ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

>>VINT CERF: I ASK THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CHATTING TO EITHER STOP CHATTING OR GO OUT INTO THE HALL SO WE CAN START WITH THIS MEETING.
LET ME SAY FROM THE OUTSET THAT THE INPUT THAT IS COMING FROM THIS SESSION AND THE OTHER SESSIONS ARE BEING ABSORBED AND, IN ONE CASE, ANYWAY, THE MOST RECENTLY, YOU HAVE SUMMARY EDITING THAT'S BEEN DONE ON A DOCUMENT. BUT NOT ALL OF THE INPUTS HAVE BEEN IMMEDIATELY AMENABLE TO INCORPORATION INTO THE DOCUMENT. THEY'VE SIMPLY BEEN NOTED AND LISTED.
SO WHAT I EXPECT WILL HAPPEN IS AFTER THIS SESSION HAS FINISHED, THE STAFF WILL TAKE NOTE OF ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS, AND THEN I'VE ASKED THEM TO PREPARE A REPORT THAT SUMMARIZES ALL OF THIS AND EVALUATES TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE THE IMPLICATIONS OF SOME -- OF ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THEN WE WOULD ISSUE ANOTHER VERSION.
ONE THING I WANT TO STRESS IS THAT ALTHOUGH ALL OF US ARE HERE, MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN ARE NOT, AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE PARTIES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON ANY REVISIONS THAT ARE MADE OR PROPOSED.
SO I EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THIS MEETING WHEN WE WANT TO INVITE COMMENTARY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND.
SO WITH THAT PROVISO, I TURN THIS OVER NOW TO PATRICK SHARRY TO CONDUCT THIS SESSION.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THAT BETTER. LOVELY.
CAN I JUST ISSUE AN INVITATION THAT YOU CAN ACCEPT OR REJECT AS YOU SEE FIT, THAT THOSE OF YOU INVOLVED IN THIS DISCUSSION MIGHT WANT TO COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. WE'RE A REASONABLY SMALL NUMBER OF BODIES IN A BIG HALL, SO THAT WOULD HELP US A LITTLE BIT WITH OUR DISCUSSION, I THINK.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION THAT WE WANT FOR PLANNING PROCESSES GOING FORWARD.
I'LL JUST GET STEVE TO PUT UP THE NEXT SLIDE. I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT AWAY NEED TO CONSIDER THIS AFTERNOON, AND I'VE PUT TOGETHER A SUGGESTED LIST. IT'S NOT -- DEFINITELY NOT RESTRICTIVE, EXCEPT FOR ONE THING THAT I'LL MENTION IN A MOMENT, AND I'LL ALSO SUGGEST THAT IT MAY NOT BE COMPLETE. BUT IT'S THE SORT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, SO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF PLANS WE WANT AND HOW THEY'LL BE RELATED TO EACH OTHER, WHAT THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD PLAN ARE, WHO THE PLAN IS FOR, HOW THE PROCESS WILL BE MANAGED, WHAT SORT OF CONSULTATION WE WANT, HOW WILL THE DRAFTING AND WRITING HAPPEN, AND OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THAT CONTEXT.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT THIS AFTERNOON IS NOT ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE CURRENT PLAN. WE HAD A MEETING ON MONDAY AND ANOTHER ON TUESDAY, ONE ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL ASPECT, THE OTHER ABOUT THE STRATEGIC ASPECT THAT DEALT WITH THOSE THINGS, SO I WOULD ASK THAT THIS AFTERNOON WE REALLY FOCUS ON THE PROCESS ELEMENT.
I HAVE STEVE OVER THERE WHO HAS SITTING ON HIS LAPTOP READY TO GO IF WE NEED IT A BIT OF A TIMER BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING FROM DISCUSSIONS I'VE HAD WITH PEOPLE OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, THIS MAY VERY WELL BE AN ISSUE WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SPEAK, AND WE MAY, JUST IN TERMS OF GETTING US OUT ON TIME, NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT DRACONIAN IN HOW WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE BEING ON TIME. WE MAY NOT HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF GETTING PEOPLE OUT ON TIME TO GO TO FOOTBALL, WE MAY NEED TO ADOPT THAT SORT OF MEASURE.
AS WE HAVE DONE THE LAST TWO DAYS WE WILL RUN AN OPEN MIKE, OR TWO OPEN MIKES.
I KNOW THAT AT LEAST ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT THEY'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE AMSTERDAM MEETING, AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE US THROUGH THAT, AND IN A MOMENT THAT MIGHT BE A REASONABLE PLACE TO START, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE LOTS OF VIEWS ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, AND WE'LL JUST LET THE MIKES RUN AND THE CONVERSATIONS FLOW.
CHUCK AND MARILYN, ARE YOU READY TO GO?
>>MARILYN CADE: I THOUGHT I MIGHT SAY A WORD ABOUT THE LEAD-IN TO THE DOCUMENT THAT CHUCK GOMES AND MAUREEN CUBBERLEY AND I ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH, PRIMARILY CHUCK, WITH MAUREEN AND I ANSWERING QUESTIONS. WHEN THE FIRST STRATEGIC PLAN WAS POSTED WE ALL HAD A LOT OF ANGST THAT IT CAME OUT SUDDENLY AND IT WAS QUITE ROBUST AND THERE WAS A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO PROVIDE COMMENT ON IT AND THE GNSO UNDERTOOK TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO ORGANIZE A CONSULTATION AND WAS JOINED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CCNSO, THE ALAC, AND THE ASO TO MEET IN A MEETING IN AMSTERDAM TO WORK ON PROVIDE COMMENTS TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND OUT OF THAT MEETING WE MADE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS. WE RECEIVED AND AGREED TO A SET OF PRINCIPLES THAT WERE BROADLY ENDORSED BY THE PARTICIPANTS.
THE MEETING WAS, IN FACT, WE WOULD ALL THINK, A MICROCOSM OF THOSE WHO MUST PROVIDE INPUT AND ALSO COMMENT, BUT IT DID BEGIN TO PROVIDE A PLACEHOLDER FOR INPUT FROM THE BROAD COMMUNITY IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS IN THE PLAN AT THAT TIME.
SO FROM THAT, BECAUSE WE DID UNDERTAKE TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF A BASELINE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE STAFF ON DEVELOPING THE CONSULTATION PROCESS, CHUCK GOMES, GRANT FORSYTH, MAUREEN CUBBERLEY, AND MYSELF HAVE PUT TOGETHER A SORT OF A STRAW PROPOSAL THAT WE'D LIKE TO TAKE YOU THROUGH. BY NO MEANS SHOULD YOU THINK THAT IT IS A PROPOSAL FROM US, BUT IT IS A SORT OF A STRAW DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN EASILY MODIFY. BUT IT MIGHT PROVIDE US SORT OF A SKELETON FOR US TO TALK AGAINST.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHUCK TO TALK OVER THE OUTLINES.
YOU HAVE A PAPER COPY, IT DOESN'T SAY WHO IT WAS FROM BECAUSE IT IS JUST A DRAFT DOCUMENT BUT IT IS THE FOUR OF US WHO PUT THAT DOCUMENT TOGETHER.
>>CHUCK GOMES: THANKS, PATRICK, AND THANKS MARILYN. AGAIN, THIS IS A DRAFT. HOPEFULLY IT WILL SPUR SOME DISCUSSION. IT MAY BE DECIDED THAT THIS DRAFT IS WAY OFF BASE AND WE SHOULD GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BUT IF NOTHING ELSE IT WILL PROVIDE A BASIS FOR SPURRING DISCUSSION. AND IF IT DOES HAVE SOME VALUE, MAYBE IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL IMPROVE AND GO FORWARD.
OKAY. SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT I THINK WE HAD IN AMSTERDAM AND THAT CERTAINLY WE APPLIED IN THIS DOCUMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE BELIEVE THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS A DYNAMIC DOCUMENT. IT SHOULD BE REFRESHED AT LEAST ANNUALLY. AND THEN EACH TIME THAT'S DONE, EXTEND IT OUT AT LEAST THREE YEARS. NOW, IT COULD BE THAT THAT WILL BE MORE THAN THREE YEARS IN THE FUTURE.
SECONDLY, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS DEVELOPED THROUGH A BOTTOM-UP CONSULTATIVE PROCESS, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN IS TO SET THE LONG-RANGE DIRECTION OF THE ORGANIZATION.
