2019-07-15 Standing Committee on ICANNs Budget & Operations Planning

Notes/ Action Items

• Chair assignment
  • Ayden stepping down, leaving gap until AGM. Unless someone wants to volunteer now, Keith willing to fill gap as interim Chair until AGM.
  • No objections
  • Short runway between seating of new Chair and team at AGM and launch of public comment for annual budget and 5 year operating plan.

• Prep for ccNSO Standards Operating Procedures Committee (SOPC)
  • AI out of Kobe meeting, public comment 5 objectives and supporting goals for the 5 Operating Plan. Goal is to determine where there are commonalities or opposition between GNSO and ccNSO, and collaborate where possible.
  • Objectives and goals document adopted by the ICANN Board, however still seems appropriate to coordinate on public comment opportunities below.
  • Public comment closes on 5 August: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/draft-financial-projections-fy2021-2025-2019-06-14-en

- Action Item: Review the SOPC meeting from ICANN65. Discusses the two documents, where there are some concerns with the Financial Assumptions and Projections document.

- Action Item: Berry to resend link to public comment and SOPC meeting. [COMPLETE]

• Two documents from public comment
• Financial Assumptions and Projections
• Provides proposed costing and forecasts revenue for 5 year operating plan
• Low, base, high scenarios included
• However, the Council response would generally be limited to impacts to gTLD policy development. Funding looks stable, which seems to indicate support for policy development also remains stable - Council will probably not need to respond.
• Support that comment be more appropriate from SG/Cs rather than Council
• Does not integrate any new round of new gTLDs, though program financials are held separate
• Operating Initiatives
• Importance of document, connection to Council based on:
• Difference between Operating Initiatives (for 5 year plan) and operating activities, which are for day-to-day activities. It was previously not apparent where the difference was between special projects and day-to-day activities. This doc is only about Operating Initiatives.
• How are Operating Initiatives going to be funded? Not clear in document.
• ccNSO reviewed both documents, concentrated on this document. Key concerns:
• Operating Initiatives (OI) were too high-level
• Confusion that OIs are already operating activities. 
• Concern that document did not address community fatigue
• OIs do not seem to address future environment, with new participants
• Improve effectiveness of MSM -> community asks, ICANN supports. Preference for community asks, ICANN evaluates/prioritizes, then supports as appropriate. Should community be provided more time to evaluate its own priorities?
• Geopolitical issues for interoperable internet - concerns about priorities, duplication of effort. Support for the initiative itself.
• Open question about whether future new gTLDs should be included.
• SCBO will discuss needs of PDPs, starting in September, to be more proactive. Feed into budget.
• Support for coordination with the ccNSO, considering their longtime work on the budget. SCBO can learn from them.
• Berry walking through the Strategic Objectives and respective Operating Initiatives…
• Security: Again, unclear what differentiates between OI and day-to-day. Also not clear if Council should be responding, except perhaps in the context of prioritizing relative to policy development?
• MSM: 
• Similar question here about differentiation and prioritization. Important to understand the specifics for decision-making and effective policy making.
• Unclear on origins for ethics policies and what resulting activities will be.
• Unclear which of the OIs relate to strategic initiative 2.2 (active and informed participation)
• Important to understand what should be prioritized, who should do it, and when.
• AOB
• None