Consideration of the At-Large Advisory Committee Detailed Implementation Plan

To ensure ICANN's multistakeholder model remains transparent and accountable, and to improve its performance, ICANN organizes independent reviews of its supporting organizations and advisory committees as prescribed in Article 4 Section 4.4 of the ICANN Bylaws. The second At-Large started in 2016 and the independent examiner presented its Final Report in May 2017.

The At-Large Review Implementation recommendations as noted in the At-Large Review Implementation Overview Proposal have the potential to advance ICANN's transparency and accountability objectives and have been considered carefully by the Board's Organizational Effectiveness Committee as well as by the full Board.

The Board resolution will have a positive impact on ICANN and especially the ALAC and At-Large community as it reinforces ICANN's and the ALAC and At-Large community's commitment to maintaining and improving its accountability, transparency and organizational effectiveness throughout the implementation process.

Due to the number of recommendations that need to be implemented, the Board supports the approach by priorities as laid out in the Implementation Plan (Exhibit A). This will allow the community time to refine details as the implementation process proceeds– especially during Priority 2 and 3 activities set out in that Implementation Plan.

Some recommendations – especially those foreseen to be implemented under Priority 2 and 3 activities – may benefit from additional details regarding their exact implementation. Due to the difficulty to predict these issues months in advance, the Board supports the idea that the At-Large Review Implementation Working Group provides updates bi-annually to the OEC. It is during these updates that the ALAC can provide greater implementation details with regard to those recommendations that are going to be scheduled for the forthcoming six-month period following the respective OEC update. At that time, the ALAC would be in a better position to flag any significant variations from the original implementation plan and timing. The At-Large Review Implementation Plan sets out the prioritization, expected resource allocation in terms of staff time, web and wiki resources, expected budgetary implications such as additional staff resources, and the steps to implementation. While the majority of implementation activities will use existing At-Large resources, any additional fiscal implications are noted below. The ALAC will utilize the normal annual budgetary comment process to request the required resources. If such resources are not provided, the likely result would be a significant slow down in the speed of the Review Implementation.

Why is the Board addressing the issue?

This resolution moves the second review of the At-Large community into the implementation phase. Following the assessment of the Implementation Plan and the feedback from the Board's Organizational Effectiveness Committee, the Board is now in a position to consider the Plan and instruct the ALAC to continue the implementation process as set out in the Plan. This step is an important part of the Organizational Review process of checks and balances, to ensure that the spirit of Board-approved recommendations will be addressed through the implementation plans, while being mindful of budgetary and timing constraints.

What is the proposal being considered?

The proposal the Board is considering is the Organizational Effectiveness Committee's recommendation of the adoption of the At-Large Review Implementation Plan, drafted and adopted by the At-Large Review Implementation Working Group, endorsed by the ALAC.

Which stakeholders or others were consulted?

Immediately after the Board passed the Resolution on the At-Large Review, the leadership of the At-Large Review Working Group provided updates on the Review and next steps on each of the five RALO monthly teleconferences. The creation of the At-Large Review Implementation Working Group involved careful consideration of members to ensure geographical balance and diversity within each RALO, including among the 232 At-Large Structures and over 100 individual members. During the development of the At-Large Review Implementation Plan, the At-Large Review Implementation WG members updated the ALAC as well as each RALO on a regular basis with the progress that was being made. There were also several discussions on the At-Large Review Implementation during ICANN63 face-to-face sessions. At each step, feedback was discussed by the At-Large Review Implementation WG and incorporated into the final Plan.

What concerns, or issues were raised by the community?

During the development of the At-Large Review Implementation Plan, the At-Large community raised the concern over whether the third At-Large Summit (ATLAS III) would take place as tentatively scheduled during ICANN66 in Montreal in October 2019 and identified as a Priority 1 activity and requiring budgetary consideration in advance of the broader organizational budget cycle. In September 2018 the Board confirmed that the ICANN organization still had authority to proceed with the planning and contracting.

What significant materials did the Board review?

The Board reviewed the At-Large Review Implementation Plan as adopted by the At-Large Review Implementation Working Group and endorsed by the ALAC.

Are there fiscal impacts or ramifications on ICANN, the Community, and/or the Public (strategic plan, operating plan, or budget)?

The work to improve the effectiveness of the At-Large organization – by implementing the issues resulting from the Review and the At-Large Review Implementation Overview Proposal, may require additional financial resources that are subject to ICANN's normal budgetary processes. This resolution does not authorize any specific funding for those implementation efforts. The Board understands that some of the Priority 1 work, such as skills development and communication efforts, will require FY20 Additional Budget Requests. The Board also understands that the ongoing and Priority 2 activities are estimated to require the addition of one Full Time Employee equivalent, and there are other anticipated resource needs for items such as communications and data collection.

Are there any security, stability or resiliency issues relating to the DNS?

This action is not expected to have a direct impact on the security, stability or resiliency of the DNS. Still, once the improvements are implemented, future activities of the ALAC and At-Large community, including advice or inputs into the policy development processes, will become more transparent and accountable, which in turn might indirectly contribute to the security, stability or resiliency of the DNS.

Is public comment required prior to Board action?

The Draft Report of the independent examiner was posted for public comment. There is no public comment required prior to this Board action. The voice of the ALAC has been reflected throughout the review process – via the At-Large Review Working Party that produced the ALAC Implementation Overview Proposal; the At-Large Review Implementation Working Group that developed the implementation plan; and the ALAC that endorsed the implementation plan.

How is this action within ICANN's mission and what is the public interest served in this action?

Given that At-Large represents the best interests of individual Internet end users within ICANN's multistakeholder governance approach, the approval of the At-Large Review Implementation Plan, which will lead to a strengthened At-Large community, will have a direct positive impact to ICANN's mission in its bottom-up policy development process. The public interest is also served through this action which furthers the continued development and support of a diverse and informed multistakeholder community.