NOW, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAS A PRINTED COPY OF THE DOCUMENT. IT HAS A LITTLE MORE DETAIL THAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THE SLIDES, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S HELPFUL FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE -- AT MY LAPTOP HERE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROCESS THAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS, FIRST OF ALL, TO PROVIDE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF ICANN'S STRATEGIC PLAN. AS ALL OF US KNOW, THIS IS JUST -- WE'RE WORKING WITH JUST A FIRST ITERATION OF THE PLAN RIGHT NOW. I WOULD PREDICT THAT IT WILL GET BETTER EVERY YEAR.
SECONDLY, THE PURPOSE IS TO SUPPORT PREPARATION OF ICANN'S YEARLY OPERATIONAL PLAN WHICH FLOWS FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT IS MORE TECHNICAL IN NATURE.
THIRD, IT'S TO SUPPORT, THEN, AFTER THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, PREPARATION OF THE BUDGET FOR ICANN'S NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS DEVELOPED FROM THE OPERATIONAL PLAN.
NOW, I'M GOING TO SHOW TEN SLIDES PLUS A FEW OTHERS AFTER THAT THAT WILL OUTLINE A PROPOSED TEN-STEP PROCESS THAT WOULD BE APPLIED ANNUALLY OR THAT COULD BE APPLIED ANNUALLY. NOTE THAT THE STEPS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE PERFORMED SERIALLY. THEY CAN -- SOME OF THEM CAN BE PERFORMED CONCURRENTLY, THEREBY MAKING THE TIME PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT.
STEP ONE, WE'RE PROPOSING WHAT WE TERMED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. AND IN THIS STEP, STAFF AND/OR AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT SHOULD UNDERTAKE AN ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT AND FUTURE FACTORS LIKELY TO IMPACT ICANN'S FULFILLMENT OF ITS MISSION.
THAT ASSESSMENT SHOULD INCLUDE, WE THINK, DERIVED CONCLUSIONS, IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OR SCENARIOS, AND SUGGESTED STRATEGIC RESPONSES.
THE REPORT THAT WOULD ACCOMPANY THIS -- THIS REPORT WOULD ACCOMPANY AN EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN AND BE CIRCULATED TO THE ICANN COMMUNITY FOR COMMENT AS YOU'LL SEE LATER IN STEP FOUR.
THE TARGET TIME -- AN ESTIMATED TARGET TIME FRAME FOR THIS STEP WOULD BE IN THE JUNE-JULY TIME FRAME OF EACH YEAR.
STEP 2 WOULD BE A REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR EXPENSES. THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES FOR THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR SHOULD BE EVALUATED RELATIVE TO THE FULFILLMENT OF STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES IN THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND A REPORT WOULD BE PREPARED BY STAFF TO INCLUDE, AND COULD INCLUDE MORE THAN THIS, BUT HERE'S A LIST OF SIX THINGS THAT IT COULD INCLUDE. GOALS ACHIEVED AND THOSE NOT ACHIEVED IN THE JUST-COMPLETING YEAR. SHORTFALLS AND EXCESSES IN BUDGETED FUNDS. IN OTHER WORDS, MEASURING GAPS AND MAYBE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE DISCOVERED.
GOALS THAT NEED TO BE CONTINUED INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. OFTENTIMES THERE WILL BE GOALS THAT WE KNOW WON'T BE COMPLETED IN A PARTICULAR FISCAL YEAR. SOMETIMES WE THINK THEY WILL BE, AND THEY WON'T. AND I THINK ALL OF US WHO ARE INVOLVED IN BUSINESSES KNOW THAT THAT'S THE REALITY OF A STRATEGIC PLAN. YOU CERTAINLY WANT TO MAP OUT YOUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH MANY VARIABLES THAT CAUSE CHANGES IN YOUR TIMING.
FOURTH, ADEQUACY OF FUNDING LEVELS BUDGETED. WERE ADEQUATE RESOURCES BUDGETED FOR THE PARTICULAR TASKS THAT WERE TARGETED.
FIFTH, NEW GOALS INTRODUCED AFTER THE BUDGET WAS FINALIZED. THAT NEVER HAPPENS TO ICANN, DOES IT? THINGS DON'T CHANGE DURING THE YEAR?
WE KNOW IT WILL. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LOOK AT THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT IMPACTED THE BUDGET.
ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT MAY BE USEFUL IN REVISING THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THE TARGET ON THAT WOULD BE THE JUNE/JULY TIME FRAME, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT REALLY CAN'T BE COMPLETED UNTIL AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR IS OVER. BUT POSSIBLY COULD BE STARTED A LITTLE BIT SOONER.
STEP 3 WOULD BE AN ANALYSIS OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR EXPENSES. THIS FLOWS DIRECTLY FROM STEP 2, AND IT WOULD BE AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS PRODUCED IN STEP 2 WITH THE INTENT OF IDENTIFYING ANY POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. IT MAY BE DISCOVERED IN WHAT WAS LEARNED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGET AND OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT SOME MODIFICATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN MAY BE NECESSARY. AND THAT REPORT SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING PUBLIC POSTING ON THE ICANN WEB SITE AND AN ONLINE COMMENT FORM SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE.
NOW, WHENEVER THAT COINCIDES WITH AN ICANN PUBLIC MEETING, USE OF THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR COMMENTS WOULD ALSO BE APPROPRIATE, BUT WE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO PREDICT OR ARRANGE IT SO THAT IT COINCIDES WITH THE PUBLIC MEETING.
AND IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THE TIME FRAME FOR THAT WOULD BE AUGUST.
KEEP IN MIND IN ESTIMATING THESE TIME FRAMES WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY A YEAR CYCLE, FIRST SIX MONTHS FOCUSING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE SECOND FOCUS WORKING ON THE OPERATIONAL PLAN AND THE BUDGET, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, I THINK, PRETTY MUCH CONSENSUS POINTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION.
STEP 4 WOULD BE A STRATEGIC PLAN EVALUATION. AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP THAT INVOLVES QUITE A FEW GROUPS WITHIN THE ICANN COMMUNITY.
SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT EVALUATIONS OF THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN SHOULD BE OBTAINED FROM AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING GROUPS: ICANN STAFF AND DIRECTORS, ICANN SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS, AND THAT COULD BE EITHER A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS OR IF A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE GNSO SO DECIDED, THEY COULD ACTUALLY GET INDIVIDUAL REPORTS FROM THEIR SEPARATE CONSTITUENCIES.
ICANN ADVISORY COMMITTEES AS APPLICABLE. INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ORGANIZATIONS AND/OR INDIVIDUALS. AND I THINK A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT, AT LEAST IF MY OPINION, IS THAT THOSE EVALUATIONS SHOULD BE IN A STANDARDIZED FORMAT TO FACILITATE THEIR PREPARATION, AND ALSO TO MAKE IT EASY TO REVIEW THEM AND ANALYZE THE RESULTS AND PUT THE RESULTS TOGETHER.
THAT COULD BE DONE THROUGH WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRES, ONLINE SURVEYS, OR WHATEVER TOOLS ARE DEEMED MOST EFFECTIVE, BUT IT SEEMS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE BUSY, ALL OF US HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS THAT KEEP US BUSY ENOUGH AS IT IS, TO MAKE THIS EASY TO USE AND ALSO EASY TO -- EASY TO USE FOR THOSE PROVIDING THE EVALUATION, BUT ALSO EASY TO USE BY THOSE WHO ARE DOING THE ANALYSIS AND REVIEWING THE INFORMATION.
AND THE TIME FRAME ON THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE JUNE/JULY TIME FRAME. IT REALLY WOULDN'T NEED TO BE DEPENDENT ON THE FIRST THREE PREVIOUS STEPS.
STEP 5 WOULD BE COMPILATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN EVALUATIONS. AND BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS IS COMPILING AND ANALYZING THE EVALUATIONS RECEIVED IN STEP 4. AND THE RESULTS SHOULD BE SUMMARIZED IN A REPORT. THE FIRST DRAFT OF THIS REPORT SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY A SMALL REPRESENTATIVE GROUP OF STAFF AND BOARD, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFIED IN STEP 4. AND THAT GROUP COULD POSSIBLY BE CALLED THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COUNCIL, THE PURPOSE BEING TO IDENTIFY AS MANY AREAS OF CONSENSUS WITHIN THE REVIEW THAT OCCURRED AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE POSTING OF THE REPORT FOR WIDER COMMENT.
