RE: [council] For your review: NomCom ICANN job description

["Marilyn Cade" <marilynscade@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd suggest that any comments about the outcome of the review are premature
and prejudicial, thus, whether there will be bylaw changes related to terms
of reference seem premature.

Indeed the Board needs to put together a broader set of processes and that
issue should be part of the larger set of improvements/supportive
activities.

Otherwise, I can agree with Chuck's suggestions in general. 

Marilyn 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Gomes, Chuck
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 4:47 PM
To: Maria Farrell; Council GNSO
Subject: RE: [council] For your review: NomCom ICANN job description

Maria,

Here is some personal feedback regarding the NomCom job descriptions for
ICANN leadership positions.

Item 3 under criteria and time commitments applicable to all positions
on page 2 says, "Persons who will produce the broadest cultural and
geographic diversity on the Board consistent with meeting the other
criteria set forth in this Section".  As done in other places in the
document, assuming this is not a direct quote from the Bylaws, I would
add the phrase "in the aggregate" so that it reads, "Persons who will in
the aggregate produce the broadest cultural and geographic diversity on
the Board consistent with meeting the other criteria set forth in this
Section".

As a general comment, I would suggest that required criteria be
distinguished from desired criteria.

Regarding Additional Considerations for GNSO Council Eligibility Factors
on page 7, I think that "a basic understanding of the DNS" should be
added as a required qualification.  Without a minimal understanding of
the DNS, it is near impossible to function effectively on the GNSO
Council without a great deal of special prep time.  It is my
understanding that the NomCom is now treating this as a required
criterion, but it would probably be good to capture it in the document.

In the same section, the last paragraph says, "The Bylaws do not state a
limit on the number of terms GNSO Council members may serve."  Depending
on what happens with the GNSO Council motion recommending term limits
for Council reps, it might be helpful to add a statement noting that a
term limits proposal is currently under consideration.

Chuck  

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Maria Farrell
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 7:23 AM
To: 'Council GNSO'
Subject: [council] For your review: NomCom ICANN job description

Dear Council members,

Following last week's very productive meeting between the Nominating
Committee and GNSO Councillors in Sao Paulo, I'm following up with you
on matching the requirements for NomCom Council roles with Councillors'
considered views.

Attached is the Nominating Committee's 'job description' for NomCom
roles.
The Nominating Committee leadership would appreciate it if you could
review the document to make sure it provides relevant and appropriate
guidance on the time commitment and skills required of NomCom appointees
to the GNSO Council. Input on the general ICANN description would also
be appreciated.
For your convenience, I've re-produced the relevant sections below. 

Your input will help ICANN describe more accurately the skill-sets
needed to be a GNSO Councillor, and will also help NomCom to evaluate
candidates effectively.

Could you please send me any input you may have by 10th January, latest?
Either focused comments or redline changes to the draft would be
helpful. 

I will then compile all the input received, reference Glen's research
last year on the role of a GNSO Councillor, and send a comprehensive
response to the NomCom leadership. I will also send a copy to the GNSO
Council. 

All the best, Maria


1       Position and Roles, Eligibility Factors, and Time Commitments

Position: GNSO Council

Number of Seats: 1

Start of Term: Conclusion of Annual Meeting 200x

End of Term: Conclusion of Annual Meeting 200x

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is a policy-development
body responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board
substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains. The GNSO
consists of various Constituencies representing particular groups of
stakeholders and a GNSO Council, responsible for managing the policy
development and administrative processes of the GNSO. The GNSO
Constituencies choose the majority of the Council members; Nominating
Committee chooses three Council members with staggered terms. The GNSO
also includes a liaison from the ALAC and the Governmental Advisory
Committee.
Liaison activities from the ASO and ccNSO are under development.

GNSO Council Members receive no compensation for their services as GNSO
Council Members. ICANN provides administrative and operational support
necessary for the GNSO to carry out its responsibilities through the
GNSO Secretariat. Most recently ICANN also provides staff support for
policy development. As stated in the ICANN Bylaws, such support shall
not include an obligation for ICANN to fund travel expenses incurred by
GNSO participants for travel to any meeting of the GNSO or for any other
purpose.
However, ICANN has customarily furnished travel expenses for Nominating
Committee appointed Council members to ICANN meetings. This custom is
planned to continue, but is subject to the Bylaw statement. [Bylaws
Article X, Section 4, see http://www.icann.org/general/bylaws.htm#X-4]

Nominating Committee will use the Criteria for Selection of ICANN
Directors (see above) in choosing Selected Nominees for the GNSO
Council. GNSO Council members are expected to support the ICANN mission
and the implementation of ICANN's Core Values.

Nominating Committee will also take into account the following
eligibility factors and additional considerations.

