Historical Resolution Tracking Feature » USG IANA Stewardship Transition – Additional FY16 Expenses and Funding
Important note: The explanatory text provided through this database (including the summary, implementation actions, identification of related resolutions, and additional information) is an interpretation or an explanation that has no official authority and does not represent the purpose behind the Board actions, nor does any explanations or interpretations modify or override the Resolutions themselves. Resolutions can only be modified through further act of the ICANN Board.
USG IANA Stewardship Transition – Additional FY16 Expenses and Funding
Board approves a budget envelope of up to US$1.5 million, as an interim measure, to cover the costs of the Project to be incurred until the first estimate is produced, to be funded through a fund release from the Reserve Fund.
Whereas, the Board has approved an expense budget envelopes to support the IANA Stewardship Transition Project ("Project") during FY15 and FY16, and all approved budget envelopes will have been used after the ICANN Meeting 55 in Marrakech.
Whereas, a Project Cost Support Team is being implemented to produce Project expense estimates for the remainder of FY16 and for FY17 for the Project.
Whereas, it is projected that further Project expenses of up to approximately US$1.5 million will be incurred while the Project Cost Support Team is producing cost estimates.
Whereas, the Board Finance Committee met on 3 March 2016 and has approved to recommend to the Board to approve an additional Project expense budget envelope of up US1.5 million to cover Project expenses while the Project Cost Support Team is working to produce estimates.
Resolved (2016.03.10.09), the Board approves a budget envelope of up to US$1.5 million, as an interim measure, to cover the costs of the Project to be incurred until the first estimate is produced, to be funded through a fund release from the Reserve Fund.
The IANA Stewardship Transition is a major initiative to which the ICANN Community as a whole is dedicating a significant amount of time and resources. ICANN's support for the community's work towards a successful completion of the Project (including both the USG IANA Stewardship transition proposal development and the Cross-Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability's work) is critical for ICANN.
Considering its exceptional nature and the significant amount of costs anticipated to be incurred, the funding of this Project could not be provided through the Operating Fund. Accordingly, when the Board approved the FY15 and FY16 Operating Plans and Budgets, it included the anticipated funding of the transition initiative costs through a corresponding withdrawal from the Reserve Fund.
The Board previously approved the FY16 Operating Plan and Budget, which included an estimated budget envelope of US$7 million for the USG IANA Stewardship Transition ("The Project") to be funded by the Reserve Fund. As the Project used this entire budget envelope by the end of November 2015, the Board approved additional funding of US$4.5 million on 2 February 2016 to allow the project to be funded through the ICANN Meeting 55 in Marrakech.
The Board reiterates its 25 June 2015 statement that the Board is "committed to supporting the community in obtaining the advice it needs in developing recommendations in support of the transition process, and also notes the importance of making sure that the funds entrusted to ICANN by the community are used in responsible and efficient ways. Assuring the continuation of cost-control measures over the future work of the independent counsel is encouraged." (See https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2015-06-25-en....).
As the community work relative to the accountability track of the Project is expected to continue, further expenses are expected through the remainder of FY16 and during FY17. The implementation planning for other parts of the Project will also continue. Separately, in order to improve visibility on and control of the expenses for this type of project in partnership with the community, a Project Costs Support Team is being formed to produce costs estimates for future work.
The Board Finance Committee has determined that an additional budget envelope of approximately US$1.5 million needs to be approved by Board to allow ICANN to incur further Project expenses for a short period of time after the end of the ICANN 55 Meeting. This will give the necessary time to the project cost support team to produce estimates. These estimates will then be used by the Board to consider and approve a budget envelope for a longer period of time forward.
As this initiative's expenses and funding are approved by the Board, the ICANN Board is now approving as an additional interim measure a budget envelope of up to US$1.5 million to be funded through a release from the Reserve Fund to cover the estimated costs to be incurred after the end of the ICANN 55 meeting until such time a cost estimate will be ready. The Board will be asked to approve an additional expense budget envelope for the remainder of FY16, on the basis of the estimated future expenses produced by the Project Cost Support Team.
This action will not have a direct impact on the security, stability and resiliency of the domain name system.
This is an Organizational Administrative Function that does not require public comment.