THE REPORT THEN SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING PUBLIC POSTING ON THE ICANN WEB SITE WITH AN ONLINE COMMENT FORM. EACH MEMBER OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE THE REPORT BACK TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENCY FOR FURTHER COMMENT. WHENEVER THE TIMING OF AN ICANN PUBLIC MEETING COINCIDES WITH THE POSTING OF THE REPORT, AGAIN AN IN-PERSON COMMENT PERIOD COULD BE PROVIDED.
TIME FRAME ON THIS WOULD BE AUGUST FOR COMPLETION OF THE ANALYSIS AND THE REPORT, WITH PUBLIC COMMENT IN SEPTEMBER.
STEP 6 WOULD BE DRAFT REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN. SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION RECEIVED IN THE PREVIOUS FIVE STEPS, ICANN STAFF SHOULD PREPARE A RED-LINED, REVISED VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND PRIOR TO PREPARING THIS, ICANN STAFF COULD, IF THEY SO DESIRED AND SAW THAT IT WAS VALUABLE, ARRANGE FOR ADDITIONAL CONSULTATIONS WITH AMENDMENT OF THE COMMUNITY IF DEEMED HELPFUL, INCLUDING RECONVENING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COUNCIL TO HELP IDENTIFY FUTURE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS IF THEY DEEMED THAT WAS HELPFUL AND USEFUL.
THE REVISED -- THE DRAFT REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN, AGAIN, WITH SOME BRIEF EXPLANATION OF HOW DECISIONS WERE MADE WITH REGARD TO MAKING THE REVISIONS THAT ARE SHOWN, SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AGAIN AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE, WITH -- CERTAINLY ON THE ICANN WEB SITE AND FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND HOPEFULLY, AT THIS STAGE, IT COULD COINCIDE WITH A PUBLIC MEETING WHERE COMMENTS COULD ALSO BE SOLICITED DURING THE PUBLIC FORUM. AND AN ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR THIS COULD BE REDRAFTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN OCTOBER WITH PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE NOVEMBER TIME FRAME.
OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
STEP 7 WOULD BE A FINAL REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO AFTER ALL OF THIS HAS TAKEN PLACE, ICANN STAFF WOULD PREPARE A FINAL REVISED VERSION OF THE PLAN FOR BOARD APPROVAL. AND THEN AFTER BOARD APPROVAL, THE PLAN WOULD BE POSTED AND A REVISED STRATEGIC PLAN WOULD BE THE NEW DOCUMENT THAT IS IN PLACE GOING FORWARD.
AND THE ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR THAT IS DECEMBER.
NEXT COMES THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, AND THAT DOES NEED TO FOLLOW AFTER -- PRETTY CLOSE TO THE COMPLETION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, POSSIBLY TO BE STARTED BEFORE IT'S TOTALLY FINALIZED AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD BUT THAT COULD BE EVALUATED. SO STAFF SHOULD PREPARE A DRAFT OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THAT PLAN WOULD CONTAIN TACTICAL PLANS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR IN CONTRAST TO THE BROADER STRATEGIC OR LONGER TERM OBJECTIVES IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON MONDAY NIGHT.
AND TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, THE OPERATIONAL PLAN SHOULD MAP VERY CLOSELY BACK TO THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THAT DRAFT OPERATIONAL PLAN WOULD THEN BE POSTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THE TIME FRAME FOR THIS WOULD BE JANUARY FOR THE FIRST VERSION OF IT, WITH PUBLIC COMMENT IN FEBRUARY.
STEP 9 WOULD BE PREPARATION OF THE FINAL OPERATIONAL PLAN BY ICANN STAFF.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE POSTED TO ICANN'S WEB SITE.
AND AN ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR THAT WOULD BE MARCH.
STEP 10 WOULD BE THE BUDGET PREPARATION PROCESS.
AND THAT SHOULD BE STARTED -- CAN BE -- SHOULD BE STARTED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING STEP 9, IF NOT SOONER.
POSSIBLY IT COULD HAPPEN A LITTLE BIT SOONER.
AND STAFF COULD EVALUATE THAT.
TIME FRAME FOR THE BUDGET PREPARATION PROCESS, WHICH IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF THIS DISCUSSION TODAY, WOULD BE MARCH TO JUNE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE WAY IT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST, ALTHOUGH IT STARTED EVEN EARLIER SOMETIMES.
BUT THERE WASN'T A SEPARATION OF THE OPERATIONAL AND -- OPERATIONAL PLAN AND BUDGET.
NOW, A COUPLE SLIDES ON METHODOLOGY THAT THE SMALL GROUP THAT WORKED ON THIS CAME UP WITH.
SOME METHODS THAT COULD BE EMPLOYED TO ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES ARE LISTED HERE.
THE FIRST ONE, MAKE PROVIDING INPUT INTO THE PROCESS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
SECOND, MAKE REVIEW, ANALYSIS, AND REPORTING AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESS, EXCUSE ME, AVAILABLE TO THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE OF INTERESTED PARTIES.
THAT CAN BE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
GOING ON TO -- CONTINUING WITH METHODOLOGY, REQUEST FOR INPUT SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES, INCLUDING NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
WHEREVER POSSIBLE, STANDARDIZED FORMS SHOULD BE USED FOR INPUT.
FOR EXAMPLE, QUESTIONNAIRES, ONLINE SURVEYS, RESPONSE TEMPLATES, ET CETERA.
WHATEVER FORMS ARE USED, THEY SHOULD CLEARLY GUIDE PARTICIPANTS IN TERMS OF WHAT EXPECTED INPUT IS DESIRED.
AS YOU CAN TELL, MY THROAT IS STRAINED.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
THANK YOU.
WHEREVER POSSIBLE, OBJECTIVE DATA SHOULD BE REQUESTED TO ALLOW FOR EASIER COMPILATION OF THE RESULTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, RATING HOW WELL AN OBJECTIVE WAS ACHIEVED USING A NUMERICAL RATING SYSTEM OR A SIMPLE YES/NO RESPONSE WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO TABULATE THE RESULTS AND ANALYZE THEM.
A COUPLE OF APPROACHES FOR DEFINING SPECIFIC METHODOLOGIES, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T TRY TO DO THAT IN THIS DOCUMENT, ARE A TASK FORCE OF STAKEHOLDERS -- ICANN DIRECTORS, ICANN STAFF WITH EXPERTISE IN THE AREA -- COULD BE FORMED, AND/OR CONSULTANTS COULD BE INVOLVED.
THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL MAKE IT THROUGH IT.
SOME FINAL PROCESS RECOMMENDATIONS.
FIRST, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ONGOING APPROPRIATE RESOURCING OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS HAPPEN.
THE AIM SHOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THE ICANN ORGANIZATION DEVELOPS AND RETAINS APPROPRIATE SKILLS WITHIN ITS STAFF RANKS.
THE USE OF PROPERLY SKILLED AND EXPERIENCED INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS COULD BE PROVIDED FOR.
THE ADVANTAGE POSSIBLY OF USING STAFF AND INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS SO THAT YOU GET GOOD INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, COMBINED WITH UNENCUMBERED FRESH THINKING.
AND THEN LAST OF ALL, WHILE ICANN IS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DRAW ON ITS DIVERSE AND HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY CONSULTATION IS EXPENSIVE AND NEEDS TO BE FACILITATED WITH QUALITY ANALYSIS AND PROPOSALS TO FORM OF BASIS FOR INFORMED INPUT AND RESPONSE.
NOW, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS OPEN THIS UP FOR COMMENT, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS, CRITIQUES.
POKE HOLES IN IT.
WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AND MARILYN AND MAUREEN WILL JOIN ME IN RESPONDING TO THAT.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, CHUCK.
AND I THINK WE MIGHT ACTUALLY PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR A VERY GOOD PIECE OF WORK.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND AS WE THREATENED EARLIER, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THE MIKES NOW FOR COMMENT.
MARK'S ALREADY UP HERE RARING TO GO.
SO LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU COME FORWARD THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK AND LET'S SEE WHERE THE CONVERSATION TAKES US.
MARK.
>>MARK MCFADDEN: I WANT TO THANK CHUCK FOR HIS PERSEVERANCE THERE.
THAT WAS ADMIRABLE.
AND THE FIRST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A STARTING POINT IN ANY CONVERSATION LIKE THIS ABOUT PROCESS.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT.