GNSO Council Eligibility Factors

1. No person who serves on the Nominating Committee in any capacity is
eligible for selection by any means to any position on the Board or any
other ICANN body having one or more membership positions that the
Nominating Committee is responsible for filling, until the conclusion of
an ICANN annual meeting that coincides with, or is after, the conclusion
of that person's service on the Nominating Committee. [Bylaws, Article
VII, Section 8, see http://www.icann.org/general/bylaws.htm#VII-8]

2. No more than one officer, director, or employee of any particular
corporation or other organization (including its subsidiaries and
affiliates) shall serve on the GNSO Council at any given time. [Bylaws,
Article X, Section 3(5), see
http://www.icann.org/general/bylaws.htm#X-3.5]

Additional Considerations

For the GNSO Council position, specific experience related to the scope
of the GNSO's work with the Domain Name System would be advantageous.

The current composition of the GNSO Council is available here
http://gnso.icann.org/council/members.shtml

The Bylaws do not state a limit on the number of terms GNSO Council
members may serve.

Time Commitment

The basic responsibilities of a GNSO Council member would spend at least
18 hours per month on Council related activities, with those chairing or
participating in committees or task forces spending at up to 50 hours a
month. Task force members and councillors are not compensated for either
time or teleconference costs.


2       About ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a
non-profit, private-sector corporation that serves as a major technical
coordination body for the Internet. Created in 1998 by a joint
initiative of the Internet's business, technical, academic, and user
communities, ICANN has been gradually assuming the responsibility for a
set of technical functions previously performed under US government
contract by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and other
groups. ICANN is a California public benefit, non-profit corporation.

ICANN's mission is "to coordinate, at the overall level, the global
Internet's systems of unique identifiers, and in particular to ensure
the stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier
systems. In particular, ICANN:

1. Coordinates the allocation and assignment of the three sets of unique
identifiers for the Internet, which are:

a. Domain names (forming a system referred to as "DNS");

b. Internet protocol ("IP") addresses and autonomous system ("AS")
numbers; and

c. Protocol port and parameter numbers.

2. Coordinates the operation and evolution of the DNS root name server
system

3. Coordinates policy development reasonably and appropriately related
to these technical functions.
<http://www.icann.org/general/bylaws.htm#I>

ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the
Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of
global Internet communities; and to developing policy appropriate to its
mission through bottom-up consensus-based processes.

Criteria and time commitments applicable to all positions

NomCom will use the Criteria for Selection of ICANN Directors contained
in the ICANN Bylaws for all four sets of positions it will fill. These
Criteria
are:

1. "Accomplished persons of integrity, objectivity, and intelligence,
with reputations for sound judgment and open minds, and a demonstrated
capacity for thoughtful group decision-making;

2. Persons with an understanding of ICANN's mission and the potential
impact of ICANN decisions on the global Internet community, and
committed to the success of ICANN;

3. Persons who will produce the broadest cultural and geographic
diversity on the Board consistent with meeting the other criteria set
forth in this Section;

4. Persons who, in the aggregate, have personal familiarity with the
operation of gTLD registries and registrars; with ccTLD registries; with
IP address registries; with Internet technical standards and protocols;
with policy-development procedures, legal traditions, and the public
interest; and with the broad range of business, individual, academic,
and non-commercial users of the Internet;

5. Persons who are willing to serve as volunteers, without compensation
other than the reimbursement of certain expenses; and

6. Persons who are able to work and communicate in written and spoken
English."

Given ICANN's Mission and Core Values, the nominees engage in
discussions on the technical functions coordinated by ICANN and their
impact on the global Internet operation, such as its stability and
integrity, or the effect on the users of the Internet. Appointees
interact in a diverse environment, involving ICANN Board, ICANN
Supporting Organizations and Constituencies, or Advisory Committees, as
well as the broad Internet community, by means of a continuous,
transparent and informed dialogue, as it corresponds to the ICANN multi
stakeholder concept.

Appointees will be part of groups which function better in a collegial
and cooperative manner but in which individuals must also be prepared
for intense debate in which tolerance and reasoning are necessary to
accommodate and synthesize conflicting views. Careful consideration of
the issues, depth of study of the precedents and environment, and the
ability to deal clearly with conflict, including potentially conflict of
interest, are predictors of successful contributions to ICANN.

NomCom welcomes and encourages participation from all members of the
global Internet community. Although Candidates should be able to both
work and communicate well in English, there is no requirement that
English be the candidate's first language.

The time commitments identified below are a basic requirement and the
NomCom anticipates that in most cases people will spend more time rather
than less.
All appointees should expect to spend an additional significant amount
of time when joining ICANN on training and learning about the
organization, its mission, history and mode of operation. All NomCom
appointees are expected to travel and participate in ICANN meetings.