2017-12-04 Standing Committee on ICANNs Budget & Operations Planning

Notes/ Action Items

1. Discuss experiences of last two comment submissions

— Ad hoc process so far, but good test bed, especially because one was rather simple and was rather easy to coalesce around a single response (i.e., PTI) versus one where there was divergence (i.e., reserve fund).

— Even if the reserve fund comment was significantly altered from the initial draft, still a very worthwhile exercise and made an important point - exercise fiscal prudence

— Initial rationale for this standing committee was in regards to ICANN’s Budget & Operations review, with GNSO as a Decisional Participant

— The two public comment response exercises will help establish a path to follow in the event the GNSO were to invoke its powers as a Decisional Participant (e.g., reject the budget)

1. Discuss next steps for SC Budget and the GNSO Council

— Intention was to have Council consider and adopt charter on 21 Dec meeting, but Council leadership has proposed that topic may be a good one for Council Strategic Planning meeting

— Timeline may be challenging to respond to ICANN’s FY19 Budget

— Steps involved: Review and get agreement on draft charter amongst committee members. Prepare draft motion. Consider on December of January meeting.

— Committee could continue to meet provisionally, without charter, in order to meet timelines (e.g., consider ICANN FY19 Budget when released, even in absence of charter adoption).

— Public comment closes on 04 Mar 2018

1. Review draft charter

— Currently on v.5. Draft inspired from ccNSO’s Strategic and Operational Planning (SOP) Standing Committee. 

— The charter, even after adoption by Council, is envisioned to be a living document that can be refined. At a minimum, to be reviewed at AGM.

— Action Item - Staff to put draft charter into GNSO’s charter template [COMPLETE]

— Decisions aspect: should consider whether quorum is a necessary element of this standing panel.

— Call for volunteers would go out after presumably after charter adoption. Expectation is that expertise can be sought beyond Council for discussions (e.g., as observers), but decision-making would remain with members of standing panel.

— May want to consider what membership looks like - e.g., should every SG/C have a representative, similar to GNSO Review, even if they do not participate during every call? Does not necessarily need to mirror membership structure of Council.

— Thought needed around the Decisions aspect, in light of more extensive FY18 Budget to be reviewed. Should substitute the word “consensus” for “agreement.”

— Action Item - Staff to circulate past public comments submitted by GNSO Council [COMPLETE]

— Next steps for charter: members to provide comments through EoD Wednesday. 

— Action Item - Staff to prepare draft motion, to possibly utilize for December Council meeting [COMPLETE]

— Action Item - Staff to consider options for decision-making for panel to consider [COMPLETE]

— Is an obligations section needed? Action Item: Erika to consider suggesting language to captures her concerns.

— Action Item: Staff to share Council leadership thinking on timing of charter adoption. [COMPLETE]

— Action Item: Staff to tentatively schedule mid-January meeting, around time when FY18 Budget public comment opens. [MODIFIED - COMPLETE]