AND I REALLY -- I CAN'T, BECAUSE I JUST GOT IT.
AND SO TO ASK ME FOR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT IT IS THE VERY THING THAT WE COMPLAIN SO OFTEN TO STAFF ABOUT.
YOU JUST DROP A DOCUMENT IN OUR HANDS AND THEN ASK US TO ACTUALLY MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S KIND OF UNUSUAL THAT THE VERY THING WE COMPLAIN SO MUCH ABOUT NOW IS GETTING DONE TO US BY OURSELVES.
THAT'S A GREAT IRONY, IN MY MIND.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE -- AND I HOPE THE GROUP'S GOAL HERE AFTER AMSTERDAM IS TO NOT COME UP WITH A PROCESS TODAY.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR GOAL IS HERE TO DO.
INSTEAD, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ACTUALLY MAKE PROGRESS ON FIGURING OUT HOW IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS PROCESS STRATEGY THAT EFFECTIVELY WORKS ON JANUARY 1ST, 2006.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT'S GOT TO GET KICKED OFF.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE TO START MAKING THIS WORK.
FOR ME, WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE PROCESS, WHATEVER WE AGREE TO, WHETHER IT HAS CHARACTERISTICS OF WHAT CHUCK JUST INTRODUCED OR OTHER CHARACTERISTICS, IS THAT THE PROCESS HAVE CERTAIN FEATURES.
IT HAS TO BE PREDICTABLE AND RELIABLE.
IT HAS TO WORK THE SAME WAY EACH YEAR.
IT HAS TO BE VERY INCLUSIVE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHUCK STRESSED AS HE WENT THROUGH THE SLIDES.
IN FACT, HIS SLIDES ARE FILLED WITH MECHANISMS THAT ENSURE INCLUSIVITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IS THAT IT HAS TO BE BOTH ACHIEVABLE AND REALISTIC, THAT THE PLANNING PROCESS CAN'T BE SO HEAVY-WEIGHT THAT WE CAN'T GET IT DONE.
AND SO IT HAS TO BE RELATIVELY NIMBLE AS A PROCESS BECAUSE OF -- BECAUSE OF STAFF RESOURCES, BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE ACTUALLY DO OUR WORK AS A COMMUNITY.
AND THEN, FINALLY, IT HAS TO BE RELIABLE.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY RELIABILITY AS A FEATURE OF THE PLANNING PROCESS IS THAT RELIABILITY MEANS FOR ME THAT THE ICANN COMMUNITY -- STAFF, ICANN MANAGEMENT, THE SOS -- ALL CAN COUNT ON THE PROCESS DELIVERING THE GOODS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO IF WE SAY THAT WE NEED A BUDGET ON A CERTAIN DATE, WE HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ACHIEVE THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO -- THIS IS A WONDERFUL START.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE POTENTIALLY OTHER PLACES TO START AS WELL.
AND WHAT I'M GOING TO PROPOSE TO THE GROUP IS THAT WE BRING TOGETHER A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF FOLKS TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP THAT POLICY COLLECTIVELY.
ONE APPROACH WOULD BE TO TAKE THIS AS A STARTING POINT.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THOUGHT-OUT WORK.
BUT, OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS CONCEIVABLY OTHER STARTING POINTS AS WELL.
THE PROCESS ITSELF IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO ME.
WHEN I THINK OF THE WORK OF THE GNSO AS AN EXAMPLE, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A WELL-CRAFTED, WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PDP.
WELL, THIS ACTUALLY IS A POLICY THAT BRINGS US EVEN MORE STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS.
I THINK THAT THE CONSENSUS OF THE GROUP, AT LEAST IN AMSTERDAM, WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT THE RESULT HERE SHOULD BE THREE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
AND I HEARD NOTHING DIFFERENT FROM CHUCK.
THERE OUGHT TO BE A RELIABLE MECHANISM TO REVISE THE STRATEGIC PLAN, A RELIABLE MECHANISM TO CREATE THE FIRST OPERATIONAL PLAN AND ITS SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS, AND THEN A MECHANISM TO RELIABLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY ADD INPUT INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE -- AND I -- AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN STEER THE DISCUSSION TOWARDS HOW WE ACTUALLY BUILD THIS PROCESS -- I THINK THAT THE -- IT WOULD BE MY OBSERVATION THAT THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION PROCESS WAS A SUCCESS.
THAT SUCCESS TOOK PLACE IN THE CONTEXT OF RESPONDING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND CERTAIN PEOPLE FELT THERE WERE FLAWS BOTH IN THE PROCESS AND THE CONTENT. AND USE THAT AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION PROCESS AS A MODEL FOR DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT WOULD BUILD THESE THREE DOCUMENTS OR THAT WOULD ASSIST IN THE BUILDING OF THOSE THREE DOCUMENTS.
SO I'M PROPOSING THAT WHAT WE DO IS FOLLOW ON TO MAR DEL PLATA WITH AN AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION PROCESS THAT'S -- OR A PROCESS THAT'S SIMILAR TO THAT, TO COME UP WITH WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL A DRAFT CONSENSUS PLANNING PROCESS, SOMETHING THAT IS A PROCESS THAT GETS A LITTLE WIDER, A LITTLE EARLIER CONSULTATION THAN THE ONE THAT YOU SAW HERE, AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAS A BROAD GROUP OF INPUT TO IT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS BROADEN THE BASE, MAKE ALL THE SOS, MAKE TASK FORCES, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, ICANN STAFF, A PARTY TO THIS PROCESS.
THAT WAS CERTAINLY SUCCESSFUL IN AMSTERDAM AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL A SECOND TIME.
THEN AFTER THAT DRAFT PROCESS WAS DEVELOPED HERE IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN LUXEMBOURG AND VANCOUVER, ACTUALLY COME UP WITH AN OPEN PROCESS BY WHICH COMMENT COULD BE TAKEN TO THE WIDER ICANN COMMUNITY AND THEN IN VANCOUVER HAVE A PROCESS FOR THE ONGOING PLANNING PROCESS.
AGAIN, IT'S MY GOAL HERE, IT WOULD BE MY GOAL AS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS BOTH IN AMSTERDAM AND ALSO IN THE STRATEGIC DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS WEEK, TO NOT SORT OF REACT OR COME TO CONCLUSIONS ABOUT A PARTICULAR PROPOSAL, BUT, INSTEAD, WHEN WE LEAVE TONIGHT, AFTER MAR DEL PLATA, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NEXT, WE KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET INVOLVED -- OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED NEXT, AND WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR COMING TO CONSENSUS ON A PLANNING PROCESS.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: JUST BEFORE I HAND TO CHUCK FOR A COMMENT, I MIGHT JUST SAY AGAIN WHAT VINT SAID AT THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE I KNOW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ARRIVED AFTER WE STARTED.
AT THE VERY BEGINNING -- AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT IN THE TRANSCRIPT -- VINT SAID THAT WHAT WE WOULD DO TODAY IS GATHER VIEWS, THAT WE WOULD THEN -- HE WOULD ASK STAFF TO WRITE A REPORT THAT SUMMARIZED THOSE.
THAT WOULD BE POSTED SO THAT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T WITH US TODAY IN PERSON ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME COMMENT.
AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD TAKE THAT UP AND MAKE A DECISION.
SO JUST, IN A SENSE, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT MARK SAID, BUT REITERATING VINT'S OPENING COMMENTS, WE WON'T BE MAKING A DECISION TODAY ABOUT HOW WE PROCEED.
THE PROCESS WILL BE AS I SPOKE JUST A MOMENT AGO.
CHUCK.
>>MARILYN CADE: (INAUDIBLE) MAYBE WE COULD ASK VINT -- MY QUESTION IS JUST--
>>PATRICK SHARRY: COME TO THE MIKE.
>>MARILYN CADE: MARK WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CONSULTATION PROCESS.
I JUST NEEDED TO KNOW WHETHER VINT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN PLAN OR ALSO THE CONSULTATION PROCESS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE MODULES.
>>VINT CERF: I DON'T ANTICIPATE WE CAN DO -- WE CAN TRY TO CONSOLIDATE SOMETHING (INAUDIBLE).
>>CHUCK GOMES: I THINK I SPEAK FOR A SMALL GROUP.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OUR INTENT WAS.
WE DID NOT PRESENT THIS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LEAVING THIS MEETING TODAY WITH A DECISION.
