no later than 15 December
2003 and to be completed in time for Board consideration at ICANN's
annual meeting in 2004, shall be of the GNSO Council and the ICANN Root
Server System Advisory Committee. The second of such reviews, to be
initiated no later than 15 November 2004 and to be completed in time for
Board consideration at ICANN's annual meeting in 2005, shall be of the
ccNSO, the ccNSO Council, and such other organizations as the Board may
designate.

3. The Governmental Advisory Committee shall provide its own review
mechanisms.