THERE'S ONE THING, THOUGH, THAT I WOULD QUESTION ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID.
I THINK JANUARY IS TOO LATE FOR THE TARGET DATE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CHANGE THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BECAUSE THE SIX-MONTH CYCLE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN WOULD BE JULY THROUGH DECEMBER.
YOU WOULD ALREADY BE INTO THE OPERATION CYCLE IN JANUARY.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT A PROCESS CAN BE DEVELOPED FROM JULY, WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF, OTHERWISE THIS THING IS GOING TO BE MOVED OFF ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE WE DO IT.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS PERFECTLY RIGHT.
WE DID NOT EXPECT TO COME OUT OF THIS MEETING TODAY WITH A CONSENSUS PROCESS.
BUT WHAT WE DO BELIEVE, THAT WHAT HAPPENS TODAY AND WHAT YOU WERE SUGGESTING IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, MAYBE FOUR MONTHS, HOPEFULLY, WE CAN MOVE VERY CLOSE TO THAT TARGET.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, CHUCK.
BRUCE.
>>BRUCE TONKIN: JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS.
I'M ESSENTIALLY GOING TO SAY THE SAME AS CHUCK, IN THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE BY THE END OF JULY THAT YOU CAN WORK THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR TO CREATE A NEW DRAFT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN SO THAT WE'RE READY TO PREPARE AN OPERATING PLAN IN THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT YEAR.
WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE 1ST OF JANUARY TO COME UP WITH THIS PROCESS.
SO I THINK YOU NEED A FAST-TRACK PROCESS THAT TAKES -- AND I THINK THE WORK THAT CHUCK AND MAUREEN AND OTHERS HAVE DONE IS AN EXCELLENT STARTING POINT, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT STARTING FROM NOTHING.
IT'S REALLY STARTING FROM A LOT OF THE INPUT THAT WAS ALREADY PROVIDED IN AMSTERDAM AND PROBABLY HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, TOO.
SO IT'S NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS IS UNFAMILIAR AS WHAT MARK IS IMPLYING.
MOST OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN HERE I AM FAMILIAR WITH, AND NOT HAVING READ THAT BEFORE.
SO THERE'S NO SURPRISES.
ONE THING, THOUGH, THAT IS APPEARING THERE FOR THE OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED IS RESOURCING TO MANAGE SUCH A PROCESS.
BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT'S A LOT HEAVIER WEIGHT THAN THE PROCESS HAS BEEN UP-TO-DATE. AND IT'S MORE OR LESS SOMETHING WHERE EXISTING STAFF MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON THE SIDE.
IT'S NOT EVEN THEIR CORE ROLE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS.
IF ICANN IN ITS OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THIS YEAR DOESN'T PUT RESOURCE TO ACTUALLY -- INTO STRATEGIC PLANNING, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS AS WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT THERE ARE A FEW DEPENDENCIES HERE.
SO TO DO THIS EFFECTIVELY, YOU NEED TO BUDGET FOR IT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SO THAT YOU HAVE A RESOURCE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND I'D REITERATE WHAT CHUCK SAID: WE NEED A PROCESS IN PLACE BY LUXEMBOURG, WHICH IS WHEN WE SHOULD START.
AND THAT PROCESS WOULD BE LOOKING AT CREATING WHAT I CALL THE FIRST TRUE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I THINK WHAT WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT IS A STARTING POINT.
AND THE OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE IS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A PLAN AS OPPOSED TO A SET OF OBJECTIVES.
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A MISSION AND WE HAVE -- WE HAVE BYLAWS. AND THAT'S REALLY GOT A LOT OF THE HIGH-ORDER STATEMENTS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THINGS FOR COMPETITION, WE SHOULD BE IMPROVING -- DOING THINGS THAT ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, MORE OR LESS AN ELABORATION OF THE MISSION AND THE CORE VALUES OF THAT MISSION, WHEREAS WHAT WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS IS TO WHAT I WOULD CALL A PLAN.
AND A PLAN HAS MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CHUCK HAS TALKED ABOUT.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, BRUCE.
MIKE.
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: THANK YOU, PATRICK.
TO FOLLOW UP ON BRUCE, I THINK THE ONE THING THAT IS VERY CRITICAL IS THE ALLOCATION OF DEDICATED RESOURCES TO ASSIST IN THIS PROCESS.
I WORKED WITH STAFF AND I WAS REALLY GLAD THAT THEY BROUGHT PATRICK INTO THIS PROCESS FOLLOWING THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN WITH STAFF, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY OVERBURDENED.
THEY NEED TO MULTITASK.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, YOU NEED DEDICATED RESOURCES.
SO I WOULD AGREE WITH BRUCE ON THAT COMMENT.
THE OTHER THING, IN LOOKING AT CHUCK'S CHART HERE THAT WAS PROVIDED WITH REGARD TO RESPONSIBLE PARTIES, IN THE CORPORATE WORLD, THE BOARD, OR EVEN CORPORATE NONPROFIT, THE BOARD REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS INVOLVED AT EVERY STEP IN THE PROCESS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT CONSULTATIVE PROCESS IS CRITICAL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LOOK AT -- AND, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN IDEA FOR THE PEOPLE GATHERED HERE TODAY TODAY TO CONSIDER -- IS THE ICANN BYLAWS UNDER ARTICLE XI PROVIDE FOR ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
AND IN DOING SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SORT OF PUT OUT THERE IS, CURRENTLY, THE BOARD, WHEN WE, IF YOU WILL, DELEGATE OUR TASKS, SETS FORTH DIFFERENT COMMITTEES.
THERE'S A BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, THERE'S A FINANCE COMMITTEE.
I GUESS MY COMMENT WITH REGARD TO THIS SESSION IS, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT TO ICANN'S MISSION, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENTIRE BOARD PARTICIPATED IN THAT COMMITTEE AND THAT IT WAS NOT DELEGATED TO A SUBSET OF THE BOARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT MANY MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY NEED TO GO TO WHATEVER DIRECTOR THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
THEY NEED TO HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD NEEDS TO HAVE FULL INPUT ON THIS PROCESS.
SO I GUESS THAT -- OH, ONE OTHER FINAL POINT BASED UPON SOME OF THE INITIAL COMMENTS.
I DO THINK THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE.
IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO MAKE IT TOO RIGID.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PUT SOME HARD, IF YOU WILL, BENCHMARKS OR HARD DATES.
AND, AGAIN, THIS IS BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE.
IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD, I'VE SERVED ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS, AT DIFFERENT TIMES, GOTTEN A LATE START FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE IS THE PUBLISHING OF THE DRAFT BUDGET 45 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FIRE THAT WE -- HAS BEEN LIT UNDER OUR, IF YOU WILL, IT'S A BENCHMARK THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TO SHOOT TO MAKE.
SO HAVING SOME OF THOSE KEY BENCHMARKS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT IS POSITIVE.
BUT TOO MANY MAY CREATE A PROCESS THAT'S TOO RIGID.
SO, AGAIN, I THINK THESE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER IN YOUR DELIBERATIVE PROCESS.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, MIKE.
MARK, IS YOURS A RESPONSE TO SOMETHING OR CAN WE LET YOU SIT?
THAT'S OKAY?
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: FOR THE -- PERFECT, PERFECT.
FOR THE RECORD, RAIMUNDO BECA, ICANN BOARD.
LESSON NUMBER ONE IN THE -- IN BUSINESS SCHOOLS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING IS THAT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THE PROCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CONTENT.
WHICH MEANS THAT THE -- IN THE PROCESS OF A STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU MAKE PEOPLE THINK, YOU MAKE PEOPLE EVALUATE THE PRIORITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND WHILE THE CONTENT IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE FACT OF GOING THROUGH THAT, IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT.
TO THIS EXTENT, IF NOW AT THIS STAGE WE ARRIVE AT THE FIRST (INAUDIBLE) WITH A CLEAR AGREEMENT ON WHICH WILL BE THE PROCESS FOR THE NEXT EXERCISE, STARTING ON THE 1ST OF JULY, IN WHICH WILL INDICATE WHO IS GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN EACH STAGE AND WHICH ARE GOING TO BE THE DATES OF EACH STAGE AND WHICH WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF EACH STAGE, I THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE A VERY GOOD STEP FORWARD.
AND I THINK WHAT CHUCK SHOWED US TODAY HAS ROOM FOR AN AGREEMENT AT THE DATE OF THE 1ST OF JULY.
THANKS.

>>IZUMI AIZU: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IZUMI AIZU, A MEMBER OF AT-LARGE.
I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION ON THE PROCESS.
IT'S VERY CLEAR TO SEE.
I SAID "SO WHAT" YESTERDAY.
AND REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IN ADVANCE OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
THAT IS VERY GOOD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT THIS VERY DETAILED PLAN LOOKS LIKE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT INDIVIDUAL USERS OR COLLECTIVELY THE GROUP OF USERS HAVE TO BE INVOLVED WITH, HOW MUCH, WHEN, WHERE.
THE INITIAL CONSULTATION WAS VERY GOOD, WE HEARD.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY OR LUCKY THAT WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE VERY CLOSE TO AMSTERDAM WHO COULD GO ON BEHALF OF ALAC TO GIVE HIS INPUT.
AND THEN HE BROUGHT BACK FEEDBACK.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NO MEANS TO PARTICIPATE AT THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT WAS BAD.
BUT IF SOMETHING SIMILAR WOULD HAPPEN, THEN IT WILL CAUSE SOME HEADACHE FOR US AS ALAC.
SO I DO SEE THE NEED FOR THE EFFICIENCY.
AND I -- OPERATING ALAC, WE ALSO NEED OUR OWN EFFICIENCY.
WE DON'T WANT TO SEND ALL 15 MEMBERS TO EACH OF THESE FIVE OR NINE STEPS.
BUT -- SO SOMEHOW COULD WE SORT OF SIMPLIFY THESE STEPS?
IF YOU MAKE IT TOO DETAILED, TOO FORMALIZED AND THEN EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TO GET INVOLVED, THEN IT'S GETTING MORE DIFFICULT FOR BROADER PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED.
SO YOU NEED TO STRIKE SOME KIND OF BALANCE FOR THAT.
OTHERWISE, IF YOU REMEMBER THIS MORNING THAT WE WERE SORT OF ASKED BY PETER, "HAVE YOU MADE YOUR COMMENT IN THE EARLY STAGE OF THE NEW DOT NET THING?"
OF COURSE, WE WANT TO, BUT WE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
WE HAVE 12 DIFFERENT POLICY POINTS OR AREAS IN THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ALAC TO BE INVOLVED.
THAT'S MORE THAN ANY OTHER CONSTITUENCIES OF ICANN.
BECAUSE AT-LARGE SHOULD, IN THEORY, COVER ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT RELATES TO THE USERS.
AND IT'S USUALLY ALMOST ALL.
WHEN CCTLD MAY CONCENTRATE ON THE AREAS OF CC, THEY DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT GTLD, ONLY IF IT AFFECTS THEIR CONSTITUENCIES.
THE USERS ARE, ON THE ONE HAND, VERY BROAD AND GLOBAL.
SO YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THE ISSUES.
AND THAT'S -- AND IT'S -- I'M NOT SAYING THAT I AM TOO UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS.
BUT PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ELEMENT AS WELL, IF THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ONE AND IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT INCLUSIVE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS THE LANGUAGE THING, TOO.
IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL VERSIONS OF REVISED ONES, OF COURSE IT WILL COST MORE IF YOU ARE TO TRANSLATE.
SO THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, THE WORKING LANGUAGE IS ENGLISH ANYWAY.
SO WE'LL NOT DO THAT TRANSLATION.
THAT'S ONE WAY TO DO IT.
BUT IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY FOR THIS IMPORTANT KIND OF DOCUMENT IN A VERY SPEEDY, FAST MODE?
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
THANK YOU.

>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANK YOU.
THANKS, MAUREEN.
>>MAUREEN CUBBERLEY: THANK YOU.
THIS POINT ABOUT TIME COMMITMENT AND ATTENDING MEETINGS IN PERSON AND INVOLVEMENT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE, AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP.
IT WASN'T OUR INTENTION IN PUTTING THIS FORWARD THAT THESE WOULD BE IN-PERSON MEETINGS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR CONSULTATION IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN MANAGE.
MOST OF IT WOULD BE BY E-MAIL OR OTHER FORMS OF ONLINE DISCUSSION.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION IN PUTTING THIS FORWARD THAT EVERYBODY BE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING.
I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE ROLES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE AND MOST USEFUL.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING, MICHAEL, ABOUT YOUR POINT ABOUT BOARD INVOLVEMENT, INDEED, THE BOARD HAS ITS DUTIES TO BE INVOLVED IN THESE ASPECTS OF RUNNING THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO RECOGNIZE THE LINE BETWEEN GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL NOTE THAT IN OUR PRESENTATION, WE SAID THAT THE INPUT INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN WOULD SERVE AS ASSISTING THE DEVELOPMENT -- THAT WASN'T THE WORD WE USED, BUT THAT WAS THE MEANING -- OF THE OPERATIONAL PLAN AND OF THE BUDGET.
I THINK WE CAME TO CONSENSUS IN OUR GROUP AND, INDEED, OUT OF THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION, THAT AGAIN, NOT EVERYONE HAS TO DO EVERYTHING.
AND THAT'S REALLY QUITE A LIMITING KIND OF PROCESS TO UNDERTAKE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECOGNITION OF INPUT BY THE BROADER COMMUNITY INTO THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS THEMSELVES AS THEY HAVE AN IMPACT ON EACH GROUP'S OWN AGENDAS AND OWN DIRECTIONS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU GET INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT.
THAT BECOMES MUCH MORE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ICANN STAFF, AND RIGHTLY SO, AS WE SEE IT.
SO IT'S NOT AN INTENTION TO INVOLVE EVERYBODY IN EVERY SINGLE DECISION. AND THE LAST POINT, WHICH IS NOT RELATED, BUT HAS TO DO WITH LANGUAGE, IS THAT, YES, INDEED, WE CERTAINLY WOULD WANT TO SEE THIS IN AN ACCESSIBLE WAY SO THAT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
THANKS.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, MAUREEN.
CAN I GET AN INDICATION WHO ELSE IS LOOKING FOR THE MIKE?
MARK. GREAT. THANKS.
>>DEBBIE MONAHAN: DEBBIE MONAHAN, INTERNET NZ. I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT A PERFECT STRATEGIC PLAN IS UTOPIAN. IT'S NOT EASY TO ACHIEVE BUT A (INAUDIBLE) CAN BE HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE .(INAUDIBLE). SO TIME IS OFTEN A BARRIER TO ACHIEVING MEANINGFUL CONSENSUS. (INAUDIBLE) ICANN STRIVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT TIME AND CONSULTATION PERIOD INVOLVED IN ANY PROCESS BE DEVELOPED AS PART OF THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING TO ASSURE THE GOAL OF MEANINGFUL CONSENSUS WITH YOUR STAKEHOLDERS IS ACHIEVED.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SHARE THAT INTERNET NZ IS A RELATIVELY SMALL AND SIMPLE STRUCTURE COMPARED TO ICANN AND YET IT TOOK US OVER THREE YEARS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN.
THE MEETINGS WE HAD WITH STAKEHOLDERS WERE QUITE SIGNIFICANT IN NUMBER, AND THEY WERE HELD IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. WE FOUND THAT THE DRAFT STRATEGIES THAT WE CAME UP WITH WERE GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE VIEWS OF THE LOCAL INTERNET COMMUNITY BUT EVEN SO THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE THAT TOOK TIME AND A NUMBER OF REDRAFTS AND CHANGES TO GET A POSITION WHERE WE HAD THAT CONSENSUS FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
ONE WAY TO DEAL WITH HIGHLY CONTENTIOUS AREAS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE MEETING A DEADLINE IS TO PERHAPS PUT A BLUE LINE THROUGH THOSE ONES, MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT YOU DO HAVE CONSENSUS ON, AND WHERE TIME SAN ISSUE, FAST-TRACK IT THROUGH ANY PROCESS. I THINK BRUCE SPOKE ABOUT FAST TRACKING SOMETHING. WE WOULD QUITE HAPPILY CONTRIBUTE TO A FAST-TRACK PROCESS. BUT IT SEEMS A WASTE TO TAKE A LOT OF GOOD WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AND NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH IT WHEN YOU HAVE THE CONSENSUS ON THOSE AREAS.
SO I WOULD PROBABLY ENCOURAGE SOME SORT OF FLEXIBILITY IN ANY PROCESS THAT ENABLES THE MOST OF IT WITH PEOPLE IN AGREEMENT, TO MEET YOUR DEADLINES, AND PUT EVERYTHING ELSE TO ONE SIDE, SET UP APPROPRIATE GROUPS OR FORUMS AND WORK THROUGH TO GET THAT CONSENSUS FROM ALL PARTIES.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANK YOU.
MARK.
>>MARK MCFADDEN: AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A GOAL OF MINE IS TO COME OUT OF THIS EVENING WITH AT LEAST A ROADMAP FOR HOW TO PROCEED, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CHUCK AND BRUCE SAID WAS THAT WE NEED TO GET STARTED -- WE NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED IN A MUCH QUICKER FASHION THAN I SUGGESTED. AND I ABSOLUTE THOSE TWO FOR THEIR RAMPANT OPTIMISM. AND THEIR OPTIMISM MAYBE FUELED BY ORGANIZATIONAL SENSE OF NEED HERE. BUT THE REASON THAT I PICKED THE FIRST OF JANUARY 2006 WAS THAT I THOUGHT THAT WAS ACHIEVABLE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HARD WORK, BUT PERHAPS I COULD BE CONVINCED, VERY, VERY HARD WORK TO GET SOMETHING RAMPED UP, DONE AND SOME CONSENSUS BROUGHT IN BY JULY.
THAT WAS JUST MY REACTION. AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE PROCESS DONE BY JULY, THEN THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU'D HAVE WAS JANUARY 1ST. THAT WAS THE ONLY SOURCE OF THAT REMARK.
SO AGAIN, I ABSOLUTE BOTH OF YOU FOR THAT OPTIMISM. AND I HOPE -- I ACTUALLY HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.
IN TERMS OF IZUMI HAS BEEN VERY, VERY ARTICULATE THIS WEEK ON A BUNCH OF ISSUES IN TERMS OF ACCESS, IN TERMS OF INCLUSION, AND ONE OF THE REMARKS I'D MAKE ABOUT THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION IS THAT IT WAS DONE ON VERY SHORT NOTICE, UNNECESSARILY SO. AND THERE WERE LOTS OF PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND. IT WASN'T JUST THE AT-LARGE AND THE USER COMMUNITY THAT WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND. AND I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD TRY TO DO HERE IS AS WE JUMP START THIS PROCESS, ACTUALLY FIX THAT PROBLEM. GIVE PEOPLE BETTER NOTICE ABOUT WHERE THE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO BE, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN ONE, AND ALSO, I THINK ENLARGE THE INVITATION LIST. BASICALLY, WE CONCENTRATED, AS MARILYN SAID IN HER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, ON SOS. WE INVITED STAFF, WE INVITED SENIOR MANAGEMENT OF ICANN. BUT IT WOULD CERTAINLY VERY MUCH BE POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THAT INVITATION LIST.
AND I THINK NECESSARY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
FINALLY, MY LAST COMMENT HERE IS ON STAFF RESOURCES. AND I WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT THERE IS A SEPARATION BETWEEN ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND ACTUALLY BUILDING A PROCESS. AND I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON IS THE SECOND. WE SHOULD WORK VERY HARD, A GROUP OF VERY INTERESTED PEOPLE IN ACTUALLY BUILDING THAT PROCESS. AND I AGREE THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE DEDICATED RESOURCES TO STRATEGIC PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING, BUT I'M NOT SO SURE THAT AWAY NEED TO HAVE DEDICATED RESOURCES IN THE CASE OF ACTUALLY BUILDING THE PROCESS.
I THOUGHT, AND I'LL STAND BEHIND IT AGAIN, THAT THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTING PROCESS WAS ACTUALLY VERY SUCCESSFUL ACTIVITY AND THAT CAME OUT OF THE SOS AND CAME OUT OF PARTICULAR HARD WORK OF GLEN AND A COUPLE MEMBERS IN THE SO. THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT HARD WORK. I SEE NO REASON THAT THAT ISN'T A MODEL THAT CAN BE USED AGAIN TO ACTUALLY BUILD IN A MORE INCLUSIONARY WAY A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT IS THEN USED OVER AND OVER AGAIN RELIABLY.
SO MY THREE REMARKS HERE ARE FOCUSED ON THE COMMON GOAL; IS THAT AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, WE HAVE SOME IDEA ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF BUILDING THAT PROCESS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO -- AGAIN, I WILL COMPLETELY AGREE, WAITING UNTIL LUXEMBOURG IS WAY LATE SO THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF WORK DONE BETWEEN THE TWO. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS A ROADMAP FOR THAT PROCESS.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: RIGHT. THANKS, MARK.
THE MIKE.
>>ADAM PEAKE: GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M ADAM PEAKE, AND I DON'T THINK I REPRESENT ANYBODY HERE EXCEPT ME.
I WANTED TO JUST CHECK ABOUT CHUCK'S PRESENTATION AND HOW FAMILIAR YOU ALL WERE WITH APNIC'S SURVEYING WORK OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP AND CONSTITUENCIES, WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST THREE CYCLES NOW, SINCE 1999, I THINK. IT'S CONSISTENT. IT TALKS TO THEM ABOUT WHAT'S BASICALLY A SURVEY OF THEIR MEMBERS AND ALL CONSTITUENTS. IT'S VERY WELL ORGANIZED BY A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND IT'S REALLY IN TWO PARTS, AN ASSESSMENT OF SERVICES AND ASSESSMENT OF PRIORITIES.
AND IT BRINGS UP ALL OF THE POLICY ISSUES THAT THEY NEED TO DO. THERE'S A URL WHICH IS A APNIC.NET/SURVEY/INDEX.HTML AND IT'S VERY HIGHLY THOUGHT OF BY MEMBERSHIP AND THE APNIC STAFF ON BRINGING UP ISSUES ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND SO IF PEOPLE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO LOOK AT IN THIS PROCESS.
THANK YOU.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, ADAM.
MARILYN.
>>MARILYN CADE: LET ME JUST FOLLOW-UP ON THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT THE AMSTERDAM CONSULTATION. YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY A PRACTICE RUN, AND I THINK WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE DID THERE AND SEE WHAT LEARNING WE COULD TAKE FROM IT AND WHAT SEEMS APPLICABLE. AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER COMMENTS WE RECEIVED TODAY AND GENERATE MAYBE MORE GOOD IDEAS, LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU JUST REMINDED US OF, ADAM, BECAUSE THAT SURVEY IS AN EXCELLENT WAY THAT THAT PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION USES TO KEEP IN TOUCH IN AN ITERATIVE WAY WITH ITS MEMBERS. AND HAVING PARTICIPATED IN A SURVEY AND TRYING TO GET THE COMPANY I USED TO WORK FOR TO REMEMBER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY, I ALWAYS FOUND IT VERY VALUABLE TO NOT JUST PARTICIPATE IN IT BUT SEE THE RESULTS OF IT REFLECTED BACK.
SO EXAMPLES LIKE THAT, OTHER PEOPLE HERE MAY HAVE OTHER EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONNAIRES AND SURVEYS. I THINK WHEN WE GENERATED THE IDEA OF TRYING TO HAVE EASY-TO-USE RESPONSE MECHANISMS, WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT IZUMI MENTIONED ABOUT IT IS SO HARD IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE A DENSE DOCUMENT AND YOU DON'T GIVE THEM EASY WAYS TO RESPOND TO IT, THEY GET FRUSTRATED AND OFTEN DON'T SPEND THE TIME TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS AND A NUMBER OF TIMES FROM HOW TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AT ICANN TO COMMENT EVEN ON OUR POLICY DOCUMENTS, AND WE COULD PROBABLY VERY QUICKLY DO A SHORT E-MAIL REQUEST FOR IDEAS FROM FOLKS, EVEN ON THE STRAT PLAN LIST THAT WE MAINTAIN FOR AMSTERDAM THAT'S OPEN TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SIGN UP TO IT AND GENERATE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES BESIDES THE APNIC SURVEY AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, MARILYN. ANYONE ELSE?
KURT.
>>KURT PRITZ: REFLECTING ON THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO THE AMSTERDAM MEETING AND THE THREE MEETINGS WE'VE HAD HERE, FIRST, AND I'M PROBABLY NOT THE BEST TO DO THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SINCERELY THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED FOR THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO ALL OF THIS. IT'S STUNNING TO ME, AS SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY GETS PAID TO COME HERE, AND WE ALWAYS SAY ICANN PAYS GOOD MONEY -- NOT MUCH, BUT GOOD -- THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE THEIR TIME AND COME TO PLACES FAR AWAY AND PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND HARD WORK INTO BUILDING DOCUMENTS THAT ARE MEANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE.
SO MY FIRST COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, JUST TO THANK EVERYBODY AND ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE VOLUNTEER STATUS, ESSENTIALLY, OF EVERYBODY'S WORK ON THIS.
SECOND, FOR ME, I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME PERSONALLY IN AUTHORING A STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO BUILD IN TIME FOR REFLECTION AND STUDY. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE SEE ACROSS AMERICAN INDUSTRY TODAY ANYWAY, AND MAYBE ELSEWHERE WHERE I DON'T HAVE EXPERIENCE, IS MANAGEMENT SO BUSY TRYING TO KEEP UP, THEY NEVER TAKE THE TIME TO STEP BACK AND DO THE SORTS OF, LIKE, COLLEGIAL STUDIES OR ECONOMIC STUDIES OR TECHNICAL STUDIES, ALLOW THAT TO FEED INTO THE CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM SUCH AS RAIMUNDO WAS REFERRING TO WHEN HE MADE HIS COMMENTS.
AND SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS IS TO -- AND WHY WE -- I THINK WE ALL AGREED TO CREATE THAT SIX-MONTH PERIOD WAS TO CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTS OF MANAGEMENT TO STEP BACK, AND ALSO IN CONSULTATION WITH OTHERS AND TAKE A BROADER LOOK AT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND MOVE FORWARD SO WE CAN THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM INSTEAD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE REPORT THAT'S DUE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ON APRIL 7TH, TOMORROW.
SO JUST TO WRAP UP, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR COMING, AND THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO THIS AND STAYING LATE TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU.
>>VINT CERF: I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO ALL OF THIS WITH GREAT INTEREST. THE ONLY AREA OF REAL UNEASINESS THAT I FEEL IS THAT IT'S VERY EASY FOR US TO INVENT PROCESSES THAT WILL GROW SUBSTANTIALLY OR WILL INVOLVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK FOR EVERYONE -- YOU AND STAFF AND EVERYONE ELSE. AND OF COURSE THIS QUICKLY TURNS INTO COSTS AND EXPENSE AND POTENTIAL DELAY.
SO WHAT I WOULD STRONGLY URGE AS WE START TO GO THROUGH AND ANALYZE THESE VARIOUS PROPOSALS IS TO THINK SLIM IN THE SENSE OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THE PROCESSES THAT WE INVENT ARE EFFICIENT AND ARE NOT OVERLOADING EVERYONE WITH LARGE QUANTITIES OF MATERIAL.
THERE WERE TWO SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE MADE YESTERDAY THAT I THOUGHT WERE VERY INTRIGUING, AND ONE THAT I HEARD THIS MORNING.
ONE SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE CONSIDER PREPARING SOME SHORTER DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE SORT OF THE KEY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH PRIORITIES IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN. SO WE HAVE A VERY EASY WAY OF HELPING EVERYONE SEE WHERE THE ORGANIZATION WANTS TO GO WITHOUT HAVING TO READ THROUGH A 30-PAGE DOCUMENT OR A 70-PAGE DOCUMENT, AND MAYBE A SHORT THREE-PAGE SUMMARY OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN THE QUESTION COMES UP, WELL, IT'S STILL IN ENGLISH AND I STILL HAVE TO READ IT AND IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
THIS MORNING WE MET WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT ICANN AND ITS ROLE, HOW THE INTERNET WORKS AND SO ON, AND AMBASSADOR DI GIOVAN SAID SHE OR HER STAFF OR SOME ELEMENT IN HER ORGANIZATION HAD UNDERTAKEN ON THEIR OWN TO TRANSLATE DOCUMENTS INTO SPANISH AND WERE PLEASED TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE.
THIS MADE ME THINK OF TWO THINGS THAT WERE ATTRACTIVE. ONE OF THEM, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE DOCUMENTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE IN A LOCAL LANGUAGE THAT HELPED EVERYONE WHO SPOKE THAT LANGUAGE TO GET THE MATERIAL, BUT THE OTHER THING WAS THAT AT LEAST I'M ASSUMING THAT WITHIN THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH-QUALITY TRANSLATIONS WOULD BE IMPLICITLY UNDERSTOOD.
THE RISK THAT YOU RUN WHEN YOU SEEK VOLUNTEER HELP IN DOING THINGS LIKE THAT IS THAT YOU MAY HAVE QUITE VARIED QUALITY IN THE TRANSLATIONS. AND IF OUR JOB IS TO HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WE'RE USING TRANSLATION TO ASSIST THAT, THE WORST THING THAT WE COULD DO WOULD BE TO PRODUCE A LOT OF CONFUSION BY GENERATING A NOT-VERY-GOOD QUALITY TRANSLATION.
SO I'M THINKING THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT OUR GAC MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO ABILITY TO TRANSLATE GOOD-QUALITY MATERIAL AND MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO THAT, THIS MIGHT BE A PATH TO GO TO. AND I THINK -- I DON'T SEE SHARIL IN THE ROOM. HE'S HIDING, PROBABLY, WORKING WITH -- MORE WITH THE GAC. I'M GOING TO BRING THAT UP.
I DON'T MEAN TO SUGGEST THE GAC SHOULD DO IT; ONLY THAT WE SHOULD LOOK FOR RESOURCES TO HELP US WITH THAT. SMALLER DOCUMENTS, MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSLATION, MAKING IT EASIER FOR ALL OF US TO COME TO CONSENSUS, WHICH, AFTER ALL, IS SORT OF THE CRITICAL ELEMENT IN ALL OF OUR PROCESSES.
SO I WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE WHO IS STILL AWAKE AND INTERESTED TO JOIN THE BOARD AND THE STAFF FOR TEA AT 6:00 BEFORE WE ALL -- BEFORE WE ALL RUN OFF TO THE SOCCER MATCH.
SO THANK YOU ALL.
PATRICK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO FINISH EVERYTHING HERE.
>>PATRICK SHARRY: THANKS, VINT.
OKAY. AS VINT SAID, 6:00 ON THE FIRST FLOOR, OVERLOOKING THE LOBBY, THERE'S AFTERNOON TEA. BUT BY THE SOUNDS OF IT THERE WON'T BE THAT MUCH TEA BUT THERE WILL BE BEER, WINE AND DRINKS SO YOU'RE ALL VERY WELCOME TO THAT. IT IS THE AFTERNOON SO AT LEAST GET 50 PERCENT OF THAT.
A REMINDER, THE BUS LEAVES AT 6:30 FOR THE FOOTBALL MATCH. MARK IS ALREADY RARING TO GO AND I'M SURE OTHERS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO CLOSE WITH SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN MADE EXPLICIT TODAY BUT FOR ME, AS A SORT OF SEMI-OUTSIDER AS MUCH AS ANYONE CAN BE THAT, STRIKES ME AS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
12 MONTHS AGO, AS FAR AS I WAS AWARE THERE WASN'T EVEN REALLY A CONVERSATION IN ICANN BY STRATEGIC PLANNING MUCH AT ALL. AND YOU'VE MADE A WONDERFUL JOURNEY OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS TO GET TO THIS PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW VERY ENTHUSIASTIC WITH WELL FORMED OPINIONS AND IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD THAT WILL TAKE US TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS BETTER PLANNED AND, THEREFORE, MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING THAT'S HAPPENED, AND I THINK IT'S HAPPENED, IN A SENSE, ALMOST WITHOUT OUR ACKNOWLEDGING THE LITTLE STEPS ALONG THE WAY.
BUT IT IS IN ALL THOSE LITTLE STEPS, TO ME AS A SEMI-OUTSIDER, A VERY BIG AND IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR ICANN. AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE ENORMOUS GOODWILL THAT WE'VE SEEN SO OBVIOUSLY HERE THIS AFTERNOON AND TAKE THAT FORWARD INTO GOOD PROCESSES AND GOOD PLANNING.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME. ENJOY THE AFTERNOON TEA OR WINE, AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE FOOTBALL MATCH.
THANK YOU.
(APPLAUSE.)
(5:52 P.M.)